Can father-in-law do Qurbani for daughter-in-law

Answer

If Qurbani (Udhiyah) is wājib (obligatory) upon your wife, and her father-in-law performs the slaughter on her behalf, the validity depends on whether he acts as her appointed agent (wakīl) with her explicit or implicit permission.

• If your wife authorizes her father-in-law (even verbally or by giving him money to purchase and sacrifice the animal) and he intends the sacrifice for her, the Qurbani is valid and her obligation is fulfilled.
• If he sacrifices the animal without her knowledge or permission, intending it merely as a general good deed or for himself, the Qurbani does not fulfill her personal obligation.

This ruling is based on the Hanafi principle that Qurbani is an act of worship requiring a specific intention (niyyah) by the one on whom it is obligatory or by a legally appointed proxy. Any sane adult Muslim can serve as a proxy, regardless of family relation.

Key Points from Hanafi Sources

• Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn ‘Abidin): “If someone authorizes another to slaughter his Qurbani, it is valid. The proxy must intend the sacrifice on behalf of the principal.”
• Fatawa Hindiyya (Alamgiri): “If a person gives money to another to buy and slaughter an animal as Qurbani for him, and the proxy does so with that intention, it suffices.”
• Fatawa Usmani (Mufti Taqi Usmani): “The obligation of Qurbani is personal. However, one may delegate the actual slaughter to another, provided the intention of the obligee remains central.”

Practical Guidance

1. Your wife should either:
   • Hand over the price of the animal (or the animal itself) to her father-in-law and explicitly ask him to perform the Qurbani on her behalf, or
   • Verbally authorize him, saying, “Please sacrifice this animal for my Qurbani.”
2. The father-in-law must recite the name of Allah and make the intention for your wife at the time of slaughter.
3. If he performs the sacrifice as a gift to your wife without her prior request, it does not discharge her wājib obligation.

Additional Note

If your wife does not possess the minimum nisāb (wealth exceeding basic needs, equivalent to 87 grams of gold or 612 grams of silver), Qurbani is not wājib on her. In that case, any sacrifice offered on her behalf is considered a voluntary (nafl) act, and the above proxy rules still apply for validity.

Verdict: Yes, it is valid if the father-in-law acts with her permission and intention. Otherwise, it is not.