Slaughtering the Udhiyah in the Country of the One Offering It
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And among what one should be aware of and be alerted to: What has become widespread and publicized regarding the relief organization asking people for money to offer sacrifices in other places, this is contrary to the Sunnah.The Sunnah: A person sacrifices in his home for himself and his household; they eat, enjoy the meat, and thank Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) for this blessing. Transferring the sacrificial animal to other places causes many benefits to be lost: among them is the visibility of the Sunnah. If you sacrifice in another place, the Sunnah becomes hidden in the town, and perhaps over time there will be no sacrificial animals at all in the town, as they are all sent abroad.Especially if it is said to people: It is cheaper abroad than here, and if you sacrifice here with one animal, you could sacrifice with three animals in other countries. There is no doubt that the concealment of rituals is a harm.
And among the benefits that are lost: If a person sacrifices in other lands, he misses the opportunity to invoke the name of Allah over it. Invoking the name of Allah over it is among the best deeds, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Hajj: 36].
And among them: He also misses the opportunity to eat from it. Eating from it is emphasized, for Allah the Exalted placed it before charity: [Al-Hajj: 28]. For this reason, when they gifted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) one hundred camels, he ordered that a piece be taken from each camel, placed in a pot, and cooked. He ate from its meat and drank from its broth.In realization of the command of Allah the Exalted in His saying: [Al-Hajj: 28] .
Among the benefits lost in sacrificing outside the country: A person does not feel reassured about how it was distributed, and whether it was distributed in a prescribed manner or in an impermissible manner? If he is reassured, and he distributes it himself or his agent who he watches distributes it.
And among them: If it is sacrificed in other countries, he does not know when it will be sacrificed. It may be sacrificed before the time due to ignorance of the one offering it, or it may be sacrificed after the time. Then he is tied to it; because he does not take anything from his hair, skin, or nails until he sacrifices, and he does not know when this udhiyah will be slaughtered, so he remains suspended for all the days of the festival, not taking anything from his hair, nail, or skin; because he does not know whether the udhiyah was slaughtered or not. Especially if it is in Eastern countries, for they usually delay it by a day, and perhaps they delay it by two days, so he remains suspended from the festival to the three days of Tashreeq to the fourth or fifth additional day.
And among the benefits that are lost: Specification, which is a matter of importance. If the sacrifices there are gathered—for example—A thousand heads, and then they wanted to slaughter them, they do not say: This is for so-and-so; because this is difficult for them, so they do not specify it,And if it is not specified, it may be said: It is not valid;Because if he slaughters one of a thousand and is asked: Whose is this?He said: This is for one of these thousand people, so from the one, since they do not have lists written with the names, and they started giving to the sheep and slaughtering them according to this list. This is a serious matter; because it may be said that it is not valid in this case if it is not specified for whom it is.
The udhiyah are not like food that is collected and distributed, and each person gets the reward of his charity, nor are they like dirhams that are collected and distributed, and each person has the reward of his charity. These are acts of drawing near, by which a person draws near to Allah by slaughtering the specific one that belongs to him. And this certainly is not possible if he sacrifices in another country.
And among the precautions that occur: If, for example, thousands of sacrifices are gathered in this place, are they able to slaughter them at the time of sacrifice? They may not be able to, as happened in the slaughterhouses in Mina. In one of the years, they were unable to slaughter all the hadi before the days of Tashreeq passed, and at that time the udhiyah is not slaughtered except after the time has passed.And the conclusion: Whatever a person does in which he deviates from the prescribed manner, there are precautions that result from it.
So the prescribed manner is that the udhiyah is slaughtered in the country, and it is better for a person to slaughter it in his home and his family and children watch it, and love for this ritual is instilled in their hearts. And let him know that the purpose of the udhiyah is not the material benefit—Meaning: eating or dirhams—because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Hajj: 37] . And the evidence for that is: Allah made for this udhiyah prohibitions before it, and the Shari'ah cared for it. So when the ten days of Dhul Hijjah enter and a person wants to sacrifice, it is forbidden for him to take anything from his hair, skin, or skin.And we ask: If he wanted to give charity on the day of the festival with a thousand riyals, would it be forbidden for him when the ten days enter to take anything from his hair, skin, and nails? No. So we know that the udhiyah is an independent act of worship with its own entity and its own importance, and the purpose is not meat that the poor person eats or something similar to that.
So we ask Allah the Exalted to grant us and you insight in His religion, and to help us to act upon it. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
And I, on this occasion: I wish for my Muslim brothers not to be swept away by emotions, but rather it is obligatory for them to seek what is in accordance with the Shari'ah.
And among the benefits that are lost: If a person sacrifices in other lands, he misses the opportunity to invoke the name of Allah over it. Invoking the name of Allah over it is among the best deeds, as Allah the Exalted said:
So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]
فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّAnd among them: He also misses the opportunity to eat from it. Eating from it is emphasized, for Allah the Exalted placed it before charity:
So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَSo eat from it
فَكُلُوا مِنْهَاAmong the benefits lost in sacrificing outside the country: A person does not feel reassured about how it was distributed, and whether it was distributed in a prescribed manner or in an impermissible manner? If he is reassured, and he distributes it himself or his agent who he watches distributes it.
And among them: If it is sacrificed in other countries, he does not know when it will be sacrificed. It may be sacrificed before the time due to ignorance of the one offering it, or it may be sacrificed after the time. Then he is tied to it; because he does not take anything from his hair, skin, or nails until he sacrifices, and he does not know when this udhiyah will be slaughtered, so he remains suspended for all the days of the festival, not taking anything from his hair, nail, or skin; because he does not know whether the udhiyah was slaughtered or not. Especially if it is in Eastern countries, for they usually delay it by a day, and perhaps they delay it by two days, so he remains suspended from the festival to the three days of Tashreeq to the fourth or fifth additional day.
And among the benefits that are lost: Specification, which is a matter of importance. If the sacrifices there are gathered—for example—A thousand heads, and then they wanted to slaughter them, they do not say: This is for so-and-so; because this is difficult for them, so they do not specify it,And if it is not specified, it may be said: It is not valid;Because if he slaughters one of a thousand and is asked: Whose is this?He said: This is for one of these thousand people, so from the one, since they do not have lists written with the names, and they started giving to the sheep and slaughtering them according to this list. This is a serious matter; because it may be said that it is not valid in this case if it is not specified for whom it is.
The udhiyah are not like food that is collected and distributed, and each person gets the reward of his charity, nor are they like dirhams that are collected and distributed, and each person has the reward of his charity. These are acts of drawing near, by which a person draws near to Allah by slaughtering the specific one that belongs to him. And this certainly is not possible if he sacrifices in another country.
And among the precautions that occur: If, for example, thousands of sacrifices are gathered in this place, are they able to slaughter them at the time of sacrifice? They may not be able to, as happened in the slaughterhouses in Mina. In one of the years, they were unable to slaughter all the hadi before the days of Tashreeq passed, and at that time the udhiyah is not slaughtered except after the time has passed.And the conclusion: Whatever a person does in which he deviates from the prescribed manner, there are precautions that result from it.
So the prescribed manner is that the udhiyah is slaughtered in the country, and it is better for a person to slaughter it in his home and his family and children watch it, and love for this ritual is instilled in their hearts. And let him know that the purpose of the udhiyah is not the material benefit—Meaning: eating or dirhams—because of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you
لَنْ يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَكِنْ يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنْكُمْSo we ask Allah the Exalted to grant us and you insight in His religion, and to help us to act upon it. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
And I, on this occasion: I wish for my Muslim brothers not to be swept away by emotions, but rather it is obligatory for them to seek what is in accordance with the Shari'ah.