He—may Allah have mercy on him—also said:

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An Eid sacrifice may be offered on behalf of the deceased, just as Hajj may be performed and charity given on their behalf. The sacrifice should be offered at home; no animal should be slaughtered at a grave, whether as an Eid sacrifice or otherwise. Sunan Abī Dāwūd reports:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade slaughtering animals at graves.”

Ahmad even disapproved of eating meat from animals slaughtered at graves, because this resembles what is slaughtered on sacrificial altars.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“May Allah curse the Jews and Christians; they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.”

He was warning against what they had done.

It is also authentically reported from him in the Sahīh that he said:

“Do not sit on graves or pray towards them.”

He also said:

“The whole earth is a place of prayer except graveyards and bathhouses.”

Thus, he forbade praying at graves, lest this resemble praying to them. Likewise, slaughtering animals at graves resembles slaughtering them as offerings to those buried there. The polytheists used to slaughter animals as offerings to those in the graves and present offerings to them. During the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, when a prominent person among them died, they would slaughter horses, camels, and other animals at his grave to honour the deceased. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade all of this.