Is the sacrifice and ritual slaughter prescribed on behalf of the deceased?
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The questioner : And this is another questioner: He says, "You mentioned in your book *Rulings on the Sacrifice and Zakah* that the sacrifice..."
The Shaykh : ...and the ritual slaughter, may Allah reward you with good. The ritual slaughter is with a *dhal*.
The questioner : *Rulings on the Sacrifice and the Ritual Slaughter*.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : That the sacrifice on behalf of the deceased falls into three categories: First, that one sacrifices on their behalf following the living. Second, that one sacrifices on behalf of the deceased in accordance with their bequests. Third, that one sacrifices on behalf of the deceased as an independent act of charity, separate from the living.
So we ask you to explain the third category.
The Shaykh : Yes, the sacrifices fall into three categories, as the questioner said. The first is that one sacrifices on behalf of the deceased following the living, such as when a person says, "This is my sacrifice for me and for my household," intending his father and mother who have passed away. In this case, the inclusion of the deceased is... what is it? The inclusion of the deceased is following the living.
The second is that one sacrifices on behalf of a bequest, such as a deceased person who bequeathed that a sacrifice be made on his behalf. This is also clear; the bequest is carried out as he bequeathed.
The third is that one donates a sacrifice to the deceased independently, buying a sacrificial animal and sacrificing it on behalf of his deceased father or his deceased mother, for example. The scholars differed on this issue: whether it benefits the deceased and whether it is prescribed or not. Some said that it benefits the deceased, like charity, because charity is established by the Sunnah. Others said that it does not benefit the deceased, because the sacrifice is only prescribed on behalf of the living, just as the Companions would have a man sacrifice on his behalf and on behalf of his household. They said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lost his uncle Hamzah in battle, and his wife Khadijah died, and his wife Zaynab bint Khuzaymah died, and all his children died except Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), and he never sacrificed on behalf of any of them. He never sacrificed on behalf of his uncle, nor on behalf of his wife, nor on behalf of his daughters who died during his lifetime. If this had been prescribed, he would have clarified it, but they would sacrifice on his behalf and on behalf of his household in general. Yes.
The Shaykh : ...and the ritual slaughter, may Allah reward you with good. The ritual slaughter is with a *dhal*.
The questioner : *Rulings on the Sacrifice and the Ritual Slaughter*.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : That the sacrifice on behalf of the deceased falls into three categories: First, that one sacrifices on their behalf following the living. Second, that one sacrifices on behalf of the deceased in accordance with their bequests. Third, that one sacrifices on behalf of the deceased as an independent act of charity, separate from the living.
So we ask you to explain the third category.
The Shaykh : Yes, the sacrifices fall into three categories, as the questioner said. The first is that one sacrifices on behalf of the deceased following the living, such as when a person says, "This is my sacrifice for me and for my household," intending his father and mother who have passed away. In this case, the inclusion of the deceased is... what is it? The inclusion of the deceased is following the living.
The second is that one sacrifices on behalf of a bequest, such as a deceased person who bequeathed that a sacrifice be made on his behalf. This is also clear; the bequest is carried out as he bequeathed.
The third is that one donates a sacrifice to the deceased independently, buying a sacrificial animal and sacrificing it on behalf of his deceased father or his deceased mother, for example. The scholars differed on this issue: whether it benefits the deceased and whether it is prescribed or not. Some said that it benefits the deceased, like charity, because charity is established by the Sunnah. Others said that it does not benefit the deceased, because the sacrifice is only prescribed on behalf of the living, just as the Companions would have a man sacrifice on his behalf and on behalf of his household. They said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lost his uncle Hamzah in battle, and his wife Khadijah died, and his wife Zaynab bint Khuzaymah died, and all his children died except Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), and he never sacrificed on behalf of any of them. He never sacrificed on behalf of his uncle, nor on behalf of his wife, nor on behalf of his daughters who died during his lifetime. If this had been prescribed, he would have clarified it, but they would sacrifice on his behalf and on behalf of his household in general. Yes.