of Qurbani Choice of Animal Examples of animals that can be slaughtered in order of righteousness are camels, cows, sheep and goats. The choice of animal is not restricted to its gender, however the animal must be in free from any disability, it must be healthy and above a certain age.
Shares within Qurbani Qurbani animals are bought in shares. Sheep and goats have only one share whereas cows and camels have 7 shares. Therefore a single person’s qurbani can be fulfilled with a sheep or goat whereas 7 peoples Qurbani will be fulfilled with a cow or sheep.
Who is obliged to offer Qurbani? Qurbani is ‘wajib’ (compulsory) on every Muslim who is mature (has reached puberty), who is of a sound state of mind and who possesses 613.35 grams of silver or its equivalent in money, personal ornaments, stock in trade or any other form of wealth which is beyond his/ her basic needs. Each adult member of a family who possesses that much wealth must offer his/her own ‘Qurbani’ separately.
When is Qurbani performed? Qurbani can be performed on the 10th, 11th and 12th day of Dhul Hijjah. However , it is best performed on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah and is only accepted after the completion of the Eid prayers. If the three days have passed and
a person is unable to perform their sacrifice, then they should give the price of their Qurbani as sadaqah. Pilgrims of Hajj must offer their Qurbani after the stoning of the jamarat (pillars representing shaytan) and before the cutting of their hair in the haram.
The Sunnah Method of Qurbani It is preferable for a Muslim to slaughter the animal of Qurbani with his/her own hands. Nevertheless, if one is not able to do so then they may request someone else to carry out the Qurbani on their behalf. In this instance, it is preferable that they are present at the time of slaughter, however their absence does not render their qurbani invalid. It is a Sunnah to lay the animal with its face towards the Qiblah, and to recite the following verse of the Holy Quran: 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. ( Al-An’am, 6:79)
Distribution of the meat from the Qurbani Although the person offering a Qurbani is permitted to keep all its meat for their own use, it is preferable to distribute the meat into three. One-third should be distributed among the poor, one-third should be given to their relatives and the final third should be kept for personal use. However no product of the Qurbani can be sold.
Hajj Brochure 2014 | Islam Channel
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