Pilgrimage: Sacrifice through
bank
Q438 :Is it permissible to have the sacrifice
required for pilgrimage through the bank as this facility has been
offered over the last few years? It is said that release from ihraam
cannot be done until the sacrifice has been offered. How would a
pilgrim know that the sacrifice has actually been made for him when he
assigns the task to the bank or special committee formed for this
purpose?
A438 : The service that is being offered through the
bank these days is to buy a voucher at any time before the day of
sacrifice from any of the branches of the bank operating this service.
The voucher entitles you to receive a sheep on the actual day of
sacrifice, if you go to the slaughter house and present it.
Alternatively, you may assign the task of the slaughter to the bank
committee operating this service by surrendering this voucher. You
indicate whether it is a sacrifice of gratitude or compensation for an
omission or a voluntary sacrifice. The committee undertakes to do the
sacrifice within the four days of the Eid, the time allowed for this
task. It makes sure to distribute the meat to the poor in the Haram
area, until they are totally satisfied. What remains of the sacrifice
meat, which is plentiful, is sent by plane or any other fast means of
transport to poor Muslim countries. By so doing, the committee ensures
that no meat is wasted, as used to be the case earlier. This is
perfectly acceptable. Moreover, it ensures that the benefit of this
religious task reaches those who deserve it most. It does become an act
of mutual solidarity. As far as the personal duty is concerned, you
are deemed to have fulfilled what is required of you on time, once you
have assigned the voucher to the bank committee. You need not worry
about the actual time of sacrificing the sheep which has been purchased
on your behalf. It is not true that you cannot release yourself from
the state of consecration until you have offered the sacrifice. Indeed,
the sacrifice has nothing to do with this release. The release is made
on the 10th of Thul-Hajjah, after you have done any two of the three
duties which are required of you on that day, namely, the stoning, you
may proceed to shave your head or shorten your hair and follow that
with the first release from the state of consecration. This allows you
to do almost everything that was restricted. The complete release from
the state of consecration is achieved when you have done your tawaf of
Ifaadah.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News - Jeddah )