❀ Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased: Ruling in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith ❀
Source: Aḥkām wa Masā’il – Qurbānī aur ʿAqīqah ke Masā’il, Vol. 1, p. 438
❖ Clarification of the Question:
Is it permissible to perform qurbānī (sacrifice) on behalf of a deceased person?
Some people present as evidence:
- The ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, in which the Prophet ﷺ sacrificed an animal and said it was on behalf of himself, his family, and his Ummah.
- The practice of ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه), who is reported to have sacrificed two rams, one for himself and one for the Prophet ﷺ.
- A statement allegedly from the Farewell Sermon, that the Prophet ﷺ said: “I am offering this sacrifice on behalf of my earlier and later Ummah.”
Hence, the question arises: Does qurbānī on behalf of the deceased have a valid basis in Sharīʿah? Did the Prophet ﷺ instruct his Ummah to continue this practice? Did the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) act upon it? Or was it something specific to the Prophet ﷺ alone?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
① The ḥadīth of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
The wording is:
«وَأَخَذَ الْکَبْشَ فَأَضْجَعَهُ ، ثُمَّ ذَبَحَهُ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: بِسْمِ اﷲِ اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ، وَّآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّمِنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ، ثُمَّ ضَحَّی بِه»
The Prophet ﷺ took a ram, laid it down, slaughtered it, and said:
“In the name of Allah. O Allah, accept this from Muḥammad, from the family of Muḥammad, and from the Ummah of Muḥammad.” Then he sacrificed it.
This narration indicates a duʿā for acceptance, not that he performed separate sacrifices for himself, his family, and the Ummah.
② The report of ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه)
It is said that he sacrificed two rams—one on his behalf, and one on behalf of the Prophet ﷺ.
However, this narration is weak due to problems in its chain:
- It includes Shurayk, who is considered weak because of poor memory and excessive mistakes.
- His shaykh, Abū al-Ḥasnān, is majhūl al-ḥāl (unknown).
Thus, the report is unreliable and cannot be used as proof.
③ The alleged statement from the Farewell Sermon
The words attributed: “I am offering this sacrifice on behalf of my earlier and later Ummah” — are not found in any authentic source. There is no ṣaḥīḥ reference for this claim.
④ Other attributed narrations
Phrases such as:
- «اَللّٰهُمَّ مِنْکَ وَلَکَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّأُمَّتِهِ»
- «اَللّٰهُمَّ هٰذَا عَنِّی وَعَمَّنْ لَمْ يُضَحِّ مِنْ أُمَّتِیْ»
are not authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ.
Conclusion:
- There is no authentic evidence proving that qurbānī should be performed on behalf of the deceased.
- What is proven is that the Prophet ﷺ made duʿā for his Ummah during his own sacrifice, but not that he instructed the Ummah to offer sacrifices on behalf of their deceased relatives.
- Hence, performing qurbānī specifically for the deceased is without basis in Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.
“This is what I hold, and Allah knows best what is correct.”
