Qurbani is the act of offering a sacrifice to show one’s gratitude to Allah (swt) during Eid al-Adha. It also ensures that the needy and the poor people are provided.
Once the companions of Prophet Muhammad (saws) asked him: “O Prophet of Allah! What is this Qurbani?” To this, Prophet Muhammad replied: “It is the Sunnah of your father Ibrahim (as).” (quoted from Hadith – Ibn Majah).
In Qur’an Allah (swt) says: “It is neither their flesh nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Qur'an 22:37)
It is since the time of Ibrahim (as) that the act of Qurbani has been performed. The act also commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his own son, who was actually replaced by an animal during the time of Qurbani.
What is the difference between Qurbani and Udhiyah?
Essentially, there is no difference between the two terms. Udhiyah is the term used by the Arabs and Qurbani is used in Urdu and several other languages. Qurbani is far more popular among the Muslims of UK and hence, we use the word instead of Udhiyah.
Is Qurbani obligatory?
Yes, Qurbani is obligatory for Muslims who are above the age of puberty and are sane and have a minimum wealth level.
Which animals can be sacrificed?
The animals which can be sacrificed during Qurbani are sheep, camel, goat and cattle. The animals can be either male or female. Other types of animals are not allowed. In addition to this, the other factors which are to be maintained are:
The animals must be in good health and they should not have any kind of deformities or illness.
Sheep and goats must at least be 1 year old.
Cattle must be at least 2 years old.
Camel must be at least 5 years old.
What are Qurbani shares?
Qurbani animals have shares. Sheep and cattle have one share whereas camel and cattle have seven shares. This means that for a single person, Qurbani must be performed with sheep or goat and in case of cattle or camel, seven people must share and purchase one cow or one camel and the sacrifice will be made for seven people at a time. In either cases, the reward remains the same.
What happens to the Qurbani sacrifice?
Normally, the meat of the Qurbani sacrifice must be shared between the family members of the person performing qurbani, his/her relatives, friends and poor people. In most of the western countries, it is very difficult to perform Qurbani and at the same time, finding poor and needy people is also challenge because they are fewer in number. Hence, it is permitted to pay for Qurbani in a different country on one’s behalf and the Qurbani sacrifice is completely distributed among the poor people.
Qurbani Foundation ensures that Qurbani is performed in the country that you choose (or in a country where it is most needed) and distribute the meat of the sacrifice to the needy and poor people.
How much does a Qurbani cost?
The act of performing Qurbani involves the purchase of an animal and hence, the cost will invariably differ from one country to the other.
How can I donate a Qurbani?
Qurbani can be donated over the phone or online. For online donation, it is very important to ensure that the donation is made two days prior to Eid al-Adha so that we have the processing time. In case of telephone donations, you can actually call till the actual day of Eid al-Adha. Qurbani will still be performed timely.
Must I do anything special if I intend to offer a sacrifice?
If you are intending to offer a Qurbani sacrifice, you need to make sure that during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah, you do not cut your nails or hair or even remove your skin parts. In case you do any of these, you cannot offer a Qurbani sacrifice.
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