Q: What is the ruling on slaughtering an animal for a dead person who is claimed to be a Waliy (pious person) and shrines are built over his grave?

A: Slaughtering for the dead person mentioned above is a type of Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship). A person who slaughters for the sake of this Waliy is a Mushrik (one who associates others with Allah in worship) and an accursed person. The slaughtered animal is a dead animal that cannot be eaten by Muslims as Allah (the Exalted) says: Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals - cattle - beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns, and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal, unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death), and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub (stone-altars). (Part No. 1; Page No. 195) It is reported on the authority of `Aly (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah has cursed the one who sacrifices to other than Allah… May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.