This page is also available in Urdu language.
یہ صفحہ اردو میں بھی موجود ہے۔ زبان کی تبدیلی کے لیے نیچے بٹن دبائیں۔
Question:
I am living in Canada. Please inform me under what conditions it is permissible to perform Qurbani in Pakistan while living here in Canada.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Sublime and Exalted, Who has taught man the landmarks of religion and bestowed upon him the realities of Shariah and empowerment.
It should be clear that it is permissible in itself for a person to have his Qurbani performed in another country through an agent; meaning a person residing in Canada can appoint an individual, organization, or relative in Pakistan as his agent for Qurbani. However, for the Qurbani to be valid, it is necessary to observe several conditions.
Conditions for Qurbani in Another Country While Residing in Another Country
Qurbani is obligatory upon every Muslim who is Sahib-e-Nisab, meaning one who possesses wealth beyond his needs upon which Zakat is obligatory. This condition applies to you as well, even if you reside in Canada.
Conditions for Permission of Qurbani in Pakistan
- First: Permission and intention from the person performing Qurbani must be present. If someone performs Qurbani on behalf of another without their permission, the obligatory Qurbani will not be fulfilled; therefore, the person or institution to whom the Qurbani amount is given in Pakistan must be clearly informed that this Qurbani is on behalf of a specific person. The Qurbani issues of Banuri Town also deem Qurbani performed on behalf of someone without permission as invalid.
- Second: If the Qurbani involves a large animal, e.g., cow, bull, buffalo, or camel, as a share, then the share must be specified, and all partners must intend Qurbani or a Shariah intention; a partner participating only for meat can affect the Qurbani of others.
- Third: The animal must be slaughtered in Pakistan within the Shariah time. According to Hanafi fiqh, the time for Qurbani is from after the Eid prayer on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah until sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah; however, in places where Eid prayer is not obligatory, like villages, Qurbani is valid after dawn on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah.
- Fourth: Since the person arranging Qurbani is in Canada and the animal will be slaughtered in Pakistan, out of caution and according to the fatwa of Darul Ifta Banuri Town and Darul Uloom Deoband, it is necessary that the days of Qurbani are present in both places, i.e., Canada and Pakistan, at the time of slaughter. If it is a day of Qurbani in Pakistan but the 10th of Dhul Hijjah has not yet begun in Canada, then slaughtering at that time will not fulfill the obligatory Qurbani of that person. Similarly, if the days of Qurbani have ended in Canada, then arranging slaughter later in Pakistan will also not fulfill the obligatory Qurbani.
Besides these, the remaining conditions of Qurbani will apply as they would in one’s own country. For example, the age of the animal, it being free from defects, slaughtering with permissible wealth, with the correct intention, and by the hand of a Muslim saying Bismillah, etc.
Practical Procedure for Qurbani in Another Country
And if there is a difference in the day of Eid between the two countries, then Qurbani should be arranged at a time when it is a day of Qurbani in Canada and also a day of Qurbani in Pakistan. For example, if Eid occurs earlier in Pakistan while it is still the 9th of Dhul Hijjah in Canada, then arranging slaughter in Pakistan at that time is not valid; rather, wait until the 10th of Dhul Hijjah enters in Canada, and then have the Qurbani performed in Pakistan within the Shariah time. The scholars have described this principle under the title of “Performing Qurbani on a Common Day”.
Summary of the Ruling
It is permissible to have Qurbani performed in Pakistan while residing in Canada, provided that:
- You grant permission/agency for Qurbani on your behalf;
- The animal or share is designated in your name;
- The animal is slaughtered in Pakistan within the Shariah time;
- At the time of slaughter, the days of Qurbani are present in both Canada and Pakistan;
- If the animal is in a city, it is slaughtered after the Eid prayer, and if in a village, slaughter after dawn is valid.
Therefore, when arranging Qurbani from Canada to Pakistan, specifically instruct the organization or agent that the Qurbani should be performed at a time when it is the 10th, 11th, or 12th of Dhul Hijjah in Canada, and the Shariah time for Qurbani still remains in Pakistan.
And Allah knows best what is correct, and His knowledge is most correct and complete.