Should I make qurbaani for myself or my family?
Question:
The Hadith of Rasoolulla Salalaahu Alay he wasallam says if you by the means to make Qurbaani and you don’t, one mustn’t even go to Eid prayer my question is I want to make Qurbaani but not myself for a family member (with my money) firstly do I fall in this category of Hadith, secondly is it better to rather Qurbaani for myself and if must u tell the family member what your intention ? And for a man married with kids, would it then be ok for him to slaughter on behalf of the kids and wife?
Answer:
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem.
Alhamdulillaahi was salaatu was salaamu `alaa Rasoolillaahi wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa man waalaahu, wa ba`d:
To begin with, the Hadeeth in question is reported by Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah Radhiallaahu `Anhu who said that Rasoolullaah Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam said:“Whoever has sufficient wealth and he does not sacrifice, then he should not even come close to our place of Salaah.” [i] – Authentic, from Sunan Ibn Maajah.
The Hadeeth does not mean that if a person doesn’t slaughter then he mustn’t come for the `Eid Salaah, but rather it is a warning to show the severity that if a person has the ability to slaughter and does not do so, then him making the `Eid Salaah will not be of benefit to him after ignoring the obligation of Qurbaani.
There are certain conditions that have to be met though before Qurbaani becomes obligatory upon a person, if those conditions aren’t met then Qurbaani would not be obligatory.
Imaam Al-Margheenaani Rahimahullaah says in Al-Hidaayah: “Udh’hiyyah is obligatory upon every person that’s free; muslim, a resident (not traveller), with sufficient wealth on the day of Adh’haa (to sacrifice) on his behalf and his young children.” [ii]
Now as for what is considered to be “sufficient wealth”, it is the Nisaab of Zakaah.
Imaam Badruddeen Al-`Ayni Rahimahullaah explains it in Al-Binaayah and says:“It is that a person possesses the amount of 200 Dirhams in excess of his house, furniture, clothing, slaves and weapons.” [iii]
Simply put, if a person on the day of `Eid has excess wealth to the amount of 200 Dirhams, which is equivalent to 612.36 grams of silver, and in the context of the South African financials as per today that amount would be R4200.78 (the Nisaab of zakaah), if he has that amount of excess wealth that is not a debt due to be paid then Qurbaani will become obligatory upon him. That wealth does not have to be in his possession for a full lunar year, rather it could have just come into his possession that very day and it will become obligatory.
If the animals are so expensive that a person only has enough money for himself, then he will slaughter for his own self only, if he has sufficient for himself and his wife and children then well and good he can slaughter for them all, but if he only has enough for one animal then he may not slaughter it for someone else, but rather he will have to slaughter it on behalf of his own self, because Qurbaani would not be obligatory upon those other family members who have no money but it will be obligatory upon him who is the possessor of that amount of excess wealth.
And Allaah knows best.
Answered by:
Ubaidullah Ibn Adam Aal-Ebrahim.
Thursday 30th Dhul Qa`dah 1435 – 25th September 2014.
[i]عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ سَعَةٌ، وَلَمْ يُضَحِّ، فَلَا يَقْرَبَنَّ مُصَلَّانَا» – رواه الإمام ابن ماجة رحمه الله في سننه.
[ii]الأضحية واجبة على كل حر مسلم مقيم موسر في يوم الأضحى عن نفسه وعن ولده الصغار. – قاله الإمام المرغيناني رحمه الله في كتابه الهداية.
[iii]وهو أن يملك مقدار مائتي درهم فاضلا عن منزله وأثاثه وكسوته وخادمه وسلاحه. – قاله الإمام بدر الدين العيني رحمه الله في كتابه البناية.
The Hadith of Rasoolulla Salalaahu Alay he wasallam says if you by the means to make Qurbaani and you don’t, one mustn’t even go to Eid prayer my question is I want to make Qurbaani but not myself for a family member (with my money) firstly do I fall in this category of Hadith, secondly is it better to rather Qurbaani for myself and if must u tell the family member what your intention ? And for a man married with kids, would it then be ok for him to slaughter on behalf of the kids and wife?
Answer:
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem.
Alhamdulillaahi was salaatu was salaamu `alaa Rasoolillaahi wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa man waalaahu, wa ba`d:
To begin with, the Hadeeth in question is reported by Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah Radhiallaahu `Anhu who said that Rasoolullaah Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam said:“Whoever has sufficient wealth and he does not sacrifice, then he should not even come close to our place of Salaah.” [i] – Authentic, from Sunan Ibn Maajah.
The Hadeeth does not mean that if a person doesn’t slaughter then he mustn’t come for the `Eid Salaah, but rather it is a warning to show the severity that if a person has the ability to slaughter and does not do so, then him making the `Eid Salaah will not be of benefit to him after ignoring the obligation of Qurbaani.
There are certain conditions that have to be met though before Qurbaani becomes obligatory upon a person, if those conditions aren’t met then Qurbaani would not be obligatory.
Imaam Al-Margheenaani Rahimahullaah says in Al-Hidaayah: “Udh’hiyyah is obligatory upon every person that’s free; muslim, a resident (not traveller), with sufficient wealth on the day of Adh’haa (to sacrifice) on his behalf and his young children.” [ii]
Now as for what is considered to be “sufficient wealth”, it is the Nisaab of Zakaah.
Imaam Badruddeen Al-`Ayni Rahimahullaah explains it in Al-Binaayah and says:“It is that a person possesses the amount of 200 Dirhams in excess of his house, furniture, clothing, slaves and weapons.” [iii]
Simply put, if a person on the day of `Eid has excess wealth to the amount of 200 Dirhams, which is equivalent to 612.36 grams of silver, and in the context of the South African financials as per today that amount would be R4200.78 (the Nisaab of zakaah), if he has that amount of excess wealth that is not a debt due to be paid then Qurbaani will become obligatory upon him. That wealth does not have to be in his possession for a full lunar year, rather it could have just come into his possession that very day and it will become obligatory.
If the animals are so expensive that a person only has enough money for himself, then he will slaughter for his own self only, if he has sufficient for himself and his wife and children then well and good he can slaughter for them all, but if he only has enough for one animal then he may not slaughter it for someone else, but rather he will have to slaughter it on behalf of his own self, because Qurbaani would not be obligatory upon those other family members who have no money but it will be obligatory upon him who is the possessor of that amount of excess wealth.
And Allaah knows best.
Answered by:
Ubaidullah Ibn Adam Aal-Ebrahim.
Thursday 30th Dhul Qa`dah 1435 – 25th September 2014.
[i]عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ سَعَةٌ، وَلَمْ يُضَحِّ، فَلَا يَقْرَبَنَّ مُصَلَّانَا» – رواه الإمام ابن ماجة رحمه الله في سننه.
[ii]الأضحية واجبة على كل حر مسلم مقيم موسر في يوم الأضحى عن نفسه وعن ولده الصغار. – قاله الإمام المرغيناني رحمه الله في كتابه الهداية.
[iii]وهو أن يملك مقدار مائتي درهم فاضلا عن منزله وأثاثه وكسوته وخادمه وسلاحه. – قاله الإمام بدر الدين العيني رحمه الله في كتابه البناية.