1)  The sacrificed animal should be from the livestock (cows, camels, sheep and goats). Other kinds of animals cannot replace the above mentioned even if it is permissible to eat them, such as rabbits, poultry, antelope, gazelle and other wild animals.

2)  The one slaughtering (butcher) should not be given his fee from the Udh-hiyyah because the Prophet forbade this. It was narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim that ‘Ali said: "The Prophet ordered me to supervise the slaughtering of his camels; to give their meat, hides and packsaddles as charity; and not to give the butcher from them (as wages)." He said: "We give the butcher from ours (property)."

3)  It is impermissible to sell any part of the Udh-hiyyah, even its skin and hooves, because they are all for Allah, the Exalted.

4)  It is favorable for the one who offers a sacrifice to eat from it because the Prophet did that. It was narrated that the Prophet ordered that a piece of each camel that he slaughtered be brought to him; it was cooked in a pot, and he ate from it and drank some of its soup. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

5)  The one who offers a sacrifice should give part of it in charity, and it is impermissible that he eats all of it. It is preferable to divide the meat into three parts: one third for the one who offered the sacrifice to be eaten, one third to be given as gifts, and one third to be given in charity.

6)  Whoever wants to make a sacrifice should abstain from cutting his hair or clipping his nails from the beginning of Thul-Hijjah till he slaughters his sacrifice. Umm Salamah narrated that the Prophet said: “When the [first] ten days of Thul-Hijjah commence and anyone of you intends to offer a sacrificial animal (Udh-hiyyah), he should not touch his hair (i.e., trim it, cut it or shave it) nor clip his nails.” [Muslim]

May Allah accept from us and from you!