– As for the ʾuḍḥiyah (the Eid sacrifice), the stronger view is that it too is obligatory (1), for it is one of the greatest hallmarks of Islam. A formal ruling on its obligatoriness is found within the Ḥanbalī school; it is likewise the position of Abū Ḥanīfah and one of the two opinions reported from Mālik—or the apparent view attributed to him. ⦗Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 23/162⦘.
– If a person slaughters a single sheep on behalf of himself and the members of his household, that is sufficient according to the sounder of the two scholarly opinions. This is the view of Mālik, Aḥmad, and others, for the Companions used to do the same. ⦗Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 26/310⦘.
– It is permissible to count as an ʾuḍḥiyah an animal smaller than a jadhaʿ (a year-old sheep) for someone who, unaware of the ruling, slaughtered before the ʿEid prayer (2) and possesses nothing that meets the normal standard for the sacrifice or other offerings. This is based on the story of Abū Burdah ibn Niyār, and on the Prophet’s ﷺ words, “It will not suffice for anyone after you,” meaning: after your specific situation. ⦗Ikhtiyārāt al-Baʿlī p. 177⦘.
– The reward for offering an ʾuḍḥiyah is always commensurate with its monetary value (3). ⦗al-Furūʿ 6/86; Ikhtiyārāt al-Baʿlī p. 178⦘.