The Ruling on Eating from an Animal Sacrificed in Fulfillment of a Vow
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Some people believe that if one makes a vow to slaughter a sheep, it is not permissible for him to eat from it. Is this correct?
This depends on the intention.A person might say: For example, if someone says, "If so-and-so, who is absent, returns, I have a vow to slaughter a sheep,"We ask him: Did you intend by this to thank Allah for His blessing of the absent person's return, or did you intend to display joy and happiness at his arrival? If his intention is the former, he should not eat anything from it, because he intended it as charity. If his intention is the latter, he may eat from it.The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Actions are by intentions, and every person will have what he intended) But in my opinion, most people intend to thank Allah for this blessing, especially in the case of a patient being cured of his illness. Many people have a sick relative and vow that if Allah cures their patient, they will slaughter a sheep.We say: Do not eat from it, because it appears that he intended to thank Allah. And if he intended to give thanks, it is charity.
But by the way, I say: Making a vow is disliked. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade it.And he said: (It does not bring any good, and it does not avert a decree) How many people have made a vow and then suffered in fulfilling it. And if a person makes a vow to Allah and then does not fulfill it, he is in great danger.because of His saying, the Exalted: [At-Tawbah: 75-77] I seek refuge in Allah from that.Meaning: It is feared that the person who does not fulfill his vow may be followed by Allah with hypocrisy in his heart until death. So, Muslim brothers should abandon making vows. If Allah wills to cure, He will cure without a vow. And if Allah wills the return of the absent person, He will bring him back without a vow.
The questioner: And is it more perfect, O Shaykh, if the intention is to give thanks, to invite the poor or not?The Shaykh: Either invite the poor, or slaughter it and distribute it to the poor.
This depends on the intention.A person might say: For example, if someone says, "If so-and-so, who is absent, returns, I have a vow to slaughter a sheep,"We ask him: Did you intend by this to thank Allah for His blessing of the absent person's return, or did you intend to display joy and happiness at his arrival? If his intention is the former, he should not eat anything from it, because he intended it as charity. If his intention is the latter, he may eat from it.The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Actions are by intentions, and every person will have what he intended) But in my opinion, most people intend to thank Allah for this blessing, especially in the case of a patient being cured of his illness. Many people have a sick relative and vow that if Allah cures their patient, they will slaughter a sheep.We say: Do not eat from it, because it appears that he intended to thank Allah. And if he intended to give thanks, it is charity.
But by the way, I say: Making a vow is disliked. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade it.And he said: (It does not bring any good, and it does not avert a decree) How many people have made a vow and then suffered in fulfilling it. And if a person makes a vow to Allah and then does not fulfill it, he is in great danger.because of His saying, the Exalted:
(75) And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous." (76) But when he gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused. (77) So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * فَلَمَّا آتَاهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ * فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقاً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُThe questioner: And is it more perfect, O Shaykh, if the intention is to give thanks, to invite the poor or not?The Shaykh: Either invite the poor, or slaughter it and distribute it to the poor.