Slaughtering for the Sake of Drawing Near to Other than Allah
Slaughtering for the sake of drawing near to other than Allah is a means of shirk (polytheism), and it causes distance from Allah’s mercy and is a cause of His curse. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
((لَعَنَ اللَّهُ مَنْ ذَبَحَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ.))
“Whoever slaughters for the sake of other than Allah, upon him be Allah’s curse.”
It is even understood from a hadith that if even a tiny creature like a fly is sacrificed in the name of a grave or an idol, this too is shirk, and its punishment is Hellfire. Sayyiduna Salman رضي الله عنه says:
(( دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ الْجَنَّةَ فِي ذُبَابٍ، وَدَخَلَ النَّارَ رَجُلٌ فِي ذُبَابٍ، قَالُوا: وَكَيْفَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ مَرَّ رَجُلَانِ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَّهُمْ صَدِّمٌ لَا يُجَاوِرُهُ أَحَدٌ حَتَّى يُقَرِّبَ لَهُ شَيْئًا، فَقَالُوا لِأَحَدِهِمَا قَرْبُ، قَالَ: لَيْسَ عِندِي شَيْءٌ، فَقَالُو لَهُ : قَرَبُ وَلَوْ ذُبَابًا، فَقَرَّبَ ذُبَابًا، فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُ، قَالَ : فَدَخَلَ النَّارَ ، وَقَالُوا لِلآخَرِ : قَرَبُ وَلَوْ ذُبَابًا، قَالَ: مَا كُنتُ لا قَرَبَ لِأَحَدٍ شَيْئًا دُونَ اللَّهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ، قَالَ: فَضَرَبُوا عُنُقَهُ، قَالَ: فَدَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ))
“A person reached Paradise because of a fly, and another went to Hell. People asked, how is this? He said that two people were walking and passed by an idol-worshipping tribe who would not let any traveler pass without offering some sacrifice to their idol. So they told one: Offer some sacrifice to our idol! He (apologetically) said that he had nothing. They said that you must do this act, even if it is just a fly. So he sacrificed a fly, and his life was saved. But he entered Hell. The same was said to the other (to also offer some sacrifice), but he replied that he could not offer anything in the name of anyone other than Allah. Upon hearing this answer, they martyred him, and he reached Paradise.”
Sacrificing in the name of any saint, imam, or prophet at their grave is not permissible; in fact, Islam does not allow sacrificing even near the grave itself. The Holy Quran states:
((وَ مَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ ))
“And whoever is sacrificed upon an altar (to other than Allah), it is forbidden for you.”
The polytheists of Makkah had set up many stones around the Kaaba, on which they would slaughter animals and cut their meat into pieces. They revered these stones and intended to seek nearness to them through the act of sacrifice. These stones were called “Ansab.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Allah has forbidden Muslims from doing this and has declared such sacrifices unlawful, even if Allah’s name was taken at the time of slaughter. Therefore, slaughtering near such stones is shirk (associating partners with Allah), which Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have declared forbidden. (وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللهِ) contains approximately the same ruling, but the difference between the two is that; (وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النَّصْبِ) mentions the ruling regarding animals slaughtered for idols, and ( وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللهِ ) mentions those animals slaughtered for Prophets and saints.
In Islam, it is not permissible to slaughter for Allah in a place where slaughtering is done for anyone other than Allah. It is narrated from Thabit bin Dhahak (may Allah be pleased with him):
(( نَذَرَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَن يُنْحَرَ إِبلا بِبُوَانَةَ، فَأَتَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ أَن أَنْحَرَ إِبْلَا بِبُوَانَةَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” هَلْ كَانَ فِيهَا وَكُنْ مِنْ أَوْثَانِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يُعْبَدُ؟ ” قَالُوا: لَا ، قَالَ : ” هَلْ كَانَ فِيهَا عِيدٌ مِنْ أَعْبَادِهِمْ؟ قَالُوا: لَا ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : أَوفِ بِنَدْرِكَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا وَفَاءً لِنَدْرِ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ . ))
“A person vowed to sacrifice a camel at Maqam Buwana. He asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about it, and the Prophet inquired whether there used to be idol worship at that place during the time of ignorance. People said: No. He ﷺ then asked if any festival of the time of ignorance was celebrated there. People said: No. Then the Prophet ﷺ told that man to fulfill his vow, for disobeying Allah cannot be a reason to avoid fulfilling a vow.”
Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlvi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in Fatawa Aziziya (p. 516):
وَفِي غَرَائِبٍ أَبِي عُبَيْدِ وَيُسْتَانِ الفَقِيهِ وَكَبْرِ الْعِبَادِ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ ذَبَحُ الْبَقَرَ وَالْغَنَمِ عِندَ القُبُورِ لِقَوْلِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لَا عَفَرَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ يَعْنِي عِندَ الْقُبُورِ هَكَذَا فِي سُبنَ أَبِي دَاوُدَ .
“And it is mentioned in Gharā’ib Abi Ubaid, Bustan al-Fuqaha, and Kanz al-‘Ibad that it is not permissible to slaughter a cow or goat near graves, because the Prophet ﷺ said that ‘Aqr’—that is, slaughtering near graves—is not allowed in Islam. The same is narrated in Sunan Abu Dawood.”
In the Book of Allah, slaughtering for anyone other than Allah is forbidden in four places. Allah says:
(اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَیْكُمُ الْمَیْتَةَ وَ الدَّمَ وَ لَحْمَ الْخِنْزِیْرِ وَ مَاۤ اُهِلَّ بِهٖ لِغَیْرِ اللّٰهِۚ)
“Allah has forbidden you the dead, blood, pork, and that which has been slaughtered in the name of other than Allah.”
Ibn Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him) has narrated the interpretation of ( وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ ) from some of the Salaf.
Similarly, Al-Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) has narrated the interpretation of ( وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ ) from Sayyidna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him).
In Tafsir Nishapuri, regarding the interpretation of this verse, it is stated:
(( أَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاءُ لَوْ أَنَّ مُسْلِمًا ذَبَحَ ذَبِيحَةً وَقَصَدَ بِهَا التَّقَرَّبَ إِلَى غَيْرِ اللَّهِ صَارَ مُرْتَدًّا وَذَيْحَتُهُ ذَبِيحَةُ مُرْتَدِ. ))
“That is, the scholars have consensus that if someone slaughters an animal intending to seek nearness to other than Allah through that slaughter, then that person becomes an apostate, and his slaughtered animal will be like the slaughtered animal of an apostate.”
and
state:
((وَمِثْلُهُ مَا يَقَعُ مِنَ الْمُعْتَقِدِينَ لِلْأَمْوَاتِ مِنَ الذَّبْحِ عَلَى قُبُورِهِمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِمَّا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ ، وَلَا فَرُقَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الذَّبحِ لِمُوتُن.))
“The ruling for the ignorant followers of the deceased elders who slaughter on their graves is the same; indeed, this falls under (وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللهِ), and there is no difference between slaughtering for this and slaughtering for idols.”
( مَا ذُبِحَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ )
( مَا ذُبِحَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ)
Shariah has been so cautious about this that if an animal is slaughtered upon the arrival of an “Ameer” (i.e., ruler) with the intention of honoring him rather than as a feast or hospitality, it will also be forbidden,
and
states:
((ذَبَحٌ لِقُدُوْمِ الْأميرِ وَنَحْوِهِ كَوَاحِدِ مِنَ الْعُظَمَاءِ يَحْرُمُ لِأَنَّهُ أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ وَلَوْ ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ، وَلَو ذُبِحَ لِلطَّيْفِ لَا يَحْرُمُ لِأَنَّهُ سُنَّةُ الْخَلِيلِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَإِكْرَامُ الضَّيْفِ إِكْرَامُ اللهِ .))
“If an animal is slaughtered upon the arrival of a ruler or a prominent person, it will be forbidden because it is slaughtered to honor someone other than Allah. Even if the name of Allah is mentioned at the time of slaughter. But if it is slaughtered for the sake of hospitality, it will not be forbidden because hospitality is the Sunnah of our master Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and honoring guests is honoring by Allah Almighty.”
Bahr al-Raiq (192.8) states:
(( وَلَوْ ذَبَحَ لِأَجَلٍ قُدُومِ الْأَمِيرِ أَوْ قُدُومِ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْعُظَمَاءِ وَذَكَرَ اسم اللهِ تَعَالى يَحْرُمُ أكلُهُ لِأَنَّهُ ذَيحُهَا لِأَجَلِهِ تَعْظِيمًا لَهُ .))
“If an animal is slaughtered upon the arrival of a king or a prominent person and the name of Allah Almighty is also mentioned at the time of slaughter, then eating it is forbidden because this animal was slaughtered to honor the king, etc., upon their arrival.”
