Can someone else do Qurbani for me with their money in Hanafi fiqh?

Answer:

In Hanafi fiqh, if Qurbani (Udhiyah) is wajib (obligatory) upon your wife, it must be fulfilled from her own wealth or with her explicit authorization and ownership of the sacrificial animal. If her brother sacrifices an animal using his own money without first transferring ownership of that money to her (e.g., as a gift), the sacrifice will be considered his own voluntary act, and it will not fulfill your wife’s obligation.

Detailed Ruling:

1. Obligation of Qurbani: Qurbani becomes wajib upon every adult Muslim who is financially capable (i.e., possesses nisab – wealth equal to 87.48g gold or 612.36g silver) on the 10th, 11th, or 12th of Dhul Hijjah. This includes a married woman if she owns wealth separately from her husband. (Radd al-Muhtar, 6/326; Fatawa Hindiyya, 5/299)

2. Condition of Ownership: The sacrificial animal must be owned by the person upon whom Qurbani is wajib, or the animal must be purchased with that person’s own money. If someone else sacrifices an animal with their own money for another person, the obligation of the recipient is not fulfilled unless the recipient first owns that money or animal. (Al-Hidayah, 7/158; Imdad al-Fatawa, 5/258)

3. Agent (Wakeel): Your wife can appoint her brother as her agent (wakil) to perform the sacrifice on her behalf, but the animal must be purchased with her money. If the brother uses his own money, he is not acting as her agent; he is sacrificing for himself, even if he intends the reward for her. The reward may reach her as a gift, but this does not discharge her wajib. (Fatawa Usmani, 2/280; Bahishti Zewar, part 4, p. 27)

4. Valid Alternative: If the brother wishes to help fulfill her obligation, he should:

   • Give her the money as a gift (hiba).
   • She then takes ownership of that money.
   • She can then ask him to buy and sacrifice an animal on her behalf using that money (or she can do it herself).
   • This will fulfill her wajib because the animal was purchased with her own (now gifted) wealth. (Radd al-Muhtar, 6/328; Ma’ariful Quran, 2/389)

5. Conclusion: In your scenario, if the brother sacrifices an animal from his own pocket without first giving the value to your wife, her Qurbani obligation remains unfulfilled. She must either sacrifice herself or arrange for a sacrifice using her own funds. If she cannot afford it, Qurbani is not wajib on her (since nisab is a condition). However, if she possesses nisab, she must ensure her own sacrifice.

Final Verdict:

No, the sacrifice made by her brother with his own money will not be considered valid for her wajib Qurbani. She must arrange for her own sacrifice from her own wealth.