When calculating your Zakaat, you consider the money that is owed to you. Will this apply on the days of qurbaani also when seeing if it incumbent upon one to slaughter or not?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Udhiyyah (animal sacrifice) is a demonstration of total submission to Allah and a proof of complete obedience to Allah’s will or command. When a Muslim offers an Udhiyyah this is exactly what he intends to prove. Thus, the Udhiyyah offered signifies that he is a slave of Allah at his best. And that he would not hesitate even for a moment once he receives an absolute command from his Creator to surrender before it, to obey it willingly, even if it be at the price of his life and possessions. Consider the following hadīth:
The Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) said,
“The son of Adam does not perform any action on the day of sacrifice which is more pleasing to Allah than the shedding of blood (performing the animal sacrifice). He will come on the day of resurrection with its hair, horns and hooves, and the blood certainly will fall in a place near Allah before it falls on the ground. So, purify yourselves there with. (Sunan Ibn Majah)[i]
In principle, the ritual slaughter is obligatory on every adult Muslim, male or female, who owns 612.36 grams of silver or its equivalent in money, personal ornaments, stock-in-trade or any other form of wealth which is in excess of one’s basic personal needs in the days of Udhīyyah (10,11,12 Zul Hijjah).[ii]
When gauging if performing Udhiyyah is compulsory or not, two factors are considered:
1) One’s net assets are equivalent to the nisāb (threshold) or more.
2) One possesses sufficient funds to pay for a sacrificial animal.
Like zakāt, when calculating one’s net assets, receivables are also taken into consideration. If one’s net assets are equivalent to the nisāb (threshold) or more, then one will be required to perform Udhīyyah. However, if one has the nisāb but does not currently possess sufficient funds to purchase a sacrificial animal, or he does not possess surplus assets which he can liquidate and purchase a sacrificial animal, then it will not be obligatory for him to perform Udhiyyah.[iii]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faraz Adam,
www.darulfiqh.com