Who Should I Give Eid Sacrifice Meat To?

Answered by Ustadh Abdullah Anik Misra

Question: Assalamu Alikum,

Someone informed me that the poor refers to those who have nothing to eat and they do not ask. I had previously came to another conclusion that the poor can be referred to those belonging to different categories , my mother believes a poor person is those who cannot perform Qurbani. I need some light on the matter. I wish to do things correctly.

The issue is, I have a friend who is possibly included in the category of poor people, be considered in a category of poor, as she is unemployed and her husband works some times on a contractual basis at a minimal level of employment. She is the type of person who doesn’t ask but there is an awareness that she is relatively needy. I don’t know which category to place her in, poor or friends? Seems like she belongs to both.

Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate,

Wa alaikum as salam,

Thank you for writing to us, and may Allah Most High accept your first Eid sacrifice.

The Messenger of Allah [Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him] said as an exhortation, regarding the meat of the Eid sacrifice, “… So eat of [some of] it, and give charity [from some], and store up [some of it].” [Abu Dawud]

As for giving the meat in charity, there is no condition as to what type of needy person one must give it to, but Imam al-Babarti cites the words of Allah Most High who says, “So feed the one who asks out of need, and the one who needs but does not ask” [Qur’an 22:36]. Hence, you could give it to a friend who was unable to perform the sacrifice, or any other needy person, or multiple parties. [al-Babarti, al-Inaya Sharh al-Hidaya]

A person is free to choose whether and how much they allot to each category (eat, give in charity, or store for later use), the ideal amount for charity not being less than one-third of the meat, but this is not obligatory.

Wassalam,

Abdullah Misra

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani