Udhiyah (Qurbani): The Eid Sacrifice

What Is Udhiyah?

Udhiyah (also called Qurbani in South Asian and Turkish traditions) refers to the sacrifice of a livestock animal on the occasion of Eid al-Adha — the 10th, 11th, and 12th of Dhul Hijjah. It commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice his son Isma'il (AS) in obedience to Allah's command, and Allah's merciful substitution of a ram in Isma'il's place. Allah (SWT) says: "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]" (108:2). The Prophet (PBUH) performed the udhiyah personally every year after it was prescribed, slaughtering two rams with his own hands.

Is It Obligatory or Sunnah?

This is one of the most discussed questions in Hajj and Eid fiqh. The Hanafi school holds that udhiyah is wajib (obligatory) for every free adult Muslim of means who resides in a town (not traveling) and possesses the nisab (minimum wealth threshold). In the Hanafi view, failing to perform it without excuse is a sin. The Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools hold it is Sunnah mu'akkadah — an emphatically recommended Sunnah — and that failing to perform it while able to is blameworthy but not sinful. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever has the means but does not sacrifice should not come near our musalla" (Ibn Majah, Ahmad) — a warning that the Hanafi school uses as evidence of its obligatory nature.

Which Animals Are Valid

The valid animals for udhiyah are: sheep and goats (one per person), cattle and buffalo (shared among up to seven people), and camels (shared among up to seven people). The Prophet (PBUH) sacrificed rams with his own hands and stated: "From the sheep, one suffices; from the cattle, seven share" (Muslim). The animals must be free of serious defects. The Prophet (PBUH) specified four disqualifying defects: a one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is obvious, and an emaciated animal with no marrow in its bones (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud). Minor defects are permissible.

Age Requirements

The animal must meet a minimum age: sheep must be at least one year old (entering its second year), though the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools permit a sheep in its second half-year (jadha') if it is fat and passes as a full-year-old. Goats must be at least one year old. Cattle must be at least two years old. Camels must be at least five years old. These age requirements ensure the animal is of adequate size and health for the sacrifice.

Time of Slaughter

The udhiyah must be slaughtered after the Eid prayer — not before it. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever slaughters before the prayer, he has only slaughtered meat for his family, not for the sacrifice" (Bukhari and Muslim). The days of sacrifice are the 10th (Eid day), 11th, and 12th of Dhul Hijjah. The Hanbali school adds the 13th as well, based on narrations from Ibn Abbas (RA). Slaughtering on any of these days is valid; the 10th is most virtuous.

Distributing the Meat

The scholars recommend dividing the meat into three parts: one-third for the household, one-third as gifts to neighbors and friends, and one-third as charity for the poor. This is based on the interpretation of verse 22:36. It is obligatory to give at least some of the meat in charity to the poor, according to the Maliki and Hanbali schools. The Hanafi school permits consuming the entire sacrifice but strongly recommends giving some in charity. None of the meat should be sold or given to the slaughterman as payment.

The Person Intending Udhiyah

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "When the ten days of Dhul Hijjah begin and one of you intends to slaughter, let him not cut his hair or nails" (Muslim). This restriction applies from the 1st of Dhul Hijjah until after the sacrifice is performed. The wisdom is that the person mirrors something of the pilgrim's sanctity in the days of Hajj. The restriction applies only to the one performing the sacrifice, not to members of the household on whose behalf the sacrifice is made.