Does the husband have to pay for his wife's qurbani, or is she legally responsible to pay for herself in hajj?

Qurbani is obligatory on every Muslim regardless of their gender be it male or female they have to perform this sacred act in order to prove of their submission to ALLAH’s will and command. Everyone has to pay for their qurbani animal if they have reached puberty. However, it is the husband or father who can pay for their wife and children (not reached puberty) respectively.

If wife doesn’t have the required amount i.e. 613.35 grams of silver or any kind of wealth which is equivalent to it then it affirms that she is solely dependent on his husband for her maintenance and thus husband should pay for her wife’s qurbani. Similarly, it is with the children who are still looked after by their parents i.e. they are dependent but have reached the age of puberty then also father can perform the same role aforementioned for the husband. Father or husband, if they both can afford the expense of another qurbani other than their own, can perform this act on behalf of the dependent wife and his children. For this he will be definitely rewarded as it is his right to safeguard and take responsibility of them all.

Similar would be the case with the couple at Hajj where it is also permissible while performing qurbani that if wife is sahib-e-nisaab i.e.  She is wealthy enough to pay for her qurbani animal then she should do so. Otherwise it will not be wrong if asks of her husband to perform qurbani on her behalf as well.

It is thus concluded that qurbani cannot be neglected in any case except the conditions which make the laws lenient and easy-going when a Muslim cannot perform qurbani or when he wants to perform but is unaware of the rules that are to be followed prerequisite to qurbani at Hajj or simply at his own place.
Resource by Pak Qurbani.

ON WHOM IS QURBANI WAJIB (OBLIGATORY)

1. Qurbani is Wajib (Obligatory) on all Muslims (male and female) who are sound of mind, Adults (have reached the age of puberty) and are the possessors of minimum Zakatable wealth (Nisab). It is not necessary that the ownership of such wealth be for a full year. 
2. Wife and children are not inclusive when a person performs Qurbani. However, it is his duty to see that his wife’s and adult children’s perform Qurbani if they are possessors of his wealth. 

3. Qurbani is Wajib (Obligatory), if a minor reaches the age of puberty and owns a certain amount that is in surplus of his/ her basic needs or a poor person becomes rich or a Musafir becomes a Muqeem i.e. by completing his journey or intending to stay in one place for 15 days or more before the sunset of the 12th Zil Hijjah then Qurbani is Wajib on them. 

4. Qurbani on behalf of a deceased person is Wajib (Obligatory) if he had made a Wasiyat (Will) that it should be undertaken form his wealth, provided the cost does not exceed one third of his net estate. 
5. Qurbani is Wajib (Obligatory) on a person who makes a Nazr (Vow) i.e. if a certain work of mine is carried out I will make Qurbani and then Qurbani becomes Wajib (Obligatory) on him when that task is accomplished. This Qurbani must be carried out in the days of Qurbani, unless it is generally excepted and understood that merely slaughtering an animal on ANY DAY is referred to as Qurbani, and this had been the intention of the person who made a vow, then it will be permissible for him to sacrifice an animal on any day. 
6. It is Wajib (obligatory) on a poor person to carry put Qurbani IF he buys an animal during the days of Qurbani. However, Qurbani will not remain Wajib (Obligatory) on him if this animal dies or gets lost. If to compensate he buys another animal and thereafter the first one is found, it becomes Wajib (Obligatory) upon him to sacrifice both animals. 

 
7. If the animal of the person on whom Qurbani is Wajib is lost, stolen or dies than that person has to sacrifice another animal in its place. A person on whom Qurbani is Wajib (Obligatory) purchased an animal for sacrifice. If the first animal is found after purchasing the second animal than it is Wajib on him to sacrifice the first animal but if he sacrifices the second animal then it is necessary to give as charity the difference in price between the two animals, if there be any e.g. the 1st animal had cost him Rs 40,000 and the second had cost him Rs 30,000. He should now give Rs 10,000 as charity. However, it is preferable to make Qurbani of both the animals. 
8. A person on whom Qurbani is Wajib(Obligatory) bought an animal for sacrifice but due to some reason he/ she did not slaughter it on the fixed days of Qurbani. It is now compulsory upon him/ her to give the animal away, alive, as charity. If he/ she did not purchase the animal and Qurbani was Wajib, it is obligatory for him/ her to give as charity, the value of an animal. 

9. A person has to give that many numbers of animals as charity on which Qurbani was Wajib but fails to carry it out for a number of years. But his missed Qurbani will not be compensated if he sacrifices that many number of animals on the day of Qurbani. This will be regarded as Voluntary Qurbani.
10. A Qurbani is invalid if a person carries out Qurbani on behalf of another person on whom Qurbani is Wajib, without his permission and without his knowing. If it is done with his permission or instruction it is permissible. 
11. Qurbani is an Ibadat that has to be carried out every year on which it is Wajib (Obligatory). Qurbani is not just Wajib (Obligatory) for people who perform Hajj.  

Hajj and Qurbani: The Essence of Eid-ul-Adha

Eid-ul-Adha (also popularly known as the Festival of Sacrifice) is a time of remembrance of the trials of Prophet Ibrahim [pbuh]. These annual three-day celebration marks the historical events that took place thousands of years ago during the time of Prophet Ibrahim [pbuh] while laying the foundation for Hajj and Qurbani.

·        As commanded by Allah Prophet Ibrahim [pbuh] escorted his wife, Hajar, and his infant son Ismail [pbuh], to a deserted valley in Arabia and left them there. Hajar, concerned about feeding her baby, began searching the surroundings for food and water. She saw a water spring around Marwah hill from the distance. But by the time she got there, there was no water. Again, she saw a water spring around Safa hill, but by the time she got there, there was no water either. This act of Hajar running from Safa to Marwah back and forth for 7 times, is one of the main rituals of Hajj which pilgrims have to perform and is called Sa’i.

·        Finally tired she collapsed beside Ismail and prayed to ALLAH. Ismail struck his foot on the ground causing a spring of water to gush forth from the earth. The spring which miraculously gushed forth at Ismail's feet never stops gushing and continuously gushing for thousands of years up to now, called Zamzam. During Hajj Muslims drink from the same well.

·        Ibrahim [pbuh] returned to Mecca after ten years to meet his wife and son Ismail [pbuh]. This reunion was followed by a divine dream where he saw himself sacrificing his son Ismail [pbuh] for Allah's sake. When he told this to Ismail [pbuh], he immediately asked his father to carry out Allah's commands. But miraculously, when Ibrahim was about to sacrifice Ismail, Allah replaced him with a lamb. The sacrifice of an animal (also properly known as Qurbani) in Mina during Hajj and by Muslims around the world is a mark of this deed.

·        Allah further instructed Ibrahim [pbuh] and Ismail [pbuh] to raise the foundations of Kaaba, an empty cube shaped building, the most sacred Muslim shrine, which the Muslims face during their prayers (Salat). Tawaf (circling of Kaaba) is one of the main rituals of Hajj. Then after circling the Kaaba, a Muslim prays behind the stone on which Ibrahim stood to build the Kaaba. 

·         The last ritual of Hajj, the stoning of the stone pillars at Mina exemplifies Ibrahim and Ismail’s rejection of satanic temptations to prevent them from carrying out Allah’s command.