Ruling on offering vows and sacrificial animals for the deceased
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His second question says: Some people make vows of sacrificial animals and other things for the Imams and the Companions. Is this permissible? And is it correct for them to take from the vows for themselves? Please inform us, may Allah guide you and reward you with good for us?
The Shaykh: Perhaps he means the Imams?
The presenter: Yes.
Answer: The vows and sacrificial animals that are vowed for the deceased, or for the Prophets, or for others, these vows and sacrificial animals are among the forbidden matters of shirk (associating partners with Allah), because one vows a sacrificial animal, or wax, or charity, or the like, for other than Allah. Whether the one for whom it is vowed is a Prophet, a wali (close friend of Allah), an Imam, or not an Imam, it is not permissible. The vow is for Allah, and the sacrificial animal is for Allah. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-An'am: 162], meaning: My slaughter [Al-An'am: 162-163]. And He said, Glorified is He: [Al-Kawthar: 1-2]. And it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sahih Muslim 1978b, which Muslim recorded in his Sahih. And He said, Glorified is He: [Al-Baqarah: 270], meaning: He will reward you for it. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 2126Sahih (Darussalam).
So vows are acts of worship that involve exalting Allah, and they involve exalting the created being if one vows for him. Just as slaughter is an act of worship by which the Lord is exalted and the created being is exalted, it is not fitting except for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So it is not permissible for him to slaughter for the jinn, or for the Prophets, or for the awliya (close friends of Allah), seeking to draw near to them by it, wanting their intercession, or the healing of his sick person, or the return of his absent one, or the payment of his debt, or the like of that. Not for the Prophets, not for the angels, not for the jinn, not for the awliya, and not for others. Slaughter is only for Allah alone, drawing near to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, by it.
And so is the vow, like what some ignorant people say: "If Allah heals my sick person, then for the Shaykh so much and so much," or "for such and such a wali so much and so much." And he says: "If my sick person is healed, then for you, O so-and-so Shaykh, so much and so much," drawing near to him because he is, in his claim, a means in the healing. This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) and is not permissible. Rather, it is obligatory for the one who does this to repent to Allah, and to abandon this evil deed, and to feel remorse for what has passed from him. And whoever repents, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, accepts his repentance.
And this is different from the sacrificial animal that a person slaughters as an honor for a guest or his family... they eat this, there is no harm in it. If he slaughters a sacrificial animal for the guest who has come to him to honor him, honoring the guest is a right. Like the one who slaughters a sacrificial animal to eat it with his children, or to distribute it over days, all of this is fine. And this is different from the udhiyah (the 'Id sacrifice) that is slaughtered on the days of sacrifice. This is a sacrificial animal for Allah... an udhiyah by which one draws near to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So if he slaughters it on behalf of himself, or on behalf of his father, or on behalf of his mother, it is not said that he slaughtered it for other than Allah. He slaughtered it for Allah, drawing near to Allah by it, and wanting its reward for himself, or for his family, or for himself and his family. There is no harm in this. And the only reprehensible thing is to draw near with the sacrificial animal to other than Allah, slaughtering for the Prophet, or the wali, or the jinn, or the angels, intending that with this sacrificial animal he seeks their intercession in fulfilling his needs... in their intercession... for Allah to heal his sick person, to return his absent one, for him to be healed from his illness. He sees that this act of worship becomes a cause for their intercession for him and their bringing him closer to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Yes.
The Shaykh: Perhaps he means the Imams?
The presenter: Yes.
Answer: The vows and sacrificial animals that are vowed for the deceased, or for the Prophets, or for others, these vows and sacrificial animals are among the forbidden matters of shirk (associating partners with Allah), because one vows a sacrificial animal, or wax, or charity, or the like, for other than Allah. Whether the one for whom it is vowed is a Prophet, a wali (close friend of Allah), an Imam, or not an Imam, it is not permissible. The vow is for Allah, and the sacrificial animal is for Allah. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاتِي وَنُسُكِيmy living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (163) No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims."
وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ(1) Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar. (2) So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْAllah cursed him who sacrificed for anyone besides Allah
لعن الله من ذبح لغير اللهAnd whatever you spend of expenditures or make of vows - indeed, Allah knows of it
وَمَا أَنفَقْتُمْ مِنْ نَفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُمْ مِنْ نَذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُهُWhoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعه، ومن نذر أن يعصي الله فلا يعصهSo vows are acts of worship that involve exalting Allah, and they involve exalting the created being if one vows for him. Just as slaughter is an act of worship by which the Lord is exalted and the created being is exalted, it is not fitting except for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So it is not permissible for him to slaughter for the jinn, or for the Prophets, or for the awliya (close friends of Allah), seeking to draw near to them by it, wanting their intercession, or the healing of his sick person, or the return of his absent one, or the payment of his debt, or the like of that. Not for the Prophets, not for the angels, not for the jinn, not for the awliya, and not for others. Slaughter is only for Allah alone, drawing near to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, by it.
And so is the vow, like what some ignorant people say: "If Allah heals my sick person, then for the Shaykh so much and so much," or "for such and such a wali so much and so much." And he says: "If my sick person is healed, then for you, O so-and-so Shaykh, so much and so much," drawing near to him because he is, in his claim, a means in the healing. This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) and is not permissible. Rather, it is obligatory for the one who does this to repent to Allah, and to abandon this evil deed, and to feel remorse for what has passed from him. And whoever repents, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, accepts his repentance.
And this is different from the sacrificial animal that a person slaughters as an honor for a guest or his family... they eat this, there is no harm in it. If he slaughters a sacrificial animal for the guest who has come to him to honor him, honoring the guest is a right. Like the one who slaughters a sacrificial animal to eat it with his children, or to distribute it over days, all of this is fine. And this is different from the udhiyah (the 'Id sacrifice) that is slaughtered on the days of sacrifice. This is a sacrificial animal for Allah... an udhiyah by which one draws near to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So if he slaughters it on behalf of himself, or on behalf of his father, or on behalf of his mother, it is not said that he slaughtered it for other than Allah. He slaughtered it for Allah, drawing near to Allah by it, and wanting its reward for himself, or for his family, or for himself and his family. There is no harm in this. And the only reprehensible thing is to draw near with the sacrificial animal to other than Allah, slaughtering for the Prophet, or the wali, or the jinn, or the angels, intending that with this sacrificial animal he seeks their intercession in fulfilling his needs... in their intercession... for Allah to heal his sick person, to return his absent one, for him to be healed from his illness. He sees that this act of worship becomes a cause for their intercession for him and their bringing him closer to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.