Why is sacrificing an animal stated to be wajib, not fard, though it is ordered in the Quran?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Wajib lexically means required, necessary. As a term in the sense of fard, wajib exists only in Hanafi madhhab; it is what Allah wants us to do through His own words or through the words of His Messenger just like wajib.

There are differences between fard and wajib: There is some doubt, though very little, regarding wajib whether the order belongs to the Messenger of Allah or not, or whether the thing that is wanted is like this or that. Due to this doubt, it is a bit lower than the degree of fard. The second difference is that a person who denies wajib does not exit the religion due to this doubt but is regarded to have committed a sin.

Therefore, it is wajib, not fard, to sacrifice an animal. For, the following is stated in the Quran:

"Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice." (al-Kawthar, 108/2)

When the orders “to sacrifice an animal and to perform prayers” are next to each other, some scholars regarded it as a sign of eid prayer while others regarded it as a sign of daily prayers. Thus, there is no unanimity about what the verse indicates; therefore, eid prayer is regarded as wajib, not fard, by Hanafis.

Since the order “to sacrifice an animal” is thought to be belonging only to the Prophet (pbuh) by some scholars, there is no unanimity about what the verse indicates. Therefore, to sacrifice an animal is regarded as wajib.  

Wajib is like fard in terms of deed. A person who does it receives thawabs and a person who abandons it without an excuse deserves punishment. However, it is not like fard in terms of creed; a person who denies it does not exit the religion.

"A person who can afford to offer a sacrifice but does not do it should not come near our prayer place." (Ibn Majah, Adahi, 2; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, II/321)

The hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) above shows the importance of the issue. Acting upon this and similar nass, Hanafi fiqh scholars hold the view that it is wajib to sacrifice an animal. (Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut, Cairo 1324-1331, XII/8; Qasani, Badayius-Sanayi', Cairo, 1327-1328/1910, V/61, 62; al-Fatawal Hindiyya, Bulak 1310, V/291)

Two views are reported from Imam Malik regarding the issue; according to one of them, it is wajib to sacrifice an animal and according to the other, it is sunnah al-muakkadah. As it is known, in Maliki ijtihad system, the term wajib is the same as fard in Hanafis. For, according to the majority of mujtahid imams, especially Malikis, Shafiis and Zahiris, there is no discrimination of fard and wajib especially related to worshipping; and these two terms are used in the same sense.

In Maliki madhhab, of the two views of Imam Malik, the view that it is sunnah is more commonly accepted than the view that it is wajib. The Maliki mujtahids who accept the view that to sacrifice an animal is sunnah al-muakkadah, not wajib, regard sacrificing an animal superior to other sunnahs; therefore, they add expressions that emphasize its importance when they say that it is sunnah.

It seems that the view of Malikis related to sacrificing an animal is parallel to that of Hanafis to a great extent. According to the other madhhabs, it is Sunnah to sacrifice an animal.

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