What is Qurban?
Qurban (udhiyah) is the animal offered for the sake of Allah during the days of Eid al-Adha. It commemorates the trial of Prophet Ibrahim, who was commanded to sacrifice his son and was given a ram in his place. The Quran states plainly what it is for: 'Neither their flesh nor their blood reaches Allah, but what reaches Him is your piety' (al-Hajj 22:37).
On whom is Qurban obligatory?
In the Hanafi school it is wajib upon a Muslim who is adult, sane, resident and possesses wealth above the nisab threshold beyond their basic needs during the days of Eid — the same threshold used for zakat, though here there is no requirement that the wealth be held for a year. The other three schools regard it as a strongly emphasised sunnah rather than an obligation.
Which animals may be sacrificed?
Only sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo and camels. Sheep and goats count for one person; cattle, buffalo and camels may be shared by up to seven. The minimum ages are one year for sheep and goats, two years for cattle and buffalo, and five years for camels. A six-month-old lamb that has the appearance of a one-year-old is accepted.
What conditions must the animal meet?
It must be free of defects that materially reduce it: blindness in one or both eyes, lameness that prevents it walking to the place of slaughter, severe emaciation, or the loss of more than a third of an ear or the tail. Minor blemishes do not disqualify it. The animal should be healthy and well-fed.
When is Qurban slaughtered?
The time begins after the Eid prayer on the first day of Eid al-Adha (10 Dhul-Hijjah) and continues until sunset on the third day. Slaughtering before the Eid prayer does not count as Qurban. In places where no Eid prayer is held, the time begins once dawn has broken and the prayer would have been performed.
How is the meat divided?
The recommended division is into three: one third for the household, one third for relatives, neighbours and friends, one third for the poor. This is a recommendation, not a fixed obligation — a person with many dependants may keep more, and someone able to give it all away may do so.
May the meat or skin be sold?
No. Neither the meat, nor the skin, nor any part of the sacrifice may be sold, and the butcher may not be paid in meat as a fee. The skin should be given away or donated to a charitable institution. Paying the butcher in cash is entirely permissible.
Can Qurban be performed by proxy?
Yes. Appointing someone — an individual or a charitable organisation — to slaughter on your behalf is valid and long established, and the animal may be slaughtered in another country. The intention is what must be yours. It is recommended, though not required, to be present at the slaughter if you can.
May Qurban be offered on behalf of someone who has died?
Yes, and dedicating the reward to a deceased person is a widespread practice. If the deceased made a bequest for it, the entire meat is distributed to the poor and none is kept. If it is a voluntary offering on their behalf, the meat is divided in the usual way.
What if someone cannot slaughter but is obliged to?
The obligation is met by appointing a proxy — the vast majority of people in cities do exactly this, through a mosque, a cooperative or a relief organisation. Someone who lets the days of Eid pass without offering it while obliged to do so should, in the Hanafi view, give the value of an animal in charity.
Is there anything recommended before the sacrifice?
Someone intending to offer Qurban is recommended to refrain from cutting their hair and nails from the first of Dhul-Hijjah until the sacrifice is made, on the strength of a hadith in Muslim. It is a recommendation, not an obligation, and doing so does not affect the validity of the sacrifice.
