This excerpt is taken from Professor Dr. Fazl Elahi's book Masail-e-Qurbani.
Two points are being presented here by the grace of Allah:
⟐ It is correct to include the deceased in the sacrifice. Two of the authentic hadiths indicating this are as follows:
➊ Imam Muslim narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
”أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أمر بكبش أقرن يطأ فى سواد ويبرك فى سواد وينظر فى سواد فأتي به ليضحي به فقال لها: يا عائشة هلمي المدية.
ثم قال: اشحذيها بحجر.
ففعلت ثم أخذها وأخذ الكبش فأضجعه ثم ذبحه ثم قال:
بسم الله اللهم تقبل من محمد وآل محمد ومن أمة محمدﷺ ، ثم ضحي به“
"Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered to bring a horned ram whose hands, feet, belly, and eyes were black. So it was brought to him so that he could sacrifice it. Then he (peace be upon him) said to them: O Aisha! Bring the knife.
Then he said: Sharpen it on a stone."
She [Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)] complied with the order, then he took the knife and laid the ram down to slaughter it. Then he said:
[which translates as] In the name of Allah! O Allah! Accept it on behalf of Muhammad, the family of Muhammad, and the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him)."
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) slaughtered the animal."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the recommendation of sacrifice, slaughtering it directly without delegation, naming and Takbir, Hadith number 19.(1967), 1557/3
The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed this sacrifice in Madinah Tayyibah, and before that many people from his family and nation had passed away; he (peace be upon him) included all of them in this sacrifice.
➋ Imam Abu Ya'la narrated from Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both):
”أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أتي بكبشين أقرنين أملحين عظيمين موجوءين فأضجع أحدهما وقال:
بسم الله والله أكبر عن محمدﷺ وأمته من شهد لك بالتوحيد وشهد لي بالبلاغ“
"Indeed, two horned, large, fat, castrated rams were brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He chose one of them and said: [which translates as]
In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. On behalf of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his nation, on behalf of the person who testified to your Oneness and bore witness to my [divine message]."
Reference: Quoted from Majma' al-Zawa'id, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the sacrifice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 22/4
, Hafiz Haithami wrote: "It was narrated by Abu Ya'la and its chain is (Hasan)."
Reference: (previous reference 22/4)
, Sheikh Albani also graded its chain as [Hasan]. (See:
Reference: Irwa' al-Ghalil 251/4
)This noble hadith also clarifies that the Prophet (peace be upon him) included in this sacrifice all those from the nation who had testified to the Oneness of Allah and the truthfulness of his message, and many of such people had passed away before the time of the sacrifice.
⟐ The meat of the sacrifice in which the deceased are included along with the living should be eaten by the sacrificer himself and also fed to the poor.
Imam Bazzar narrated from Hazrat Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
”كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا ضحى اشترى كبشين سمينين أقرنين أملحين فإذا صلى وخطب أتي بأحدهما وهو فى مصلاه فذبحه ثم قال:
اللهم هذا عن أمتي جميعا من شهد لك بالتوحيد وشهد لي بالبلاغ.
ثم يؤتى بالآخر فيذبحه ثم قال:
اللهم هذا عن محمد وآل محمدﷺ.
فيطعمهما جميعا المساكين ويأكل هو وأهله منهما“
"When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) intended to sacrifice, he would buy two fat, horned, large, castrated rams. When he (peace be upon him) finished the prayer and sermon, one of these two rams would be brought to the Eidgah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would slaughter it and say (at the time of slaughter):
O Allah! This is on behalf of all those in my nation who testified to Your Oneness and bore witness to my message (divine).
Then the other would be brought, and he (peace be upon him) would slaughter it and say (at the time of slaughter):
O Allah! This is on behalf of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
And he would feed the meat of both rams to the poor, eat from it himself, and feed his household as well."
Reference: Quoted from Majma' al-Zawa'id, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the sacrifice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 21/4-22.
Hafiz Haithami wrote: It was narrated by Bazzar, and Ahmad and Tabarani also narrated it in a similar manner, and the chains of Ahmad and Bazzar are [Hasan].
Reference: (previous reference 22/4)
