What are the legal and religious consequences for a charitable organization in the event that a sacrificial animal is damaged or spoiled after slaughter?
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Charitable organizations entrusted with slaughtering sacrificial animals (uḍḥiyyah) and distributing their meat on behalf of their owners are obligated to safeguard the meat from spoilage, damage, theft, and any other harm. This is because such organizations act as agents (wukalā') on behalf of those offering the sacrifice, and an agent holds what is entrusted to them in trust (amānah) — whether they receive a wage for their work or act on a voluntary basis.
If the sacrificial animal is damaged after slaughter during the processes of packaging, transportation, or storage due to negligence or oversight — whether on the part of the organization's own staff overseeing the operation, or on the part of third parties contracted by the organization such as transport or shipping companies — then liability falls upon the negligent party, who is required to compensate for the value of the sacrifice. It is not permissible to cover such compensation from the organization's other donor funds.
However, if the damage to the sacrificial animal occurs without any negligence in its preservation and storage on the part of any party involved in the transportation, shipping, or storage process, and is instead attributable to force majeure circumstances beyond their control, then no financial liability is borne by any party in such a case. And Allah Almighty knows best.
How is the meat of the 'aqīqah to be distributed?
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
If the 'aqīqah is a recommended one (mandūbah), it is obligatory to give some portion of it in charity to the poor — even if the amount is small — with the minimum being approximately half a kilogram of meat.
The most preferable manner of distribution is to divide it into three equal portions, as with the uḍḥiyyah:
One third for the guardian and his household to eat from
One third to be given in charity to the poor
One third to be gifted to friends and neighbours, even if they are wealthy
It is furthermore more preferable to send the food to the poor already cooked, rather than inviting them to come and eat. And Allah Almighty knows best.
What are the Sharia consequences when the sacrificial time for the uḍḥiyyah comes to an end?
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
If the sun sets at the end of the last of the Days of Tashrīq and the sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyyah) has not yet been slaughtered, then its prescribed time has elapsed. Should one slaughter it thereafter, it will not be considered a valid uḍḥiyyah.
However, if the sacrifice was vowed (mandhūrah), then it remains obligatory to slaughter it — and it shall be carried out as a make-up (qaḍā') of the vow, with its meat distributed in the rightful channels designated for such sacrifices.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm (p. 702): "If one slaughters after the sunset of the last of the Days of Tashrīq... it isn`t considered a valid uḍḥiyyah, unless it was vowed — in which case it is carried out as qaḍā'."
And Allah Almighty knows best.
Is it permissible for a woman to observe voluntary fast without her husband's permission?
A woman is not permitted to observe a voluntary fast (nafl) while her husband is present without his permission.