Qurbani is a worship with goods and is Wajib (necessary) upon every rich person. To sacrifice a specific animal on a specific day for the sake of Allah (The Exalted) for the intention to gain reward is called a Qurbani. Qurbani is Wajib upon every Muslim who is not a traveller and is the owner of Nisaab and is a free person.
★ Just as Qurbani is Wajib upon all males it is also Wajib upon all females. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, etc)
★ Qurbani is not Wajib upon a traveller, however, if he wishes to perform it voluntarily, then he can do so and will gain reward. (ibid)
★ The owner of Nisaab means to have as much goods in addition to the basic necessities an amount of two hundred Dirhams (approx. £400-£500 and is always changing). (Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri, etc.)
TIME OF QURBANI
★ The time of Qurbani is from the break of dawn of the 10th of Dhul Hajj to sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hajj, meaning three days and two nights. However, it is better to perform it in the morning of the 10th, then 11th, then 12th.
★ If the Qurbani is performed in a city then the condition is that it is performed after the ‘Eid Salaah and because there is no ‘Eid Salaah in villages and outskirts then it can be performed after the break of dawn.
★ It is necessary to perform Qurbani at the time of Qurbani, therefore, if that much money or the same amount of goods to the value of an animal is given then the responsibility of Qurbani will not be fulfilled. (Alamgiri etc.)
★ If the time of Qurbani has passed then a Qurbani can no longer be performed and if you had purchased an animal for Qurbani then give it as Sadaqa (charity) or give the amount of money equivalent to the
value of a goat as Sadaqa. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri, etc.)
RULES OF QURBANI
★ Once the conditions of Qurbani are fulfilled (as mentioned above), then to sacrifice one goat or sheep or lamb or one seventh of a camel, cow, buffalo is Wajib and no less than this can be performed.
★ If a person’s share of a large animal is less than one seventh then their share of the Qurbani will not count (meaning, if eight people are jointly sacrificing one large animal then only seven of these people’s Qurbani will count).
★ If there are less than seven people jointly performing Qurbani and the parts divided are equal to at least one seventh per person then the Qurbani will count.
★ Every person that is jointly performing Qurbani have to make the intention that they are doing it to gain reward and not just to gain the meat and therefore a person wanting to perform an Aqiqah can also
join in as this is done to gain reward. (Radd-ul-Mohtar).
RULES OF MEAT AND THE SKIN
★ If the animal is bought jointly then the meat should be weighed and equally distributed. It should not be divided roughly because if it is divided un-equally then even if the person receiving less forgives them it will not be forgiven as the right is as per Shariat. (ibid Bahar)
★ Then split your share into three parts and give one third to the poor as Sadaqa, one third to your relatives and one third for yourself and eat the meat yourself and give some to your wife and children. If you have a lot of children and a large family then you can keep all the meat for yourself and if you so wish you can give all of it to Sadaqa, however, it is better to keep one part of yourself.
★ If you have performed a Qurbani on behalf of a deceased person then the rule of the meat is the same, however, if the deceased had requested for the Qurbani then give all the meat away as Sadaqa.
★ If the Qurbani is from a deceased person then the meat cannot be eaten by yourself nor can it be given to a rich person, but it is Wajib to give all the meat away as Sadaqa. (Bahar)
★ It is Mustahab for the person performing the Qurbani to eat the Qurbani meat as the first food of the day. (Barraur-Raiq)
★ The meat of the Qurbani should not be given to infidels.
★ The animal’s skin, reins, saddle etc. should all be given in Sadaqa.
★ You can use the skin for yourself and make something out of it e.g. a leather bag or a mat for praying Namaz on. However, you cannot sell the skin and use the money for yourself, if this is done then the money has to be given as Sadaqa. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar)
★ Nowadays people usually give the skins to Madressas, this is allowed and if you sell the skin with the intention to give the money to the Madressas then this is also allowed.
(Alamgiri, Bahar-e-Shariat )
★ The meat of the Qurbani cannot be given to the person performing the Qurbani or skinning the animal as labour or salary. If however, you give it as a gift as you would do to friends then this is acceptable, but you cannot include it as a form of payment for his work.
(Hidaya etc.)
★ There are many places where the skin is given to the Imam. This should not be given as part of his salary but can be given as a gift or assistance.
(Bahar-e-Shariat)
WHICH ANIMALS CAN BE USED FOR QURBANI
★ Animals for Qurbani - Camel, cow, buffalo, goat, ewe (male or female), eunuch, and large eunuch can all be used for Qurbani. (Alamgiri)
★ Wild animals such as deer, white antelope, and reindeer cannot be used to perform Qurbani.
★ A sheep or lamb is included in the eunuch category.
AGE OF of A QURBANI ANIMAL
★ A camel must be at least five years old; a buffalo must be at least two years old and a sheep or lamb or goat at least a year old. If they are younger than this then the Qurbani will not count. However, if a lamb or a eunuch’s young is so big at six months that by looking at it from a distance it looks to be a year old then it can be used for
Qurbani. ( Durr-e-Mukhtar)
What should a Qurbani Animal be like?
★ A Qurbani animal should be big and healthy and should not have any faults. If there is a small fault with the animal then the Qurbani will count but is Makrooh and if there is a big fault then the Qurbani will not count. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar, Alamgiri)
★ If a bull has no horns from birth then it is allowed and if the horns have been broken upto the root then it is not allowed to use it for Qurbani and if they are a little broken then it is allowed. (Alamgiri, etc.)
★ A blind, lame, cross-eyed, mad, cut-ears, cut-tailed, teethless, cut-teats, dried teats, cut nosed, deaf from birth, a hermaphrodite (where an animal’s both sexual organ’s exist), an animal that only
eats impurities then all of these animals cannot be used for Qurbani.
(Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar)
★ If the illness is small and the lameness is not that bad so that the animal can walk upto the slaughter-house or the ears, nose etc. are less than a third cut then the animal can be used for Qurbani. (ibid
Hidaya, Alamgiri)
★ If when performing the Qurbani the animal jumped and shook and due to this it became faulty then there is no harm. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar)
★ If you performed a Qurbani and found that there is a live born inside then that should also be slaughtered and can be made use of, and if the young inside is dead then it should be thrown away.
(Bahar-e-Shariat)
If after purchasing and before the Qurbani the animal give birth then the new-born should also be slaughtered and if it is sold then the money should be given away as Sadaqa and if it is not slaughtered before the Qurbani then give it away live as Sadaqa. (Alamgiri, Bahar)
NOTICE: Just look at our master and king the Prophet Muhammad Mustafa’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) big heart and concern that he made a Qurbani on behalf of his Ummah and thought of us, therefore, if a Muslim can then they should perform an additional Qurbani on behalf of the Holy Prophet then it would be a very good and fortunate act. (Bahar-e-Shariat)
