What Are the Conditions of Qurban? A Comprehensive Fiqh Guide

The conditions of Qurban are among the fundamental fiqh matters that every Muslim obliged to sacrifice a qurban as an act of worship must know in advance. Referred to as udhiyyah in classical fiqh sources, this act of worship consists of slaughtering an animal during the days of Eid al-Adha under specific conditions, with the purpose of drawing closer (taqarrub) to Allah the Almighty. This guide covers the religious foundations of qurban, to whom it is wajib, the characteristics to look for when selecting an animal, and the time and method of slaughter based on fiqh sources.

The Definition and Religious Foundation of Qurban Worship

Qurban is the worship of slaughtering specific animals during the days of Eid al-Adha to draw closer (taqarrub) to Allah. For detailed information on the definition, importance, and religious foundations of qurban: What is Qurban? →

The Conditions of Qurban: To Whom It Is Wajib

According to the Hanafi school of thought, the conditions of qurban are examined under two main headings: conditions of wujub (which determine who is held responsible for qurban) and conditions of sihhah (the conditions required in the animal and the slaughtering method for the qurban to be considered valid).

Conditions of Wujub (Conditions of Being Responsible for Qurban)

Slaughtering a qurban is wajib for Muslims who meet the following four conditions:

1. Being a Muslim: The worship of qurban is made wajib only for Muslims.
2. Being free: It is not wajib for those in the status of slaves or captives.
3. Being a resident (muqim): Qurban is not wajib for travelers who are considered safar.
4. Possessing the nisab amount of wealth: Qurban is wajib for anyone who possesses approximately 80.14 grams of gold or equivalent wealth in excess of their basic needs and debts. Unlike zakat, this wealth does not have to be increasing (nami), nor does a year have to pass over it.

Failure to slaughter a qurban by a Muslim who meets all four of these conditions entails a significant responsibility from a fiqh perspective. Qurban is not wajib for the poor and those who are safar. Regarding the issue of small children, according to the narration preferred by Imam al-Quduri, it is considered wajib for a wealthy father to slaughter a qurban on behalf of his small children as well.

Conditions of Sihhah Required in the Qurban Animal

Which Animals Can Be Sacrificed? Species and Age Condition

The animals that can be sacrificed and the minimum ages required for each are determined as follows:

• Sheep and goat: Must have completed at least 1 year of age. However, a 6-month-old lamb can be slaughtered as a qurban if it looks as large and fat as a 1-year-old sheep.
• Cattle and buffalo: Must have completed at least 2 years of age.
• Camel: Must have completed at least 5 years of age.

While small animals (sheep and goats) are considered as a qurban for one person, up to seven people can share large animals (cattle, buffalo, camels). In this partnership, it is a condition that each partner’s intention is worship (wajib qurban, nafl qurban, aqiqah, etc.); if there is someone who enters the partnership for the purpose of trade, the qurban reward of the others becomes debatable.

Defects That Prevent Qurban

Animals with the following characteristics cannot be slaughtered as a qurban:

• Those blind in one or both eyes
• Those so lame they cannot walk to the slaughtering place
• Those whose bone marrow has dried up due to extreme thinness
• Those with more than half of their ear or tail cut off
• Sheep and goats with one dried udder, cattle with two dried udders
• Those that have lost all their teeth or enough to prevent them from grazing
• Wild (non-domestic) animals such as deer and gazelles

Defects That Do Not Prevent Qurban

Some defects do not affect the validity of the qurban. Having small ears, being hornless or having slightly broken horns, having pierced or branded ears, or having a level of scabies that allows it to feed itself are among such partial defects. On the other hand, the sacrifice of sterilized and castrated animals is also permissible.

When Is Qurban Slaughtered? Time of Slaughter and the Condition of Eid Prayer

Qurban can be slaughtered on the first, second, and third days of Eid al-Adha. The time for qurban ends with the setting of the sun on the third day. These three days are called ayyam al-nahr.

In cities, it is not permissible to slaughter the qurban before the Eid prayer is performed. In places where Eid prayer is not performed, such as villages and rural areas, slaughtering can be done with the break of dawn. If someone residing in the city wants to send their qurban to the rural area, the break of dawn is taken as the basis for the slaughtering place in the rural area.

Qurban Slaughter Prayers (Arabic and English)

When slaughtering a qurban, it is mustahabb to make an intention and recite the following prayer and verses.

English Intention: “O Lord, I have intended to slaughter a qurban for Your noble pleasure. I am slaughtering this qurban which You have bestowed upon me as a substitute for my feeble body.”

Verse of Intention — Al-An’am, 6/162 (Arabic):

إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ

Inna salati wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahi rabbil ‘alamin, la sharika lah.

Takbir (At the Moment of Slaughter): “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar. Allahu akbar wa lillahil-hamd. Bismillahi Allahu akbar.”

It is a condition to say the Basmalah during the slaughter; if the Basmalah is intentionally omitted, the meat of the slaughtered animal becomes haram. In addition, at least three of the animal’s trachea, esophagus, and two jugular veins must be cut.

How Is Qurban Meat Distributed?

Dividing the qurban meat into three is a mustahabb (recommended) practice:

• One third is given as sadaqah to the poor and needy.
• One third is offered to friends, relatives, and neighbors.
• The remaining third can be kept for family members.

In the case of sharing large animals, the meat must be distributed by weighing it (with a scale); dividing it by estimation by eye is not permissible. However, if additional parts such as skin, head, or feet are added to the meat, division by estimation becomes permissible.

The skin of the qurban cannot be sold. According to the hadith of the Prophet (PBUH), the person who sells the skin of their qurban has no reward for the qurban. The skin can be given as sadaqah to the poor or can be turned into a permanent item at home, such as a rug or a prayer mat.

The Wisdom Behind Qurban Worship

According to Islamic scholars, the main wisdoms of the qurban worship are as follows:

• Submission to Allah: The essence of qurban is not to obtain meat, but to submit to the command of Allah.
• Social solidarity: Through the sharing of meat, the poor also partake in the joy of Eid; thus, social brotherhood is strengthened.
• Means of expiation for sins: The shed blood has been made a means to attain the forgiveness of Allah.
• Historical and spiritual meaning: This act of worship ensures that the example of complete submission displayed by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his son Prophet Ismail (AS) towards Allah is kept alive for generations.