Allah says in the Quran regarding the sacrifice: 'So eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar' (22:28). Based on this verse and the Prophet's Sunnah, scholars have outlined guidelines for distributing the sacrifice meat. The recommended division is into three portions: one-third for the pilgrim and their family to eat, one-third to give as gifts to friends, relatives, and neighbors, and one-third to donate to the poor and needy. This tripartite division is the position of the Hanbali school and is recommended by Ibn Baz.
Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen explained that the three-way division is recommended (mustahabb) but not strictly obligatory. What is obligatory is two things: (1) the pilgrim must eat from the sacrifice, based on the Quranic command 'So eat from them'; and (2) some portion must reach the poor, based on 'and feed the needy.' The exact proportions are flexible. If the pilgrim gives most of it to the poor, that is excellent. If they eat most of it, that is permissible as long as the poor receive some share.
The Permanent Committee noted that in modern Hajj, many pilgrims purchase their sacrifice through authorized organizations (such as the Islamic Development Bank's sacrifice project), which handle the slaughter and distribution, ensuring the meat reaches the poor in the Muslim world. This is permissible and fulfills the obligation. The pilgrim who uses such a service has fulfilled their sacrifice obligation, even though they may not personally eat from the specific animal. Wasting sacrifice meat by discarding it is prohibited — every effort should be made to utilize and distribute it properly.