The following articles relate to Udhiyyah (Qurbani), the sacrificing of animals in the days of 'Eid al-Adha:
RITUAL SLAUGHTER (UDHIYYAH/QURBANI)
Compiled by Abu Lubaba
The following are the rules with regards to the worship of Udhiyyah (known in Urdu as Qurbani) according to the Hanafi school of thought:
- The Time of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
- Who is Required to Perform Udhiyyah (Qurbani)?
- No Alternate for Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
- The Animals of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
- Rules About Defective Animals
- The Sunnah Method of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
- Distribution of the Meat
- The Skin of the Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
- Virtues of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
The Time of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
Udhiyyah can only be performed during the three days of Eid, namely the 10th, 11th and 12th of Dhu’l Hijjah. It is only in these days that slaughtering of an animal is recognized as an act of worship. No Udhiyyah can be performed in any other day of the year.
Although Udhiyyah is permissible on each of the three aforementioned days, yet it is preferable to perform it on the first day i.e. the 10th of Dhu’l Hijjah.
No Udhiyyah is allowed before the Eid Salat is over. However, in small villages where the Eid prayer is not to be performed, Udhiyyah can be offered any time after the break of dawn on the 10th of Dhu’l Hijjah.
It can also be performed in the two nights following the Eid day, but it is more advisable to perform it during daytime. Udhiyyah times end at sunset on the 12th of Dhu’l Hijjah.
Who is Required to Perform Udhiyyah (Qurbani)?
Every adult Muslim, male or female, who owns 613.35 grams of silver or its equivalent in money, personal ornaments, stock-in-trade or any other form of wealth which is surplus to his basic needs, is under an obligation to offer a ritual slaughter (Udhiyyah).
Each adult member of a family who owns the above mentioned amount must perform his own Udhiyyah separately. If the husband owns the required quantity but his wife does not, then slaughtering will be obligatory on the husband only and vice-versa. If both of them have the prescribed amount of wealth, both should perform the Udhiyyah separately.
If the adult children live with their parents, Udhiyyah is obligatory on each one of them possessing the prescribed amount. The sacrifice offered by a husband for himself does not fulfil the obligation of his wife, nor can the Udhiyyah offered by a father discharge his son or daughter from their obligation. Each one of them should care for his/her own Udhiyyah.
However, if a husband or a father, apart from offering his own ritual slaughter, offers another on behalf of his wife or his son, he can do so with their permission.
No Alternate for Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
Some people think that instead of offering a ritual slaughter (Udhiyyah) they should give its amount to some poor people as charity. This attitude is totally wrong. Actually, there are different forms of worship obligatory on Muslims. Each one of them has its own importance and none of them can stand for the other. It is not permissible for a Muslim to perform Salah instead of fasting in Ramadhan, nor is it permissible for him to give some charity instead of observing the obligatory Salah. Similarly, Udhiyyah is an independent form of worship and this obligation cannot be discharged by spending money in charity.
However, if an individual, out of ignorance or negligence, could not offer it on the three prescribed days (10th, 11th and 12th of Dhu’l Hijjah) then, in that case only, he can give the price of a ritual slaughter (Udhiyyah) as Sadaqa to those entitled to receive Zakah. But during the days of Udhiyyah, no Sadaqa can discharge the obligation.
The Animals of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
The following animals can be slaughtered to offer an Udhiyyah:
- Goat, either male or female, of at least one year of age,
- Sheep, either male or female, of at least six months of age,
- Cow, ox buffalo of at least two years of age,
- Camel, male or female, of at least five years of age.
One head of goat or sheep is enough only for one person’s Udhiyyah. But as for all other animals like cow, buffalo or camel, one head of each is equal to seven offerings, thus allowing seven persons to offer the Udhiyyah jointly in one such animal.
If the seller of the animal claims that the animal is of the recognized age and there is no apparent evidence to the contrary; one can trust his statement and the sacrifice of such an animal is lawful.
Rules About Defective Animals
The following defective animals are not acceptable in Udhiyyah:
- Blind, one eyed, or has lost one-third or more of its eyesight,
- An animal so emaciated that it cannot walk to its slaughtering place,
- An animal with one-third part of the ear or the nose or the tail missing,
- An animal that has no teeth at all or most of its teeth are missing,
- An animal born without ears,
- Animal which has one leg lame to the extent that it walks on three legs only and is unable to use the fourth leg.
- Animal so lean and thin that its bones have no marrow.
The Sunnah Method of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
It is more preferable for a Muslim to slaughter the animal for his Udhiyyah with his own hands. However, if he is unable to slaughter the animal himself, or he does not want to do so for some reason, he can request another person to slaughter it on his behalf. In this case also, it is more preferable that he, at least, be present at the time of slaughter. However, his absence at the time of slaughter does not render the Udhiyyah invalid, if he had authorized the person who slaughtered the animal on his behalf.
It is a Sunnah to lay the animal with its face towards the Qiblah, and to recite the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:
I, being upright, turn my face towards the One who has created the heavens and the earth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. ( al-An’am, 6:79)
But the most essential recitation when slaughtering an animal is: Bismillah, Allahu Akbar. (In the name of Allah, Allah is the greatest). If somebody intentionally avoids reciting it when slaughtering the animal, it does not only make his Udhiyyah unlawful, but also renders the animal Haram, and it will not be permissible to eat the meat of that animal. However, if a person did not avoid this recitation intentionally, but he forgot to recite it when slaughtering the animal, this mistake is forgiven and both the Udhiyyah and the animal are lawful.
If one is unable to recite “Bismillah Allahu Akbar” in the Arabic language, he can recite the name of Allah in his own language by saying, “In the name of Allah.”
All the other rules of slaughter will also apply.
It is mustahab (desirable) for one who intends to perform Qurbani to refrain from cutting hair or clipping nails from 1st Zul Hijjah to 10th Zul Hijjah, (i.e. until after Qurbani)
Distribution of the Meat
If an animal is sacrificed on behalf of more than one person, like a cow or camel, its meat should be distributed equally among its owners by weighing the meat strictly and not at random or by mere guess. Even if all the partners agree on its distribution without weighing, it is still not permissible according to shariah.
However, if the actual weighing is not practicable due to some reason, and all the partners agree to distribute the meat without weighing, distribution by guess can be done with the condition that each share necessarily contains either a leg of the animal or some quantity of its liver.
Although the person offering an Udhiyyah can keep all its meat for his own use, yet, it is preferable to distribute one-third among the poor, another one-third among his relatives and then, keep the rest for his personal consumption.
All parts of the sacrificed animal can be used for personal benefit, but none can be sold, nor can be given to the butcher as a part of his wages. If somebody has sold the meat of the animal or its skin, he must give the accrued price as Sadaqa to a poor man who can receive Zakah.
The Skin of the Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
The skin of the Qurbani animal can be kept for personal use, e.g. using it as a prayer-mat, water bag etc.
If the skin of the Qurbani animal is sold, then it is waajib to give that amount in sadaqah to the poor (i.e. those who are eligible for Zakaah).
The rope, cover, etc. of the animal should be given away as sadaqah.
Virtues of Udhiyyah (Qurbani)
So turn in prayer towards your Lord and sacrifice (animals). (108:2)
There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Judgement with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart. (Tirmizi, Ibne Maajah)
Zayd Ibne Arqam radhiyallahu anhu relates that the Companions radhiyallahu anhum asked, “O Rasoolullah! What is Qurbani?” He replied, “It is the sunnah of your father Ibraaheem alayhis salaam.” They asked again, “What benefit do we get from it?” He answered, “A reward for every hair (of the sacrificed animal).” “And (what reward is there for animals with) wool, O Rasoolullah?” they asked. “A reward”, he said, “for every fibre of the wool.” (Ibne Maajah)
When a person slaughters a Qurbani animal, he is forgiven at the fall of the first drop of blood, and verily, the animal shall be brought forward on the Day Of Judgement with its blood, meat etc., and shall be increased in weight seventy times more than its own weight, and thereafter it will be placed on the scale of deeds. (Kanzul ‘Ummaal).
THE WAY OF YOUR FATHER, IBRAHIM
By Muhammad Shafi
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
al-hamdu lillahi wa salamun 'ala rasulillah
Udhiyyah, or the sacrificing of animals in the days of 'Eid al-Adha, is about a lot more than just eating more meat. When the Sahabah asked about what it means, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, replied, "It is the way of your father, Ibrahim."
The way of our father, Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, 'alaihis-salam, the father of the monotheistic traditions, their prophets and people, was faced with unimaginable challenges in his unflinching submission before Allah alone, and in every instance came through triumphant. Before the whole world and the whole of humanity, his life shines as an incredible example of unwavering devotion to Tawhid, the epitome of which is commemorated by the Udhiyyah.
We all know the story, how, after spending almost a century childless and then finally being granted a son, the overjoyed father is commanded to take the newborn and his young mother out to the wilderness of the desolate valley of Makkah… how, after having got there, he is abruptly ordered to turn around without another word and return alone… how, once out of sight, he raises up his hands with a heavy heart and flowing tears before his Maker and entrusts to Him his young and utterly defenceless family… how years were to pass before he is permitted to return to Makkah to visit but not to dismount from his camel… he sees his young one now walking and thrilled at the arrival of his father, and the mother of his child washes his feet before seeing him off with a brave face and resolve as firm as his own… then how, after years again, he is now permitted to return and this time to stay for some time with the child and his mother, making up for lost time as a father and a husband, every day a source of increased delight with the unravelling of the father/son relationship… how it is then when all fatherly feelings of love are at a passionate peak, having been rekindled after years of separation, his commitment to Allah is put to the ultimate test: he is commanded through a vision to put the child to the knife… how father and son brace themselves to submit completely before the Devine Will, demonstrating once and for all that devotion to the Allah overrides the love of all else… and how finally, when the child has been blindfolded and laid out at the alter and the father has sharpened his knife and is about to sacrifice the dearest of all worldly possessions ever entrusted to him, the grace of the Overwhelmingly Merciful intercedes, a ram replaces the resolute son on the alter, and it is triumphantly declared, "O Ibrahim, you have truly fulfilled the vision! Thus do we reward those who do good!"
This is the way of our father Ibrahim that Believers the world over enact in the days of 'Eid al-Adha. It is a symbol of the solid determination with which we are supposed, if we do truly believe, to surrender our all before the Will of the Cherisher of the Heavens and Earth, the One whom we serve and adore. The spirit of what the Udhiyyah represents does not simply begin at the butcher's and end with biryani, it is a statement from those in a state of submission – Muslims – of how complete and true that submission is.
And just as submission is the only state that finds the pleasure of the Maker – "The only way of life (acceptable) before Allah is Submission (al-Islam)" (3:19) – the expression of submission is the most beloved of expressions, too. "No person performs an act more dear to Allah on the Day of Sacrifice ('Eid al-Adha) than the flowing of blood (of the sacrificial animal)," said the Messenger, "and truly the animal will come forth on Judgement Day with its horns and hair and hooves intact (to be weighed in the scales of good deeds). And truly the blood takes its place with Allah before it lands on the earth, so perform (the sacrifice) with an open and happy heart." (at-Tirmidhi)
And precisely because this act brings about so much pleasure from Allah, the four days of 'Eid al-Adha are days of celebrating and rejoicing – and the meat of the slaughtered animals is Allah's hospitality towards those that demonstrate the spirit of selfless surrender through the Udhiyyah. The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, is reported to have said, "I had previously forbidden you from (storing) the meat of the sacrificed animals beyond three days, but now eat yourselves, feed others and store what you wish." (Muslim & at-Tirmidhi)
The general practice of our community here of arranging for the Udhiyyah to be carried out 'back home' does not, in the light of the above, fulfil this aspect of the sacrifice. If the feast of sacrificed animals is hospitality extended from Allah to us, what ungracious guests are we to pass the plate on to others! The Prophet Ayyub, 'alaihis-salam, was once bathing when all of a sudden, golden locusts began to shower down on him. Immediately, he began to gather them all up in his garment. Allah addressed him saying, "O Ayyub, had I not enriched from the need of what you see?" "Yes, indeed, by Your Honour! But I am never above being in need of your Grace," replied the true servant of Allah, Ayyub.
Sure, it's tempting to place orders for Udhiyyah in countries where you can get away with it for a tenner or less – solely out of our thoughts for the poor and needy, of course – but by not having at least one Udhiyyah performed here we don't only deprive ourselves and our families of the Grace of the most Gracious, we completely lose sight of the whole point of 'Eid al-Adha – the Festival of the Sacrifice. We don't even remember what it is we're rejoicing – not that that stops us rejoicing regardless, though, thanks to not having our eyes anywhere near the ball, our 'rejoicing' often finds its way into hired limos and from there to untold crazy places with behaviour reflecting anything but submission. It has to be worrying that more rebellion is displayed to Allah on the day of celebrating the most breathtaking example of obedience than on any other. If "…good deeds are loved by Allah in these ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah) like no other" (al-Bukhari), how abhorrently offensive must blatant disregard for His Commandments be in them? Both of the 'Eids are powerful symbols of powerful truths – Allah's mercy and the total submission of true faith, and Allah does not take kindly to His symbols being shown disrespect to. "And whoso reverences the Symbols of Allah, that surely is from the piety of the hearts." (22:32)
A final note on the Udhiyyah: Jabir, radiyallahu 'anhu, relates that he saw the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, make a sacrifice of two rams saying, "O Allah, (these were) from you and (and are now an offering back) to you, from Muhammad and his Ummah" (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah & ad-Darimi). Abu Dawud & at-Tirmidhi relate 'Ali, radiyallahu 'anhu, would make two sacrifices saying, "My beloved asked me to make one for him." Enough said?
IS YOUR QURBANI/UDHIYYAH FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION?
By Dr Yunes Teinaz, The Muslim Weekly 22 Dec/06
At Eid-ul-Adha, more cases of food poisoning are reported than at any other time of year, and more illegal meat sold to the Muslim community, with animals illegally slaughtered for Qurbani without going through public health control.
These can not only spoil the celebrations, but can be potentially life-threatening, especially for people who may be particularly vulnerable, such as, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone whose resistance may be low because they are ill.
Food can get contaminated at any stage in the food chain: buying, shopping, storage, preparation and cooking of food.
Many cases of food poisoning occur because people do not know, or do not put into practice, the basic food safety rules, called 'the four Cs'. These are:
- Cross contamination
- Cleaning
- Cooking
- Cooling
Cross contamination
- Avoid contaminating cooked food with germs from raw food. (Cross contamination).
- Wash hands before handling food, and especially after going to the toilet or changing a baby's nappy, after handing raw meat, poultry or eggs, after touching pets, after handling refuse, and after blowing your nose.
- After preparing raw food, especially raw meat, wash everything that it has touched: knives, equipment, worktops, dishcloths.
- Cover septic cuts, wounds and boils with a waterproof plaster.
- Keep pets out of the kitchen and off of food preparation surfaces.
- Store raw foods in the fridge below cooked food.
- Check that the food is in date, especially the ‘use by’ dates.
- Wash raw vegetables and salads, which will not be cooked before eating
Cleaning
- Clean as you go.
- Wash dishcloths thoroughly and often. Soak them overnight in bleach.
Cooking
- Cook turkeys, chickens, and burgers thoroughly, until the juices run clear.
- Cook eggs well. Avoid lightly-cooked dishes containing eggs.
- Follow cooking instructions, especially the cooking time and temperature.
- If reheating any left-over food, make sure it is piping hot before serving.
Cooling
- Check the temperature of the fridge. It should be below 8oC.
- Don’t prepare perishable food too far in advance, and minimise the time food is kept at room temperature.
- Cool any left-over food quickly and put it in the fridge. E.g. Put the roast meat in a cold clean place to cool down. Or divide the food into small portions.
The safest rule is: "If in doubt – throw it out!"
Eating out
If you have concerns about a restaurant, take-away or food shop report them to your local authoty’s Environmental Health. They will investigate your concerns and take action where appropriate.
Qurbani/Udhia
The law now permits Qurbani/Udhia to be made:
- By a licensed Muslim slaughterman
- By the Islamic method, and
- In a licensed slaughterhouse which is under official veterinary supervision.
- Qurbani / Udhia is not permitted in fields or in farm buildings or in domestic or other premises.
Muslims who wish to make Qurbani / Udhia are encouraged to make arrangements with reputable suppliers in good time before Eid-ul-Adha.
Halal Slaughter
Suppliers and consumers of halal meat are reminded that the statute law (The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (Statutory Instrument (SI) No 1995/731 as amended by SI No 1999/400).) permits slaughter by the Islamic method to be done without stunning:
- By a licensed Muslim slaughterman
- In a licensed abbatoir or licensed poultry slaughterhouse which is under official veterinary supervision (or in other officially regulated poultry slaughterhouses)
Slaughter is not permitted in any other place, even for personal consumption.
Only cattle, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, hens, guinea-fowl, ducks, geese and quail may be slaughtered using the Islamic method of Al-Dabh (slaughtering).
By being aware of potential risks, and following good hygiene practices, you can effectively minimize the risk of food poisoning - and maximise your chances of a happy holiday.
For additional food safety advice visit the Food Standards Agency's web site at: www.food.gov.uk
If you have any queries about Qurbani/Udhia, please call the Defra Helpline on 08459 33 55 77.
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