Aslam

Praise be to Allah.If the waters have been tried and tested, and they are

beneficial in the case of some diseases, then there is nothing wrong

with that, because Allaah has created some benefits for some sicknesses

in some waters. If it is known from experience that these waters ate

beneficial for those who are suffering from certain diseases, such as

rheumatism, etc., there is nothing wrong with that.

With regard to slaughtering animals, this comes under

various categories:

If the animals are slaughtered to meet the people’s need

for food, etc., or to feed any guests that come to them, there is nothing

wrong with that. If they are slaughtered for any other purpose, such

as to draw closer to the water or the jinn or the Prophets, or on the

basis of some false belief, then that is not permissible, because Allaah

says, addressing His Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say

(O Muhammad): ‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living,

and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn

and all that exists).

He has no partner. And of this

I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims’” [al-An’aam

6:162-163]

“Verily,

We have granted you (O Muhammad) al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise);

Therefor turn in prayer to your

Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)”

[al-Kawthar :1-2]

So

animals should be slaughtered only for Allaah and sacrifices should

be offered only to Allaah. The same applies to all other acts of worship

– they should be dedicated only to Allaah alone. It is not permissible

to do any of these things for anything other than Allaah, because Allaah

says (interpretation of the meanings):

“And they were

commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none

but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)…” [al-Bayyinah

:5]

“So

worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s

sake only.

Surely, the religion (i.e. the

worship and the obedience) is for Allaah only” [al-Zumar

39:2-3]

and because of the aayaat

quoted above and other similar verses. And the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed

those who offer sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah” (narrated by

Muslim in his Saheeh,

from the hadeeth of ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him).

So no one is allowed to offer sacrifices to the jinn

or to a certain star or planet, or to certain waters, or to a certain

Prophet, or to any person, or to idols. Worship is only for Allaah,

and we should seek to draw closer to Him alone through sacrifices and

prayers, and all other kinds of worship, because Allaah says (interpretation

of the meaning):

“You

(Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)”

[al-Faatihah

1:5]

and because of the verses quoted above (interpretation

of the meanings);

“And they were

commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none

but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)…” al-Bayyinah

:5]

“So

worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s

sake only.

Surely, the religion (i.e. the

worship and the obedience) is for Allaah only” [al-Zumar

39:2-3]

and other aayaat.

Sacrifice is one of the most important and one of the best

acts of worship, so it must be done sincerely for Allaah Alone, because

of the aayaat that we have mentioned, and because the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, as we quoted above,

“Allaah has cursed those who offer sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah.”