Sacrificing for the Deceased: Is It Permissible or Not?

Qurban for the Deceased: Is It Permissible or Not?

Performing the sacrifice (Qurban) is a magnificent act of worship. It serves as a symbol of monotheism (Tawhid) and total submission to Allah. It is an act of worship rooted in the exemplary legacy of three Prophets of Allah: Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Ismail, and their descendant who became the messenger and leader of all humanity, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad—may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them. Due to the immense importance of this act, Allah revealed a specific command in a Surah memorized by almost all Muslim children from a young age:

فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ

"So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]." (QS. Al-Kautsar: 3)

Allah does not command something unless it holds great value in His sight. Furthermore, the Messenger of Allah never missed this act of worship every year. For this reason, some Muslims choose to perform the sacrifice on behalf of their loved ones, such as parents or other family members, with the intention that the deceased may receive the immense reward of the Qurban. How does the Sharia and its bearers view this? The scholars have differed on this matter, as generally indicated by Imam At-Tirmidzi:

وَقَدْ رَخَّصَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ أَنْ يُضَحَّى عَنِ الْمَيِّتِ وَلَمْ يَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَنْ يُضَحَّى عَنْهُ

"Some people of knowledge gave a concession allowing the sacrifice for the deceased, while others viewed that the sacrifice should not be performed for them." (Al-Jami’ Al-Kabir, 3/136)

There are at least four scholarly opinions regarding this issue:

1. Invalid and Impermissible

This is the official (muktamad) opinion in the Shafi'i school, the literal implication of Imam As-Shafi’i’s words, and the opinion of Imam Abu Yusuf from the Hanafi school. They only allow it if the deceased specifically left a will (wasiat) before their death (1).

Imam An-Nawawi (Shafi'i) stated:

لَا تَضْحِيَةَ عَنْ الْغَيْرِ بِغَيْرِ إذْنِهِ وَلَا عَنْ مَيِّتٍ إنْ لَمْ يُوصِ بِهَا

"There is no (valid) sacrifice for another without their permission, nor for a deceased person if they did not bequeath it." (Minhaj At-Thalibin p. 321)

Imam As-Sarakhsi (Hanafi) stated:

"...according to analogy (qiyas), it is not permissible, and this is a narration from Abu Yusuf." (Al-Mabsuth, 12/12)

Evidences and Reasoning: The evidence for this view is the literal meaning of the Quranic verse:

وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلإِنْسَانِ إِلا مَا سَعَى

"And that there is not for man except that [good] which he strives for." (QS. An-Najm: 39)

The reasoning is that Qurban is a physical act of worship (ibadah badaniyah); therefore, it cannot be taken over or performed on behalf of others without their permission. Since a deceased person cannot give permission, it is only valid if they left a will, which acts as their prior permission.

2. Valid but Disliked (Makruh)

This is the view held by the Maliki school. However, they exempt cases where the deceased had already prepared the animal for sacrifice but passed away before the time of slaughter arrived.

Imam Al-Kharasyi stated:

"It is disliked for a person to sacrifice for the deceased to prevent showing off (riya) and boasting, and because there is no direct narration regarding it..." (Syarh Mukhtashar Khalil, 3/42)

According to this view, although the sacrifice is technically valid, it may not yield a reward because the act itself is disliked (makruh) and seen as futile without a specific precedent from the Salaf.

3. Permissible Absolutely

This is the opinion of the Hanafi school (following Imam Muhammad bin Al-Hasan) and some later Shafi'i scholars. They argue that Qurban is a form of charity (sadaqah), and by consensus (ijma'), charity on behalf of the deceased is valid and beneficial.

Imam An-Nawawi cited Abu Al-Hasan Al-’Abbadi:

"...because it is a type of charity, and charity is valid for the deceased, benefits them, and reaches them by consensus." (Al-Majmu’, 8/406)

Evidences and Reasoning: The evidence includes the practice of the Prophet ﷺ:

ضَحَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِكَبْشَيْنِ ... وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ مَنْ لَمْ يُضَحِّ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sacrificed two rams... one for himself and his family, and the other for whoever among his Ummah did not sacrifice." (HR. Ad-Daruqutni: 4744)

The reasoning is that "whoever among his Ummah" includes both the living and the dead.

4. Recommended Absolutely

This is the official position of the Hanbali school. They argue that performing the sacrifice for the deceased is actually better than for the living.

Imam Ibnu An-Najjar Al-Hanbali stated:

"...and (sacrificing) for the deceased is more virtuous (afdhal)." (Muntaha Al-Iradat, 2/195-196)

Evidences and Reasoning: The reasoning is based on an analogy with charity. Since the deceased is in greater need of good deeds and cannot perform them anymore, providing them with reward through sacrifice is highly recommended. This is supported by the hadith of Sa’ad bin Ubadah who asked:

"O Messenger of Allah, indeed my mother has passed away. Shall I give charity on her behalf?" He replied, "Yes." (HR. An-Nasai: 3664)

Conclusion

Each school of thought has its own perspective and evidence. This is a flexible matter (mas’alah wasi'ah).

• For those following the Shafi'i school (as is common in Indonesia), the official view is that it is not valid unless there was a will.

• To avoid scholarly disagreement, one can perform the sacrifice in their own name, and then donate the meat as charity on behalf of the deceased.

While scholars differ on the act of sacrificing for the dead, they all agree that giving charity (in the form of money or the meat itself) on behalf of the deceased is valid and the reward reaches them. Wallahu a’lam bish-shawab.