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.
Qurbani means sacrificing an animal on special days, to worship Allah.
Who has to do qurbani?
- You must be free (not enslaved).
- You must be at home, not travelling.
- You must be wealthy enough: owning more than you need for daily life, with no debts.
When can you do it?
- Only on the 10th, 11th or 12th day of Dhul-Hijjah.
- The time starts after the Eid prayer on the 10th, and ends when the sun sets on the 12th.
- The best day is the 10th, straight after the Eid prayer.
- In a village with no Eid prayer, you can start right after sunrise on the 10th.
- Do it in the daytime; doing it at night is disliked.
Qurbani means sacrificing a specific animal on specific days with the intention of worship.
Qurbani is obligatory on every Muslim who is free (not a slave), resident (not travelling), and wealthy enough to reach the niṣāb. It is not obligatory on a slave, a traveller, or someone poor.
123For someone who does not reach the niṣāb, qurbani is not obligatory, but it is still recommended as a good deed.
1Qurbani must be performed for oneself. If a child owns wealth reaching the niṣāb, the father must perform qurbani for the child, paid for from the child's own wealth.
Qurbani can only be performed on the 10th, 11th and 12th of Dhūl-Ḥijjah. The time begins after the Eid prayer on the 10th and ends at sunset on the 12th.
123Performing qurbani on the 10th, Eid day itself, is best.
1Qurbani should be performed during the day. Doing it at night is disliked.
If qurbani is not performed within the specified days, the animal must be given away in charity. If it had not yet been purchased, its value must be donated instead.
Qurbani, in the terminology of the law, is the sacrifice of a specified kind of animal on specified days with the intention of worship.
Qurbani is obligatory (the source terms it obligatory; this is the standard classification of qurbani as wājib rather than farḍ in this school) on every Muslim who is free, resident, not a traveller, and ṣāḥib-e-niṣāb. It is not obligatory on a slave, a traveller, or one who does not reach the niṣāb.
123One who does not reach the niṣāb is not bound by the obligation, though qurbani remains mustaḥabb for them as a voluntary act of worship.
1The obligation is discharged on one's own behalf. Where a minor child independently owns wealth reaching the niṣāb, the father is obligated to perform qurbani on the child's behalf, the cost being met from the child's own wealth rather than the father's.
The window for a valid qurbani is fixed to the 10th, 11th and 12th of Dhūl-Ḥijjah, commencing after the Eid prayer on the 10th and expiring at sunset on the 12th; a sacrifice outside this window is not qurbani.
123Precedence within the window is mustaḥabb: performing the sacrifice on the 10th, Eid day itself, is preferred to deferring it to the 11th or 12th.
1The sacrifice is to be made by day; performing it after nightfall, within the permitted three days, is makrūh.
Where the obligation lapses unperformed through the close of the window, the animal itself (or, if none had yet been acquired, its monetary value) must be given away as ṣadaqah in place of the sacrifice.
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 317 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Sacrifice (Qurbani)
- What is Qurbani?In Islamic law, Qurbani means sacrificing specific animals on specific days with the intention of worship.
- Who Must Perform Qurbani?Qurbani is obligatory for every Muslim who is:
- Free (not a slave),
- A resident (not traveling), and
- Wealthy enough to meet the Nisab (minimum wealth threshold).It is not obligatory for slaves, travelers, or poor people.
Note 1:
A person is considered wealthy (Sahib-e-Nisab) if they own wealth equal to:
- 425 grams and 275 milligrams of silver,
- 20 grams and 755 milligrams of gold, or
- Any other items of the same value beyond their basic needs (like a home and household items), and they have no debts.
Note 2:
Unlike Zakat, it is not necessary to own this wealth for a full year. If a person has the required wealth for even a short time before Eid, Qurbani becomes obligatory.
- Who is Exempt from Qurbani?
- If someone is not wealthy (Sahib-e-Nisab), Qurbani is not obligatory. However, it is still recommended for them as a good deed.
- Who Should the Qurbani Be For?
- Qurbani must be performed for oneself.
- If a child is wealthy, the father must perform Qurbani for the child using the child’s wealth.
- When Can Qurbani Be Performed?
- Qurbani can only be done during the 10th, 11th, and 12th days of Dhul-Hijjah.
- The time starts after the Eid Salah on the 10th and ends at sunset on the 12th.
- Performing Qurbani on the 10th (Eid day) is the best.
- For Villages Without Eid Salah:
- In places where Eid Salah is not performed, Qurbani can be done right after sunrise on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah.
- Time of Day for Qurbani:
- Qurbani should be done during the day.
- Doing it at night is disliked (Makrooh).
- If Qurbani Is Missed:
If Qurbani is not performed during the specified days, the animal should be given as charity. (If the animal was not purchased, its value should be donated instead.)
Terms on this page
Related
- The ruling on zakat, and when it becomes obligatory Who zakat is obligatory on, what denying it means, and the eight conditions that must all be met before zakat is due.
- Zakat on gold and silver The minimum threshold (nisab) and rate for gold and silver, what happens above it, and the rules for mixed metals, currency and combined holdings.
- The circling of visitation (Tawaf al-Ziyarah), the pillar of Hajj When the circling of visitation (Tawaf al-Ziyarah) is performed, why it is the pillar (rukn) of Hajj, and what follows it in Makkah before returning to Mina.
- What is Eid? The obligation of the Eid prayers What Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are, and why the two Eid prayers are necessary (wajib) on the same people as the Friday prayer.