Regulations on Qurban

Millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Adha is two months and ten days after Eid al-Fitr, and Muslims, by offering the sacrifice of "qurban", show gratitude to the Lord for the blessings in this earthly world, and by this act, Muslims show that they are ready to sacrifice their property.
The Patria Agency conveys a more detailed explanation of qurban, by dr. Senaid Zajimović, director of the Vakuf Directorate in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Definition of Qurban

In a terminological sense, qurban means: "To slaughter a camel, cow, sheep, or goat on the days of Eid, at a specific time, wishing to draw closer to Almighty Allah through this act."

Almighty Allah mentions the ruling of qurban in several places in the Quran. In the surah "Al-Kawthar", He said: "Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], abundant good. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]." Before the imperative about the obligation of sacrificing qurban, the Almighty mentions how He has given man "abundant good". The qurban we sacrifice is certainly one of the goods He has bestowed upon us. By offering the sacrifice of qurban, we sacrifice livestock and the blessing that Allah has granted us.

In the surah "Al-Hajj", Almighty Allah said: "And the sacrificial offering of camels and cattle We have made for you out of the symbols of Allah, wherein is good for you. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]; and when they are fallen on their sides, eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar. Thus have We made them subject to you that you may be grateful." Allah has subjected everything to us, including this livestock that we slaughter in His name. He wants to see our readiness to sacrifice. He does not ask much of us, because He has already given us what we will sacrifice. We are only asked for readiness to sacrifice. Such was the example of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), to whom, at the moment he expressed his readiness to sacrifice his son Ismail (peace be upon him), Almighty Allah sent a large ram as a substitute for his son.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no deed that a person can do on the day of Eid that is more beloved to Allah than shedding the blood of a qurban. The sacrificed animal will come on the Day of Judgment with its horns, hooves, and wool (hair). The blood of the qurban reaches Allah (is accepted by Allah) before it falls to the ground. So rejoice in the qurban." (Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi).

Who is obligated to sacrifice a qurban?

A qurban is obligated for an adult, sane, free, and financially capable Muslim. By financially capable Muslim, it is meant a person whose regular needs allow them to set aside wealth for sacrificing a qurban. This group includes those who have the money to sacrifice a qurban and do not need it for other urgent and unavoidable matters. Then, those who have the money and do not need it for the days of Eid. As well as those who, if they are able to borrow, can borrow for the qurban if they have the ability to repay the debt.

The meaning of prescribing qurban

a) Gratitude to Allah for the blessings He has bestowed upon us.

b) Evoking the memory of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and his son Ismail, who showed us an example of readiness to sacrifice for the Lord of the worlds.

c) Providing food for the days of Eid and afterwards.

d) Drawing closer to Allah and attaining His favor.

What can be sacrificed as a qurban?

A camel, cow, goat, and sheep can be sacrificed as a qurban. The condition is that the camel sacrificed as a qurban must be five years old. A cow should be two years old and have entered its third year. A goat should be one year old and have entered its second year. A sheep (ram) should be one year old and have entered its second year. It is permissible to sacrifice a six-month-old sheep if it is well-developed and a sheep of one year or older cannot be found.

Livestock with the following defects is not permissible to sacrifice as a qurban:

- severely ill, unable to reach the place of slaughter on its own,

- blind or completely sightless,

- lame, unable to walk on its own,

- with a horn, tail, or ear broken from the root,

- excessively thin, or toothless.

Almighty Allah said: "O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth. And do not intend the خبث (khabith - evil) of that which you spend, while you would not take it [in trade] except with closed eyes. And know that Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy." (Al-Baqarah, 267)

Time of sacrificing qurban

Qurban has a strictly defined time for sacrifice. It is sacrificed on the first day of Eid after the Eid prayer and can be sacrificed until sunset on the third day of Eid. It is narrated from Bara ibn Azib that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The first thing we will do on this day is the Eid prayer, and then we will return and sacrifice our qurbans. Whoever does this has followed our Sunnah, and whoever sacrifices the qurban before this time, it is simply meat that he has provided for his family. There is nothing of the Sunnah in such an act."

Zajimović also explained the customs that have become established in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Namely, there is no such thing as "qurban for the deceased," nor is there a ritual sacrifice of qurban on the eve of Eid. Qurban is not prescribed for the deceased, and when they die, their heir is not obligated to sacrifice a qurban for them, unless the deceased willed that a certain amount be set aside from their property each year in the name of qurban and that a qurban be sacrificed. The meat from such a qurban is not kept but is distributed to the poor.

Joining in one qurban

It is permissible for more than one person to join in one qurban if it is a camel or a cow. A sheep and a goat are sacrificed for one person only, and joining is not permitted.

Method of sacrificing qurban

Muhammad (peace be upon him) personally sacrificed his qurban. Muslims are obligated to act when sacrificing a qurban as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did.

The qurban is laid on its left side, facing the Qibla if possible, with all four or at least three legs tied, and with a sharp knife, the two main blood vessels, the trachea, and the larynx are quickly severed.

Before the actual slaughter, one should say: "Bismillahi Allahu ekber" (In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest), and if possible, something more, especially what Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself used to say: "Vedždžehtu vedžhije lillezi feteressemavati vel erda hanifen ve ma ene minel-mušrikin. Inne salati ve nusuki ve mahjaje ve memati lillahi rabbil alemin. La šerike lehu ve bi zalike umirtu ve ene evvelul - muslimin. Allahume minke ve leke 'an Muhamedin ve ummetihi. Bismillahi Allahu ekber." "I have turned my face towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, inclined to truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah. Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. With this I have been commanded, and I am of the Muslims. O Allah, from You and to You, on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah. In the name of Allah. Allah is the Greatest."

Whoever does not know anything to recite is sufficient to say: "Bismillahi", and even if they forget, the qurban is valid. Intentionally omitting the mention of Allah's name results in the invalidity of the slaughter itself, making the qurban void.

Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned his companions not to torment the qurban during slaughter, so he asked that preparations, such as sharpening the knife, be done in advance. Skinning should be delayed until it is certain that the qurban is dead and all the blood that should flow has flowed.

How is the qurban meat distributed

One part is kept for the needs of the household, another part is distributed to neighbors, relatives, and friends, and a third part is distributed to the poor. It is permissible to distribute all the qurban meat as charity, just as it is permissible to keep all of it for household needs and not distribute any of it if the host is poor.

Payment for slaughtering services

It is best if a person can personally slaughter their qurban with their own hand. However, if for certain reasons a person cannot slaughter their qurban, let someone else do it for them, but it must not be a non-Muslim. According to the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Only a Muslim can slaughter a qurban." If there is no Muslim who can slaughter it, it is permissible for a Christian or a Jew to slaughter it, but never an idolater or an atheist. If someone else slaughters our qurban for us, they should not be paid with qurban meat or qurban skin.

If the butcher is poor or our neighbor, they can be given some of the meat, just like all those who receive from the qurban, but not as payment for slaughtering.

Sale of qurban meat, wool, and skins

It is forbidden to sell the skin of a qurban, its fat, meat, head, wool, hair, or milk that is milked after slaughter, whether it is a obligatory qurban or a voluntary one.

The owner of the qurban is permitted to use the skin and make a prayer mat from it, or a waterskin, or socks from wool, or something similar.

It has been a long-standing practice of Bosnian Muslims to donate the skins of their qurbans to the Islamic Community. This practice with skins is based on Islamic teachings.