Qurbani FAQs

What types of Qurbani meat does Islamic Relief provide?

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.

How is a Qurbani volume decided? Is it a cow or a sheep?

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 Qurbanis (One Qurbani equals 1/7th of the share).

Who needs to perform Qurbani?

According to most Muslims, Qurbani is obligatory upon every sane adult Muslim male/female who has wealth in excess to his/her needs. Normally those who are eligible to pay Zakat are obliged to give Qurbani.

If I pay for Qurbani on behalf of someone else, will their name be called out at the time of the slaughter?

No, as Islamic Relief is conducting hundreds of thousands of Qurbanis around the world, 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.

How does Islamic Relief decide who is the most needy when distributing Qurbani meat?

It is the policy of Islamic Relief that the selected beneficiaries of the Qurbani 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:

  • Families who live on less than the minimum income for that particular country (40 points)
  • Female-headed households (20 points)
  • Families with disabled and/or elderly persons (10 points)
  • Children under five years old (5 points)
  • Pregnant women (5 points)
  • Lactating mothers (5 points)
  • Families with little or no access to the market (5 points)

It is the policy of Islamic Relief to distribute only one Qurbani meat pack to each family regardless of family size.

Can Qurbani meat be sent to my village in a particular country?

Islamic Relief performs Qurbani as part of our overall aid effort. 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 out of poverty and to improve their lives, rather than providing small amounts of help occasionally but not achieving greater successes.

Can I make my Qurbani donation towards the orphan I’m sponsoring?

We are not able to carry out Qurbanis for specific orphans because the scale of the operation would make this logistically exceptionally difficult. Donors can still carry out a general Qurbani through the normal channels and pay the normal price. However, orphans do represent a category of high priority in all our programmes; therefore they not only benefit from donors’ sponsorship, but also benefit from receiving other support in Ramadan and Qurbani.

What days will the Qurbani be performed?

The slaughter will take place from after the Eid prayer on Eid al-Adha (10th Dhul Hijjah) and ends at sunset of the 13th Dhul Hijjah. 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.

When should we give money for Qurbani?

It is advisable to give as early as possible Islamic Relief implement our Qurbanis over 4 days (10th to 13th Dhul Hijjah). 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.

When can I make my Qurbani payments until?

The time for sacrifice ends when the sun sets on the fourth day. You can make payments right up until the end of third day after Eid (13th of Dhul-Hijjah) before Maghreb salah. Islamic Relief has already purchased the animals to be slaughtered.

Do I have to perform Qurbani on behalf of my children?

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:

  • Every sane Muslim of mature age (who has reached puberty)
  • Non-travelling persons
  • Those who additionally own wealth which is beyond their needs, equal to (or more than) the current level of nisab (87.48 grams of gold or 612.35 grams of silver)

Do you need to give all the names of the people who are giving Qurbanis?

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.

How are your prices defined? Some prices appear more expensive than others.

Since Qurbani is an act of worship that is the most beloved to Allah (SWT) during the days of Tashreek, it is important that one offers the best possible offering. Therefore Islamic Relief adopts high quality standards when it comes to selecting the sacrificial animals. Standards cover health, weight (meat yielded) and age.

We would also like our brothers and sisters in need around the world to receive the best quality Qurbanis because the believer is asked to love for his brother/sister that which he/she loves for him/herself. These high standards therefore come at a higher cost which in turn further supports economic development of our Qurbani farmers.

Islamic Relief always tries to reach the neediest of people in the most remote areas where the communities are hard to reach. Transporting meat to hard-to-reach rural areas incurs higher transportation costs which affects the Qurbani price. Current situations in certain countries with conflict or natural disasters also add to the cost.

How can we really be sure that the Qurbanis we pay for in some of the poorest countries are actually taking place?

Islamic Relief has been performing Qurbanis 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.

Can I visit the place where the Qurbani takes place as I will be in the country at that time?

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 individuals are present at the locations where the Qurbani is being distributed then they 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.

How are Qurbanis performed at Islamic Relief?

Qurbanis are performed through Islamic Relief field offices in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Islamic Relief field offices 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.

For one who intends to offer a sacrifice, when should he stop clipping his nails?

It is prescribed for the one who wants to offer a sacrifice, once the new moon of Dhul Hijjah appears (i.e. on the 1st of Dhul Hijjah), not to remove anything from his hair, nails or skin, until he has offered the sacrifice.

Why can’t we have an animal of our choice sacrificed?

Animals chosen in a country are dependent upon;

  • The suitability of the meat to the local diet
  • The cost of the animal
  • The location and the availability of animals
  • The quality of the meat

Are all the costs included in the price?

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.

Why does Islamic Relief include an admin charge in its Qurbani pricing?

Admin charges are necessary in order to perform the Qurbanis as they cover the cost of transportation, slaughtering, cutting, packing, distribution and hire of staff as well as organisational support costs.

Is it allowed to do more than one Qurbani?

You may wish to undertake one Qurbani in the UK with Islamic Relief and one abroad as an example and this is permissible. It is allowed to offer more than one sacrifice as the Prophet (SAW) himself carried out multiple Qurbanis for himself and the Ummah. Many Muslims offer multiple Qurbanis on behalf of the Prophet (SAW) and for deceased parents.

FAQs: SA Qurbani

If I pay for a Qurbani in South Africa, can I distribute the meat myself?

To ensure compliance with food safety and health and safety standards on this scale of distribution, we will not be able to deliver meat to individuals for distribution. The distributions will be carried out by partner organisations.

How will the Qurbani be performed?

All lambs purchased for Qurbani through Islamic Relief will be traditionally slaughtered in accordance with the Prophetic tradition.

How will the SA Qurbani meat get distributed?

The meat from SA Qurbani will be packed and delivered to local partner organisations who will distribute the meat in the homeless people, homeless shelters and refugees.

Can Qurbani be performed and distributed in South Africa?

Yes, Qurbani can be performed in SA. Islamic Relief’s SA Qurbani programme aims to provide high-quality fresh lamb and your contribution will help to ensure that families and individuals who are struggling to make ends meet are not forgotten at the time of Eid.

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