Q: I vowed to slaughter a sheep at `Eid-ul-Adha (the Festival of the Sacrifice) on a yearly basis if I married a certain woman. I did so before I traveled to Sa`udi Arabia. My intention was to buy a young sheep and breed it until the time of slaughtering would come so that it would cost me the least amount of money. All praise be to Allah Alone, my dream became true. I went on a vacation to Egypt about six months before `Eid-ul-Adha and concluded the marriage contract to this woman. Consequently, I had to fulfill my vow. However, when it was the time of `Eid-ul-Adha I was indebted as I needed (Part No. 23; Page No. 297) money to cover the costs of the conclusion of the marriage contract and its celebration. I was also in need for every riyal to furnish my flat to come again to Egypt for the consummation of the marriage. I paid back a large part of my debts and contributed a small sum to join my father in bearing the costs of preparing my flat. It may be worth mentioning that my father and I are not financially separated because though my father has daughters, I am his only son. Nevertheless, I wrote to my parents three months before `Eid-ul-Adha to buy a young sheep for me and breed it until the time of slaughtering. Any way, my parents wrote to me reminding me of my financial status and mentioning that I was in need of all the money I could find in order to prepare my flat. In fact they felt pity for me and I did not insist that they had to buy the sheep because I was afraid that they might get angry with me and I hoped that I would find a substitute. I then asked some people that I felt were trustworthy about my situation. They told me that it was sufficient for me to pay one hundred and sixty-five Riyal (which is the cost of `Eid-ul-Adha sacrifice in Sa`udi Arabia) in the cause of Allah (Exalted be He) and preferably to be given to relatives. I was pleased with their opinion so I hastened to carry out their Fatwa for it gave me a suitable and inexpensive solution if compared to buying a sheep in Egypt where the prices of sheep were expensive at that time. Unfortunately, the foregoing was a mistake that I committed as after a period of time I felt that the people who gave me the Fatwa were not trustworthy.Five months ago, I went to Egypt again on another vacation and I consummated my marriage. `Eid-ul-Adha is approaching for the second time and my wife is pregnant, (Part No. 23; Page No. 298) I need money to prepare a flat here in Saudi Arabia, I have only paid back most of the debts I borrowed for the marriage but not all of them, and I want to bring my wife to live with me. What do I have to do? Is it permissible for me to pay money in the cause of Allah (Exalted be He) as I did last year while intending to plan to buy a sheep at the beginning of every year to be ready for slaughter at the time of `Eid-ul-Adha? If the answer is in the affirmative, how much do I have to pay? To whom is it preferred to be given? May I give it to my poor relatives in Egypt as I did last year bearing in mind that my salary is one thousand five hundred Riyal. Was I mistaken for what I did last year? If the answer is in the affirmative, how can I expiate for this mistake?I wish if I could summarize my letter to you but I fear that doing so might not reflect the full picture of the matter. I hope I can know the correct ruling on my situation and I will In sha’a-Allah (if Allah wills) abide by it as it is. By Allah, and Allah knows best, I am very worried and I fear Allah's punishment. Thank you for your cooperation.