Book of Sacrificial Animals (Uḍḥiyah)

The uḍḥiyah is a Sunnah practice and does not become obligatory unless a person makes it binding upon himself through a vow.
It is recommended for anyone who intends to offer the sacrifice that, during the first ten days of Dhu al-Ḥijjah, he refrain from cutting his hair or nails until he has performed the slaughter.
It is also recommended that he carry out the slaughter with his own hand; if he cannot, he should at least be present to witness it.

The sacrifice is valid only with camels, cattle, or small livestock (sheep and goats).
The minimum ages are: for camels, entry into the sixth year; for cattle and goats, the third; for sheep, the second.
Both males and females are acceptable, as are castrated animals.
A single camel or cow suffices on behalf of seven people, whereas one sheep or goat suffices for one person.
The preferred order is: a camel, then a cow, then a woolly sheep, then a goat; and seven individual sheep are better than jointly sharing a camel.

The animal must be free of any defect that diminishes its meat.
Therefore an emaciated beast, a mad one, an animal with part of its ear cut off, or one that is clearly lame, one-eyed, sick, or afflicted with obvious mange is not acceptable.
A slight degree of those defects does not matter, nor does the absence of horns; likewise, on the sounder view, an ear that is slit or pierced does not invalidate it.

I say: the correct, textually explicit position is that even a slight case of mange is disqualifying, and Allah knows best.

The time for slaughter begins on the Day of Sacrifice when the sun has risen to the height of a spear and the length of time required for two short rak‘ahs and two brief sermons has passed.
It continues until sunset on the last of the Days of Tashrīq.
I say: the sun’s rising high is meritorious, but the minimum requirement is simply sunrise followed by the interval needed for the two rak‘ahs and the two sermons; Allah knows best.

Whoever vows a specific animal, saying, “It is due to Allah that I sacrifice this one,” must slaughter it within that period.
If it dies before then through no fault of his, nothing is due from him.
But if he destroys it himself, he must purchase another of the same value and kind and slaughter it within the prescribed time.
And if he made a general vow and later designated a particular animal