Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salamalaykum,

I would like to put forth a question as below:

I had done a niyyah of sacrificing on behalf of all our household members as I`m the eldest daughter-in-law in my husbands family. But unfortunately we were able to carry out sacrifice only for one person. The only reason being my sister and brothers marraige preparations starting on the 3rd day of Eid Ul Adha.In addition to it, with Allah`s grace we are very much well off to carry out sacrifice practice for the sake of Allah.

I request you to guide me what and how can we compensate for such a mistake.

Allah Knows Best.

Salam

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Sacrifice for household

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 5.110a

One may sacrifice any animal one chooses. The Prophet (saws) offered a hundred camels as a supererogatory sacrifice. The minimum number of animals a person is obligated to sacrifice is one sheep, or one-seventh portion of a camel or a cow (by sharing one-seventh of their price). A camel or a cow may be sacrificed on behalf of seven people. Jabir reported: "We performed Hajj with the Prophet (saws), and we slaughtered a camel for seven persons, and a cow for seven persons."

Related by Ahmad and Muslim.

For the believers who are performing the Hajj pilgrimage, it is absolutely obligatory that the obligatory rite of sacrifice should be offered for each individual performing the pilgrimage. The absolute minimum sacrifice one performing the Hajj should offer is a sheep, or one-seventh of a cow or camel. If one wishes to offer more sacrifice than the stipulated minimum, there is absolutely no harm.

For the believers who are not performing the Hajj, offering a sacrifice on the Day of Adha is not obligatory, but rather a preferred Sunnah. If for any reason one who is not on the Hajj pilgrimage wishes not to offer the sacrifice on the Day of Adha, there is no sin upon him; the absolute maximum one may say is that the person who chose not to offer a sacrifice missed a great opportunity to earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah.

For the believers who are not on the Hajj pilgrimage, there is absolutely no maximum or minimum number of sacrifice prescribed in Shariah; if one wishes one may offer one sheep or a 100 camels for each individual in the family, or if one wishes one may offer only one sacrifice for the whole family.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 4845 Narrated by Aisha

Allah's Messenger (saws) commanded that a ram with black legs, black belly and black (circles) round the eyes should be brought to him, so that he should sacrifice it. He (saws) said to Aisha: “Give me the large knife”, and then said: “Sharpen it on a stone.” She did that. He (saws) then took it (the knife) and then the ram; he placed it on the ground and then sacrificed it, saying: “In the name of Allah, O Allah, accept (this sacrifice) on behalf of Muhammad, and the family of Muhammad, and the Ummah of Muhammad".

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2789 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

The Prophet (saws) sacrificed two horned rams which were white with black markings and had been castrated. When he made them face the qiblah, he said: “I have turned my face towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, following Abraham's religion, the true in faith, and I am not one of the polytheists. My prayer, and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the Universe, Who has no partner. That is what I was commanded to do, and I am one of the Muslims. O Allah it comes from Thee and is given to Thee from Muhammad and his Ummah. In the name of Allah, and Allah is Most Great. He then made sacrifice.”

If the Lord Most High has provided you with abundance, and if you wish and please to offer one animal as sacrifice for each individual in your family, you may do so and earn your due rewards from the Lord Most Generous.

Alternatively if you will and please to offer only one animal as sacrifice for the whole family you may very well do so. There is absolutely no maximum or minimum number of sacrifice stipulated in Shariah for the believers who are not on the Hajj pilgrimage; one may offer as many animals as sacrifice as they wish, or only one for the whole family if they so please.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verses 36-37:

36 The sacrificial camels we have made for you as among the Symbols from Allah: in them is (much) good for you: then pronounce the name of Allah over them as they line up (for sacrifice): when they are down on their sides (after slaughter) eat ye thereof, and feed such as (beg not but) live in contentment, and such as beg with due humility: thus have we made animals subject to you that ye may be grateful.

37 It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you that ye may glorify Allah for His guidance to you: and proclaim the Good News to all who do right.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan