Attending the slaughter of the sacrificial animal and performing some religious innovations
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Fatwa number ( 21777 )
Q: Some of the people among us, especially the elderly, perform the following actions during the blessed festival of sacrifice: They attend the sacrificial animal and stand around it as a family, all of them being the household members. Before the man begins the slaughter, he recites Surat al-Fatihah, then the Verse of the Throne, as well as the two chapters of protection (al-Mu'awwidhatayn) and al-Ikhlas, along with the opening supplication, such as saying, "I turn my face toward Allah, Lord of the worlds," and so on. The man places his hand on the back of the animal and moves it from the neck to the end of the back, and then he slaughters it after this action. Also, some of them, if they do not attend the slaughter of the sacrificial animal, slaughter a different sacrificial animal, and they are the household members, because he says that it is obligatory for him to attend the slaughter. Therefore,
I ask Allah, then your excellence, to clarify to them the correct method for whoever does this, so that they may be convinced, if Allah wills, and that your fatwa be prompt if possible, given the nearness of the time for performing these actions.
A: This action you perform when slaughtering the sacrificial animal, namely standing around it and reciting the Verse of the Throne and the mentioned chapters, and that whoever does not attend does not share in the reward of the sacrificial animal, but rather must slaughter a different sacrificial animal—all of this has no basis and is an innovated action that you must abandon. It should be noted that it is not permissible. The reward of the sacrificial animal, if it is a voluntary offering, extends to everyone who intends it, even if they do not attend, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 1 And if the sacrificial animal is a bequest, it is slaughtered on behalf of the person specified in the bequest. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Q: Some of the people among us, especially the elderly, perform the following actions during the blessed festival of sacrifice: They attend the sacrificial animal and stand around it as a family, all of them being the household members. Before the man begins the slaughter, he recites Surat al-Fatihah, then the Verse of the Throne, as well as the two chapters of protection (al-Mu'awwidhatayn) and al-Ikhlas, along with the opening supplication, such as saying, "I turn my face toward Allah, Lord of the worlds," and so on. The man places his hand on the back of the animal and moves it from the neck to the end of the back, and then he slaughters it after this action. Also, some of them, if they do not attend the slaughter of the sacrificial animal, slaughter a different sacrificial animal, and they are the household members, because he says that it is obligatory for him to attend the slaughter. Therefore,
I ask Allah, then your excellence, to clarify to them the correct method for whoever does this, so that they may be convinced, if Allah wills, and that your fatwa be prompt if possible, given the nearness of the time for performing these actions.
A: This action you perform when slaughtering the sacrificial animal, namely standing around it and reciting the Verse of the Throne and the mentioned chapters, and that whoever does not attend does not share in the reward of the sacrificial animal, but rather must slaughter a different sacrificial animal—all of this has no basis and is an innovated action that you must abandon. It should be noted that it is not permissible. The reward of the sacrificial animal, if it is a voluntary offering, extends to everyone who intends it, even if they do not attend, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
إنما الأعمال بالنيات وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوى
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.