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Statement on Udhiyah as one of the Central Rituals on Eid al-Adha
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 04-07-2023

Statement on Udhiyah as one of the Central Rituals on Eid al-Adha

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

The ritual of Udhiyah (Sacrificial animal offered during Eid al-Adha) is one of the great rituals of Allah, which includes the meaning of offering sacrifice for His sake, and promoting the values of social solidarity and cooperation between people through preserving human life, feeding the poor and needy, and spreading love among the people. Almighty Allah says {What means}: " It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches God: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify God for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right." {Al-Haj, 37}. He also says {What means}:  "then eat ye thereof and feed the distressed ones in want." {al-Haj, 28}. 

 

Islam is the religion of mercy and kindness, which Allah the Almighty and His Noble Prophet have enjoined as far as dealing with all elements of life is concerned. Shaddad bin Aus (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Verily, Allah has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill in the least painful manner you can; and when you slaughter an animal, do it in the best possible way; and any of you should sharpen his blade so that the animal may be spared from the suffering of the slaughtering." {Transmitted by Muslim}. Therefore, the Muslim's view of the elements of the environment is not aggressive or vengeful. Rather, it rests on sustaining, reforming and preserving these elements, and this is one of the principles of Islamic law. Allah says {What means}: "Do no mischief on the earth, after it hath been set in order, but call on Him with fear and longing (in your hearts): for the Mercy of God is (always) near to those who do good." {Al-A`raf, 56}. It is not permissible for someone who does not understand the high meanings of Udhiyah to be led by deceptive emotions and illusionary mood to stir up sedition in society by criticizing one of the rituals of Allah for a suspicion that has come to his mind. This is in order not be amongst those addressed in the following verse: "But say not - for any false thing that your tongues may put forth,- "This is lawful, and this is forbidden," so as to ascribe false things to God. For those who ascribe false things to God, will never prosper." {An-Nahil, 116}. Verily, Allah, the Most High, Who has ordained sacrifice, is the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate. No one is more merciful to His creation than He is. He is the Most Wise and the Most Knowing. Therefore, it is not permissible for anyone to transgress His rulings or to delve into them without knowledge. Allah says {What means}: " Yet there is among men such a one as disputes about God, without Knowledge, without Guidance, and without a Book of Enlightenment,-" {Al-Haj, 8}.

 

We also emphasize the fact that some people slaughtering these sacrificial animals without kindness and mercy is contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (PBUH) and his Sunnah and the rules of one of the greatest rites of Allah the Almighty. Allah says {What means}: "Such (is his state): and whoever holds in honour the symbols of God, (in the sacrifice of animals), such (honour) should come truly from piety of heart." {Al-Haj, 32}.

 

We ask Allah to protect our country from the evils of sedition, concealed and revealed. "But God tells (you) the Truth, and He shows the (right) Way." {Al-Ahzab, 4}. And all perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law regarding one who slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, and is it permissible to slaughter the ewe if one knows it is pregnant?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a person slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, the fetus becomes lawful (ḥalāl) by virtue of its mother's slaughter (tabaʿan li-ummihā).
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.6/P.158): "A fetus found dead [after the mother's slaughter], or found alive but in a state resembling that of a slaughtered animal [i.e., dying shortly after], becomes lawful — whether or not it had grown fur — provided it is found in the womb of a mother that was lawfully slaughtered, whether her slaughter was by cutting the throat, or by an arrow or hunting dog sent after her. This is based on the ḥadīth: 'The slaughtering of the fetus is [effected by] the slaughtering of its mother' [narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who graded it ḥasan, and by Ibn Ḥibbān, who graded it ṣaḥīḥ] — meaning that the slaughter which rendered the mother lawful renders the fetus lawful as well, by virtue of following her; and because the fetus is one of her constituent parts, and her slaughter renders lawful all of her parts."
This ruling differs, however, from the case of one who knows from the outset that the ewe is pregnant [and intends to sacrifice her specifically as the udḥiyah while pregnant] — in which case, according to the Shāfi'ī school, she does not fulfill the requirement of a valid sacrifice.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī 'alā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.4/P.335): "A pregnant animal does not fulfill the requirement [of a valid sacrifice], and this is the authoritative position (al-mu'tamad), because pregnancy diminishes the quality of the meat. As for why such an animal is nevertheless counted as complete [i.e., fully valid] in matters of zakāh, that is because the intent there is reproduction (nasl), not the quality of the meat.". And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

Is the marriage contract considered valid if concluded at home by the marriage official (Ma`zon)?

Yes, it is valid as long as it is registered at the court.

What is the ruling on forgiving a tenant next month's rent, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh al-māl?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It does not fulfill the obligation to count the rent owed on a house, or a portion of it, in lieu of zakāh. Rather, it is necessary to first transfer ownership of the zakāh amount to the poor person directly; only afterward may he be asked to pay the rent [from that money].
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 112): "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]."
We would also remind [the reader] of the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ: "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him [to harm]. Whoever attends to the needs of his brother, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will attend to his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal him on the Day of Resurrection." (Agreed upon). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on speaking with one's fiancée (before the marriage contract) by telephone and WhatsApp?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Before the marriage contract, the two engaged persons remain non-mahram (strangers) to one another. Reciting al-Fātiḥah, receiving some money on account of the dowry (mahr), or accepting a gift are all merely a promise of marriage and not a valid contract under the Sharīʿah.
It is therefore forbidden for the engaged couple, before the marriage contract is concluded, to be alone together (khalwah) or to shake hands. It is likewise forbidden to speak by telephone or correspond without need. And Allah Almighty knows best.

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