Should the partners be fixed before buying the animal or after

Question

Question: Is it necessary, before buying a buffalo cow, a buffalo bull or a camel, to bring seven people into partnership and to take the money from all of them beforehand; or may one person buy and then look for shareholders; or may four or five shareholders participate and two or three more partners be found after the purchase? What is the ruling of the Sacred Law?

Answer

All these ways are correct; but if the animal is bought before all seven partners have joined, then a poor man should not buy it with the intention of sacrifice but with the intention of trade; when all seven partners are complete, then they should make the intention of sacrifice.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.