Sacrificing an animal through the Internet

Nowadays, even through the internet, one can arrange sacrifice of an animal.  If we give the order through any such website, will our sacrifice be considered valid?

 

The Shariah permits one to make someone else a representative for sacrificing an animal.  No matter whether a person sacrifices the animal himself/herself, or makes someone else a representative for doing so, whether an individual or an organization, both these cases are permissible.  Sacrifice of an animal through the Internet is actually a case of making the sacrifice through a representative.  We have to remember some things in this regard:

 

(1)  It is permissible when one is completely sure that the management of the website will sacrifice only those animals which are acceptable in light of the Shariah.

 

(2)  This is also necessary that sacrifice should be performed on the days of 10^th, 11^th, 12^th Dhul Hijjah of the place where it is being done.  If there these days have passed then such a sacrifice is not valid and the animal will have to be given in charity as will be detailed shortly.

 

(3)  As per the opinion of Imam Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad and Imam Hasan Bin Zyad (May Allah shower His mercy on them), both the places should be considered when doing so.  Thus, to err on the side of caution, it is better that the sacrifice be done when the days of sacrifice are going on in both the places.  In this regard 2 clarifications by the jurists should be kept in mind:

 

(a)  If a person who lives in the city is getting his/her animal sacrificed in such a village where Salaat Ul Juma’a and Salaat Ul ‘Eid are not to be performed, then keeping this in consideration, the animal will be sacrificed, even though in the city where the person who is ordering the sacrifice resides, Salaat Ul Eid may not have been done by then.  Imam Muhammad and Imam Abu Yusuf (May Allah shower His mercy on them) have opined this.  Imam Hasan Bin Zyad (May Allah shower His mercy on him) is of the opinion that the place where the person ordering the sacrifice resides should also be taken into consideration.

 

As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 296

 

(b)  If a person resides in a country where the time for sacrifice has not yet started and that person is getting his/her sacrifice done in a country where the time for sacrifice has already started or vice versa then as per the opinion of Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad (May Allah shower His mercy on them), the ruling for sacrifice will be based on the place where the animal is being sacrificed and as per Imam Hasan Bin Zyad (May Allah shower His mercy on him), the place of the person ordering the sacrifice ought to be considered.  As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 296

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad (May Allah shower His mercy on them) that if a person resides in a city and his/her relatives in another and this person sends a letter to the relatives asking them to sacrifice an animal on his/her behalf, then the sacrifice ought to be done when Salaat Ul Eid is offered in the place where the animal is being sacrificed.

 

People living in western countries getting their animals sacrificed here

 

If NRIs living in the western countries are getting their animals sacrificed in India, then it is permissible if the animal is sacrificed on 10^th Dhul Hijjah, however it is better if it is done on 11^th or 12^th Dhul Hijjah, as when it is 10^th Dhul Hijjah in India, it is the night before Eid in the western countries (USA, Canada, etc.).  As per the opinion of Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad (May Allah shower His mercy on them), the place where the sacrifice is being done will be considered and as per the opinion of Imam Hasan Bin Zyad (May Allah shower His mercy on him), the place where the person ordering the sacrifice will be considered.  As given in Fatawa A’alamgiri:

 

As their sacrifice is being done in India, as per the opinion of Imam Muhammad (May Allah shower His mercy on him), their sacrifice on 10th Dhul Hijjah is valid.  As per the opinion of Imam Hasan Bin Zyad (May Allah shower His mercy on him), the animal should be sacrificed when the time of sacrifice starts in the west. 

 

As a cautionary measure, it is better to sacrifice the animal when the time of sacrifice has started in both the countries.