Fixing the price of the sacrificial animal and investing the difference
Question
- Feeding the poor throughout the year.
- Spending part of the money on administrative costs and advertising related to the project.
- Other projects undertaken by the Food Bank.
- The Food Bank will import a complementary number of sacrificial animals from Australia. It will pay 50% of the price and the remaining sum will be paid after the animals arrive in Egypt.
Answer
The Food Bank is a legal entity that undertakes charitable programs previously undertaken by the State Treasury such as providing food and welfare to the poor and the destitute. A legal entity is entitled to accept to act as an agent to those who wish to buy sacrificial animals. In addition, it may slaughter the animals on behalf of its commissioners at the legally prescribed time which extends from after the 'Eid prayer until before sunset of the third of the days of tashreeq. It may distribute the meat over the course of the year according to the needs of the poor. It is permissible for the Food Bank to use the difference in price to fund other charitable deeds that benefit the poor such as providing food, administration costs and advertising related to the sacrifice animal project (in analogy to the category of zakat workers who are eligible to receive zakat) and any other beneficial charity project. The Food bank belongs to the entire community and its employees do not benefit personally from it, and certainly not in a self-enriching manner.
Allah the Almighty knows best.