Sayyidah A’aisha Radiyallahu anha reported that Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, “There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Qiyamah with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed on a person’s good deeds). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart.” [Sunan Tirmidhi]
Question:
An animal was slaughtered as an act of Isaal-e-Thawaab on behalf of a deceased family member. Is it permissible for the person who purchased the animal to consume its meat, or must it be distributed entirely in charity?
Answer:
It is permissible for the person who arranged and paid for the animal to partake of its meat, just as one may consume from one’s own Qurbani animal.
However, if the deceased had specifically bequeathed that an animal be sacrificed on their behalf, then the entire animal must be distributed in charity, and the purchaser should not consume any portion of it. [Fataawa Mahmoodiyyah 26:382]
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Muhammed Hamza Farooqui
Mufti Taahir Hansa
Fatwa Department
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
(The answer hereby given is specifically based on the question asked and should be read together with the question asked. Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh unless otherwise stated.)