The majority of scholars hold the view that a person who is prevented from performing the rituals must slaughter a sheep, a cow, or a camel. Malik, however, differs with this opinion and says that slaughtering an animal is not essential.
Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states in his well-known book, Fiqh Us-Sunnah: The verse of Al-Ihsar is quite clear in that a person who is prevented from performing the rituals may slaughter any animal he is able to afford. Ibn `Abbas reported that when the Prophet (peace ad blessings be upon him) was prevented from performing `Umrah he shaved his head, consorted with his wives, and slaughtered his animal. The next year he performed `Umrah to make up for the year that he had missed. This was reported by Bukhari. The majority of scholars in light of this hadith hold the view that a person who is prevented from performing the rituals must slaughter a sheep, a cow, or a camel. Malik, however, differs with this opinion and says slaughtering an animal is not essential.
The author of Fath Al-`Allam remarks, “Malik is right in his opinion, because all the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who were prevented with him (at Hudaybiyah) did not have animals with them to slaughter after they were unable to perform `Umrah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) slaughtered his animal which he had brought along with him from Madinah.” There is no implication of any obligation in the verse. Rather, it is the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who is referred to in the Qur’anic verse (Al-Hajj 48: 25): (They are the ones who denied revelation and hindered you from the Sacred Mosque and sacrificial animals.)