Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- As for your stolen udhiyah that you have already intended to slaughter, you don’t have to buy another one instead.
2- If you can afford another one, you are highly encouraged to do so in order that you can obtain the generous reward from Allah Almighty.
In his response to your question, Dr. Abdul-Fattah Edris, Professor of Usul Al-Fiqh at Al-Azhar University, stated,
Udhiyah is one of the best deeds that a Muslim can do in Dhul-Hijjah. Al-Baraa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The first thing with which we start this day (meaning the day of `Eid Al-Adha) is to pray, then return home and slaughter. Whoever does so would be following the Sunnah…” (Al-Bukhari)
So, all Muslims are highly encouraged to offer udhiyah if they can, so that they would get a great reward from Allah the Exalted, and spread some happiness among the poor on the days of Eid.
Udhiyah, originally, is considered a Sunnah (recommended), not compulsory, even though rich Muslims are highly encouraged to offer it due to the great reward promised by the Prophet for it.
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Nothing would be more pleasing to Allah Almighty on the Day of Adha than bloodshed (of udhiyah), as it (udhiyah) will come on the Day of Judgment with its horns, hair, and hoofs, and the blood is highly considered by Allah before it reaches the ground. Therefore, give it up pleasantly.” (Al-Hakim)
As for your stolen udhiyah that you have already intended to slaughter, you don’t have to buy another one instead.
Nevertheless, if you can afford another one, you are highly encouraged to do so in order that you can obtain the generous reward from Allah Almighty. But it is not obligatory for you to do this, as the udhiyah is considered a Sunnah.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.