Making up the sacrifice of ‘Eed Al-Adhha
20-1-2009 | IslamWeb
Question:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may his blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Dear Sheikh my question is about offering udhiyah (sacrifice) during Eid-ul-Adha. I was intending to do udhiyah (sacrifice) for this Eid-ul-Adha but suddenly due to some financial crises I could not offer it. Can I Inshallah, next year intend to do two sacrifices which will compensate for this year. Also, as my father was not financially strong, he did not perform aqeeqa and sacrifices for Eid-ul-Adha, so after we grew up and by the grace of Allah got jobs and now are able to do so, can we compensate for the years which we were unable to perform sacrifice by slaughtering two sacrifices until we are alive so that it might compensate for the previous years which we failed to do so. Can you please advise. Jazakaallahu Khaira
Answer:
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 
is His slave and Messenger.
According to the view of the majority of the scholars 
the sacrifice of ‘Eed Al-Adhha is a confirmed Sunnah and its time is restricted to the three days of sacrifice, which are the Day of ‘Eed and two days after it, whereas according to the Shaafi’i School of jurisprudence, the fourth day is included as well. If the time of sacrifice expired and a person did not offer a sacrifice, then according to the view of the majority of the scholars one is not required to make it up.
If a person did not offer the sacrifice of ‘Eed until its time is over, then he missed sacrificing this year and if he slaughters even with the intention of the sacrifice of ‘Eed Al-Adhha, this will not be considered as a sacrifice of ‘Eed, and whatever he gives from it to the poor, he will be rewarded for it as an act of charity.
However, the Hanafi School of jurisprudence –who are of the view that it is an obligation to offer the sacrifice of ‘Eed –believe that if the days of sacrifice are over and a person did not offer the sacrifice, then he is not required to make it up after its time expired. Rather, instead of slaughtering the sheep, he should give it live in charity if he had already designated it, or gift its price or gift the price of a sufficient sacrifice.
The view we adopt here in Islamweb is the view of the majority of the scholars that the sacrifice of ‘Eed Al-Adhha is a Sunnah and not an obligation.
As regards a person performing the ‘Aqeeqah for himself if his father did not perform the ‘Aqeeqah for him, then please refer to Fatwa 83120.
Allaah Knows best.