It is customary for the distribution of the sacrificial animal to be among relatives and neighbors, and it may be said that searching for the poor is difficult for some people. Is this correct?
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The questioner : It has become customary in the distribution of the sacrificial animal that it be shared among relatives and neighbors. Is it true that searching for the poor may be difficult for some people?
The Shaykh : It is not difficult. In truth, it is not difficult, but it is difficult for the wills, not the bodies. Many people today want to ease their burden, and unfortunately, a phenomenon has emerged where they invite people to give them money to sacrifice with in other countries.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is a pure error, and calling for it leads to invalidating the benefit of the sacrificial animal, because the intended purpose of the sacrificial animal, and one of its greatest purposes, is for a person to worship Allah the Exalted by slaughtering it himself or by being present for it if he does not know how to slaughter, and by mentioning the name of Allah over it. This does not happen if he gives money to be slaughtered in another place.
Also, displaying the ritual among the family and children; this is a sacrificial animal that the young pass on from the old, so much so that the children rejoice when the sacrificial animals are in the house on the night of the festival or before their slaughter later. Then, this is depriving the people of the country; the people of the country need meat, both their poor and their rich, and they are deprived of it. Then, this is contrary to the command of Allah Mighty and Majestic, where He Blessed and Exalted is He said:[Al-Hajj 22:28] And it is not possible for him to eat from it while it is far from him. And in order to realize eating from it, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded in the year of Hajj when his camels were slaughtered. Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Farewell Pilgrimage gifted one hundred camels, by his generosity, one hundred camels in place of seven hundred sheep. He gifted one hundred camels and slaughtered sixty-three of them with his noble hand, and gave the rest to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who slaughtered them. Then he commanded (peace and blessings be upon him) that a piece be taken from every camel, which was put in a pot and cooked. He ate from its meat and drank from its broth, realizing the command of Allah Mighty and Majestic: How can a person eat from a sacrificial animal that is miles and long distances away from him?
Then, these monies that you give to those who collect them, do you know if they fall into the hands of a trustworthy, knowledgeable scholar who knows the rulings of the sacrificial animal, or do they fall into the hands of someone who is not? We do not know. He may slaughter it without mentioning the name of Allah, he may slaughter it and not let the blood flow, he may give it to the rich instead of the poor, he may slaughter what has not reached the age, he may slaughter what has a defect. When can we be assured that the one who took charge of the slaughter was trustworthy, knowledgeable about the rulings of the sacrificial animal, and knowledgeable about what is sacrificed and what is not? And can we be safe that this person will be negligent and delay the slaughter past its time, especially if the number of sacrifices with him is large? Suppose this organization receives a thousand sheep and they do not have enough people to handle the slaughter, so they are unable to slaughter them within the days of slaughter, and they are forced to delay the slaughter until the time has passed.
So we say, O my Muslim brother, if you want to do good to your poor brothers in other countries, send them money, send them food, send them clothes, send them gifts. But as for the sacrificial animal, which Allah the Exalted has made a symbol and singled you out for in your country so that you may share with the people of Hajj in some of the rites, you neglect this great distinction and send money, money hidden in the depths of pockets and in money holders.
So my advice to my brothers who collect these sacrificial animals is to refrain from that and not to invite people to it. Yes, they may invite them to donate money and items, there is no harm in that, but they invite them to invalidate a ritual in their country to be transferred to a distant country, with the possibilities we mentioned. I fear for them, and therefore I advise them, meaning my brothers who collect donations for this, to refrain from that.
Then I advise the citizen brothers not to give these people the sacrificial animal, and I say, sacrifice in your country, sacrifice in your place. And I also advise my brothers who sacrifice in their countries to sacrifice in their homes with their children so that the ritual is displayed, without slaughtering it in the slaughterhouse and bringing it as meat. No house today, and praise be to Allah, lacks a place for slaughter. Even if it is slaughtered in the middle of the bathroom, there is no harm, because the blood is impure, and if it mixes with impurity, it does not harm. The blood of the slaughtered animal is impure, so slaughter it until the impure blood is exhausted, then take it out and skin it in another place if you do not have a place for slaughter and a slaughterhouse. However, many large cities have rest areas for people, and they can take the sacrificial animals to the rest areas and take the children with them if they wish for the children to watch the sacrificial animal, and they can slaughter there and bring it into the house as meat.
So the important thing is directing those who collect donations for this purpose to refrain from this, directing the other citizens not to give them anything for this purpose, and to sacrifice in their homes, and to feel that the intended purpose of the sacrificial animals and gifts is to draw near to Allah the Exalted by slaughtering them and mentioning His name over them, Exalted and Majestic is He, rather than the material obtained from them, which is eating. Listen to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Hajj 22:37] This is advice, and I ask Allah Blessed and Exalted is He to make it sincere for His face.
The questioner : Amen.
The Shaykh : And to benefit His servants with it.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Indeed, He is over all things competent.
The questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you, Your Eminence the Shaykh, for this blessed guidance.
The Shaykh : It is not difficult. In truth, it is not difficult, but it is difficult for the wills, not the bodies. Many people today want to ease their burden, and unfortunately, a phenomenon has emerged where they invite people to give them money to sacrifice with in other countries.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is a pure error, and calling for it leads to invalidating the benefit of the sacrificial animal, because the intended purpose of the sacrificial animal, and one of its greatest purposes, is for a person to worship Allah the Exalted by slaughtering it himself or by being present for it if he does not know how to slaughter, and by mentioning the name of Allah over it. This does not happen if he gives money to be slaughtered in another place.
Also, displaying the ritual among the family and children; this is a sacrificial animal that the young pass on from the old, so much so that the children rejoice when the sacrificial animals are in the house on the night of the festival or before their slaughter later. Then, this is depriving the people of the country; the people of the country need meat, both their poor and their rich, and they are deprived of it. Then, this is contrary to the command of Allah Mighty and Majestic, where He Blessed and Exalted is He said:
So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
فَكُلوا مِنها وَأَطعِمُوا البائِسَ الفَقيرَSo eat from it
فَكُلوا مِنهاThen, these monies that you give to those who collect them, do you know if they fall into the hands of a trustworthy, knowledgeable scholar who knows the rulings of the sacrificial animal, or do they fall into the hands of someone who is not? We do not know. He may slaughter it without mentioning the name of Allah, he may slaughter it and not let the blood flow, he may give it to the rich instead of the poor, he may slaughter what has not reached the age, he may slaughter what has a defect. When can we be assured that the one who took charge of the slaughter was trustworthy, knowledgeable about the rulings of the sacrificial animal, and knowledgeable about what is sacrificed and what is not? And can we be safe that this person will be negligent and delay the slaughter past its time, especially if the number of sacrifices with him is large? Suppose this organization receives a thousand sheep and they do not have enough people to handle the slaughter, so they are unable to slaughter them within the days of slaughter, and they are forced to delay the slaughter until the time has passed.
So we say, O my Muslim brother, if you want to do good to your poor brothers in other countries, send them money, send them food, send them clothes, send them gifts. But as for the sacrificial animal, which Allah the Exalted has made a symbol and singled you out for in your country so that you may share with the people of Hajj in some of the rites, you neglect this great distinction and send money, money hidden in the depths of pockets and in money holders.
So my advice to my brothers who collect these sacrificial animals is to refrain from that and not to invite people to it. Yes, they may invite them to donate money and items, there is no harm in that, but they invite them to invalidate a ritual in their country to be transferred to a distant country, with the possibilities we mentioned. I fear for them, and therefore I advise them, meaning my brothers who collect donations for this, to refrain from that.
Then I advise the citizen brothers not to give these people the sacrificial animal, and I say, sacrifice in your country, sacrifice in your place. And I also advise my brothers who sacrifice in their countries to sacrifice in their homes with their children so that the ritual is displayed, without slaughtering it in the slaughterhouse and bringing it as meat. No house today, and praise be to Allah, lacks a place for slaughter. Even if it is slaughtered in the middle of the bathroom, there is no harm, because the blood is impure, and if it mixes with impurity, it does not harm. The blood of the slaughtered animal is impure, so slaughter it until the impure blood is exhausted, then take it out and skin it in another place if you do not have a place for slaughter and a slaughterhouse. However, many large cities have rest areas for people, and they can take the sacrificial animals to the rest areas and take the children with them if they wish for the children to watch the sacrificial animal, and they can slaughter there and bring it into the house as meat.
So the important thing is directing those who collect donations for this purpose to refrain from this, directing the other citizens not to give them anything for this purpose, and to sacrifice in their homes, and to feel that the intended purpose of the sacrificial animals and gifts is to draw near to Allah the Exalted by slaughtering them and mentioning His name over them, Exalted and Majestic is He, rather than the material obtained from them, which is eating. Listen to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.
لَن يَنالَ اللَّهَ لُحومُها وَلا دِماؤُها وَلكِن يَنالُهُ التَّقوى مِنكُم كَذلِكَ سَخَّرَها لَكُم لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلى ما هَداكُم وَبَشِّرِ المُحسِنينَThe questioner : Amen.
The Shaykh : And to benefit His servants with it.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Indeed, He is over all things competent.
The questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you, Your Eminence the Shaykh, for this blessed guidance.