VIRTUES OF ‘QURBANI’ (UDHIYAH)
Hazrat Ayesha radiyallahu anha reports that the Apostle of Allah said, "The son of Adam does not perform any actions on the day of sacrifice which is more pleasing to Allah than the shedding of blood. He will come on the day of resurrection with its hair, horns and hooves, and the blood certainly will fall in a place near Allah before it falls on the ground. So, make yourselves purified there with. (Tirmizi, Ibn Majah)
Hazrat Zaid bin Arkam reports that the Companions of Rasulullah asked him: " Ya Rasulullah, what is this sacrifice?" He said: "it is the way of your fore father Ibrahim 
." They asked: what (reward) is for us therein?" He replied: "There is a reward for every hair (i.e. the reward for meat and useful parts of the animal’s body will be very lofty in merit, but there will also be a great reward for the parts which are useless and thrown away such as the hair)."
." They asked: what (reward) is for us therein?" He replied: "There is a reward for every hair (i.e. the reward for meat and useful parts of the animal’s body will be very lofty in merit, but there will also be a great reward for the parts which are useless and thrown away such as the hair)." They asked: "For the wool, Ya Rasulullah?" He replied: "There is one reward for every strand of wool." (Ahmed, Ibn Majah)
Scholarly opinions on udhiyah (Qurbani):
(A) That it is waajib (obligatory). This is the opinion of al-Oozaa’i, al-Layth and Abu Haneefah, and it is one of the two opinions narrated from Imaam Ahmad. Those who favour this opinion take the following as evidence:
The aayah: “Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).” [al-Kawthar 108:2].
(A) That it is waajib (obligatory). This is the opinion of al-Oozaa’i, al-Layth and Abu Haneefah, and it is one of the two opinions narrated from Imaam Ahmad. Those who favour this opinion take the following as evidence:
The aayah: “Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).” [al-Kawthar 108:2].
This is a command, and a command implies that something is obligatory.
The hadeeth of Jundub (may Allaah be pleased with him), reported in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before he prays, let him slaughter another one in its place, and whoever did not slaughter a sacrifice, let him do so in the name of Allaah.’” (Reported by Muslim, 3621)
The hadeeth: “Whoever can afford to offer a sacrifice but does not do so, let him not approach our place of prayer.” (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah; classed as saheeh by al-Haakim from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him). It says in Fath al-Baari that these men are thiqaat).
(B) That it is a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu’akkadah). This is the opinion of the majority, and it is the madhhab of al-Shaafa'i and the better-known opinion of Maalik and Ahmad. But most of those who favour this opinion stated that it is makrooh (disliked) for the one who is able to offer a sacrifice to neglect to do so.
The hadeeth of Jundub (may Allaah be pleased with him), reported in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before he prays, let him slaughter another one in its place, and whoever did not slaughter a sacrifice, let him do so in the name of Allaah.’” (Reported by Muslim, 3621)
The hadeeth: “Whoever can afford to offer a sacrifice but does not do so, let him not approach our place of prayer.” (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah; classed as saheeh by al-Haakim from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him). It says in Fath al-Baari that these men are thiqaat).
(B) That it is a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu’akkadah). This is the opinion of the majority, and it is the madhhab of al-Shaafa'i and the better-known opinion of Maalik and Ahmad. But most of those who favour this opinion stated that it is makrooh (disliked) for the one who is able to offer a sacrifice to neglect to do so.
If Qurbani was not offered in the specified days is there any substitute?
If somebody out of his/her ignorance and negligence, did not offer ‘Qurbani’ on the three prescribed days (10th, 11th and 12th ‘Zulhijjah’) they should then give the price of the ‘Qurbani’ as ‘sadaqah’ (alms and charity) This does not mean that Sadaqah is an alternative, this will only be the case when it is not offered on the prescribed days, thus there is no alternative to ‘Qurbani’ in the prescribed days.
Qurbani on behalf of the Ummah.
It is a sunnah to offer qurbani on behalf of the Ummah if someone has the means.
The hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) in Sunan Abi Dawood, where he said: “I prayed on Eid al-Adhaa with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and when he finished (the prayer), he was brought two rams, and he sacrificed them. He said, ‘In the Name of Allaah, Allaah is Most Great. This is on behalf of myself and any member of my ummah who did not offer a sacrifice.” (Sunan Abi Dawood bi Sharh Muhammad Shams al-Haq Abaadi, 7/486)
The hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) in Sunan Abi Dawood, where he said: “I prayed on Eid al-Adhaa with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and when he finished (the prayer), he was brought two rams, and he sacrificed them. He said, ‘In the Name of Allaah, Allaah is Most Great. This is on behalf of myself and any member of my ummah who did not offer a sacrifice.” (Sunan Abi Dawood bi Sharh Muhammad Shams al-Haq Abaadi, 7/486)
Cutting hair and nails for those offering qurbani
The hadeeth reported by all the famous muhadditheen apart from al-Bukhaari: “Whoever among you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him not take anything from his hair or nails.” Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, (may Allaah preserve him), said, following his discussion of those who say it is obligatory and those who say it is Sunnah, “Each point of view has its evidence, but to be on the safe side, the one who is able to offer a sacrifice should not neglect to do so, because of what is involved in this act of reverence towards Allaah, remembering Him, and making sure that one has nothing to be blamed for.
The above ruling applies to the one who is offering the sacrifice, and does not extend to his wife or children, unless one of them is offering a sacrifice on his or her own behalf. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to sacrifice on behalf of the family of Muhammad (SAW), and it was not reported that he forbade them to remove anything of their hair or nails.
It is not forbidden for him to wear perfume or to have intercourse with his wife or to wear sewn garments and so on . And Allah (SWT) knows best.
Qurbani on behalf of one's family
Qurbani can be performed by someone on behalf of himself and the members of his household, and he may include in the reward for it whoever he wishes, living or dead. When he slaughters it, he should say, “Allaahumma haadha ‘anni wa ‘an ahli bayti (O Allaah, this is on behalf of myself and the members of my household”.
It is reported in the hadeeth of Abu Ayyoob that “At the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a man would sacrifice a sheep on behalf of himself and the members of his household, and they would eat from it and give some to others.” (Ibn Maajah and al-Tirmidhi, who classed it as saheeh)
Qurbani on behalf of a deceased person.
If a person wishes to offer a sacrifice on behalf of someone who has died, this is a good deed and is considered to be giving charity on behalf of the dead. He is also allowed to eat from the Qurbani. However, if the deceased person has specifically requested in his will that a Qurbani be performed on his behalf, the one who is performing the qurbani is not allowed to eat from it and all the meat must be given in Sadaqa.
The types of Qurbani from which one cannot eat from
The types of Qurbani from which one cannot eat from
A person cannot eat from the following Qurbani:
1) A Qurbani which a person has taken an oath to make - i.e. I swear by Allah that if so and so happens, next year I will do a Qurbani.
2) Qurbani performed on behalf of a deceased because the deceased specifically requested this in his will.
3) Qurbani which is performed as a penalty for breaking some rules of Ihraam.
What types of animals are suitable for Qurbani
The animal should have reached the required age, which is six months for a lamb, one year for a goat, two years for a cow and five years for a camel.
It should be free of any faults, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are four that will not do for sacrifice:
1) a one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious.
2) a sick animal whose sickness is obvious.
3) A lame animal whose limp is obvious.
4) An emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones .” (Saheeh, Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 886).
There are milder defects that do not disqualify an animal, but it is makrooh to sacrifice such animals, such as an animal with a horn or ear missing, or an animal with slits in its ears, etc. .
If an animal gets injured while slaughtering, e.g. breaks its leg, ear gets cut etc., the Qurbani will be valid. If an animal was bought in a healthy and perfect state and thereafter became unfit for Qurbani then:
(a) If the owner is not wealthy (possessor of nisaab) it will be permissible to offer this animal for Qurbani.
(b) If the owner is wealthy (possesses the Nisaab), he should obtain another animal.
The Animals of Qurbani
The following animals can be slaughtered to offer a Qurbani: (b) If the owner is wealthy (possesses the Nisaab), he should obtain another animal.
The Animals of Qurbani
1. Goat, either male or female, of at least one year of age.
2. Sheep, either male or female, of at least six months of age.
3. Cow, ox buffalo of at least two years of age.
4. Camel, male or female, of at least five years of age.
One head of goat or sheep is enough only for one person's Qurbani. But as for all other animals like cow, buffalo or camel, one head of each is equal to seven offerings thus allowing seven persons to offer Qurbani jointly in one such animal.
If the seller of animal claims that the animal is of the recognized age and there is no apparent evidence to the contrary; one can trust his statement and the sacrifice of such an animal is lawful.
Time at which Qurbani can be performed
It should be sacrificed at the specified time, which is after the prayer and khutbah of Eid - not from when the time for the prayer and khutbah starts - until before sunset on the last of the days of Tashreeq, which is the 13th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sacrifices before the prayer, let him repeat it.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The days of Nahr (Sacrifice) are the day of al-Adhaa and the three days following it.” This is also the opinion of al-Hasan al-Basri, ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah, al-Oozaa’i, al-Shaafa'i and Ibn al-Mundhir, may Allaah have mercy on them all.
Eating the Qurbani meat as first thing on the day of Eid
It is mustahabb (liked, preferable) for the one who has made a sacrifice to not eat anything on that day before he eats from it, if this is possible, because of the hadeeth, “Let every man eat from his sacrifice.” (Classed as saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5349). This eating should be after the Eid prayer and khutbah. This is the opinion of the scholars, including ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Maalik, al-Shaafa'i and others. The evidence for this is the hadeeth of Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not go out on the day of Fitr until he had eaten, and he would not eat on the day of Adhaa until he had slaughtered (his sacrifice).” (Al-Albaani said: its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Mishkaat, 1/452).
Dividing Qurbani meat.
It is mustahabb (liked, preferable) for the one who has made a sacrifice to not eat anything on that day before he eats from it, if this is possible, because of the hadeeth, “Let every man eat from his sacrifice.” (Classed as saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5349). This eating should be after the Eid prayer and khutbah. This is the opinion of the scholars, including ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Maalik, al-Shaafa'i and others. The evidence for this is the hadeeth of Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not go out on the day of Fitr until he had eaten, and he would not eat on the day of Adhaa until he had slaughtered (his sacrifice).” (Al-Albaani said: its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Mishkaat, 1/452).
Dividing Qurbani meat.
Although the person offering a Qurbani can keep all its meat for his own use, yet it is mustahaab to divide the meat into three: one third to be eaten, one third to be given as gifts and one third to be given in charity. This was the opinion of Ibn Mas’ood and Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them). The scholars agreed that it is not permissible to sell anything from its meat, fat or skin. In a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sells the skin of his udhiyah, there is no udhiyah for him (i.e., it is not counted as udhiyah).” (Classed as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6118).
Rewarding the butcher with Qurbani meat
The butcher should not be given anything of it by way of reward or payment, because ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded me to take care of the sacrifice and to give its meat, skin and raiment ( covering used for protection ) in charity, and not to give anything of it to the butcher as a compensation . He said, ‘We will give him something from what we have.’” (Agreed upon). However, one is allowed to give the butcher some meat as gift.
Giving Qurbani meat to non-muslims.
It is permissible to give Qurbani meat to non-muslims, especially those among them who are needy and there is no harm in this.
The Origin of the takbeer tashriq
Eminent jurispudents have stated that the origin of the ‘Takbeer-e-Tasreeq’ is when the Prophet Ibrahim made Hazrat Ismail lie down, Allah ordered Hazrat Jibraeel to take along a ‘fidyah’(ransom) and when Hazrat Jibraeel arrived there, he feared that Hazrat Ibrahim would slaughter Ismail and so he began shouting "Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar." Hearing his voice, Prophet Ibrahim took it as a glad tiding and exclaimed, "Laa ilaaha allallahu wallahu akbar." Hazrat Ismail also came to know that the ‘fidyah’ arrived and he got up saying, "Allahu akbar wa lillahil hamd," and began to eulogise and thank Allah.
The philosophy or Qurbani
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmaani states that the philosophy behind ‘Udhiya’ is that it is a demonstration of total submission to Allah and a proof of complete obedience to Allah’s will or command. When a Muslim offers a ‘Udhiya’ this is exactly what he intends to prove. Thus, the ‘Udhiya’ offered signifies that he is a slave of Allah at his best. And that he would not hesitate even for a moment once he receives an absolute command from his Creator to surrender before it, to obey it willingly, even if it be at the price of his life and possessions.
The Time of Qurbani
Qurbani can only be performed during the three days of Eid, namely the 10th, Ilth and 12th of Zulhijjah. It is only in these days that slaughtering of an animal is recognized as an act of worship. No Qurbani can be performed in any other days of the year.
Although Qurbani is permissible on each of the three aforesaid days, yet it is preferable to perform it on the first day i.e.Who is Required to Perform Qurbani?
Every adult Muslim, male or female, who owns 613.35 grams of silver or its equivalent in money, personal ornaments, stock-in-trade or any other form of wealth which is surplus to his basic needs, is under an obligation to offer a Qurbani. Each adult member of a family who owns the above mentioned amount must perform his own Qurbani separately. If the husband owns the required quantity, but the wife does not, the Qurbani obligatory on the husband only and vice-versa. If both of them have the prescribed amount of wealth, both should perform Qurbani separately.
If the adult children live with their parents, Qurbani is obligatory on each one of them possessing the prescribed amount. The Qurbani offered by a husband for himself does not fulfil the obligation of his wife, nor can the Qurbani offered by a father discharge his son or daughter from their obligation. Each one of them should care for his own.
However, if a husband or a father, apart from offering his own Qurbani, gives another Qurbani on behalf of his wife or his son, he can do so with their permission.
Rules about Defective Animals
The following defective animals are not acceptable in Qurbani:
1. Blind, one eyed or lame animal.
2. An animal so emaciated that it cannot walk to its slaughtering place.
3. An animal with one-third part of the ear or the nose or the tail missing.
4. An animal that has no teeth at all, or the major number of its teeth are missing.
5. An animal born without ears.
The following animals are acceptable in Qurbani:
1. A castrated he – goat. (Rather, its Qurbani is more preferable).
2. An animal that has no horns, or its horns are broken. However, if the horns of an animal are uprooted totally so as to create a defect in the brain, its Qurbani is not lawful.
3. An animal the missing part of whose ear, nose or tail is less than one third.
4. A sick or injured animal, unless it has some above mentioned defects rendering its Qurbani unlawful.
The Sunnah Method of Qurbani
It is more preferable for a Muslim to slaughter the animal of his Qurbani with his own hands. However, if he is unable to slaughter the animal himself, or does not want to do so for some reason, he can request another person to slaughter it on his behalf. In this case also, it is more preferable that he, at least, be present at the time of slaughter. However, his absence at the time of slaughter does not render the Qurbani invalid, if he has authorized the person who slaughtered the animal on his behalf. It is a Sunnah to lay the animal with its face towards the Qiblah, and to recite the following verse of the Holy Quran:
I, being upright, turn my face towards the One who has created the heavens and the earth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. ( Al-An’am, 6:79)
But the most essential recitation when slaughtering an animal is: Bismillah, Allahu Akbar. (In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest). If somebody intentionally avoids to recite it when slaughtering an animal, it does not only make his Qurbani unlawful, but also renders the animal haram, and it is not permissible to eat the meat of that animal. However, if a person did not avoid this recitation intentionally, but he forgot to recite it when slaughtering the animal, this mistake is forgiven and both the Qurbani and the slaughter are lawful.
If somebody is unable to recite “Bismillah Allahu Akbar” in the Arabic language, he can recite the name of Allah in his own language by saying, “In the name of Allah”.
Distribution of the Meat
If an animal is sacrificed by more than one person, like cow or camel, its meat should be distributed equally among its owners by weighing the meat strictly and not at random or by mere guess. Even if all the partners agree on its distribution without weighing, it is still not permissible according to shari’ah.
However, if the actual weighing is not practicable due to some reason, and all the partners agree to distribute the meat without weighing, distribution by guess can be done with the condition that each share necessarily contains either a leg of the animal or some quantity of its liver.
Although the person offering a Qurbani can keep all its meat for his own use, yet, it is preferable to distribute one-third among the poor, another one-third among his relatives and then, keep the rest for his personal consumption.
All parts of the sacrificed animal can be used for personal benefit, but none can be sold, nor can be given to the butcher as a part of his wages. If somebody has sold the meat of the Qurbani or its skin, he must give the accrued price as sadaqah to a poor man who can receive Zakah.
