المعنى
What are the four types of birds that Abraham took?
الجواب
Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:
- A pigeon, a rooster, a crane, and a peacock. [Reported by ʿAbdullāh ibn Hubayrah from Ibn ʿAbbās]
- A peacock, a rooster, a Sindhi hen, and a goose. [Reported by al-Ḍaḥḥāk from Ibn ʿAbbās] In another version, al-Ḍaḥḥāk mentioned a young ostrich (raʾl) instead of the Sindhi hen.
- Partridges, as these were what they would sacrifice at the time. [Reported by Abū Ṣāliḥ from Ibn ʿAbbās]
- A peacock, an eagle, a crow, and a rooster. [Also reported from Ibn ʿAbbās]
- A rooster, a peacock, a crow, and a pigeon. [Stated by ʿIkrimah, Mujāhid, ʿAṭāʾ, Ibn Jurayj, and Ibn Zayd]
- A rooster, a crow, a duck, and a peacock. [Reported by Layth from Mujāhid]
- A rooster, a duck, a crow, and a pigeon. This was stated by Muqātil. ʿAṭāʾ al-Khurasānī said: "Allah inspired him to take a duck, a black crow, a white pigeon, and a red rooster."

