Qurbani of an animal that loses its sight after purchase

Question:-

If a person purchases an animal for Qurbani and thereafter the animal loses its sight, will Qurbani with such an animal be permitted? Will the same ruling be applicable to a wealthy person and a poor person?

Answer:-

In principle, if 1/3 or more of an animal’s eyesight is lost, then such an animal will not be permissible for Qurbani. Instead, a person should purchase another animal for Qurbani if the person is wealthy [[i]]. If the person is poor and despite Qurbani not being Waajib upon him, he still manages to attain an animal for Qurbani, then if such an occurrence happens to his Qurbani animal, he will not need to purchase another animal. Rather, he will be allowed to slaughter that very same animal for Qurbani [[ii]].

In the scenario mentioned, the person will have to determine the extent of the wound in the animal’s eye. If less than 1/3 of the animal’s sight is lost, then it will be permissible to slaughter such an animal for Qurbani, otherwise not.

[i] Bahishti Zewar Pg 354.

[ii] Bahishti Zewar Pg 355.

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abdur Rahman Abdur Razak

Date: 24 Dhul Hijjah 1444 / 14 July 2023

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai