The Ruling on One Who Vowed to Sacrifice Beside Graves and Tombs

Question :

A person vowed to sacrifice a ewe at one of the tombs; is it obligatory for him to fulfill the vow, or should he sacrifice the ewe in any place?

Answer:

Sacrificing beside the graves is an innovation and a path leading to major Shirk. It is not permissible for one who makes a vow to slaughter beside a grave to fulfill that vow because his vow is a vow to commit an act of disobedience and a vow to commit an act of disobedience should not be fulfilled.

This is based upon what has been confirmed from the Prophet ﷺ in Sahih Al-Bukhari, on the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Whoever vowed to obey Allah, he should obey Him and whoever vowed to disobey Allah, he should not disobey Him.

And, according to the narration of Abu Dawud may Allah have mercy on him with an authentic chain of narrators, on the authority of Thabit bin Adh-Dhahhak, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "A man vowed to slaughter a camel in Buwanah. So he went to the Prophet, who asked him:
"Is there any idol from among the idols of the Jahiliyyah worshipped there?"

It was said to him: "No." He then asked:
"And is there any festival from among the festivals of the Jahiliyyah celebrated there?"

It was said: "No." So he said:
"Then fulfill your vow, because there is no fulfillment of a vow to commit an act of disobedience to Allah nor in matters which are not in the hands of man."

However, if the sacrifice was for the inhabitant of the grave, then this is major Shirk, according to the Words of Allah, Most Glorified:
"Say (O Muhammad): "Verily, my Salāt (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). "He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims."

that And, it has been authentically reported from the Prophet he cursed those who sacrifice to other than Allah, as was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, from the Hadith of 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.