Derived from: Ahkam wa Masail – Qurbani and Aqiqah Issues, Volume 1, Page 440
❖ Question:
Every year, we use Qurbani hides for the expansion of our library. Some brothers object, claiming that Qurbani hides should only be used for food, financial aid, or direct support of the poor and needy. Can these hides be used for a library established for promoting the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the true Islamic creed?
✅ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd!
✿ 1. Guidance from Hadith:
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, it is narrated from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ instructed me to give in charity the hides of his sacrificial animals.”
◈ This narration clearly indicates that using Qurbani hides as Sadaqah is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
✿ 2. Guidance from the Qur’an:
Allah ﷻ states in the Qur’an:
﴿إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡعَٰمِلِينَ عَلَيۡهَا وَٱلۡمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلۡغَٰرِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۖ﴾
(Surah al-Tawbah: 60)
This verse outlines eight exclusive categories for the use of Sadaqah (charity):
① The poor (فقراء)
② The needy (مساکین)
③ Those employed to collect Zakat
④ Those whose hearts are to be reconciled
⑤ For freeing slaves
⑥ For those in debt
⑦ In the path of Allah (فی سبیل اللہ)
⑧ The stranded traveler
✿ 3. The Library’s Status:
◈ If your library genuinely falls under one of the eight specified categories, such as “فی سبیل اللہ” (in the path of Allah)—meaning it is dedicated to the propagation of Islamic knowledge, Qur’an, Sunnah, and the true creed (manhaj ḥaqq)—then, according to some scholarly opinions, using Qurbani hides for its maintenance or expansion may be permissible.
◈ However, this is a matter of ijtihad (juristic reasoning), and it involves nuanced application of Shari‘ah principles. Therefore, caution is essential, and consultation with reliable scholars is advised before acting.
✿ Key Points to Remember:
✔ The primary and safest way to use Qurbani hides is to give them directly to the poor and needy, in line with the Sunnah.
✔ If the library is serving as a tool for Islamic propagation and fits under “Fi Sabilillah”, it may be a valid expenditure according to some jurists.
✔ Avoid personal discretion in redirecting such charitable assets without scholarly endorsement.
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
