For How Many People One Camel or Cow Is an Enough Offering

2. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ibrahim عليه السلام, about the case of a people for whom offering animals become very expensive, who are for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous), in one company but not of the same family. They have come together; their way and camp is one, if they can slaughter one cow. He (the Imam) said, ‘I do not like it unless it is urgency.’”

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Al-Hasan ibn Ali from man called Sawadah who has said the following: “Once we were in Mina’ and offering became very expensive. We saw abu ’Abdillah عليه السلام, standing near a bunch of cattle, bargaining stringently. We stopped and looked. When he عليه السلام completed his task, he came to us and said, ‘I think you found my stringent bargaining strange.’ We replied, ‘Yes, it was so.’ He عليه السلام said, ‘One who suffers a loss is not praised and does not receive any reward. Can I help you in something?’ We said, ‘Yes, the offering animals have become very expensive for us. He عليه السلام said, ‘Come together and all of you buy one Jazur.’ We said, ‘Our budget is not sufficient. He عليه السلام then said, ‘All of you buy one cow and slaughter it.’ We said that our budget is not sufficient. He عليه السلام said, ‘All of you buy one sheep and slaughter it.’ We asked if it is sufficient for seven. He عليه السلام said, ‘Yes, it is sufficient [even] for seventy.’”

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ‘ibn ‘Udhaynah from Humran who has said the following: “One year badanah became very expensive in Mina’, so much so that one badanah sold for one hundred dinar. Abu Ja‘far عليه السلام, was asked about it and he (the Imam) said to share it. I asked, ‘For how many people it is sufficient?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The lighter the better.’ I asked, ‘For how many?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘For seventy.’”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hafs ibn Qar‘ah from Zayd ibn Jahm who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, about a man who is for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) and cannot find an offering. He (the Imam) said, ‘Does he not have any dirham to ask his people to allow him to share with them?”’ (Fatwa best explains Hadith 2-5 of this Chapter)