Should I Offer Udhiyah/Qurbaani or Give Charity Instead?

by Asma bint Shameem

Offering a sacrifice on Eid al-Adhaa is an act of worship.

It is a Sunnah Kifaayah, which means that it’s an established religious practice that should be fulfilled by at least some of the Muslims of an area.

Some scholars even said that it’s obligatory.

It is done to draw close to Allaah and is the way of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.

And most importantly, offering the sacrifice on Eid al-Adhaa is a symbol among the SYMBOLS of Allaah.

🍃Allaah says:

“And the cows, oxen, or camels driven to be offered as sacrifices ― We have made for you as among the SYMBOLS of Allaah, therein you have much good.

So mention the Name of Allaah over them when they are drawn up in lines for sacrifice.

Then, when they are down on their sides after slaughter, eat thereof, and feed the poor who does not ask, and the beggar who asks.

Thus have We made them subject to you that you may be grateful.”

(Surah al-Hajj: 36)

This shows how important offering the Udhiyah is.

Yes giving sadaqah is good.

But we cannot ‘substitute’ this act of worship of offering Udhiyah by deciding to give charity in its place, just because of our ‘logic’ or for no reason.

🍃 The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“It is not valid to give out the value of the slaughtered animal as the Udhiyah Sacrifice, because slaughtering the animal, eating some of its meat, and giving some of it away as charity is all worship.

Giving its value in money as charity does not take its place.”

[Fataawaa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, (10/436)

🍃 Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“Sacrifice at the appropriate time, such as during Hajj and on Eid al-Adha, is better than giving its price in charity even if one gives more, because offering a sacrifice and shedding blood is what is required, and it is an act of worship that is mentioned alongside prayer, as Allaah says:

“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)” [al-Kawthar: 108:2]

“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [al-An‘aam 6:162]”

[Tuhfat al-Mawdood (p. 65)]

🔺But what if someone really needs the money?

Obviously, the best scenario would be to offer an Udhiyah AND give some of them money as charity, if you can afford it.

But if you only have enough to ‘either’ offer Udhiyah OR give the money for charity, then you must weigh between the two.

If there’s more benefit in helping people out, if your close relatives need the money, if there’s an urgent or dire need, if you’re paying off someone’s debt, or bills etc then the scholars say it’s permissible to help the poor out with your charity and the sadaqah will take precedence over the Udhiyah.

🍃Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“If it is a matter of choice between udhiyah and paying off debt on behalf of a poor person, then paying off the debt is better, especially if the debtor is a relative.”

[Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 13/1496]

🍃Ibn Taymiyah said:

“Hajj (i.e., voluntary Hajj) done in the prescribed manner is better than charity that is not obligatory.

But if he has relatives who are in need, then giving charity to them is better, who need his charity for his maintenance.

But if both actions are voluntary, then Hajj is better, because it is an act of worship that is both physical and financial.

By the same token, offering a sacrifice for ‘aqeeqah or udhiyah is better than giving its price in charity.” [al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/382]

And Allaah knows best