Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
Five young lads got caught red handed slaughtering a cow on ‘Eīd and were imprisoned for 10 years. How should Muslims do Qurbānī in such situations?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathabah with your query.
If you live in a country or region where it is against the government law to slaughter cows, then my advice is to slaughter camels, goats and or sheep. This way, Muslims in such circumstances will not be fined or incarcerated. – (See: Badāi’ Al-Ṣanāi’, Volume 6, Page 298, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmīyyah)[1]
If it is absolutely impossible to slaughter in a region due to government laws, then the Muslims of such countries can delegate their qurbānī to muslims of another country who have the freedom to carry out the udḥiyyah on their behalf. – (See: Badāi’ Al-Ṣanāi’, Volume 6, Page 291, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmīyyah) [2]
Practicing one’s faith is a basic human right. If Muslims are restricted by a government to practice, they should legally challenge the law and obtain their human right related to freedom of religion.
“’Alī (may Allāh be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put me in charge of his sacrificial animals, instructing me that I should give their flesh, skins and saddle-cloths as sadaqa (charity), but not to give anything [as payment] to the butcher, saying, “We would pay him ourselves.” – (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1317)[3]
‘Alī (may Allāh be pleased with him) reports, “The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) instructed me to slaughter on his behalf. Therefore, I will continue to slaughter (Udhīyyah) on his behalf as long as I live”. – (Tirmidhī 1495) [4]
Hamash (may Allāh be pleased with him) says, “I saw Alī (may Allāh be pleased with him) slaughtering two sheep, so I asked him why he is slaughtering two sheep.” He said, “The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) made a bequest that I should render Udhīyyah for him.” -(Abu Dawud 2790) [5].
Only Allāh knows best.
[1] أَمَّا جِنْسُهُ فَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ الْأَجْنَاسِ الثَّلَاثَةِ الْغَنَمِ أَوْ الْإِبِلِ أَوْ الْبَقَرِ، وَيَدْخُلُ فِي كُلِّ جِنْسٍ نَوْعُهُ وَالذَّكَرُ وَالْأُنْثَى مِنْهُ وَالْخَصِيُّ وَالْفَحْلُ لِانْطِلَاقِ اسْمِ الْجِنْسِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَالْمَعْزُ نَوْعٌ مِنْ الْغَنَمِ، وَالْجَامُوسُ نَوْعٌ مِنْ الْبَقَرِ بِدَلِيلِ أَنَّهُ يُضَمُّ ذَلِكَ إلَى الْغَنَمِ وَالْبَقَرِ فِي بَابِ الزَّكَاةِ وَلَا يَجُوزُ فِي الْأَضَاحِيّ شَيْءٌ مِنْ الْوَحْشِ؛ لِأَنَّ وُجُوبَهَا عُرِفَ بِالشَّرْعِ وَالشَّرْعُ لَمْ يَرِدْ بِالْإِيجَابِ إلَّا فِي الْمُسْتَأْنَسِ
[2] وَمِنْهَا أَنَّهُ تُجْزِئُ فِيهَا النِّيَابَةُ فَيَجُوزُ لِلْإِنْسَانِ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَبِغَيْرِهِ بِإِذْنِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهَا قُرْبَةٌ تَتَعَلَّقُ بِالْمَالِ فَتُجْزِئُ فِيهَا النِّيَابَةُ كَأَدَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَصَدَقَةِ الْفِطْرِ؛ وَلِأَنَّ كُلَّ أَحَدٍ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى مُبَاشَرَةِ الذَّبْحِ بِنَفْسِهِ خُصُوصًا النِّسَاءَ، فَلَوْ لَمْ تَجُزْ الِاسْتِنَابَةُ لَأَدَّى إلَى الْحَرَجِ، وَسَوَاءٌ كَانَ الْمَأْذُونُ مُسْلِمًا أَوْ كِتَابِيًّا، حَتَّى لَوْ أَمَرَ مُسْلِمٌ كِتَابِيًّا أَنْ يَذْبَحَ أُضْحِيَّتَهُ يَجْزِيهِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْكِتَابِيَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الذَّكَاةِ إلَّا أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ؛ لِأَنَّ التَّضْحِيَةَ قُرْبَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرْبَةِ لِنَفْسِهِ فَتُكْرَهُ إنَابَتُهُ فِي إقَامَةِ الْقُرْبَةِ لِغَيْرِهِ، وَسَوَاءٌ كَانَ الْإِذْنُ نَصًّا أَوْ دَلَالَةً؛ حَتَّى لَوْ اشْتَرَى شَاةً لِلْأُضْحِيَّةِ فَجَاءَ يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ فَأَضْجَعَهَا وَشَدَّ قَوَائِمَهَا فَجَاءَ إنْسَانٌ وَذَبَحَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَمْرِهِ أَجْزَأَهُ اسْتِحْسَانًا
[3] عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ أَقُومَ عَلَى بُدْنِهِ وَأَنْ أَتَصَدَّقَ بِلَحْمِهَا وَجُلُودِهَا وَأَجِلَّتِهَا وَأَنْ لاَ أُعْطِيَ الْجَزَّارَ مِنْهَا قَالَ نَحْنُ نُعْطِيهِ مِنْ عِنْدِنَا – رواه مسلم ١٣١٧
[4] عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُضَحِّي بِكَبْشَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالآخَرُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَرَنِي بِهِ يَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم – فَلاَ أَدَعُهُ أَبَدًا – رواه الترمذي ١٤٩٥
[5] عَنْ حَنَشٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ عَلِيًّا يُضَحِّي بِكَبْشَيْنِ فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَوْصَانِي أَنْ أُضَحِّيَ عَنْهُ فَأَنَا أُضَحِّي عَنْهُ – رواه أبو داؤد ٢٧٩٠