The animals for the Eid sacrifice (qurbani), the method, and dividing the meat
Which animals qualify for the Eid sacrifice (qurbani), their age and condition, sharing a sacrifice between up to seven people, how to slaughter it, and how the meat and skin are divided.
Only certain animals can be used for qurbani, and they have to be old enough and healthy.
| Animal | Minimum age | Who can share it |
|---|---|---|
| Goat, sheep, ram | 1 year old | Just one person |
| Cow, bull, buffalo | 2 years old | Up to 7 people together |
| Camel | 5 years old | Up to 7 people together |
| Dumba (a fat-tailed ram) | 6 months old, if it is big enough to look like a year-old goat | Just one person |
| Problem with the animal | How much disqualifies it |
|---|---|
| Blind | Fully blind |
| Eyes | One eye missing, or damaged eyes |
| Cannot walk properly | Any amount |
| Too weak | Cannot walk to where it will be sacrificed |
| Ear cut | More than a third missing |
| Tail cut | More than a third missing |
| Back part cut | More than a third missing |
| Poor eyesight | More than a third of its sight is gone |
| No teeth | Any amount |
| Broken horns | Broken off at the root, unless it was born that way |
How to slaughter it
- It's best if you slaughter it yourself. If you can't, someone else can do it, but you should be there.
- Say the qurbani duʿā, then بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ (in the name of Allah) and اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَرْ (Allah is the greatest), and slaughter it the normal way.
- If someone else is slaughtering it for you, they say your name and your father's name.
اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي هٰذِهِ الْأَضْحِيَّةَ كَمَا تَقَبَّلْتَ مِنْ خَلِيلِكَ سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ حَبِيْبِكَ سَيِّدِنَا وَ مَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ
Allāhumma taqabbal minnī hādhihi'l-uḍḥiyyata kamā taqabbalta min khalīlika sayyidinā Ibrāhīma wa ḥabībika sayyidinā wa mawlānā Muḥammadin ʿalayhima'ṣ-ṣalātu wa's-salām
O Allah, accept this sacrifice from me, as You accepted it from Your close friend our master Ibrahim, and from Your beloved our master and guide Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them both.
Only these animals are valid for qurbani: goat, sheep, ram, cow, bull, buffalo, and camel, together with their females. No other animal is valid.
| Animal | Minimum age | Number of people who may share it |
|---|---|---|
| Goat, sheep, ram | 1 year | 1 person |
| Cow, bull, buffalo | 2 years | Up to 7 people |
| Camel (and female camel) | 5 years | Up to 7 people |
| Dumba (a fat-tailed ram) | 6 months, provided it is large enough to pass for a year-old goat | 1 person |
The animal must be healthy, with no visible defect or damage to any part of its body.
12| Defect | Threshold that disqualifies |
|---|---|
| Blindness | Full blindness |
| Eye damage | One eye missing, or damaged eyes |
| Lameness | Cannot walk properly |
| Weakness | Too weak to walk to the place of sacrifice |
| Ear cut off | More than one-third missing |
| Tail cut off | More than one-third missing |
| Back part cut off | More than one-third missing |
| Vision loss | More than one-third of its sight lost |
| Toothlessness | Having no teeth |
| Broken horns | Broken from the root, allowed if the animal was born without them |
A shared sacrifice is valid only if every participant intends it as qurbani, each pays an equal share of the animal's price, everyone is present when the animal is purchased, and the meat is divided equally among all of them.
It is best for the person offering the qurbani to slaughter it themselves. If they cannot, someone else may slaughter it on their behalf, but the owner should be present.
123اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي هٰذِهِ الْأَضْحِيَّةَ كَمَا تَقَبَّلْتَ مِنْ خَلِيلِكَ سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ حَبِيْبِكَ سَيِّدِنَا وَ مَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ
Allāhumma taqabbal minnī hādhihi'l-uḍḥiyyata kamā taqabbalta min khalīlika sayyidinā Ibrāhīma wa ḥabībika sayyidinā wa mawlānā Muḥammadin ʿalayhima'ṣ-ṣalātu wa's-salām
O Allah, accept this sacrifice from me, as You accepted it from Your close friend our master Ibrahim, and from Your beloved our master and guide Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them both.
The animal may not be put to any use before it is slaughtered: it may not be milked, ridden, or rented out.
The meat is divided into three parts: one for the poor and needy, one shared with relatives and neighbours, and one kept for oneself and one's family. Raw or cooked meat may be given to relatives and neighbours, and one's own share may be eaten at once or dried for later.
If the sacrifice was made to fulfil a vow (nadhr), none of its meat may be kept by the one who made the vow or given to their relatives; all of it must be given away in charity to the poor.
Where several people share a sacrifice, the meat must be divided by weight, not by estimation. Parts such as the head and feet may be divided by estimation.
The butcher must not be paid with the meat or the skin of the animal.
The animals valid for qurbani are limited to goat, sheep, ram, cow, bull, buffalo and camel, and their females; no animal outside these kinds is valid, whatever its price or condition.
| Animal | Minimum age | Number of people who may share it |
|---|---|---|
| Goat, sheep, ram | 1 year | 1 person |
| Cow, bull, buffalo | 2 years | Up to 7 people |
| Camel (and female camel) | 5 years | Up to 7 people |
| Dumba (a fat-tailed ram) | 6 months, provided it is large enough to pass for a year-old goat | 1 person |
Freedom from defect (ʿayb) is a condition of validity: the animal must show no visible defect or damage in any part of its body.
12| Defect | Threshold that disqualifies |
|---|---|
| Blindness | Complete loss of sight |
| Eye damage | One eye missing, or damaged eyes |
| Lameness | Unable to walk properly |
| Weakness | Too weak to walk unaided to the place of sacrifice |
| Ear cut off | More than one-third of the ear missing |
| Tail cut off | More than one-third of the tail missing |
| Back part cut off | More than one-third missing |
| Vision loss | More than one-third of the sight lost |
| Toothlessness | No teeth remaining |
| Broken horns | Broken from the root, excused where the animal was congenitally hornless |
A shared qurbani is valid only where every participant intends qurbani specifically, each contributes an equal share of the purchase price, all are present at the time of purchase, and the resulting meat is divided equally between them.
It is mustaḥabb for the owner to perform the slaughter personally; where this is not possible, a proxy may perform it, the owner's presence being called for.
123اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي هٰذِهِ الْأَضْحِيَّةَ كَمَا تَقَبَّلْتَ مِنْ خَلِيلِكَ سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ حَبِيْبِكَ سَيِّدِنَا وَ مَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ
Allāhumma taqabbal minnī hādhihi'l-uḍḥiyyata kamā taqabbalta min khalīlika sayyidinā Ibrāhīma wa ḥabībika sayyidinā wa mawlānā Muḥammadin ʿalayhima'ṣ-ṣalātu wa's-salām
O Allah, accept this sacrifice from me, as You accepted it from Your close friend our master Ibrahim, and from Your beloved our master and guide Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them both.
Deriving any benefit from the animal prior to slaughter (milking it, riding it, or letting it for hire) is excluded.
The received practice is a threefold division of the meat (to the poor and needy, to relatives and neighbours, and retained for the household), with the relatives' and neighbours' portion given raw or cooked as convenient, and the household's own portion consumed at once or preserved by drying.
Where the sacrifice discharges a nadhr (vow), the threefold division does not apply: none of the meat may revert to the one who vowed it or to relatives, the whole being ṣadaqah to the poor.
Among partners, division of the meat is by weight rather than by estimation (taqdīr); an exception is allowed for parts such as the head and feet, which may be divided by estimation.
Remunerating the butcher from the meat or the hide of the sacrificed animal is excluded; the butcher's wage must be paid separately.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 705 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Sacrifice (Qurbani)
- Animals Allowed for Qurbani:
- Animals permitted for Qurbani are:
- Goat, sheep, ram, cow, bull, buffalo, camel, and their female counterparts.
Note:
No other animals are valid for Qurbani.
- Age of the Animals for Sacrifice
- For goats, sheep, and rams, they should be at least one year old.
- For cows, buffaloes, and oxen, they should be at least two years old.
- For camels and female camels, they should be at least five years old.However, a ram (called dumba) that is six months old can be enough if it looks large enough to be considered like a year-old goat.
- The Animal Should Be HealthyThe animal should not have any visible defects or damage to any part of its body.
- Animals That Cannot Be SacrificedThe following animals cannot be used for sacrifice:
- Blind animals.
- Animals with one eye or damaged eyes.
- Lame animals (those who can’t walk properly).
- Very weak animals (those who can't walk to the sacrifice place).
5,6,7. Animals with more than one-third of their ear, tail, or back part cut off.
- Animals that have lost more than one-third of their vision.
- Toothless animals.
- Animals Cows, bulls, and similar animals whose horns are broken from the root (unless the horns were broken from birth, then it is allowed).
- One Animal for One Person
For animals like goats, sheep, or rams, only one person can offer one animal as Qurbani. However, for larger animals like cows, bulls, buffaloes, camels, etc., up to seven people can share one animal for Qurbani. This is permissible provided that:
- All participants have the intention of Qurbani,
- Each person pays an equal share of the animal's price,
- Everyone is involved at the time of purchasing the animal, and
- The meat is equally divided among all participants.
If even one person does not intend Qurbani (but intends to eat or sell the meat), or if one person does not pay their equal share, or if one person was not present during the purchase of the animal, or if the meat is not equally divided, then the Qurbani of all participants will be invalid.
- How to Slaughter the AnimalThe method for slaughtering is the same as for other animals, but it is best if the person making the sacrifice does it themselves. If they can’t, they can have someone else do it but should be present. The person should say the following prayer when slaughtering:اَللّٰهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي هٰذِهِ الْأَضْحِيَّةَ كَمَا تَقَبَّلْتَ مِنْ خَلِيلِكَ سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ حَبِيْبِكَ سَيِّدِنَا وَ مَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَامُThen, they should say بِسمِ اللّٰہ (In the name of Allah) and اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَرْ (Allah is the Greatest) before slaughtering.If someone else is slaughtering the animal, the owner of the sacrifice should say their name and the name of their father.
- Do's and Don'ts for Sacrificing
- The rules for slaughtering are the same as for other animals.
- It is not allowed to use the animal for any benefit before slaughtering, like milking it, riding it, or renting it. This is considered wrong.
- How to Divide the MeatThe meat of the sacrifice should be divided into three parts:
- One part should be given to the poor and needy.
- One part should be shared with relatives and neighbors.
- The remaining part should be kept for yourself and your family.You can give raw meat to relatives and neighbors or cook it for them. You can use your part right away or dry it for later.
- If the Sacrifice Was Made as a Vow (Nazar)If someone made a vow to sacrifice an animal, they cannot use the meat for themselves or give it to relatives. It must be given as charity to the poor.
- Dividing the Meat in a PartnershipIf multiple people share the sacrifice, the meat should be divided by weight, not by estimation. However, if parts like the head or feet are included, it is allowed to divide by estimation.
- The Skin of the AnimalYou can give the skin to charity, sell it and donate the money, or keep it for personal use (like making bags or shoes). However, you cannot pay the butcher with the skin.
- Paying the ButcherThe butcher should not be paid with the meat or skin of the animal.
Terms on this page
Related
- The rulings of the newborn's sacrifice (aqiqah) The sacrifice made for a newborn: when to do it, how many goats, the method and supplication (duʿā), and how the meat, hair and skin are handled.
- The rulings of slaughtering (zabḥ) What makes a slaughter valid, who may perform it, the sunnah method, and what makes the meat unlawful.
- Who must offer the Eid sacrifice (qurbani), and when Who the Eid sacrifice (qurbani) is obligatory on, the minimum wealth (niṣāb) that makes someone wealthy enough, who it is offered for, and the three days it can be done.
- Zakat on pasturing animals (saimah) What makes an animal a pasturing animal (saimah), the minimum threshold (nisab) and rates for camels, cows and goats, and the rules that apply across all three.