What is Qurban? What are the Conditions?

Qurban, an Arabic word meaning "to approach," refers to the animals sacrificed to Allah to get closer to Him. According to the Hanafi school of thought, it is mandatory for financially capable Muslims to sacrifice an animal during Eid al-Adha. However, outside of this ritual, a Muslim may also sacrifice an animal as adak, akika, shukr, or nafil to get closer to Allah.

When a Muslim makes a request to Allah and pledges to sacrifice an animal on His behalf if the request is granted, it is called a "qurban". This allows Muslims to express their gratitude and submission to Allah. The meat of the qurban is shared with those in need, providing not only an opportunity to get closer to Allah but also to promote social solidarity.

Conditions of Qurban

The process of fulfilling a qurban includes some conditions:

• The person making the request must have the intention to sacrifice an animal if their request is granted.
• The person offering the qurban must have reached the age of maturity and be of sound mind.
• The person must be financially capable of sacrificing an animal.
• The thing offered as qurban must not be a mandatory or obligatory act of worship.
• A qurban must not be offered for something that is haram or sinful.
• The animal sacrificed must meet the requirements for a sacrificial animal.

Time of Qurban

A qurban can be performed at any time without being tied to a specific period. However, the person should sacrifice the animal as soon as possible after making the pledge. For conditional qurbans, the person can sacrifice the animal at any time they wish.

Eid al-Adha and Qurban

It is possible to offer a qurban during Eid al-Adha, but it does not replace the Eid al-Adha sacrifice. Therefore, if a person pledges to offer a qurban, they must also fulfill the Eid al-Adha sacrifice.

Distribution of Qurban

The meat of the qurban is distributed differently than the meat from a regular sacrifice. The person who offers the qurban and their immediate family cannot consume the meat. Instead, the meat should be distributed among those in need who are eligible to receive zakat.

Qurban and Charity

If a person pledges to offer a qurban, they must fulfill that pledge. Giving money as charity does not replace a qurban.