والعلة التي من أجلها تجزي البقرة عن خمسة نفر لان الذين أمرهم السامري بعبادة العجل كانوا خمسة أنفس وهم الذين ذبحوا البقرة التي أمر الله تبارك وتعالى بذبحها وهم أذينونة وأخوه ميذونة وابن أخيه وابنته وامرأته. وإنما يجزي الجذع من الضأن في الأضحية ولا يجزي الجذع من المعز لان الجذع من الضأن يلقح والجذع من المعز لا يلقح. وإنما يجوز للرجل أن يدفع الضحية إلى من يسلخها بجلدها لان الله عز وجل قال: " فكلوا منها وأطعموا " والجلد لا يؤكل ولا يطعم ولا يجوز ذلك في الهدي. ولم يبت أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام بمكة بعد أن هاجر منها حتى قبض لأنه كان يكره أن يبيت بأرض قد هاجر منها [رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله].
The reason why a cow suffices as a sacrifice for five individuals is that those whom the Samiri commanded to worship the calf were five people. They were the ones who slaughtered the cow that Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Blessed and Exalted, commanded to be slaughtered. They were Azinunah, his brother Midhunah, his nephew, his daughter, and his wife. A young sheep (jadh') is acceptable as a sacrifice, but a young goat (jadh') is not because the young sheep can impregnate, whereas the young goat cannot. It is permissible for a person to give the skin of the sacrificial animal to the one who skins it, as Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, said: "Eat from it and feed others" (Surah Al-Hajj, 22:28). The skin is neither eaten nor fed, so this is allowed in sacrifice but not in offerings (hady). Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام did not spend a night in Makkah after migrating from it until his martyrdom, because he disliked spending the night in a land from which the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, had migrated.
