Written by: Maulana Abul Hasan Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani
Question:
Is it permissible to slaughter animals or offer vows at graves?
Answer:
Slaughtering animals with the intention of vows or to seek closeness is an act of worship, and worship is only permissible for Allah.
✿ Allah Almighty states:
"[Say], 'Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims.'"
[Al-An’am 6:162-163]
✿ Another verse states:
"So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]."
[Al-Kawthar 108:2]
✿ And in another place, it is mentioned:
"Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you."
[Al-Hajj 22:37]
↰ From these clear verses, it is evident that all forms of worship, sacrifices, slaughtering of animals, and piety should be solely for Allah, without associating anyone else with Him. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cursed those who slaughter animals for anyone other than Allah.
❀ In a narration by Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Allah curses the one who sacrifices an animal for other than Allah, and He curses the one who steals the landmarks of the earth, and He curses the one who curses his parents, and He curses the one who shelters an innovator."
[Musnad Ahmad 954, Nasai, Kitab al-Dahaya: Bab Man Dhaba li Ghairillah 4427]
↰ A similar hadith is narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) as well.
[Musnad Ahmad 2913]
❀ Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"There is no 'Aqr in Islam."
[Musnad Ahmad 3/197, Bayhaqi 3/57, Abd al-Razzaq 269, Sharh al-Sunnah 5/461, Jam' al-Jawami' 8/272]
◈ Imam Abd al-Razzaq (may Allah have mercy on him) explained:
"The polytheists used to slaughter a cow or a sheep at the grave."
◈ Imam Khattabi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in his commentary on Abu Dawud:
"The people of ignorance would slaughter camels at the grave of a generous person and would say that we are repaying his generosity because he used to slaughter camels for guests during his life. We slaughter at his grave so that wild animals and birds may eat, and just as his generosity continued during his life, it continues after his death."
[Ma'alim al-Sunan 1/734]
↰ From the above hadith and commentary, it is clear that slaughtering animals near graves was a practice of the polytheists in the era of ignorance. Islam came to abolish this and taught that slaughtering animals near graves is not permissible in Islam. Those who go to graves to offer vows and slaughter animals believe that the inhabitants of the graves can fulfill their needs and that by offering vows at these graves, their needs will be fulfilled, and the deceased will be pleased. However, the inhabitants of the graves neither hear our calls nor have the power to solve our problems.
✿ Allah Almighty states:
"And those whom you invoke other than Him do not possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed. If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your association. And none can inform you like [one] acquainted [with all matters]."
[Fatir 35:13-14]
↰ This verse clearly states that those beings whom people call upon besides Allah do not own anything. The only rightful owner and ruler is Allah Almighty. Therefore, one should call upon Him alone. The vows and offerings that most people make at graves and shrines are declared haram.
◈ Allama Ibn Nujaym (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"Most of the vows that people make and are commonly observed are for an absent person or for a sick person or for some other necessary need. Some people go to the graves of righteous individuals, place a cloth on their heads, and say, 'O my such and such master! If my missing companion returns, or my patient recovers, or my need is fulfilled, then I will give this much gold, this much silver, or this much grain, or I will light a lamp or pour oil here.' This vow is unanimously invalid and haram for several reasons:
➊ The vow is not for a creation, and making a vow for a creation is not permissible. This is because it is an act of worship, and worship is not for a creation.
➋ The one for whom the vow is made is dead, and a dead person has no power.
➌ If the one making the vow believes that the deceased has the power to influence matters, this belief is kufr."
[Al-Bahr al-Raiq 2/298]
↰ The same is mentioned in Fatawa Shami [2/128] and Fatawa Alamgiri [1/216].
◈ Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"The scholars have unanimously agreed that if a Muslim slaughters an animal intending to get closer to anyone other than Allah, he becomes an apostate, and his slaughter is the slaughter of an apostate."
[Fatawa Azizi, Urdu p. 538]
↰ These references from Hanafi jurisprudence also confirm that vows and offerings for the inhabitants of graves are unanimously haram and invalid, and holding beliefs about their control over matters is kufr. Many people claim that they offer vows in the name of saints, present at their shrines, and slaughter animals in the name of Allah. However, remember that places where other than Allah is worshiped, such as prostrating at graves or calling upon the deceased for help, it is also not permissible to slaughter animals in the name of Allah at those places. The proof for this is the hadith narrated by Thabit bin al-Dhahhak (may Allah be pleased with him):
❀ The hadith states:
"A man vowed to slaughter camels in Buwana during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: 'I have vowed to slaughter camels in Buwana.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: 'Were there any idols of the pre-Islamic era that were worshiped?' They said: 'No.' He asked: 'Was there any of their festivals held there?' They said: 'No.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Fulfill your vow, for there is no fulfillment of a vow in disobedience to Allah, nor in what the son of Adam does not possess.'"
[Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Iman wa al-Nudhur: Bab Ma Yu'mar Bihi Min Wafa' al-Nadhr 3313, Bayhaqi 10/82]
↰ In the commentary of this hadith:
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"This hadith is a clear proof that if a place is known for the gatherings of polytheists or where their idols were once placed, even if those gatherings or idols are no longer present, it is still prohibited to slaughter animals for Allah at that place. Because the gatherings of polytheists or their worship at any place prevent the act of slaughtering solely for Allah and fulfilling vows."
[Hidayat al-Mustafid 1/400]
↰ From this discussion, it is concluded that at places where worship other than Allah occurs or where festivals of other than Allah are held, offering vows, making offerings, and slaughtering animals at those places is haram and must be completely avoided.
Question:
Is it permissible to slaughter animals or offer vows at graves?
Answer:
Slaughtering animals with the intention of vows or to seek closeness is an act of worship, and worship is only permissible for Allah.
✿ Allah Almighty states:
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
"[Say], 'Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims.'"
[Al-An’am 6:162-163]
✿ Another verse states:
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
"So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]."
[Al-Kawthar 108:2]
✿ And in another place, it is mentioned:
لَنْ يَنَالَ اللَّـهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَـكِنْ يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنْكُمْ
"Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you."
[Al-Hajj 22:37]
↰ From these clear verses, it is evident that all forms of worship, sacrifices, slaughtering of animals, and piety should be solely for Allah, without associating anyone else with Him. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cursed those who slaughter animals for anyone other than Allah.
❀ In a narration by Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Allah curses the one who sacrifices an animal for other than Allah, and He curses the one who steals the landmarks of the earth, and He curses the one who curses his parents, and He curses the one who shelters an innovator."
[Musnad Ahmad 954, Nasai, Kitab al-Dahaya: Bab Man Dhaba li Ghairillah 4427]
↰ A similar hadith is narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) as well.
[Musnad Ahmad 2913]
❀ Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"There is no 'Aqr in Islam."
[Musnad Ahmad 3/197, Bayhaqi 3/57, Abd al-Razzaq 269, Sharh al-Sunnah 5/461, Jam' al-Jawami' 8/272]
◈ Imam Abd al-Razzaq (may Allah have mercy on him) explained:
"The polytheists used to slaughter a cow or a sheep at the grave."
◈ Imam Khattabi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in his commentary on Abu Dawud:
"The people of ignorance would slaughter camels at the grave of a generous person and would say that we are repaying his generosity because he used to slaughter camels for guests during his life. We slaughter at his grave so that wild animals and birds may eat, and just as his generosity continued during his life, it continues after his death."
[Ma'alim al-Sunan 1/734]
↰ From the above hadith and commentary, it is clear that slaughtering animals near graves was a practice of the polytheists in the era of ignorance. Islam came to abolish this and taught that slaughtering animals near graves is not permissible in Islam. Those who go to graves to offer vows and slaughter animals believe that the inhabitants of the graves can fulfill their needs and that by offering vows at these graves, their needs will be fulfilled, and the deceased will be pleased. However, the inhabitants of the graves neither hear our calls nor have the power to solve our problems.
✿ Allah Almighty states:
وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍ * إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ
"And those whom you invoke other than Him do not possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed. If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your association. And none can inform you like [one] acquainted [with all matters]."
[Fatir 35:13-14]
↰ This verse clearly states that those beings whom people call upon besides Allah do not own anything. The only rightful owner and ruler is Allah Almighty. Therefore, one should call upon Him alone. The vows and offerings that most people make at graves and shrines are declared haram.
◈ Allama Ibn Nujaym (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"Most of the vows that people make and are commonly observed are for an absent person or for a sick person or for some other necessary need. Some people go to the graves of righteous individuals, place a cloth on their heads, and say, 'O my such and such master! If my missing companion returns, or my patient recovers, or my need is fulfilled, then I will give this much gold, this much silver, or this much grain, or I will light a lamp or pour oil here.' This vow is unanimously invalid and haram for several reasons:
➊ The vow is not for a creation, and making a vow for a creation is not permissible. This is because it is an act of worship, and worship is not for a creation.
➋ The one for whom the vow is made is dead, and a dead person has no power.
➌ If the one making the vow believes that the deceased has the power to influence matters, this belief is kufr."
[Al-Bahr al-Raiq 2/298]
↰ The same is mentioned in Fatawa Shami [2/128] and Fatawa Alamgiri [1/216].
◈ Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"The scholars have unanimously agreed that if a Muslim slaughters an animal intending to get closer to anyone other than Allah, he becomes an apostate, and his slaughter is the slaughter of an apostate."
[Fatawa Azizi, Urdu p. 538]
↰ These references from Hanafi jurisprudence also confirm that vows and offerings for the inhabitants of graves are unanimously haram and invalid, and holding beliefs about their control over matters is kufr. Many people claim that they offer vows in the name of saints, present at their shrines, and slaughter animals in the name of Allah. However, remember that places where other than Allah is worshiped, such as prostrating at graves or calling upon the deceased for help, it is also not permissible to slaughter animals in the name of Allah at those places. The proof for this is the hadith narrated by Thabit bin al-Dhahhak (may Allah be pleased with him):
❀ The hadith states:
"A man vowed to slaughter camels in Buwana during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: 'I have vowed to slaughter camels in Buwana.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: 'Were there any idols of the pre-Islamic era that were worshiped?' They said: 'No.' He asked: 'Was there any of their festivals held there?' They said: 'No.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Fulfill your vow, for there is no fulfillment of a vow in disobedience to Allah, nor in what the son of Adam does not possess.'"
[Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Iman wa al-Nudhur: Bab Ma Yu'mar Bihi Min Wafa' al-Nadhr 3313, Bayhaqi 10/82]
↰ In the commentary of this hadith:
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"This hadith is a clear proof that if a place is known for the gatherings of polytheists or where their idols were once placed, even if those gatherings or idols are no longer present, it is still prohibited to slaughter animals for Allah at that place. Because the gatherings of polytheists or their worship at any place prevent the act of slaughtering solely for Allah and fulfilling vows."
[Hidayat al-Mustafid 1/400]
↰ From this discussion, it is concluded that at places where worship other than Allah occurs or where festivals of other than Allah are held, offering vows, making offerings, and slaughtering animals at those places is haram and must be completely avoided.