The great festival of Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhulhijjah by muslims around the world on the basis of local moon sighting in their respective regions. This Eid commemorates the unparalleled sacrifice offered by the Prophet Sayyidina Ibrahim, Alayhi Salam, when he, in pursuance to a command of Almighty Allah conveyed to him in a dream, prepared himself to slaughter his beloved son, Sayyidina Isma’il, Alayhi Salam, and actually did so but, Allah Almighty, after testing his submission, sent down a sheep and saved his son from the slaughter. Our beloved Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad Sallal-lahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam revived this memory by celebrating Eid -ul- Adha during three days of Dhulhijjah, namely, the 10th, 11th and 12th of the month. It is from that time onwards that the sacrifice (Qurbani) of an animal became a duty to be performed by every well to do Muslim. Qurbani is a demonstration of total submission to Allah and a proof of complete obedience to Allah’s will or command. The Eid-ul-Adha feast begins on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah with an early morning Eid prayer preferably in an open ground or field in which 2 raka’at prayer is offered followed by the 2 sermons. After that Muslim greet each other and those who may afford, go to offer the sacrifice and others start feasting in their homes. The sacrifice is only a confirmed Sunnah for morally responsible (mukallaf) Muslims who are able to sacrifice. Able to sacrifice means that they own enough to buy a sacrificial animal plus enough to fulfill their own needs and the needs of everyone they are obliged to support on the day of Eid and the three days that follow it. It is not required from a muslim who is not morally responsible, such as a child or someone who is insane.
Sacrificing an animal means to sacrifice an animal out of the goods that Allah gave in order to approach him and attain his pleasure and consent.
The confirmed-ness (takeed) of the Sunnah is of collective nature (ala-al-kifaya). If the head of the household performs it, it is no longer a confirmed Sunnah for everyone he is obliged to support (such as his wife and children), although if they choose to perform it anyway, it is praiseworthy. (Eiyanatu-l-Talibin, 2.330; al-Yaqut al-Nafis fi Madhhab Ibn Idris, 204). 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 Qurbani. Each adult member of a family who owns the above mentioned amount must perform his own Qurbani separately. If the husband owns the required quantity, but the wife does not, the Qurbani obligatory on the husband only and vice-versa. If both of them have the prescribed amount of wealth, both should perform Qurbani separately. However, if a husband or a father, apart from offering his own Qurbani, gives another Qurbani on behalf of his wife or his children, he can do so with their permission. Up to seven persons together may sacrifice 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. Sheep and goats cannot be shared by multiple people, since they only fulfill the Sunnah of sacrifice for one person. Although the person offering a Qurbani 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 friends and then, keep the rest for his personal family consumption. Sacrificing an animal means to sacrifice an animal out of the goods that Allah gave in order to approach Him and attain his pleasure and consent.
