Qurbani Eid: What Happens on Eid al-Adha and How to Give

In many South Asian homes there are two Eids: “meethi Eid” (sweet Eid) after Ramadan, and “Qurbani Eid” or “Bakra Eid” a couple of months later. Qurbani Eid is Eid al-Adha.

What happens on Qurbani Eid

1. The day before: the Day of Arafah. Many people fast, and the takbeer after every fard prayer begins at Fajr.
2. Morning: ghusl, best clothes, and no food until after the prayer.
3. The Eid prayer: two rak’ahs with extra takbeers, then the khutbah. See how to pray the Eid al-Adha prayer.
4. The Qurbani: animals are slaughtered after the prayer. The first meal of the day is often from the Qurbani meat.
5. Sharing: the meat is divided between the household, relatives and neighbours, and the poor.
6. The next days: Qurbani can continue until sunset on the 12th. Families visit each other through the days of Tashreeq.

Why the sacrifice is at the centre of the day

Qurbani remembers Ibrahim (AS), who was ready to sacrifice his son Ismail (AS) when Allah commanded it, until Allah ransomed him with a ram. The Prophet ﷺ made it a central act of the day: “The first thing we do on this day of ours is pray, then we go back and sacrifice” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5545). And he was firm about it: “Whoever has the means and does not sacrifice, let him not come near our place of prayer” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3123, graded hasan).

But the meat is not the point. “It is not their meat or their blood that reaches Allah. It is your devotion that reaches Him” (Surah Al-Hajj 22:37).

Eid Adha Qurbani rules in brief

• Who: in the Hanafi school, every adult Muslim who owns the nisab. In the other schools it is a confirmed Sunnah. See is Qurbani mandatory?
• What: a goat or sheep (one person each), or a share of a cow, buffalo or camel (up to seven people).
• Age: goat 1 year, sheep 1 year (or 6 months if well grown, Hanafi), cattle 2 years, camel 5 years.
• Health: not clearly blind, sick, lame or emaciated (Sunan Abu Dawud 2802).
• When: after the Eid prayer on the 10th, until sunset on the 12th (13th for Shafi’is).
• How: alive, with a sharp knife, saying Bismillahi Allahu Akbar. No stunning that kills or knocks the animal out first.

For more detail on each point, read the Qurbani rules. For the meaning of the Arabic term, see Udhiyah meaning.

The reward

A narration in Jami’ at-Tirmidhi (1493) says that no deed on the Day of Sacrifice is dearer to Allah than the sacrifice, and that its blood is accepted by Allah before it reaches the ground. At-Tirmidhi graded it hasan, although some later scholars weaken its chain. The idea that you are rewarded for every hair of the animal comes from a narration graded weak (Sunan Ibn Majah 3127).

Qurbani Eid away from home

For families in the US, UK, Canada or Australia, Qurbani Eid often looks different. There is no backyard slaughter, abattoirs usually stun, and there are few poor families nearby to give meat to. Most people now make a Qurbani donation to a charity that slaughters abroad on their behalf. That is valid in all four schools, as long as the charity follows the rules.

With us, your animal is bought and checked in rural Bangladesh and slaughtered by hand after the Eid prayer there, with no stunning. The meat is given out fresh to Rohingya refugees and poor families, and you get photos and video. A cow share is $170, a sheep $175, a goat $200 and a whole cow $1,190.

Quick questions

Is Qurbani Eid the same as Bakrid? Yes. Bakrid, Bakra Eid, Qurbani Eid, Eid al-Adha and Eid ul Adha are all the same day.

Can I give my Qurbani after Eid day? Yes, on the 11th or 12th (or 13th for Shafi’is). The first day is best.

Do I need to watch my Qurbani? It is recommended to be present if you slaughter locally, but it isn’t required. Appointing someone is valid.

When you’re ready, see how to give your Qurbani donation with us, or go straight to reserve your Qurbani.