Is it obligatory for a pilgrim on hajj to slaughter a sacrificial animal?
Question
By the will of Allah, I intend to perform the obligatory hajj this year. Will it suffice to slaughter there or must my family, who will remain here, offer a sacrifice as well?
Answer
If you are going on hajj tamattu' or qiran, then it is obligatory to slaughter in al-Haram (Mecca, Mina, Muzdalifa or in any of the sites inside al-Haram). This is what is obligatory, but what is recommended for you to do (you are rewarded for performing it but refraining from performing it entails no consequences), is to slaughter any kind of livestock animal and distribute its meat in charity among the poor of al-Haram and the surrounding areas.
It is a sunna to offer a sacrifice because, according to the opinion of the majority of scholars, sacrificial animals are recommended for both pilgrims and non-pilgrims though it is not associated with al-Haram. Therefore, you may slaughter in al-Haram, Egypt or any other place where Muslims are in need such as Palestine, Somalia or elsewhere.