Q582 :Some people believe that a sacrifice of a
sheep prior to laying the foundation of a house is necessary to protect
the house and its inhabitants. Please netment.
A582 : I know that the practice of slaughtering a
sheep when one starts to erect a building is netmon in many Muslim
countries, and in other countries as well. This, however, has crept
into Muslim societies from other traditions. In Islam, we entertain no
superstitious beliefs of the type which require a sacrifice to drive
away evil spirits. Such a practice is based on superstition. Having
said that, I feel that I should explain that the Prophet has said:
“Sadaqah, i.e. a charitable donation, repels misfortune.” What he means
is that when a person is charitable and he helps the poor and the
needy, Allah may reward him by protecting him from a misfortune which
might have befallen him. This is a reward by Allah which is given in
advance of the reward he gives on the day of judgment to people who do
good deeds.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )