Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Bohras are becoming highly urbanised-living in places where it is not possible to sacrifice a goat.Is it possible to sacrifice a goat in a country with a rural economy and perform Aqeeqa with dua on the phone?Alternately what else can be done? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

How to Perform Sacrifice in our own country?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

There is no such condition laid on the believers, that one has to perform the sacrifice where one lives, or that one has to perform the sacrifice himself. There is no harm if one appoints a trustee in a distant land to perform the sacrifice on his behalf. And if one wishes to perform the sacrifice himself near the place he lives, he may do so.

There is no particular dua that needs to be prayed while performing the sacrifice. What is important that the person offering and bearing the cost of the sacrifice have intention in his heart that he wishes to offer a sacrifice as a sign of gratitude for the favors bestowed upon him from His Merciful Lord.

The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) while offering a sacrifice was that he used to invoke this simple supplication to while slaughtering:

Bismillah. Allah-o-Akbar. Allah humma hada minka wa lak.

In the name of Allah. Allah is the Greatest. O Allah, this (sacrifice) is from You, and for You.

Other than the above supplication, there is no other specific dua or long recitation that needs to be declared while offering the sacrifice; and even if one simply says Bismillah, Allah-o-Akbar, it would suffice.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan