Question:
I did not perform Qurbani, what do I do?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The Answer:
It is necessary to pay a ṣadaqah payment equivalent to the value of a Qurbānī animal which you could have purchased in the days of sacrifice[1].
The Fiqh (jurisprudence of the answer):
The Aṣl (norm) in monetary forms of worship is to pay wealth to the deserving and in need. Itlāf (destroying) of one’s wealth is not the norm in worship; as is the case here with animal sacrifice. The order to slaughter one’s wealth and animal for the sake of Allah is specific and restricted to a season and time. The objective of such sacrifice is purely for people to be the guests of Allah and be given food directly upon the command of Allah. Thus, when the season and time of sacrifice is over, this non-standard form of worship reverts back to the standard and norm of monetary worship: to pay an amount directly to the needy and poor[2]. This is the reason why ṣadaqah becomes binding and not animal sacrifice after the days of Naḥr.
And Allah Ta’ālā Alone Knows Best
Mufti Faraz Adam,
www.darulfiqh.com
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