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Whoever made a sacrifice with all sincerity, the act of sacrifice will protect him from hell-fire”
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said: “There is no deed that Allah s.w.t. loves most during Eid ul Adha other than the slaughter of a sacrificial animal. The sacrificial animal will appear during the day of judgement with it’s horns, hair and nails as witness to the deed in the name of Allah. The blood of the sacrificed animal is placed near Allah s.w.t. before it flows to the earth. Glad tidings to those who sacrifice”.
Zulhijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar. Literally, it means “hajj.” Obviously, this name of the month indicates that the great annual worship of “hajj” is performed in this month, which gives it special significance. Some specific merits and rules relevant to this month are mentioned below:
First Ten Days:
The first ten days of Zulhijjah are among the most magnificent days in Islamic calendar. The Holy Prophet( PBUH)has said, “One day fasting during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship in the “Lailatul-Qadr”. Every Muslim should avail of this wonderful opportunity by performing during this period as much Iba’dah (acts of worship) to Allah as he or she can.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH), said “No days are as important with Allah and so liked by Him for good deeds than the first ten days of Zil Hijjah. So in these days increasingly read:
TASBEEH (Subhanallah)
TAHLEEL (LailahaIllallah)
TAHMEED (Alhamdulillah)
TAKBEER (Allahu Akbar).
The most important way of worship performed in the month of Zulhijjah is “Hajj”, one of the five pillars of Islam. The Muslims from every part of the world assemble in Arabia to perform this unique way of worship. Hajj is a worship, which requires at least five days to be performed in its proper way. There are detailed rules for different acts of hajj for which separate books are available, and the present article does not aim at explaining all these details. However, some basic information about its obligation is being given here:
Eid-ul-Azha is the second most important festival of Muslims across the world. Today’s celebration comes almost two and a half months after Eid-ul-Fitr, the culmination of the holy month of Ramadan. The spirit of Eid-ul-Azha is incorporated in Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah. The underlying flavour is the spirit of sacrifice or qurbani, commemorating Abraham’s great act of faith many centuries ago.
“It is not their meat, nor their blood that reaches Allah. It is your piety that reaches Him.”
(Quran)
According to Tirmizi Shareef and Sunan Ibn Majah, Hazrat Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) stated that Rasoolullah (PBUH) said, “The son of Adam does not do any action on the day of Qurbani which is more pleasing to Allah than the sacrifice of animals; and he will come on the day of Qiyamah with it’s hairs, horns and hooves (for reward); and the blood (of the sacrificed animal) certainly reaches Allah before it falls down to the ground. So make yourselves purified therewith.”
The Urdu and Persian word Qurbani (Sacrificial slaughter) is derived from the Arabic word Qurban. Lexically, it means an act performed to seek Allah’s pleasure. Originally, the word Qurban 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. Qurbani is one of the fundamental rituals of Islam performed on the occasion of ‘Eid ul-Adha, and is prescribed not only for the pilgrims performing Hajj, but for all able Muslims. Although the practice of Qurbani began in the time of Prophet Adam (AS), particular significance is brought to the practice through a specific act of Prophet Ibrahim.
It is Waajib for every Muslim male and Muslim female who:-
It is necessary to perform Qurbani at the time of Qurbani, therefore, if that much money or the same amount of goods to the value of an animal is given then the responsibility of Qurbani will not be fulfilled [Alamgiri etc.].
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. the 10th of Zulhijjah.
Some people think that instead of offering a Qurbani they should give its amount to some poor people as charity. This attitude is totally wrong. Actually, there are different forms of worship obligatory on Muslims. Each one of them has its own importance and none of them can stand for the other. It is not permissible for a Muslim to perform salah instead of fasting in Ramadan, nor is it permissible for him to give some charity instead of observing the obligatory Salah. Similarly, Qurbani is an independent form of worship and this obligation cannot be discharged by spending money in charity. However, if somebody, out of his ignorance or negligence, could not offer Qurbani on the three prescribed days (10th, 1lth and 12th Zulhijjah) then, in that case only, he can give the price of a Qurbani as sadaqah to those entitled to receive Zakah. But during the days of Qurbani no Sadaqah can discharge the obligation.
Many people make Qurbani on behalf of their parents, grandparents, Prophets and Saints, and not on their behalf. By doing so, they are neglecting their Waajib and thus become sinners through this action.
Every Muslim must first make Qurbani on their behalf so that their Waajib is fulfilled. Only after the Waajib is completed and if one is able to do so, can Qurbani be made on behalf of others. It is preferable to make Qurbani on behalf of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as it is virtuous and beneficial and has his blessings.
Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made Qurbani on behalf of all the poor people of his Ummah. This shows the love that he possessed for his Ummah. Therefore, every Muslim who is capable of making Qurbani on behalf of others should make Qurbani on behalf of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
It is Mustahab (preferable) that the person to whom the Qurbani animal belongs slaughters it personally, provided he is able to slaughter (make Zabah) properly.
If the owner is unable to slaughter, it is better to delegate the Zabah to another Muslim who is acquainted with the requirements of proper Islaamic Zabah.
A Muslim woman, who knows how to make Zabah, is also permitted to slaughter.
The animal that is going to be sacrificed should be fed and given water. The knife that is going to be used should be sharpened beforehand, but not in front of the animal. The animal should be laid on it’s left side with it’s face pointing towards the Qibla and the person slaughtering the animal should put their right foot on the animal and quickly slaughter the animal using a sharp knife. Before slaughtering the animal, this Dua should be prayed;
If the animal is bought jointly then the meat should be weighed and equally distributed. It should not be divided roughly because if it is divided un-equally then even if the person receiving less, forgives them it will not be forgiven as the right is as per Shariat [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].
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 meat from all parts.
It is allowed for a person who performs Qurbani (Waajib or Nafl), to either eat the flesh or to give it to whomsoever he pleases, rich or poor, Muslim or non-Muslim. 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.
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In another Hadith related in Sunan Ibn Majah, Zaid bin Arqam reported that the companions of Rasool-ul-lah (PBUH) asked, “Oh! Messenger of Allah, what is this sacrifice?”
There is a tradition related from Hazrat Abu Hurairah that Rasool-ul-lah said that the person who has the means of performing Qurbani but does not do so should not even come NEAR our EIDGAH (place of Eid Namaaz).
The 9th day of Zulhijjah:
The 9th day of Zulhijjah is called ‘Youmul – “Arafah’ (The Day of ‘Arafah). This is the date when the Hujjaj (Haji pilgrims, plural of Haajj) assemble on the plain of ‘Arafat, six miles away from Makkah al-Mukarramah, where they perform the most essential part of the prescribed duties of hajj, namely, the ‘Wuqoof of’Arafat (the stay in ‘Arafat).
Hazrat Abu Qataadah al-Ansari was asked about the Saum (fast) on the day of Arafah (i.e. the 9th Zil Hijjah).
He said, “It compensates for the minor sins of the past year and the coming year.”
The Fasting of Youmul ‘Arafah:
For those not performing hajj, it is mustahabb (desirable) to fast on this day according to their own calendar. It sometimes occurs that 9th Zuihijjah falls on different days in different countries according to the sighting of the moon. In such cases, Muslims of each country should observe ‘Youmul ‘Arafah according to the lunar dates of their own country.
For example, if ‘Youmul ‘Arafah’ is being observed in Saudi Arabia on Friday, and in Pakistan on Saturday, Pakistani Muslims should treat Saturday as ‘Youmul ‘Arafah’ and should fast on that day if they desire to benefit from the fast of ‘Youmul’Arafah’.
The fast of ‘Youmul ‘Arafah’ has been emphasized by the Holy Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, as a mustahabb (desirable) act. According to a hadith, the fast of this day becomes a cause, hopefully so, of forgiveness for sins committed in one year.
Eid-ul-Azha, also known as Eid-e-Qurban, is a time for Muslims to learn the value of self-denial by making a sacrifice of something living to God. Apart from the congregational prayers and other festivities, the essential feature of the festival is qurbani, the offering of sacrifice of a prescribed animal. The spirit of sacrifice is exalted as a noble quality. Once Prophet Abraham had a dream in which God asked him to sacrifice his beloved son Ismael.
Persistence of the dream convinced him that it wasn’t just a dream but an allusion from the Infinite. He narrated the dream to his son who readily concurred. When the father and son reached the appointed place of sacrifice, the son suggested to his father to cover his eyes so that his love does not distract him from obeying the Lord. The moment Abraham pulled out his knife, the son was miraculously substituted with a lamb.
Allah was most benevolent; He rescued Abraham’s son and was pleased with Abraham’s and Ismael’s sincere devotion and absolute resignation to the will of their Creator. The day this happened has been held sacred. Every year the Hajjis retrace the steps of Abraham and Ismael in the valley of Mina and offer a sacrifice of animals in His Love. Similarly the faithfuls all over the world do this practice of sacrifice, according to their means, in true resignation to the Will of their Creator and to pay tribute to Abraham who lived up to the true meaning of ‘Surrender to Allah’.
Though other religions too contain the provision for offering of sacrifice in one form or the other, the Islamic concept of sacrifice is a little different. The Divine Being is Allah the merciful; there is no concept of appeasing an offended deity; neither does Allah take delight in flesh or blood. ”It is not their meat, nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety, taqwa that reaches Him. He has thus made them (animals) subject to you that ye may glorify Allah for His guidance to you”. (Qur’an 22:37).
For Muslims the qurbani is a definite act of worship and it is one of the honoured institutions of Islam. This is an expression of thanks for the benefits provided by Allah. It is also a commemoration of the supreme sacrifice offered by Ismael and is an expression of determination to sacrifice, if need be, his life when called upon to do so for the sake of motives more precious than his own existence.
Another important objective of qurbani is to feed the poor and needy with meat of the animals sacrificed. One-third of the meat of the sacrificed animal is distributed among the poor and needy; one-third is to be given to relatives and friends, and the remaining one-third is to be used by the person who made the qurbani. For some poor people this festival is perhaps the only occasion when they eat mutton or goat meat. The skins of the animal sacrificed are given to schools (madrassas) where orphans and destitutes study. This, apart from Zakat or Islamic charity, helps the management of madrassas to meet their expenses.
Qurbani is wajib or a ‘must’ for every Muslim who is an adult and who is mentally sound, who is not journeying and who owns and possesses property to the prescribed extent called nisab, and is free from encumbrances of any kind. In case of silver the nisab is 612.32 grams and for gold it is 87.48 grams or its value at prevalent rate or its equivalent in other valuable goods. It is desirable to offer the qurbani on the Eid-ul-Zuha after the congregational prayers and not before; but if one can not offer qurbani on that day he may do it on the second or third day of the festival. Ultimately the basic objective of qurbani is to invoke the spirit of self-sacrifice shown by Prophet Abraham and to submit oneself to the will of Allah.
Beginning from the Fajr of the 9th Zulhijjah up to the ‘Asr prayer of the 13th, it is obligatory on each Muslim to recite the Takbir of Tashriq after every farz prayer in the following words.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,
La Ilaha Illallahu, Wallahu Akbar,
Allahu Akbar wa lillahilhamd.
(There is no god but Allah and Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.)
According to authentic Islamic sources, it is obligatory on each Muslim, to recite this Takbir after every farz salah. For women also, it is commendable though not obligatory. Whether you are performing salah with Jama’ah (collectively) or on your own (individually) makes no difference. You must recite the Takbir. However, male Muslims should recite it in a loud voice, while females should recite it in a low voice.
The following acts are sunnah on the day of Eid-ul-Azha:
The Eid prayer has two raka’at performed in the normal way, with the only addition of six Takbirs, three of them in the beginning of the first raka’ah, and three of them just before ruku’ in the second raka’ah. The detailed way of performing the Eid prayer is as follows:
The Imam will begin the prayer without Adhan or iqamah. He will begin the prayer by reciting Takbir of Tahrimah (Allahu Akbar). You should raise your hands up to the ears, and after reciting the Takbir, you should set your hands on your navel. The Imam will give a little pause during which you should recite Thana’ (Subhanakallahumma .:.). After the completion of Thana’, the Imam will recite Takbir (Allahu Akbar) three times. At the first two calls of Takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and after reciting Takbir (Allahu Akbar) in a low voice, should bring your hands down and leave them earthwards. But, after the third Takbir, you should set them on your navel as you do in the normal prayers.
After these three Takbirs, the Imam will recite the Holy Qur’an, which you should listen calmly and quietly. The rest of the raka’ah will be performed in the normal way.
After rising for the second raka’ah, the Imam will begin the recitations from the Holy Qur’an during which you should remain calm and quiet. When the Imam finishes his recitation, he will recite three Takbirs once again, but this time it will be just before bowing down for ruku’. At each Takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and after saying ‘Allahu Akbar’, bring them down and leave them earthwards. After these three takbirs have been called and completed, the Imam will say another takbir for bowing down into the ruku’ position. At this takbir you need not raise your hands. You just bow down for your ruku’ saying, ‘Allahu Akbar’. The rest of the salah will be performed in its usual way.
In this salah of Eid, Khutbah is a sunnah and is delivered after the salah, unlike the salah of Jumu’ah where it is fard and is delivered before the salah. However, listening to the khutbah of Eid salah is wajib or necessary and must be listened to in perfect peace and silence.
It is a sunnah that the Imam begins the first Khutbah by recit
In another Hadith related in Sunan Ibn Majah, Zaid bin Arqam reported that the companions of Rasoolullah (PBUH) asked, “Oh! Messenger of Allah, what is this sacrifice?”
He said, “The way of your forefather (Prophet) Ibrahim (alaihis salaam).”
They said, “What is for us therein, O! Messenger of Allah?”
He said, “There is one reward for every hair.”
They said, “For wool, O! Messenger of Allah?”
He said, “There is one reward for every strand of wool!”
Hazrat Jaber reported that the Messenger of Allah slaughtered on the day of sacrifice two horned, white and black castrated rams. When he faced them towards the Qibla, he said: “Verily I turn my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, upon the religion of Abraham, being upright, and I am not one of the polytheists. Verily my prayer, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. There is no partner with him and I have been ordered that, and I am one of the Muslims. O Allah, it is Thine and for Thee, from Muhammad and his Ummah: In the name of Allah. Allah is the greatest”. He then slaughtered the rams. (Ahmed, Abu Daud, Ibne Majah)
Warning for those who ignore Qurbani
There is a tradition related from Hazrat Abu Hurairah that Rasulullah said that the person who has the means of performing Qurbani but does not do so should not even come NEAR our EIDGAH (place of Eid Namaaz).
In the Shari’ah of our beloved Prophet, (PBUH) sacrifice of an animal has been recognized as a form of worship only during three days of Zulhijjah, namely, the 10th, 1lth and 12th of the month. This is to commemorate the unparalleled sacrifice offered by the Prophet Sayyidna Ibrahim, Alayhi Salam, when he, in pursuance to a command of Allah conveyed to him in a dream, prepared himself to slaughter his beloved son, Sayyidna Isma’il, Alayhi Salam, and actually did so 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.
Qurbani 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 Qurbani, this is exactly what he intends to prove. Thus, the Qurbani 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 his own 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 the Prophet Ibrahim, Alayhi Salam, 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 pine or whine about it, nor did he ask for one good reason 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 patients”.
The present-day Qurbani is offered in memory of this great model of submission set before us by the great father and the great son. So Qurbani must be offered in our time emulating the same ideal and attitude of submission.
This, then, is the true philosophy of Qurbani. With this in mind, one can easily unveil the fallacy of those who raise objections against Qurbani on the basis of economic calculations and depict it to be wastage of money, resources and livestock. Unable to see beyond mundane benefits, they cannot understand the spirit Islam wants to plant and nourish among its followers, the spirit of total submission to Allah’s will which equips man with most superior qualities so necessary to keep humanity in a state of lasting peace and welfare.
Qurbani 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 Qurbani is, in fact, the negation of its real philosophy and the very spirit underlying it.
This tradition of sacrifice for the sake of Allah continues even today. On the occasion of ‘Eid ul-Adha, faithful Muslims all over the world submit to the will of Allah and sacrifice a camel, cow, goat or sheep. The meat is then divided into three equal portions: the person who performs the Qurbani retains one part, the second is given to their friends and relatives (whether wealthy or poor), and the third portion is distributed to the poor. Because a camel or cow is enough to feed seven people, some scholars say these are the best sacrifices, followed by sheep and goats.
No doubt, there are in every form of worship ordained by Allah, certain worldly benefits too, 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 Qurbani, must be carried out with a spirit of total submission to Allah, irrespective of their economic, social or political benefits. This is what Ibrahim, Alayhi Salam, did, and this is what every true Muslim is required to do.
No Qurbani is allowed before the Eid prayer is over. However, in small villages where the Eid prayer is not to be performed, Qurbani can be offered’ any time after the break of dawn on the 10th of Zulhijjah.
Qurbani can also be performed in the two nights following the Eid day, but it is more advisable to perform it during daytime.
If the time of Qurbani has passed then a Qurbani can no longer be performed and if you had purchased an animal for Qurbani then give it as Sadqa or give the amount of money equivalent to the value of a goat as Sadqa [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri, etc]
The following animals are not suitable for Qurbani:
“Inni Wajjahto Waj’hiya Lillazi Fataras Samaawaat’e Wal’arda Hanifaw Wamaa Anaa Minal Mushrikeena, inna Salaati Wa Nusooki Wa Mah’Yaaya Wa Ma’maati Lillahi Rabbil Aalameen. Laa Shareeka Lahu Wa Bizaalika Umirtu Wa Anaa Minal Muslimeena Allahumma Laka Waminka Bismillahi Allahu Akbar”
As soon as you finish praying the Dua, start cutting with the knife and say Bismillahi Allahu Akbar . If the Qurbani is from yourself then after slaughtering pray this Dua;
“Allahumma Taqabbal Minni Kamaa Taqabbalta Min Khaleelika Ibraheema Alaihis Salaam Wa Habeebika Muhammadin Sallalaho Alaihi Wasallam”
When slaughtering cut all four veins (in the throat) or at least three veins and so that the knife reaches the back of the throat and it should not be cut more than that as it would cause unnecessary pain for the animal. As soon as the animal goes cold then cut the feet and take off the skin. If you have slaughtered the animal on behalf of someone then at the point where you pray “Minni” pray “Min Falaa” (meaning their name). If the animal is bought jointly and there are more than one person involved in the partnership of the animal such as a cow, camel, buffalo etc. then all their names should be said in place of ‘Falaa’.
Those who are ignorant about the proper Islamic method that is carried out in the slaughtering of animals do not
hesitate in criticising Muslims and in regarding this Islamic method of slaughter as primitive, barbaric and a cruelty to animals.
The aim of presenting this article is to inform the public that the Islamic method of slaughtering an animal is most humane, painless and better than the current methods of mechanical and electrical stunning of animals that are normally done in abattoirs.
In order for large meat industries and commercial establishments to provide a much higher production, they all favour the method of mechanical and electrical stunning. They regard all other methods of slaughter as cruel and even manage to get the support of Animal Rights groups to oppose the Islamic method of slaughter. In the Islamic method of slaughtering an animal, the animal is slaughtered by a sharp object which is capable of making it bleed by severing blood vessels. The slaughtering is to be done by cutting the throat of the animal or by piercing the hollow of the throat, causing its death. The best way is to cut the windpipe, the gullet, and the two jugular veins. The wisdom of the Islamic rules of slaughtering is to take the animal’s life in the quickest and least painful way; the requirements of using a sharp instrument and of cutting the throat relate to this end. No additional stunner is necessary. This method also allows for the most rapid and efficient bleeding of the animal. When the sharp knife enters the tissues of the neck, its cuts open four big blood vessels in the region. So much blood is lost so quickly that the animal becomes unconscious and feels no pain.
When the animal convulses, one gets the impression that it is undergoing pain and suffering. However, this is not the case. In the Islamic manner of slaughtering, the spinal cord is not severed since the nervous connection between the brain and the body is maintained so that all the blood is squeezed out of the body. When convulsion takes place, the wringing actions of the muscles of the body on the blood vessels help to get rid of the maximum amount of blood from the meat tissue. In fact, the occurrence of convulsions confirms that the animal is unconscious. Thus, the animal also does not experience any pain. In view of the above considerations, attempts to discredit the Islamic method of slaughter are ill-conceived. Based on scientific evidence, it should not be too difficult for individuals and groups to give up their attempts to interfere with religious beliefs and religious laws in general. The Islamic method of slaughter has stood the test of time and of scientific enquiry and remains by far the best, the most efficient and the safest.
The meat or skin cannot be given to an employee or to a butcher in payment of his labour. It may he given to them as a gift.
The skin of the Qurbani could be kept for one’s personal use or could be given to anybody else for their personal use. It could be used as a water bag, Musalla, etc.
The Qurbani skin cannot be given in lieu of any type of services. Thus, the skin cannot be given to an Imaam or Mu’azzin in lieu of their services.
If the skin is sold, the amount received for it cannot be used by oneself. It is Waajib to give it away as Sadaqah (charity) to the poor and needy.
It is not permissible for one to eat the meat of the following types of Qurbani:-
The meat of the above-mentioned types of Qurbani has to be distributed to the poor and needy ONLY. The meat of Nafl (voluntary) Qurbani which one had made for the deceased can be eaten by all, similar to one’s own Qurbani.
