What are the Sharia consequences when the sacrificial time for the uḍḥiyyah comes to an end?
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
If the sun sets at the end of the last of the Days of Tashrīq and the sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyyah) has not yet been slaughtered, then its prescribed time has elapsed. Should one slaughter it thereafter, it will not be considered a valid uḍḥiyyah.
However, if the sacrifice was vowed (mandhūrah), then it remains obligatory to slaughter it — and it shall be carried out as a make-up (qaḍā') of the vow, with its meat distributed in the rightful channels designated for such sacrifices.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm (p. 702): "If one slaughters after the sunset of the last of the Days of Tashrīq... it isn`t considered a valid uḍḥiyyah, unless it was vowed — in which case it is carried out as qaḍā'."
And Allah Almighty knows best.
What is the ruling on swimming while fasting?
Swimming while fasting is disliked (makruh) due to the risk of water entering the body cavity (jauf) through the nose, ears, or mouth, which would break the fast.
Ramadan is a month of tasbeeh (glorifying Allah), not Sibaha (swimming).
Which is better for a traveler: fasting or breaking the fast?
Fasting is better, unless it causes hardship—in that case, breaking the fast is better.
What is the meaning of the Prophetic statement that a boy is held in pledge (murtahan) for his 'aqīqah?
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The first interpretation: That if the boy dies in infancy without an 'aqīqah having been performed on his behalf, he will not intercede for his parents on the Day of Resurrection. This is the position of Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and Imam al-Khaṭṭābī concurred with him, stating: "The finest of what has been said regarding this matter is the position adopted by Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." — [Fatḥ al-Bārī by Ibn Ḥajar,{Vol.9/P.594]
The second interpretation: That the child is likened to a pledged object (marhūn) — one from which full benefit and enjoyment cannot be derived until it is redeemed. A blessing is only made complete upon the one blessed when they fulfil the obligation of gratitude (shukr), and the prescribed expression of gratitude for this particular blessing is what the Prophet ﷺ established as Sunnah — namely, the slaughtering of the 'aqīqah on behalf of the newborn as an act of thankfulness to Allah the Almighty and as a supplication for the wellbeing and safety of the child. This is the position of Mullā 'Alī al-Qārī. See: [Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ Sharḥ Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, Vol.7/P.2688]
And Allah Almighty knows best.
