Acc Name – Taleem Foundation Account Number – 1044 3584 Acc Sort Code – 60 02 63
More events for November 2025
This month, there’s lots to do at your local Masjid. Take part in inspirational get-togethers, socialise and make friends and enjoy great food. TMCC is hosting youth club activities, women’s night, men’s evening and breakfast after Fajr prayers.
What is meant by udhiyah (sacrifice)? Is it obligatory or Sunnah?.
Praise be to Allaah. The word udhiyah means an animal of the ‘an’aam class (i.e., camel, cow, sheep or goat) that is slaughtered during the days of Eid al-Adha because of the Eid and as an act of worship, intending to draw closer to Allaah thereby.
This is one of the rituals of Islam prescribed in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and according to the consensus of the Muslims.
In the Qur’aan:
1 – Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)”
[al-Kawthar 108:2]
2 – Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims”
[al-An’aam 6:162]
The word nusuk (translated here as sacrifice) means sacrifice; this is the view of Sa’eed ibn Jubayr. And it was said that it means all acts of worship, including sacrifice, which is more comprehensive.
3 – Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that they may mention the Name of Allaah over the beast of cattle that He has given them for food. And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God Allaah), so you must submit to Him Alone (in Islam). And (O Muhammad) give glad tidings to the Mukhbitoon [those who obey Allaah with humility and are humble from among the true believers of Islamic Monotheism]”
[al-Hajj 22:34]
In the Sunnah:
1 – It was narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari (5558) and Saheeh Muslim (1966) that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sacrificed two white rams speckled with black. He slaughtered them with his own hand, said ‘Allaahu akbar’ and put his foot on their necks.”
2 – It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stayed in Madeenah for ten years, offering sacrifice (every year on Eid).” Narrated by Ahmad, 4935; al-Tirmidhi, 1507; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 1475.
3 – It was narrated from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) shared out sacrificial animals amongst his companions, and ‘Uqbah got a sheep that was six months old. He said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I got a sheep that is six months old.” He said, “Offer it as a sacrifice.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5547.
4 – It was narrated from al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever offers a sacrifice after the prayer has completed his rituals (of Eid) and has followed the way of the Muslims.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5545.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered sacrifices, as did his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). And he said that sacrifice is the way of the Muslims.
Hence the Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is prescribed in Islam, as was narrated by more than one of the scholars.
But they differed as to whether it is Sunnah mu’akkadah (a confirmed Sunnah) or it is obligatory and it is not permissible to omit it.
The majority of scholars are of the view that it is Sunnah mu’akkadah. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i, Maalik and Ahmad according to his most well-known view.
Others were of the view that it is obligatory. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and one of the views narrated from Ahmad. This was also the view favoured by Ibn Taymiyah who said: “This is one of the views narrated in the madhhab of Maalik, or it appears to be the view of Maalik.”
From Risaalat Ahkaam al-Udhiyah wa’l-Dhakaah by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Udhiyah is Sunnah mu’akkadah for the one who is able to do it, so a person should offer the sacrifice on behalf of himself and the members of his household.”
Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/661.
REMINDER:
If a person wants to offer an udhiyah, then it is haraam – according to the more correct view – for him to remove anything from his hair or nails until he offers his sacrifice, regardless of whether he offers his sacrifice at the beginning of the time for it, immediately after the Eid prayer, or at the end of the time, i.e., before sunset on the thirteenth of Dhu’l-Hijjah.
That is because of the report narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh (1977) from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever has an animal to sacrifice, when the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah appears, let him not remove anything from his hair or nails, until he has offered his sacrifice.”
The day began with Fajr salah. After breakfast, getting ready and packing our bags, we all met at Taleem Masjid before 8am. It was foggy.
After signing the register and getting our lunch packs, we boarded the coach, made duas and drove off. There was no going back…we hit the fast road. On the coach, some of us had a chat. Some of us fell asleep. And some of us were low-key panicking. The journey was smooth and we got there impressively soon, an hour and half or so.
Anxiety and Arrival
As soon as we arrived, the nerves died down and we were excited and ready for the mission. Our driver left us and we walked on. First stop was the cafe. Teas, coffees, toilets… you know the drill. Then we all stood in a uneven circle on the grass and introduced ourselves to each other. We barely remembered each other’s names, so we were assigned numbers instead. We slowly walked over to the viewpoint. At that moment, the selfie queens made themselves known. After the mandatory group photo, we began our hike. Bismillah.
Walk the Talk
We walked and talked, made dua and dhikr, stopped to take pictures, pick flowers and bluebells. It was actually not that bad…save our heavy backpacks. We forgot about the weight and distance as we busied ourselves enjoying good company. Eventually we made it to the big green hill, where we stopped for lunch. Legend has it, the brothers stopped at the exact same place for lunch on their hike a few years back.
After The Picnic
Thirty minutes later, we continued a long steep walk downhill. We stopped to capture the natural beauty in the woods, ginormous trees hundreds of years old. We were fascinated by the rows of bluebells. We watched the bumble bees who came to pollinate the colourful flowers. No doubt, Allah created these all for a purpose, so that we would know that He is The One and only who deserves to be worshipped. He is our Provider, Protector, Sustainer, The Eternal, Most-High, our Lord, The Most Merciful.
Reflection and Lessons
As we weaved between trees, treading through the leafy woods, we reflected on the life of Rasoolullah Muhammad peace be upon him. Recalling the battle of Badr in Ramadan 2AH, in the heat of the day, while fasting, the believers rushed to fulfill Allah’s command. The Muslims were an army of 300 or so, ill-equipped in weapons and cavalry. In contrast, the oppressive pagan Quraish army, topped more than 4x the Muslim army, well-equipped with a hundred horsemen and plentiful armed soldiers. Despite the military disadvantage, with firm faith in Allah the Muslims marched forward bravely, seeking to establish justice. Allah, Our Almighty Creator, supported the Muslims by sending thousands of angels who fought alongside them until they achieved success and victory.
Mission Successful
In the next hour, we marched on, past the lake and finally found ourselves on the level green plains. We laid our mats down and prayed Zuhr. We were soaked in sweat, but satisfied. Alhamdulillah we made it. It was time for a break. The main hike was complete.
After the 4 mile hike, some of us seemed to have lost our marbles…and decided to hike another 2 miles down the steep stairs. We even jumped over the stepping stones in our abayas and dresses, trying hard not to fall into the water. And no, there weren’t any crocodiles, except the angry lady who got annoyed waiting for our large group to pass by.
When we eventually made our way back up the gruelling steep incline, we got ice-cream and water. The clock hit 4pm, and our driver came back to take us home. After boarding the coach, we made duas and tried our best to stay awake for the party. We got to the masjid in ample time, bid the driver farewell and made our way to the top floor for the ceremonial dinner after Asr prayer.
There was chicken biryani, spicy egg curry and tomato salsa salad. It was finally time to go home for a good bath and a long rest. Alhamdulillah.
Thanks to Taleem Masjid, brother Fraz, all the organisers and volunteers behind it, our lovely hikers, our families, our donors, the coach driver, the kind sister who cooked us a meal and of course, everyone who supported the cause!
The sacred month of Dhul Qi’dah is due and we would like to remind ourselves about the importance of the four sacred months in Islam. Dhul Qi’dah is the 11th month of the Islamic calendar. The sacred months are Rajab, Dhul Qid’ah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram, the 7th, 11th, 12th and 1st month of the Islamic Hijri calander respectively. (see Surah Tawbah, Qur’an chapter 9 verse 36). We should also prepare for the Hajj season, and endeavour to perform our obligatory Hajj for the sake of Allah, as soon as we have the means/ability.
(We should be extra careful not to sin, all the time, but particularly in the sacred months, and avoid aggression)
May Allah forgive us, be merciful to us and guide us, for He is the Most Gracious the Most Merciful, The Ever-Relenting. May Allah guide and forgive us and enable us to witness and observe many Hajj and Umrah in His obedience, with sincerity and strength and excellence. May Allah unite us in jannat al firdaus. Allah bless His final messenger Muhammad ibn Abdillah in abundance. Amin
Thurrock Muslim Community 