the Hadith, and because he used to offer camels more frequently, so its transmission is more abundant.
Section: It is a Sunnah to mark (ish'ar) camels and cows, which is to incise the right side of their hump until it draws blood, according to the majority of scholars. Abu Hanifah said: This is a mutilation (muthla) and is not permissible; because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the torturing of animals (3), and because it is an infliction of pain, thus it is like cutting a limb from it. Malik said: If the cow has a hump, there is no harm in marking it, otherwise not. Our argument is what 'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, saying: I twisted the garlands for the offering of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), then he marked it and garlanded it. Agreed upon (4). It was also narrated by Ibn 'Abbas and others, and the Companions performed it, so it must be given precedence over the generality of what they cited as evidence. Also, because it is an infliction of pain for a valid purpose, it is permissible, like cauterization, branding, phlebotomy, and cupping. The purpose is that they do not become mixed (5) with others, and that the thief might be wary of them. This is not achieved by garlanding, as it may come undone and be lost. Their analogy is invalidated by cauterization and branding. A cow is marked because it is one of the sacrificial camels (budn), so it is marked like the one with a hump. As for sheep, it is not a Sunnah to mark them because they are weak, and their wool and hair conceal the location of their marking. When this is established, the Sunnah is to mark them on their right side. This is the opinion of al-Shafi'i and Abu Thawr. Malik and Abu Yusuf said: Rather, they are marked on their left side. From Ahmad
(3) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on what is disliked of mutilation and tying animals for target practice, from the Book of Slaughtering. Sahih al-Bukhari 7/122. And Muslim, in: The Chapter on the prohibition of tying animals for target practice, from the Book of Hunting and Slaughtering. Sahih Muslim 3/1549, 1550. And al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the prohibition of al-mujthama (a type of target practice), from the Book of Sacrifices. Al-Mujtaba 7/210. And al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on the prohibition of animal mutilation, from the Book of Sacrificial Animals. Sunan al-Darimi 2/83. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 2/43, 103. (4) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on the one who marks and garlands at Dhu al-Hulayfah then enters ihram, and the Chapter on marking the sacrificial camel..., from the Book of Hajj, and in: The Chapter on agency in sacrificial camels..., from the Book of Agency. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/207, 3/134. And Muslim, in: The Chapter on the recommendation of sending offerings..., from the Book of Hajj. Sahih Muslim 2/957, 958. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on the one who sends his offering and stays behind, from the Book of Rites. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/407. And al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on garlanding camels, from the Book of Rites. Al-Mujtaba 5/135. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 6/78, 224, 238. (5) In M: "takhlit".
