Qurbani is an important time in the Islamic Calendar, and it falls in the 12th and final month, known as Dhul Hijjah. The ritual takes place during the days of Eid al-Adha, and while this is the biggest time of celebration in the Hijri Calendar, this isn’t to say that there aren’t many Qurbani rules in Islam. Since Qurbani is a religious ritual that involves the slaughtering of animals, there are a number of rules that need to be adhered to. These rules ensure that the animal isn’t being treated poorly and that the Qurbani sacrifice is valid in the eyes of Allah (SWT). To that end, detailed below are just some of the most important Qurbani rules.
If both the husband and wife are of sound mind and have wealth that exceeds the Nisab threshold, they must donate one Qurbani share each. Despite this, if only one of them meets the Qurbani criteria, they’re not required to give Qurbani on behalf of their other half. That said, a number of eligible Muslims choose to give Qurbani on behalf of their partner even if they don’t meet the criteria, as this results in additional rewards and more people in need being reached.
Qurbani Rules for Family
Only eligible members of a family are required to give Qurbani. This eligibility is defined as someone who has reached puberty, is of sound mind, and has wealth that exceeds the Nisab threshold. Eligible Muslims are only required to donate on their own behalf, meaning they don’t need to give Qurbani on behalf of their dependents; however, some choose to do so to reap the additional blessings and reach more people in need.
Qurbani Rules for Children
Since children haven’t yet reached puberty and don’t have their own income, they’re not required to give Qurbani. Despite this, some parents choose to give Qurbani on behalf of their children to maximise their rewards and help more people who need it.
Qurbani Distribution Rules
Traditionally, every eligible Muslim had to perform the Qurbani sacrifice themselves and split and distribute the meat in three equal parts. The first part was for the person performing Qurbani and their family, the second was for their friends and neighbours, and the third was for those in need.
Today, it’s not possible for Muslims in the UK to carry out the sacrifice themselves due to slaughter laws in this country. As a result, the Qurbani distribution rules have shifted slightly to keep up with these regulations. It’s now permitted for Muslims in the UK to donate the cost of a Qurbani share to a charity, such as Charity Meals. We will then use this donation to purchase an animal in an Islamic country, slaughter it in line with the Islamic slaughter rules, and distribute the meat to those in need.
It’s not mandatory to offer the names of people when performing their sacrifice; however, some Muslims choose to do this when giving Qurbani on behalf of someone else.
Rules for Performing Qurbani
There are many rules for performing Qurbani. Firstly, only a handful of animals will qualify as Qurbani; these include the following:
Sheep
Goats
Rams
Cows
Bulls
Buffalos
Camels
The above animals then must meet a set of criteria to qualify as Qurbani. These criteria include the following:
Sheep, goats, and rams must be at least one year old.
Cows, bulls, and buffalos must be at least two years old.
Camels must be at least five years old.
All animals should be in good health; this means they can’t have an illness or disease, their horns can’t be broken, they must have at least half their teeth, they can’t have less than a third of their ears or tail, and they must be able to walk themselves to slaughter.
Qurbani animals mustn’t see any other animals being slaughtered.
Qurbani animals mustn’t see the knife with which they will be slaughtered, and it mustn’t be sharpened in front of them.
The slaughter must be carried out with a sharp knife.
Adhere to the Rules of Qurbani with Charity Meals
When donating your Qurbani to Charity Meals, you can rest assured that all the above Qurbani rules will be followed. Give your Qurbani today to fulfil your duty to Allah (SWT) and help those in need globally.
