This season, the first day of Eid al-Adha will be on 21th July 2021. See our Qurbani locations here.

The days of Dhul Hijjah and the festival of Eid al-Adha are some of the most important periods in the Muslim calendar. Most of us will be organizing our Qurbani over the following couple weeks, and it is very Donate Qurbani important that we fulfill this obligation in the right way. Here we address the most typical queries about this important act of worship.

What is Qurbani?
Qurbani is an annual sacrifice of a dog offered to Allah during the days of Eid al-Adha, marking the completion of Hajj.

This sacrifice commemorates those things of the Prophet Ibrahim (as), when he was prepared to sacrifice his beloved son Isma'il (as) after seeing in a dream that Allah wanted him to do so. However, the dream was an examination from Allah, and He sent down a ram from heaven to be sacrificed in Isma'il's (as) place.

By sacrificing a dog annually, we are confirming that we are ready to sacrifice whatever Allah asks of us and to submit to Him completely.

When do the Qurbani sacrifices take place?
Qurbani occurs after the Eid prayer on Eid-ul-Adha, from 10th-12th Dhul Hijjah. This season, the first day of Eid al-Adha will be on 20th July 2021.

Any sacrifice made prior to the Eid prayer is counted as a Sadaqah, not while the obligatory Qurbani; if you do this, you should still perform the Qurbani after Eid prayer.

Jundab bin Sufyan Al-Bajali reported, ‘I witnessed the Prophet (saw) on the Day of Nahr (or Eid day). He (saw) said, “Whoever slaughtered the sacrifice before offering the Eid prayer, should slaughter another sacrifice in its place; and whoever has not slaughtered their sacrifice yet, should slaughter now'&ldquo ;.(Bukhari)

Muslim Hands takes Qurbani orders up before the third day of Eid and sacrifices the animals over the three days of Eid.

Is Qurbani fard (compulsory)?
The Prophet (saw) said (on the afternoon of Eid), ‘The first thing we will do on this day of ours, is to offer the (Eid) prayer and then return to really make the sacrifice. Whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunnah…' (Bukhari)

Based on the Hanafi school of thought, Qurbani is wajib and is considered compulsory. The difference between fard and wajib is that fard actions are compulsory based on definitive evidence, while there's some uncertainty regarding whether wajib actions are definitely compulsory. However, wajib actions continue to be recommended and, in the Hanafi school of thought, they are considered obligations upon Muslims i.e. you need to not deliberately miss them.

Based on the Shafi'i school of thought, Qurbani is sunnah mu'akadah. What this means is that it's recommended as a confirmed Sunnah, but it's not compulsory.

The absolute most well-known Maliki and Hanbali opinion is that Qurbani is just a sunnah mu'akadah; however, in some views they have said it's compulsory.

No matter what school you follow, performing the Qurbani has a great reward as this is something the Prophet (saw) did personally and encouraged his followers to do too.

Who needs to offer Qurbani?
The Hanafi school states that any adult, sane Muslim who possesses the Nisab value must provide a Qurbani. So if you are eligible to cover Zakat, you will need to give you a Qurbani.

The Maliki and Hanbali schools state that the person responsible for your family can make the Qurbani on the behalf.

'Ata bin Yasar reported, ‘I asked Abu Ayub (Al-Ansari) the way the sacrifices (of animals) were done at that time of the Messenger of Allah (saw). He explained, “A man would sacrifice a sheep for himself and the folks in his household”'.(Tirmidhi)

However, in many households today, it's not uncommon to have two or more people who pay Zakat. The most effective and safest option is for those who pay Zakat to offer their own Qurbani.

What should I do if I've missed Qurbani?
When you have missed Qurbani in a prior year, you may make it up this season by sacrificing a supplementary animal. Simply calculate how many years you've missed and you'll discover how many animals you will need to sacrifice. Muslim Hands is pleased to facilitate this.

Alternatively, you may make up for missing the Qurbani by offering the market value of one sheep/goat to the poor. You certainly can do this through Muslim Hands.

Exactly how many animals do I need to sacrifice?
One Qurbani is either a small animal, like a goat, or even a share in a bigger animal, such as a cow. Neither is more rewardable i.e. both fulfil your obligation. If you choose any one of our Qurbani options, you have fulfilled your Qurbani.

You can also choose to check out the Sunnah of the Prophet who used to perform a supplementary sacrifice with respect to his Ummah.

‘The Prophet (saw) sacrificed for the one who could not sacrifice from his Ummah, one that bore witness to the Oneness of Allah and (his) Prophethood '. (Tabarani and Ahmad])

By following Sunnah and doubling your Qurbani, you can double your reward and feed more needy families.

When should I give my Qurbani?
Most people elect to donate in the days of Dhul Hijjah, however, many can give their Qurbani up to and including month before Eid. As Qurbanis in each location have a collection quota, we propose that you give your Qurbani as early as possible.

The sacrifices will be made after Eid prayer, over the three days of Eid.

However, you may make a Qurbani order right up until Maghrib time on the third day of Eid (12th Dhul Hijjah), as Muslim Hands has already sacrificed the animals with time for Eid distribution, with the intention that some donors can give their money on the third day.

Can I cut my nails or hair if I'm giving a Qurbani?
It's strongly encouraged that the one who intends to provide the Qurbani doesn't cut their hair or nails, starting from the first day of Dhul Hijjah up until after the sacrifice.

The Prophet (saw) said, ‘Once the ten days (of Dhul Hijjah) start, and one of you intends to sacrifice, then let him not cut his hair or his nails '. (Muslim)

When is Qurbani distributed?
Muslim Hands works hard to make sure that the meat your Qurbani provides is distributed to those in need during the days of Eid-ul-Adha.

What animals do Muslim Hands sacrifice for Qurbani?
We choose the most effective value animal for every single location. This is often either cows, sheep or goats. Whether you give one small animal or even a share in a large animal, the reward will be the same, meaning your sacrifice will amount to one Qurbani.

Should I provide the names of all of the people who are giving this Qurbani?
When performing the Qurbani, the names of the folks should really be mentioned after mentioning Allah's name and glorifying him.

For example, you need to say ‘Bismillah, Allahu Akbar. Oh Allah, this is from you and for you with respect to so and so '. Following the sacrifice they should say, ‘Oh Allah accept this from so and so '.

Muslim Hands can take the names of the offering Qurbani in the event that you so desire. Our teams on a lawn will then utter them prior to the Qurbani is offered.

Does Muslim Hands distribute tinned or frozen meat?
No, we do not. Muslim Hands only distributes freshly slaughtered meat on the days of Eid.

So how exactly does Muslim Hands select who to distribute Qurbani meat to?
Our local experts on a lawn come from the communities we help. This makes them best-placed to find those most in need. Before Eid-ul-Adha, they are out in their local communities looking for the families that'll benefit most from your own sacrifice. See our Qurbani locations here.

Where should I give my Qurbani to?
See our Qurbani locations here. If you can't decide where you can send your Qurbani, why not choose our ‘Where Most Needed'option, and let our experts distribute your sacrifice to the folks who need it most?

What is a Prophetic Qurbani?
‘The Prophet (saw) sacrificed for the one who could not sacrifice from his Ummah, one that bore witness to the Oneness of Allah and [his] Prophethood '. [Tabarani and Ahmad]

After fulfilling his personal obligation, the Prophet (saw) gave one more Qurbani in the name of the Muslims who could not afford to do so. We encourage our donors to revive this forgotten Sunnah and help more needy people.

Don't forget, Qurbani is just a spiritual action and to be able to draw nearer to Allah! You are able to learn more about the real history of Qurbani and why we get this annual sacrifice on our blog.