Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons
Sermon 53: The best kind of sacrifice ...
Description of the Day of Sacrifice (Id al-Adha)
ومنها: في ذكر يوم النحر وصفة الاضحية
For an animal to be fully fit for sacrifice it is necessary that both its ears should be raised upwards and its eyes should be healthy. If the ears and the eyes are sound the animal of sacrifice is sound and perfect, even though its horn be broken or it drags its feet to the place of sacrifice.
As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Here place of sacrifice means place of slaughter.
وَ مِنْ تَمامِ الاْضْحِيَّةِ اسْتِشْرافُ اُذُنِها، وَ سَلامَةُ عَيْنِها. فَاِذا سَلِمَتِ الاْذُنُ وَالْعَيْنُ سَلِمَتِ الاْضْحِيَّةُ وَ تَمَّتْ، وَلَوْ كانَتْ عَضْباءَ لْقَرْنِ تَجُرُّ رِجْلَها اِلَى الْمَنْسَكِ. .
قال السيد الشريف: وَالْمَنْسَـكُ هُنَـا الْمَـذْبَـحُ.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 53
(1) Al-Saduq, Man la yahduruh, I, 461;
(2) al-Tusi, Misbah, 429;
(3) al-Khwarazmi, al-Manaqib, 108;
(4) Nasr, Siffin, 201;
(5) Ibn Qutaybah, al-'Imamah, 94;
(6) Ibn `Abd Rabbih, al-`Iqd, II, 108.