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Giving Qurbani (a sacrifice) is a highly encouraged and sacred act of worship. Every year during the holy month of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims all over the world slaughter an animal – a goat, sheep, cow or camel – to reflect Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, for the sake of God. There are many Qurbani rules that must be adhered to for the slaughter of the animal to be counted as a Qurbani.
Who needs to give Qurbani? When should a sacrifice be offered? Are there any other things we need to take into consideration?
Worry not! We’ve put together everything you need to know about this sacred sacrifice.
According to most Muslims, giving Qurbani is highly recommended and according to the Hanafi madhab, it is obligatory for every sane adult Muslim who has wealth in excess to their needs (i.e. who meet the nisab threshold).
Normally those who are eligible to pay Zakat are obliged to give Qurbani.
The Hanafi school of thought states that it is obligatory for:
Calculations inclusive of VAT
The opinion on whether Qurbani is compulsory or not differs between the different schools of thought. However, for the benefit of those less fortunate, the sacred act of Qurbani is highly rewarding and recommended for anyone who is of a mature age (has reached the age of puberty), and possesses wealth above the nisab threshold.
You must aim to give your Qurbani donation in a timely manner. Islamic Relief aims to implement all Qurbanis over three days (10th to 12th Dhul Hijjah).
The time for sacrifice ends when the sun sets on the fourth day. Therefore, you can make payments right up until the end of the third day after Eid (13th of Dhul-Hijjah) before Maghrib salah. However, we advise giving your Qurbani as early as possible.
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars as to whether Qurbani can be done over three or four days. To respect this difference of opinion, Islamic Relief strives to perform Qurbani in three days. We only extend into the fourth day in locations where this is religiously accepted by the local Muslim population – and if there is an operational need for this extra day.
We purchase the animals to be slaughtered in advance based on forecasted quotas. Hence if you give a Qurbani on any of these days, the Qurbani will be carried out in time.
Qurbanis are performed through Islamic Relief field offices who purchase and slaughter animals locally. After the animal has been sacrificed, its meat is then distributed to those most in need. If there are problems with livestock supply in a particular country (due to limited local supply, natural disaster, etc) then animals are sourced and slaughtered abroad, and then shipped to the affected countries. All animals are sacrificed according to Islamic guidelines.
The animals which are eligible should meet minimum requirements, such as the age of the animal for Qurbani and their condition, including:
should be at least one year in age (this is equivalent to one person’s Qurbani)
should be at least two years in age (this is equivalent to seven people’s Qurbani)
should be of at least five years in age (enough for seven people’s Qurbani)
In addition, all animals must be healthy and free of disease, including the following conditions:
For the slaughter of an animal to be counted as Qurbani, it is essential that the slaughter is carried out humanely following Qurbani rules, including:
It is recommended to split Qurbani meat equally into three parts. Following the sacrifice, one part is kept for yourself, one part is distributed to your family and friends, and one part is given to the poor and needy. Many Muslims prefer to have their Qurbani performed in the world’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. When you donate your Qurbani to Islamic Relief, we distribute all three parts to the poor and needy.
When distributing your Qurbani meat to the poor and needy, Islamic Relief has set criteria and scoring systems in place to determine Qurbani recipients, which ensures we reach the most vulnerable without bias.
The scoring system is based on the following criteria:
There are differences of opinions on whether it is unlawful for you to cut your nails and hair or whether it is disliked. Refraining from cutting your nails and hair if you are donating Qurbani is obligatory according to the Hanbali madhab and recommended according to the majority of scholars.
Donating Qurbani is obligatory for every Muslim who is financially able to do so in the Hanafi madhab and, according to the majority of scholars, it is highly recommended. If you’re obligated to donate Qurbani, the minimum you can donate is one Qurbani share, which is equivalent to one sheep/goat or one seventh of a cow/buffalo/camel.
It is permissible to donate more than one share of Qurbani should you wish to do so. With Islamic Relief, you can donate one Qurbani in South Africa and one abroad, for example. The Prophet (peace be upon him) carried out multiple Qurbani for himself and the Ummah. Therefore, many Muslims offer multiple Qurbani on behalf of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and for deceased parents.
According to the Hanafi school of thought, anyone obligated to donate Qurbani in the household must donate a minimum of one Qurbani each. For example, one Qurbani is equivalent to a sheep/goat. A large animal such as a cow/buffalo/camel is enough for seven people’s Qurbani.
According to the Hanafi school of thought, both the husband and wife must donate a minimum of one Qurbani each if they are sane Muslims who possess wealth more than their needs. What is beyond their needs equal to (or more than) the current level of nisab (87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver).
If you would like to make up for any Qurbani donations that you have missed in previous years, simply calculate the total number of years missed and donate the total number of shares this year. For example, if donating Qurbani was compulsory for you in the last three years, which you’d missed, you can donate four Qurbani shares this year.
Reap the rewards of the blessed days of Dhul Hijjah, give Qurbani now.