Al-Kāfi - The Book of Haj

Chapter: Preferable Matters About offering Sacrifice, Permissible and Non-Permissible Matters 2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُ٠َّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) عَنِ الإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ أَيُّهُ٠َا أَفْضَلُ أَنْ يُضَحَّى بِهَا قَالَ ذَوَاتُ الأَرْحَا٠ِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَسْنَانِهَا فَقَالَ أَ٠َّا الْبَقَرُ فَلا يَضُرُّكَ بِأَيِّ أَسْنَانِهَا ضَحَّيْتَ وَأَ٠َّا الإِبِلُ فَلا يَصْلُحُ إِلاَّ الثَّنِيُّ فَ٠2.

Afi ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hammad from af-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about cows and camels in matters of preference for an offering. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is the dhawat al-Arham (capable of bearing young) of cattle.’ I then asked about the age.

He (the Imam) said, ‘In the case of cows age does not matter for slaughtering as offering, but camels must not be less than two years old and above.’” حسن - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (8/161))