Udhiyah Meaning: What Is Udhiyah and How Is It Different from Qurbani?
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Udhiyah (أُضْحِيَّة) is the Arabic word for the animal sacrificed for Allah on the days of Eid al-Adha. Qurbani is the word for the same act in Urdu, Bengali and Persian. The rules are identical: a sheep, goat, cow or camel of the right age, slaughtered after the Eid prayer between 10 and 12 Dhul Hijjah.
If you have read fiqh books in Arabic or English, you have probably seen the word Udhiyah. If your family is from South Asia, you probably grew up saying Qurbani. They mean the same thing.
Udhiyah meaning in English
In English, Udhiyah means the animal sacrificed on the days of Eid al-Adha to draw closer to Allah. The plural is adahi. It is sometimes spelled udhiya, uḍḥiyah or odhiya.
Where the word comes from
Udhiyah comes from the Arabic root d-h-a, which gives us duha, the mid-morning. The animal takes its name from the time of the sacrifice: the morning of Eid, after the Eid prayer. Eid al-Adha itself comes from the same root, which is why it means the Festival of Sacrifice.
Udhiyah vs Qurbani
| Udhiyah | Qurbani | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Arabic, used in fiqh | Urdu, Bengali, Persian, Hindi |
| Root meaning | Mid-morning, the time of sacrifice | Nearness to Allah (from qurban) |
| What it refers to | The Eid al-Adha sacrifice | The Eid al-Adha sacrifice |
| Rules | Same | Same |
One small difference: in Arabic, qurban can mean any offering made to get closer to Allah, not only the Eid sacrifice. In everyday South Asian use, though, Qurbani always means the Eid al-Adha sacrifice. Our guide to what Qurbani is covers its history and meaning.
Udhiyah is not Aqiqah or Hady
- Aqiqah is the sacrifice for a newborn child, which can be done at any time of year.
- Hady is the animal sacrificed by pilgrims as part of Hajj, in Makkah.
- Dhabihah is the method of halal slaughter, which applies to all meat.
The basis in the Quran and Sunnah
Allah says: “So pray to your Lord and sacrifice” (Surah Al-Kawthar 108:2). The Udhiyah remembers Ibrahim (AS), who was ready to sacrifice his son when commanded and was given a ram in his place. The Prophet ﷺ sacrificed every year, and said: “Whoever has the means and does not sacrifice, let him not come near our place of prayer” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3123, graded hasan).
The purpose is not the meat: “It is not their meat or their blood that reaches Allah. It is your devotion that reaches Him” (Surah Al-Hajj 22:37).
Is Udhiyah obligatory?
In the Hanafi school, Udhiyah is wajib for every adult, sane, resident Muslim who owns the nisab during the days of Eid. The Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools hold it is a confirmed Sunnah: highly encouraged, and disliked to leave if you can afford it. A traveller doesn’t owe it in the Hanafi school but may still give it. For the full detail, see is Qurbani mandatory?
The main Udhiyah rules
The animal
| Animal | Minimum age | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Sheep | 1 year, or 6 months if well grown (Hanafi) | 1 person |
| Goat | 1 year | 1 person |
| Cow, bull or buffalo | 2 years | Up to 7 people |
| Camel | 5 years | Up to 7 people |
It must not be clearly blind, clearly sick, badly lame or extremely thin (Sunan Abu Dawud 2802). Scholars also exclude an animal with a horn broken at the root, a large part of an ear missing or most of its teeth gone.
The time
From after the Eid prayer on 10 Dhul Hijjah until sunset on the 12th, or the 13th in the Shafi’i school. In 2027 the 10th is expected on Sunday, May 16 in the US and UK. See the Eid al-Adha 2027 date.
The slaughter
The animal must be alive. A Muslim says Bismillahi Allahu Akbar and cuts the windpipe, food pipe and jugular veins with a sharp knife. The animal shouldn’t see the blade being sharpened or another animal being slaughtered. If pre-stunning kills the animal before the cut, there is no Udhiyah.
The meat
It is recommended to keep a third, give a third to relatives and friends, and give a third to the poor. Giving it all to the poor is also fine. Nothing from the animal may be sold, and the butcher is paid in money, not meat.
All of this is covered step by step in the Qurbani rules.
Giving your Udhiyah online
Appointing someone to sacrifice for you, called wakalah, is valid in every school. That is how most Muslims in the West give their Udhiyah today. It means you can choose where your meat goes and avoid abattoirs that stun.
With Qurbani Charity, your Udhiyah is slaughtered by hand in rural Bangladesh after the Eid prayer, with no stunning. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families. A cow share is $170, a sheep $175 and a goat $200, and you get photos and video of your animal.
Quick questions
Is an Udhiyah donation the same as a Qurbani donation? Yes. They are two names for the same thing.
How do you pronounce Udhiyah? Roughly ud-HEE-yah, with a heavy “d” sound.
Can I give Udhiyah for my late parents? Yes, you can give one in their name.
Can a cow be shared for Udhiyah? Yes, by up to seven people.
To see how the process works from start to finish, read about our Udhiyah and Qurbani donation, or reserve your Udhiyah now.
Give your Qurbani with us
We buy healthy animals of the right age in rural Bangladesh and slaughter them by hand after the Eid prayer, with no stunning. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families, and you get photos and video of your animal.
Reserve from $170 How our Qurbani donation worksDates are estimates based on astronomical calculations and the Umm al-Qura calendar, and depend on the moon sighting. Hadith references include the collection and number so you can check them. Where a narration is graded weak, we say so. Scholars differ on some details, so ask a local scholar about your own situation.
