A low-income family gave me an amount of money to buy one sheep to be sacrificed on 'Eed Al-Adh-ha. When I went to the market, I found out that the amount that they gave me was not sufficient for purchasing an Udh-hiyah (sacrificial animal) that meets the sharia specifications. So I paid the remaining amount from my own money so that I could buy the Udh-hiyah. I did not inform the family about this in order to avoid embarrassing them. Then I took the sheep to them. Is this permissible, and is it regarded as a valid sacrifice on their part?

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.

There is nothing wrong with what the questioner did. Furthermore, he will get a reward for his good attitude toward this family, since he completed the price of the Udh-hiyah for them. The Udh-hiyah is regarded as a valid one on their part, Allaah willing, and we hope that Allaah Almighty will accept it.

Allaah Knows best.