I am single, but my father does not provide for me because I work in another country. I want to offer a sacrifice (Udh-hiyah) on behalf of myself and my family (my father, mother, and sister) who live in my native country. Thus, my father will buy the sacrificial animal with my own money that he keeps with him. Is that permissible? Should my father abstain from hair cutting and nail-clipping if the sacrifice will be allowable in this way?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

If you are financially independent from your father as indicated, one sacrifice will not sufficient for both of you. Members of the same household can offer one sacrifice if they share the same financial budget.

However, you may authorize your father to offer a sacrifice on your behalf in your native country. You can also give him some money to buy a sacrificial animal for himself and members of his household. You will gain great reward, Allaah willing, for that.

Please note that only the person who offers a sacrifice is required not to take from his hair or clip his nails. The member of his household who share with him the reward of the sacrifice are not required to abstain from that, according to the preponderant statement of scholars. The eminent scholar Ibn ‘Uthaymeen detailed this issue by saying:

His (Al-Hajjaawi's) statement “the one who offers the sacrifice” indicates that the people on whose behalf the sacrifice is observed may take from their hair and clip their nails. This is evidenced by the following:

First: The apparent indication of the Hadeeth denotes that forbiddance is applicable to the person who offers the sacrifice. Thus, only the one who provides for the family is forbidden to take from his hair or clip his nails. The rest of family members are not forbidden to do so, because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, limited the ruling to the one who offers the sacrifice, which indicates that such ruling is not established for the other members whom the sacrifice is made on their behalf.

Second: The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would offer a sacrifice on behalf of his family members. It was not transmitted that he would order them not to clip their nails or to take from their hair or skin. If this was forbidden for them, he would have ordered them not to do it. This is the preponderant opinion on this issue.

It may be argued that the forbiddance is applicable to the one who offers a sacrifice as well as the rest of the family. By analogy, the rest of the family members are rewarded like the one who offers the sacrifice is rewarded. As they share the reward, they share the same ruling (of not taking from the hair or clipping the nails).

However, this is invalid analogy because it contradicts the text and every case of analogy that contradicts the text is inconsiderable and must not be referred to. Also, both sides are not completely equal even if they are rewarded for the sacrifice. The person who pays for the sacrifice and takes the trouble of slaughtering it is not equal to the rest of the family. Thus, the main provider will be more rewarded than others.

Allaah Knows best.