Question:
Is it permitted to send our Qurbaani overseas?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
While sending one’s Qurbaani to be done overseas is permissible and may be easy and cheaper, one should bear the following points in mind.
Qurbaani is a great Ibadah and is the Sunnah of Ibraheem (Alayhis Salaam) in lieu of sacrificing his own son. It is a Shi’aar (distinguishing characteristic) of Islam.
It is understood from Ahadith and the Sunnah of Nabi ﷺ that it is most virtuous to perform one Qurbaani personally. If one cannot do so, one should be present when the animal is being slaughtered. Nabi ﷺ asked Faatima (RadiAllahu anhaa) to be present when her Qurbaani was being slaughtered. By having ones Qurbaani performed elsewhere, one is deprived of all these virtues. Hence it is most appropriate as long as a person has the ability, that one’s Qurbaani should be performed personally wherever one may be.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
