What is Qurbani?
Qurbani means sacrifice. Every year during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims around the world slaughter an animal – a goat, sheep, cow or camel – to reflect the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, for the sake of God.
After the animal has been sacrificed, its meat is then distributed to those most in need. You can also find out more about how Islamic Relief distributes Qurbani meat in the frequently asked questions below.
The word ‘Qurbani’ comes from ‘qurban’, which has its root in the Arabic word ‘qurb’ – meaning ‘nearness’. We offer Qurbani to be near to Allah (SWT) and please Him. At a deeper level it reflects the story of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his sacrifice, which serves as an example of his unwavering faith in Allah.
By giving Qurbani, we follow in his footsteps and remember his devotion to Allah, with an obligation to the poor.
So turn in prayer towards your Lord and sacrifice.
[Qur’an | Surah Al-Kawthar | 108:2]
Donating Qurbani is highly recommended according to the majority of scholars and obligatory in the Hanafi madhab for every Muslim who is financially able to do so. There are also Qurbani rules which dictate which animals can be sacrificed, the quality of the life it has led, its health status and guidelines on how the sacrifice must be carried out.
Islamic Relief ensures that the Qurbani donations reaches to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities across Pakistan to enjoy Eid, as this is the only time many families eat meat in the entire year.
Throughout our lives, each and every one of us makes sacrifices to help our friends, family and neighbours. Therefore by sacrificing what we have to help those in need, we offer crucial solidarity and hope. Right now, a staggering 1 in 9 people worldwide are battling chronic hunger. However, there is hope: by giving Qurbani, you can feed a family in need this Eid.
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah (the 10 best days) are the most sacred days of the year, loved by Allah (SWT). Therefore, by giving to Islamic Relief, you can reap the rewards of this blessed month.
There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.
[Hadith | Sahih al-Bukhari]
Islamic Relief has a set criteria and scoring systems in place to determine Qurbani recipients. The scoring system is based on the following criteria:
A thorough assessment is therefore carried out by our teams to objectively identify the weighting and priority of each of the above criteria. These are then applied when selecting recipient families to ensure we reach the most vulnerable without bias.
According to most Muslims, Qurbani is highly recommended and according to the Hanafi madhab, it is obligatory upon every sane adult Muslim male/female who has wealth in excess to his/her needs. Therefore, normally those who are eligible to pay Zakat are obliged to give Qurbani.If you give a Qurbani on any of these days, the Qurbani will still be carried out in time, as Islamic Relief has already purchased the animals to be slaughtered beforehand.
A total of 12,720 meat packs were distributed, following the sacrifice of 530 animals, resulting in 3,710 Qurbani shares. The Qurbani was carried out in Karachi, where the meat was meticulously cleaned, weighed, packed, and frozen under hygienic conditions.
To maximise reach and ensure dignity, the frozen meat was then transported to vulnerable communities across Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan, bringing the spirit of Eid and essential nutrition to thousands of families in need.
Qurbani FAQs
Here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that you can use for further guidance.
It is the policy of Islamic Relief that the selected beneficiaries of the Qurbani 2023 project are made eligible based on a scoring system, which ranks families according to need.
The scoring system is based on the following objective criteria:
A thorough needs assessment will be conducted to objectively identify the weighting and priority of each of the above criteria. These are then applied when selecting beneficiaries to ensure we reach the most needy without bias or subjectivity in selection.
It is the policy of Islamic Relief to distribute only one Qurbani meat pack to each family regardless of family size.
This depends on the school of thought you follow. Please consult your local Imam/Sheikh for further information. According to the Hanafi school of thought it is obligatory for:
No, this is not necessary as long as you have made the intention that you are giving this Qurbani on behalf of a certain person.
Qurbani meat
Islamic Relief primarily distributes:
Fresh Qurbani – in most countries animals are purchased and slaughtered locally.
Chilled Qurbani – in countries such as Jordan where fresh Qurbani is significantly more expensive, animals are slaughtered in Europe and shipped ready for distribution from the third day of Eid onwards. This enables us to offer a much more cost-effective alternative, without compromising on quality.
The volume of Qurbani is representative by the allocations committed for each country. For donors, the following information can help you calculate your donation:
1 Sheep or Goat = 1 Qurbani whilst 1 Cow = 7 Qurbani (One Qurbani equals 1/7th of the share).
Islamic Relief has been performing Qurbani since 1986. As with our other projects, Islamic Relief’s work is constantly monitored and audited. Reports are also produced each year showing what activities have taken place in each country.
Payment
No, as Islamic Relief is conducting hundreds of thousands of Qurbanis around the world, therefore this is practically not possible. It is also not necessary to pronounce the name of the person, even if you are making a Qurbani on behalf of someone else. Simply making the intention that you are giving this Qurbani on behalf of a certain person is sufficient.
The time for sacrifice ends when the sun sets on the fourth day. Therefore, you can make payments right up until the end of the third day after Eid (13th of Dhul-Hijjah) before Maghreb salah. Islamic Relief has already purchased the animals to be slaughtered.
It is advisable to give as early as possible. Islamic Relief implements our Qurbani over 4 days (10th to 13th DhulHijjah). We purchase the animals to be slaughtered in advance based on forecasted quotas. Hence if you give a Qurbani on any of these days, the Qurbani will be carried out in time.
Cost
Admin charges are necessary in order to perform the Qurbani as they cover the cost of transportation, slaughtering, cutting, packing, distribution and hire of staff as well as organisational support costs.
Yes, all the various expenses such as the cost of the animal, slaughter, butchering, transportation, storage, selection of the beneficiaries, and distribution are included in the price.
How Qurbani is performed
Qurbanis are performed through Islamic Relief field offices who purchase and slaughter animals locally. If there are problems with livestock supply in a particular country (due to limited local supply, natural disaster etc.) then animals are sourced and slaughtered abroad, and then shipped to the affected countries. All animals are sacrificed according to Islamic guidelines.
Animals chosen in a country are dependent upon:
Miscellaneous Questions
Islamic Relief performs Qurbani as part of our overall seasonal programme. Therefore, the people who benefit in Ramadan and from our general projects, Insha’Allah, would also benefit from Qurbani. This allows us to focus our efforts and help the same people to improve their lives, rather than providing small amounts of help occasionally but not achieving great successes.
We are not able to carry out Qurbani for specific orphans; the scale of the operation makes this exceptionally difficult. However, orphans are a high priority in our programmes; therefore they not only benefit from donors’ sponsorship, but also benefit from receiving other support in Ramadan and Qurbani.
It is recommended for the one who wants to offer a sacrifice, once the new moon of DhulHijjah appears (i.e. on the 1st of DhulHijjah), not to remove anything from his hair, nails or skin, until he has offered the sacrifice.
It would be better if people did not visit, as on the day our teams on the ground are extremely busy with slaughtering the animals, dividing them, packing the meat, transporting it to villages and distributing the Qurbani packages. Therefore, our teams will not have the capacity or time to host individuals. However, if you are at the locations where the Qurbani is being distributed then you are welcome to observe. To demonstrate our distributions to donors, we will share photographs of some of our distributions around the world on our website and social media channels.