Mufti Ahmadul Qaderi Misbahi :
To slaughter (zabeh) a specific animal in the days of Nahr as commanded by Allah is called qurbani.
The qurbani is the Sunnat of Sayeduna Ibrahim (Alaihis Salam). Muslims were told to do Qurbani. Allah Tabaraka wa Ta’la says : “Therefore offer prayer for your Lord, and do the sacrifice.” (Quran 110:2)
Zaid bin Arqam (RA) narrates, the Sahaba-e-kiram asked the beloved Prophet (Swallallahu alaihi wa sallam), “Ya Rasoolullah, what is qurbani?”
He said, “This is the Sunnat of your father Ibraheem (Alahis Salam).”
Sahaba said, “Ya Rasoolullah, what sawab will we get in this?”
He said, “A virtue for every hair (on the animal).” (Ahmad, Ibne Majah)
Aisha (R A) narrates that Rasoolullah (SA) said, “There is no dearer deed of Ibne Adam in the days of qurbani than flowing the blood (doing qurbani) and that animal will come with its horns, hairs, and hooves on the day of qiyamat. The blood of the qurbani reaches the stage of acceptance before it reaches the floor”. (Tirmizi, Ibne Majah)
Abu Hurairah (R A) narrates, the beloved Prophet (SA) said, “Whoever has the means and does not do qurbani should not come near our place of Eid”. (Ibne Majah)
Ibne Abbas (RA) narrates that the beloved Prophet (SA) said, “there is no dearer wealth than the wealth which is spent on qurbani on the day of Eid.” (Tabrani)
Imam Ahmad (R) narrates that the beloved Prophet (SA) said, “The best qurbani is the one which is expensive in price and fat.” (Imam Ahmad)
Sayeduna Ali (Karamallahu wajhahu) narrates that the beloved Prophet (SA) said, “Four animals are not proper for qurbani :
1) One eyed whose one eyedness is evident, 2) Ill whose illness is visible, 3) Crippled whose crippledness is visible, 4) Thin whose bones don’t have marrow.
(Imam Ahmad, Tirmizi, Abu Dawood, Nasayee, Ibne Majah, Darmi)
Ali (Karamallahu wajhahu) narrates : “Rasoolullah (SA) stopped us from qurbani of [an animal] whose ears were cut and horns were broken”. (Imam Ahmad, Ibne Majah)
Abdullah Ibn Masood (RA) narrates that the beloved Prophet (SA) said, “In qurbani, a cow is from seven and a camel is from seven.” (Tabrani)
Ibne Abbas (RA)) said, “Rasoolullah (SA) stopped us from qurbani in the night.”
Umme Salma (RA) narrates that the beloved Prophet (SA) said, “When you see the moon of Zul Hijjah and any one of you wants to offer qurbani, he should stop from shaving or cutting his hair and trimming his nails”. (Muslim)
Abdullah Ibne Umar (RA) narrates that the beloved Prophet (SA) said, “I have been ordered for the Yaomul Adha (The Day of Adha), Allah has made this day an Eid for the Ummat”.
A Sahabi asked, “Ya Rasoolullah, tell me if I have no animal besides a maneeha, can I do qurbani with it?
He said, “No, but cut your hair, nails, and mustache and shave the hair below the navel, in this your qurbani will be fulfilled near Allah.” (Abu Dawood, Nasayee). That is, whoever does not have the means to do qurbani will get the reward for qurbani by doing these things.
With regard to qurbani, Sahibul Nisab is the person who
A. Owns 52 ½ taula of silver (612.4 grams, 19.75 ounces) or 7 ½ taula of gold (87.48 grams, 2.82 ounces).
B. Or owns the equivalent of the price of these in business possessions or non-business possessions
C. Or owns equivalent of naqd [cash] or money
And the owned possessions are more than the hajate asalia (explained in the next masala)
Hajate asalia, that is, the things which are necessary for a livelihood. Possessions of these things does not make Qurbani nor Zakat wajib. Like the house to live in, the clothes to wear in the summer and winter, possessions, the household, animals or cars for transportation, equipment for work, and books for the people of knowledge.
By books it is meant the Quran, Hadith, Usool of Hadith, Usool of Fiqh, Ilme Kalam, Akhlaq and other religious books. Just like this, books of medicine are hajate asalia for a doctor.
Besides this, more than copy of books such as religious books, Nahw, Sarf, Nujoom, Stories, Deewan, and other books are not hajate asalia. If their value reaches nisab, then qurbani is wajib.
Quran Majeed is not hajate asalia for a Hafiz.
Qurbani is not wajib on a musafir (traveler) even if he is wealthy. Although, if he wishes to do qurbani for nafl reward then he may do so.
If a woman has jewelry given to her by her father or any other possession which she owns, which reaches the value of nisab, then qurbani is wajib on her also. This is the order of every year.
If a malikun nisab (owner of nisab) does qurbani in his name at one time and if he is a malikun nisab the next year then it is wajib on him to do qurbani [for that year]. This is the order of every year. (Tirmizi)
If malikun nisab does qurbani in someone else’s name besides himself and not in his name then he is a grave sinner. So, if one wants to do qurbani for someone else then he should make arrangements for another qurbani for other person.
Male or female camel, cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, and ram are all permissible.
A camel must of be 5 years, a cow and buffalo of 2 years, a goat, sheep, and ram of 1 year. If the animal is younger than this then qurbani is not permissible, if older than this then it is permissible, in fact it is better.
It is wajib for a Sahibun Nisab to slaughter one goat or to slaughter a seventh of camel, cow, and buffalo. It is not permissible to slaughter less than one seventh of the animal.
To slaughter more than a seventh is permissible such as five or six persons slaughtering a cow or buffalo, rather, one person may do qurbani of a whole cow.
The time for qurbani is from the dusk of dawn on the 10th of Zul Hijjah to the sunset of the 12th of Zul Hijjah, that is, two days and three nights.
The best date for qurbani is the 10th of Zul Hijjah, then 11th, and then the 12th.
It is not permissible to do qurbani before the Salah of Eid.
One may eat the meat of qurbani himself/herself or give it to a poor or feed them, rather, it is mustahab (better) that the one who has done the qurbani also eats some from the meat.
It is best for the one who does qurbani not to eat or drink anything on the 10th of Zul Hijjah and when the qurbani is done, one eats from it’s meat.
It is better to divide the meat into three parts in such a way that one for the fuqara and masakeen (the poor and needy), one part for the friends and relatives, and one part for his/her own household.
If one does qurbani on behalf of a deceased person then he may eat the meat himself and feed it to his friends and relatives, that is, if the deceased had not made waseeah (willed) this qurbani otherwise give all in sadaqa.
If the qurbani is done because of a vow then one can not eat the meat oneself nor can he feed to the wealthy rather it is wajib to give it in sadaqa, the vower may be a wealthy or poor person.
It is not permissible to give the leather or meat or any part of it to the butcher or to the one who did the slaughter (for you) as a payment.
It is not permissible to sell the skin of the animal and bring the money into personal use.
Many people give the skin to madarsas which is a afdal (best) and the means of getting great reward. At times, it is difficult to send the skin to the madarsas, so people sell the skin and send the money to the madarsas which is also acceptable.
Four arteries are to be cut whilst slaughtering. If three of the four arteries are cut or most of the each four arteries are cut then the slaughterd animal is halal.
Place the animal of qurbani on the left side in such a way that its’ face is towards the qibla and put the left leg on its side. And say the dua before slaughtering. Then slaughter the animal with a sharp knife.
To slaughter in such a way that the knife reaches the haram magz (spinal cord) or that the head comes off is makrooh (undesirable. But the animal can be eaten, that is, the undesirability is with this action, not with the zabeh (slaughter).
(Translated by : Omair Abdul Jabbar Qaderi)
