What is the ruling on sending out and distributing the meat of 'aqiqah sacrifices outside the country because the people there do not need it?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
I say, O Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), what is the ruling on distributing the entire 'aqiqah and sending it outside the country?
Given that the people there do not need the meat of this 'aqiqah, and they are able to hold another one in their own country?
The Shaykh : Incidentally, regarding this question, I would like to clarify to the brothers present and listening that the intended purpose of slaughtering for worship, whether it is an 'aqiqah, a hady, or an udhiyah, is not the meat or benefiting from the meat.
Benefiting from the meat is a secondary matter. The intended purpose is for a person to draw near to Allah through the slaughter; this is the most important thing. As for the meat, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hajj 22:37].
And if we know that, it becomes clear to us the error of those who pay money for someone to sacrifice on their behalf in another place, or to perform an 'aqiqah for their children in another place. Because if they do that, they miss the important thing, or rather, they miss the most important thing in these acts of worship, which is drawing near to Allah through the slaughter.
And you do not know who will undertake the slaughter of this. It may be undertaken by someone who does not pray, in which case it is not lawful. It may be undertaken by someone who does not say the name of Allah over it, in which case it is not lawful. Or they may mess with it and buy something that is not valid.
So it is a great error to spend money to buy sacrifices or 'aqiqahs in another place. We say: slaughter it yourself with your own hand if you can, or through your agent, and witness its slaughter so that you feel the drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) through its slaughter, and so that you eat from it, for you are commanded to eat from it. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hajj 22:28].
Many scholars have made it obligatory for a person to eat from every act of worship he slaughters to draw near to Allah, such as hady, 'aqiqahs, and others.
Will you eat from it while it is in a distant place? No. And if you want to benefit your brothers in a distant place, send them money, send them clothes, send them food. But as for transferring a ritual from the rituals of Islam to other countries, this is undoubtedly ignorance. I believe that those who do it do not want anything but good, but not everyone who wants good is granted success in it.
Did you not know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent two men on a need, and the time for prayer came while they had no water, so they performed tayammum and prayed. Then they found water, and one of them performed wudu' and repeated the prayer, while the other did not repeat the prayer. So he said to the one who did not repeat the prayer:.
And the one who repeated the prayer was wanting good, so his intention was interceded for him, and he was given a reward for the work he repeated. But it was contrary to the Sunnah. Therefore, if a person repeated the prayer after hearing that the Sunnah is not to repeat it, he would not have a reward. But this one had a reward because he did not know that the Sunnah was not to repeat it. So the result is that not everyone who wants good is granted success in it, and I tell you.
And I hope that you will inform those to whom your news reaches that this is an erroneous action and not correct. Yes, if it were assumed that the matter came down to either performing an 'aqiqah or saving people from deadly famine, and they were Muslims, and you wanted to take the money of the 'aqiqah and send it, we would say that this is perhaps better, because saving Muslims from destruction is more obligatory than the 'aqiqah. But do not send the money on the condition that it be an 'aqiqah. Do you understand now? Good.
I say, O Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), what is the ruling on distributing the entire 'aqiqah and sending it outside the country?
Given that the people there do not need the meat of this 'aqiqah, and they are able to hold another one in their own country?
The Shaykh : Incidentally, regarding this question, I would like to clarify to the brothers present and listening that the intended purpose of slaughtering for worship, whether it is an 'aqiqah, a hady, or an udhiyah, is not the meat or benefiting from the meat.
Benefiting from the meat is a secondary matter. The intended purpose is for a person to draw near to Allah through the slaughter; this is the most important thing. As for the meat, Allah the Exalted said:
Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you
لن ينال الله لحومها ولا دماؤها ولكن يناله التقوى منكمAnd if we know that, it becomes clear to us the error of those who pay money for someone to sacrifice on their behalf in another place, or to perform an 'aqiqah for their children in another place. Because if they do that, they miss the important thing, or rather, they miss the most important thing in these acts of worship, which is drawing near to Allah through the slaughter.
And you do not know who will undertake the slaughter of this. It may be undertaken by someone who does not pray, in which case it is not lawful. It may be undertaken by someone who does not say the name of Allah over it, in which case it is not lawful. Or they may mess with it and buy something that is not valid.
So it is a great error to spend money to buy sacrifices or 'aqiqahs in another place. We say: slaughter it yourself with your own hand if you can, or through your agent, and witness its slaughter so that you feel the drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) through its slaughter, and so that you eat from it, for you are commanded to eat from it. Allah the Exalted said:
So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
فكلوا منها وأطعموا البائس الفقيرMany scholars have made it obligatory for a person to eat from every act of worship he slaughters to draw near to Allah, such as hady, 'aqiqahs, and others.
Will you eat from it while it is in a distant place? No. And if you want to benefit your brothers in a distant place, send them money, send them clothes, send them food. But as for transferring a ritual from the rituals of Islam to other countries, this is undoubtedly ignorance. I believe that those who do it do not want anything but good, but not everyone who wants good is granted success in it.
Did you not know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent two men on a need, and the time for prayer came while they had no water, so they performed tayammum and prayed. Then they found water, and one of them performed wudu' and repeated the prayer, while the other did not repeat the prayer. So he said to the one who did not repeat the prayer:
You hit the Sunnah
أصبت السنةAnd the one who repeated the prayer was wanting good, so his intention was interceded for him, and he was given a reward for the work he repeated. But it was contrary to the Sunnah. Therefore, if a person repeated the prayer after hearing that the Sunnah is not to repeat it, he would not have a reward. But this one had a reward because he did not know that the Sunnah was not to repeat it. So the result is that not everyone who wants good is granted success in it, and I tell you.
And I hope that you will inform those to whom your news reaches that this is an erroneous action and not correct. Yes, if it were assumed that the matter came down to either performing an 'aqiqah or saving people from deadly famine, and they were Muslims, and you wanted to take the money of the 'aqiqah and send it, we would say that this is perhaps better, because saving Muslims from destruction is more obligatory than the 'aqiqah. But do not send the money on the condition that it be an 'aqiqah. Do you understand now? Good.