Sacrifice (Udhiyyah/Qurbāni): Philosophy and Rules

Sacrifice (Udhiyyah/Qurbāni): Philosophy and Rules

The Urdu and Persian word “qurbāni” (sacrificial slaughter) is derived from the Arabic word “qurbān.” Lexically, it means an act performed to seek Allah’s pleasure. Originally, the word qurbān included all acts of charity because the purpose of charity is nothing but to seek Allah’s pleasure. But, in precise religious terminology, the word was later confined to the sacrifice of an animal slaughtered for the sake of Allah.

The sacrifice of an animal has always been treated as a recognized form of worship in all religious orders originating from a divine book. Even in pagan societies, the sacrifice of an animal is recognized as a form of worship, but it is done in the name of some idols and not in the name of Allah, a practice totally rejected by Islam.

In the Shari’ah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ the sacrifice of an animal has been recognized as a form of worship only during three days of Dhu ‘l-Hijjah, namely the 10th, 11th, and 12th of the month. This is to commemorate the unparalleled sacrifice offered by the Prophet Sayyiduna Ibrahim عليه السلام when he, in answering a command of Allah conveyed to him in a dream, prepared himself to slaughter his beloved son, Sayyiduna Ismā’īl عليه السلام. He actually did follow through but Allah Almighty, after testing his submission, sent down a sheep and saved his son from the logical fate of slaughter. It is from that time onwards that the sacrifice of an animal became an obligatory duty to be performed by every well-to-do Muslim.

Qurbāni is a demonstration of total submission to Allah and a proof of complete obedience to Allah’s will and command. When a Muslim offers a qurbāni, this is exactly what he intends to prove. Thus, the qurbāni offered by a Muslim 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. When a true and perfect Muslim receives a command from Allah, he does not make his obedience dependent upon the command’s reasonability as perceived through his limited understanding. He knows that Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise and that [human] reason cannot encompass the knowledge and wisdom underlying the divine command. He therefore submits to the divine command, even if he cannot grasp the reason or wisdom behind it.

This is exactly what Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام did. Apparently, there was no reason why a father should slaughter his innocent son. But when came the command from Allah, he never asked about the reason for that command, nor did he hesitate to follow it. Even his minor son when asked by his father about the dream he had seen never questioned the legitimacy of the command, nor did he [complain] about it, nor did he ask for one good reason as to why he was being slaughtered. The one and only response he made was: “Father, do what you have been ordered to do. You shall find me, God willing, among the patient.”(Qur’an, 37:102)

 

The present-day qurbāni is offered in memory of this great model of submission set before us by the great father and the great son. So qurbāni must be offered in our time emulating the same ideal and attitude of submission.

This, then, is the true philosophy of qurbāni. With this in mind, one can easily unveil the fallacy of those who raise objections against qurbāni on the basis of economic calculations and depict it to be a wastage of money, resources, and livestock. Unable to see beyond mundane benefits, they cannot understand the spirit Islam wishes to plant and nourish among its followers: the spirit of total submission to Allah’s will which equips man with the most superior qualities so necessary to keep humanity in a state of lasting peace and welfare.

Qurbāni is nothing but a powerful symbol of the required human conduct vis-a-vis the divine commands, however “irrational” or “uneconomic” they may seem to be in their appearance. Thus, the distrustful quest for mundane economic benefits behind qurbāni is, in fact, the negation of its real philosophy and the very spirit underlying it.

No doubt, there are certain worldly benefits as well in every form of worship ordained by Allah, but they are not the main purpose of these prescribed duties, nor should they be treated as a pre-condition to submission and obedience. All acts of worship, including qurbāni, must be carried out with a spirit of total submission to Allah, irrespective of their economic, social, or political benefits. This is what Ibrahim عليه السلام did, and this is what every true Muslim is required to do.

Keeping this in view, we are giving here some rules governing the worship of qurbāni in our Shari’ah according to the Hanafi school of law.

The Time of Qurbāni

Qurbāni can only be performed during the three days of Eid, namely the 10th, 11th, and 12th of Dhu ‘l-Hijjah. It is only in these days that slaughtering an animal is recognized as an act of worship. No qurbāni can be performed on any other day of the year.

Although qurbāni is permissible on each of the three aforementioned days, it is preferable to perform it on the first day (i.e. the 10th of Dhu ‘l-Hijjah). Qurbāni is not allowed before the completion of Eid prayer. However, in small villages where the Eid prayer is not to be performed, qurbāni can be offered at any time after the break of dawn on the 10th of Dhu ‘l-Hijjah. Qurbāni can also be performed in the two nights following the Eid day, but it is more advisable to perform it during daytime.

Who is Required to Perform Qurbāni?

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/her basic needs, is under an obligation to offer a qurbāni. Each adult member of a family who owns the above mentioned amount must perform his own qurbāni separately. If the husband owns the required quantity, but the wife does not, the qurbāni is obligatory on the husband only, and vice-versa. If both of them have the prescribed amount of wealth, both should perform qurbāni separately.

If the adult children live with their parents, qurbāni is obligatory upon each one of them who possesses the prescribed amount. The qurbāni offered by a husband for himself does not fulfill the obligation of his wife, nor can the qurbāni 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 qurbāni – gives another qurbāni on behalf of his wife or his son, he can do so with their permission.

No Alternate for Qurbāni

Some people think that instead of offering a qurbāni they should give its amount to some poor people as charity. This approach is completely incorrect. In reality there are different forms of worship obligatory on Muslims. Each one of them has its own importance and none of them can stand in place of the other. It is not permissible for a Muslim to perform salāh instead of fasting in Ramadān, nor is it permissible for him to give some charity instead of observing the obligatory salāh. 

 

Similarly, qurbāni is an independent form of worship and this obligation cannot be discharged by spending money in charity.

However, if someone out of his ignorance or negligence did not offer qurbāni on the three prescribed days (10th, 11th, and 12th Dhu ‘l-Hijjah), then in that case only he can give the price of a qurbāni as sadaqah to those entitled to receive zakāt. But during the days of qurbāni no sadaqah can discharge the obligation of qurbāni.

The Animals of Qurbāni

The following animals can be slaughtered to offer a qurbāni:

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 qurbāni. 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 qurbāni jointly in one such animal.

If the seller of the 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.

Rules About Defective Animals

The following defective animals are not acceptable in qurbāni:

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 majority number of its teeth are missing.

5. An animal born without ears.

The following animals are acceptable in qurbāni:

1. A castrated he-goat (rather, its qurbāni is more preferable).

2. An animal that has no horns, or its horns are broken. However, if the horns of an animal are uprooted completely so as to create a defect in the brain, its qurbāni 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 qurbāni unlawful.

The Sunnah Method of Qurbāni

It is more preferable for a Muslim to slaughter the animal of his qurbāni 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 qurbāni 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 Qur’an: “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.” (Surat al-An’ām, 79)

 

The most essential recitation, however, when slaughtering an animal is:

بسم الله، الله أكبر

Bismillah, Allahu Akbar.
(In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest).

If one intentionally avoids reciting it when slaughtering an animal, it does not only make his qurbāni unlawful but also renders the animal harām, 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 qurbāni and the slaughter are lawful. If a person 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 a 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 the shari’ah.

However, if the actual weighing is not practical 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 qurbāni can keep all its meat for his own use, it is preferable to distribute one-third amongst the poor, another one-third amongst his relatives, and then keep the remainder for his personal consumption.

All parts of the sacrificed animal can be used for personal benefit, but none can be sold and cannot be given to the butcher as part of his wages. If a person has sold the meat of the qurbāni or its skin, he must give the accrued price as sadaqah to a poor man who is eligible to receive zakāt.

By Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani