Sacrifice - rules, guidelines and modern issues

 Shariah ruling about online sacrifice of an animal

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:

(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:

 (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.