I want to know who is eligible for sacrificing a goat, cow, camel etc. on the day of Eid al-Azha. Can I pay the amount equivalent to the price of a goat etc. to some body making jihad, etc.?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Scholars differed about the issue of Udh-hiyyah (‘Eed sacrifice). Imam Maalik is of the view that sheep are more preferable to other types of animals. But the majority of the scholars, among whom are the three other Imams: Abu Haneefah, Ash-Shaafi’i and Ahmad are of the view that the most preferable animals for sacrifice are camels, followed by cows, then sheep or goats. But this disagreement has nothing to do with the standard of living of the person who offers the sacrifice.

Imam Maalik who preferred sheep did so for both the poor and the rich; the other Imams who preferred camels did so regardless of the state of the person offering the sacrifice (rich or poor).

As for giving the price of the sacrifice to a Mujaahid or in any other good acts, we believe that the Sunnah should be followed as observed or said by the Prophet as he used to slaughter his sacrifice. But there is no harm if a person gives the price of the ‘Eed sacrifice to a Mujaahid or to some poor people unless he has made a vow to make the sacrifice, or has in fact chosen a given animal to be sacrificed, in these two cases, he is not allowed to change the appointed animal or the sacrifice into its price.

Allah knows best.