Qurbani means sacrifice. Every year during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah specifically on Eid ul-Adha Muslims everywhere remember the ultimate sacrifice that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was prepared to make.
The Qurbani story states that, in a submission to Allah’s will and defiance of the Devil Shaitan, the Prophet Ibrahim went to the top of Mount Arafat to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail, At the final moment, Allah miraculously moved the boy to safety and replaced his place on the altar with an animal– a ram.
By sacrificing an animal each year, we are confirming that we are willing to sacrifice whatever Allah asks of us and to submit to Him completely.
Qurbani takes place after the Eid prayer on Eid al-Adha, from 10th-12th Dhul-Hijjah. Any sacrifice made before the Eid prayer is counted as a Sadaqah, not as the obligatory Qurbani; if you do this, you must still perform the Qurbani after the Eid prayer.
Jundab bin Sufyan Al-Bajali reported, ‘I witnessed the Prophet (saw) on the Day of Nahr (or Eid day). He (saw) said, “Whoever slaughtered the sacrifice before offering the Eid prayer, should slaughter another sacrifice in its place; and whoever has not slaughtered their sacrifice yet, should slaughter now’“. (Bukhari)
The Qurbani can be either cows, sheep, or goats. Whether you give one small animal or a share in a large animal, the reward will be the same, meaning your sacrifice will amount to one Qurbani.
The Prophet said on the day of Eid, ‘The first thing we will do on this day of ours, is to offer the (Eid) prayer and then return to make the sacrifice. Whoever does so, acted according to our Sunnah…’ (Bukhari)
if you can afford it, you can also choose to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet who used to perform an extra sacrifice on behalf of his Ummah.
‘The Prophet (saw) sacrificed for the one who could not sacrifice from his Ummah, one who bore witness to the Oneness of Allah and (his) Prophethood’. (Tabarani and Ahmad])
Don’t forget, Qurbani is a spiritual action and a chance to draw closer to Allah!
Eid Al-Adha Mubarak!
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