What is the ruling in the Shari'ah regarding people who slaughter animals in Ramadan and dedicate their sacrifices to a relative after his death, inviting family and friends for them, and intending the reward for the deceased?
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The questioner : This is a message received from the listener Farhan Salem from Turaif, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He says in this question: What is the ruling in the Shari'ah, in your view, O honorable Shaykh, regarding people who slaughter animals in Ramadan and dedicate their sacrifices to a relative after his death...
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : ...and dedicate their sacrifices to a relative after his death, inviting family and friends for them, and intending the reward for these deceased people?
The Shaykh : What we see is that drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by slaughtering in Ramadan is a religious innovation (bid'ah) that must be forbidden.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because drawing near to Allah by slaughtering has specific times, which are the days of al-Adha. Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to worship Allah by slaughtering in Ramadan or in any other time for the deceased or for the living, as we have indicated that slaughtering has specific times, which are the days of al-Adha: the day of the festival and the three days following it. However, the 'aqiqah for a newborn is a recommended practice (sunnah) that is slaughtered on the seventh day, and we will speak about it soon, if Allah wills. The point is that those who slaughter animals in Ramadan intending it for their deceased relatives, we tell them that your action is a religious innovation (bid'ah); do not draw near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by slaughtering in Ramadan. Yes, if they intend to slaughter not to draw near to Allah by the slaughter, but for the sake of the meat, instead of buying meat from the market, saying "we will slaughter it here at home," and they do not intend to draw near to Allah by the slaughter, then there is nothing wrong with it. That is, there is nothing wrong with a person slaughtering an animal for the sake of its meat, not as a means of drawing near to Allah, except where drawing near to Allah by it is prescribed, such as the 'udhiyah and the 'aqiqah.
And charity on behalf of the deceased is permissible, as the Sunnah has come with this, from the hadith of Sa'd ibn Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the hadith of the man who said, "O Messenger of Allah, my mother died suddenly and did not leave a bequest, and I think that if she had been able to speak, she would have given charity." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said when he asked him, "Shall I give charity on her behalf?" He said, "Yes." But supplication for the deceased is better than offering sacrifices to them. That is, if you supplicate for the deceased, it is better than reciting the Qur'an for him, or saying takbir, or saying tahlil, or saying tasbih, or saying tahmid for him, or giving charity for him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) directed to supplication for the deceased in his sayingSahih Muslim 1631 and the Sunnah did not come with urging the performance of acts of worship for the deceased, but rather the Sunnah came with permitting and allowing it only. And there is a difference between what the Sunnah urges and what it permits in specific matters.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : ...and dedicate their sacrifices to a relative after his death, inviting family and friends for them, and intending the reward for these deceased people?
The Shaykh : What we see is that drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by slaughtering in Ramadan is a religious innovation (bid'ah) that must be forbidden.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because drawing near to Allah by slaughtering has specific times, which are the days of al-Adha. Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to worship Allah by slaughtering in Ramadan or in any other time for the deceased or for the living, as we have indicated that slaughtering has specific times, which are the days of al-Adha: the day of the festival and the three days following it. However, the 'aqiqah for a newborn is a recommended practice (sunnah) that is slaughtered on the seventh day, and we will speak about it soon, if Allah wills. The point is that those who slaughter animals in Ramadan intending it for their deceased relatives, we tell them that your action is a religious innovation (bid'ah); do not draw near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) by slaughtering in Ramadan. Yes, if they intend to slaughter not to draw near to Allah by the slaughter, but for the sake of the meat, instead of buying meat from the market, saying "we will slaughter it here at home," and they do not intend to draw near to Allah by the slaughter, then there is nothing wrong with it. That is, there is nothing wrong with a person slaughtering an animal for the sake of its meat, not as a means of drawing near to Allah, except where drawing near to Allah by it is prescribed, such as the 'udhiyah and the 'aqiqah.
And charity on behalf of the deceased is permissible, as the Sunnah has come with this, from the hadith of Sa'd ibn Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the hadith of the man who said, "O Messenger of Allah, my mother died suddenly and did not leave a bequest, and I think that if she had been able to speak, she would have given charity." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said when he asked him, "Shall I give charity on her behalf?" He said, "Yes." But supplication for the deceased is better than offering sacrifices to them. That is, if you supplicate for the deceased, it is better than reciting the Qur'an for him, or saying takbir, or saying tahlil, or saying tasbih, or saying tahmid for him, or giving charity for him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) directed to supplication for the deceased in his saying