This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Farooq Rafi Sahib's book Qurbani, Aqiqah, and Ashra Zil-Hijjah.
Disbelievers, Jews, Christians, and some so-called Muslim intellectuals keep spreading the rumor that if the amount of money Muslims spend on sacrifices during Eid al-Adha were spent on building hospitals, public welfare projects, and the betterment of humanity, then human life could improve, poverty could be eradicated, and ordinary people could benefit from essential facilities. This poisonous propaganda is spread with such intensity that ordinary Muslims get misled and become willing to abandon this great Sunnah of Islam. But consider this: if the money spent on sacrifice were better and more suitable for human welfare, then during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, instead of sacrifice, spending money on human welfare would have been considered superior for the suffering and distressed humanity. However, the fact that the Prophet ﷺ always performed sacrifice and the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) maintained this great Sunnah continuously is proof that performing sacrifice on the occasion of Eid al-Adha is indeed superior and preferable.
① Ibn Qudamah Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
والأضحية أفضل من الصدقة بقيمتها
“Performing sacrifice on the day of Eid al-Adha is superior to giving the price of the sacrifice as charity.”
Imam Ahmad, Rabi’ah, and Abu al-Zinad hold the same view.
② Sacrifice is superior because the Prophet ﷺ performed sacrifice, and after him, the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) also performed sacrifice. If they had known that giving the price of the sacrifice as charity was better, then the Prophet ﷺ and the Rightly Guided Caliphs would have abandoned the Sunnah of sacrifice and given that amount in charity and alms.
③ Also, preferring to give the price of sacrifice as charity over performing sacrifice is not correct because it would mean abandoning the great Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ (which is not better in any respect).
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh Al-Kabir: 11 / 96
Moreover, for human welfare and the betterment of the suffering and distressed humanity, Islam’s best system is the system of Zakat, which, when implemented practically, can achieve the desired results. However, the stability of this system is something that disbelievers, Jews, Christians, and so-called Muslim intellectuals cannot tolerate. Then see what role disbelievers play for the welfare of humanity, and are disbelievers, Jews, and Christians ready and willing to abandon their festivals and spend the money on charity and human welfare? When they are not willing to abandon the festivals of the abrogated Shariahs and the spending on them, how can abandoning the great Sunnah of Islam (sacrifice) be correct? Therefore, in opposition to this poisonous propaganda of the disbelievers, the Muslims should strongly adhere to this Sunnah and firmly hold on to the religion of Islam, for in this lies the secret of the welfare and survival of the Muslims.
