Qurbani Rules 2027: Who Must Give and Conditions

Quick answer: In the Hanafi school, Qurbani is wajib on every Muslim who is sane, adult, resident and owns the nisab (612.36 g of silver or its value) beyond basic needs and debts, at any time during 10 to 12 Dhul Hijjah. Each eligible person gives one goat or sheep, or one share in a cow, buffalo or camel.

Qurbani is the sacrifice of a sheep, goat, cow, buffalo or camel for the sake of Allah during Eid al-Adha. In 2027 the three days of sacrifice are expected to fall between 16 and 19 May, depending on the moon. In the Hanafi school, Qurbani is wajib for every adult, sane Muslim who is not travelling and who owns wealth at or above the nisab. If you meet these conditions, you must give your Qurbani between the Eid prayer on 10 Dhul Hijjah and sunset on 12 Dhul Hijjah.

These rules matter because Qurbani is an act of worship, not a simple meat donation. A Qurbani given by the wrong person, at the wrong time, or with an unsuitable animal may not count. This guide explains who must give, the conditions of the animal and the timing, and how to share the meat. It follows the Hanafi school, which most Muslims in Pakistan follow, and notes where the other schools differ.

When Is Qurbani in 2027?

Qurbani 2027 is expected to begin on Sunday 16 May or Monday 17 May 2027, after the Eid al-Adha prayer. Final dates depend on the Dhul Hijjah moon, so confirm them with your local masjid.

Is Qurbani Fard, Wajib or Sunnah?

In the Hanafi school, Qurbani is wajib, a binding duty just below fard. The Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools treat it as Sunnah Mu’akkadah, a strongly emphasized Sunnah that should not be left without reason.

The command comes from the Quran: “So pray to your Lord and sacrifice” (Surah Al-Kawthar 108:2). Hanafi scholars read this as a direct command linked to the Eid prayer.

The Prophet ﷺ kept this practice every year in Madinah. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ sacrificed two white, horned rams with his own hand, saying Bismillah and Allahu Akbar (Sahih al-Bukhari 5565, Sahih Muslim 1966).

Hanafi scholars also cite a narration that whoever has the means and does not sacrifice should not come near the place of prayer (Sunan Ibn Majah 3123). Scholars differ over whether these are the Prophet’s ﷺ words or a statement of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). Either way, it shows how seriously the early Muslims took this duty.

Whatever your school, the scholars agree on one point: if you can afford Qurbani, you should give it.

Who Must Give Qurbani?

Qurbani is wajib on every person who meets all six conditions below. If one is missing, Qurbani is not wajib, though a voluntary Qurbani is still rewarded.

What Is the Nisab for Qurbani?

The nisab is the value of 612.36 grams of silver or 87.48 grams of gold. When a person owns mixed assets, many scholars advise using the silver value. Silver sets a lower threshold, so more people qualify and the poor benefit more.

The Qurbani nisab differs from the Zakat nisab in two ways.

• No full lunar year is needed. You only need to own the nisab during the days of sacrifice.
• More kinds of wealth count. For Zakat, only zakatable wealth counts: cash, gold, silver and trade goods. For Qurbani, any wealth beyond your basic needs also counts. A second car you do not need or property you do not live in both count.

To check your position, follow these steps:

1. Add up your cash, bank balances, gold, silver and non-essential assets.
2. Subtract debts that are due now.
3. Multiply today’s silver price per gram by 612.36 to get the nisab in dollars.
4. If your total meets or exceeds that figure, Qurbani is wajib for you.

Silver prices change, so check the rate in the week before Eid. If you also owe Zakat, you can fulfill it through MWA Charity’s Zakat fund.

Does Every Family Member Need to Give?

In the Hanafi school, every eligible adult must give their own Qurbani. One animal does not cover a household where more than one person owns the nisab.

• Husband and wife. If both own the nisab, both must give. A wife with gold jewelry above the nisab qualifies in her own right.
• Adult children. Adult children with savings above the nisab must give their own.
• Young children. Qurbani is not wajib on them.

A husband may pay for his wife’s Qurbani with her permission. The Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools hold that one sacrifice from the head of the household covers the family.

What If I Travel or Become Eligible During Eid?

What decides your duty is your situation during the days of sacrifice.

• If you return home from a trip before sunset on 12 Dhul Hijjah while owning the nisab, Qurbani becomes wajib.
• If a paycheck or an inheritance on 11 Dhul Hijjah brings you to the nisab, Qurbani becomes wajib.
• If you are traveling for all three days, it is not wajib, though a voluntary Qurbani is still rewarded.

What Are the Conditions of the Animal?

The animal must be a permitted species, old enough and free from major defects.

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said to sacrifice only a mature animal, unless that is difficult, in which case a young sheep may be used (Sahih Muslim 1963). Poultry does not count.

How Do Qurbani Shares Work?

A cow, buffalo or camel can be shared by up to seven people. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that in the year of Hudaybiyah the Companions sacrificed one camel for seven and one cow for seven (Sahih Muslim 1318).

Three rules apply to shares:

• No share may be smaller than one seventh.
• Every partner must intend worship. If one partner only wants meat, no one’s Qurbani is valid.
• A partner may take a share for aqiqah.

Which Defects Make an Animal Invalid?

Al-Bara’ ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ named four animals that are not acceptable (Sunan Abi Dawud 2802, Jami’ al-Tirmidhi 1497):

• one clearly blind in one eye
• one clearly sick
• one clearly lame
• one so thin its bones have no marrow

Hanafi scholars add other defects based on the same principle:

• Full blindness.
• An animal that cannot walk to the place of slaughter.
• More than one third of an ear or the tail missing.
• Most of the teeth lost, so the animal cannot graze.
• A horn broken off at the root.

Some features do not affect validity. An animal born without horns, a castrated animal, or one with a small cut in the ear is still valid.

When Can Qurbani Be Performed?

Qurbani is valid only after the Eid al-Adha prayer on 10 Dhul Hijjah. In the Hanafi school it ends at sunset on 12 Dhul Hijjah.

Al-Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said the first thing we do on this day is pray, then return and sacrifice. He said that whoever sacrifices before the prayer has only given his family meat (Sahih al-Bukhari 5545).

A few further timing rules apply:

• The best day. The first day is the most virtuous.
• Slaughter at night. Night slaughter within the three days is valid but disliked.
• Donors in the US giving overseas. The Eid prayer must already have taken place where the animal is slaughtered. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and East Africa are many hours ahead of the United States. Many contemporary Hanafi scholars therefore advise that the sacrifice should also wait until 10 Dhul Hijjah has begun where the donor lives. Ask your local scholar which view to follow.

What If the Qurbani Days Pass?

If Qurbani was wajib and the days end without it, a late sacrifice does not fulfill the duty. If you had already bought an animal, give it alive in charity. If you had not, give the value of a sheep or goat to the poor.

What Are the Conditions of Slaughter?

A Muslim must slaughter the animal with a sharp blade while saying Bismillahi Allahu Akbar. Shaddad ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said Allah has prescribed excellence in all things. He said that when you slaughter, you should sharpen your blade and let the animal rest (Sahih Muslim 1955).

Good practice means the following:

• lay the animal on its left side facing the qiblah
• cut the windpipe, the gullet and the jugular veins in one confident stroke
• never sharpen the blade in front of the animal
• let the animal rest completely before skinning it

Should You Avoid Cutting Hair and Nails?

It is recommended for anyone giving Qurbani to avoid cutting their hair and nails from 1 Dhul Hijjah until their animal is sacrificed. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported this instruction from the Prophet ﷺ (Sahih Muslim 1977). In the Hanafi school it is mustahabb, and cutting them does not invalidate the Qurbani.

How Should Qurbani Meat Be Shared?

The recommended way is to divide the meat into three equal parts: one for your family, one for relatives and friends, and one for the poor. This is a recommendation, not a condition. Allah says, “So eat of them and feed the needy who do not ask and the needy who do ask” (Surah Al-Hajj 22:36).

Some further rules apply:

• Paying the butcher. Never pay the butcher with meat or skin.
• Selling the skin. If you sell the skin, give the full price to the poor.
• Non-Muslim neighbors. Hanafi scholars permit giving the meat to them.

Allah reminds us: “Neither their meat nor their blood reaches Allah, but what reaches Him is your taqwa” (Surah Al-Hajj 22:37).

Can You Give Qurbani on Behalf of Others?

Yes. You may give Qurbani for a living person with their permission, and for a deceased relative as a gift of reward. If Qurbani is wajib on you, your own comes first. A Qurbani for someone else does not remove your own obligation.

Common Qurbani Mistakes to Avoid

The same mistakes come up every year:

• One Qurbani for the whole family. In the Hanafi school, two eligible spouses need two.
• Sacrificing before the Eid prayer. This makes it ordinary meat.
• An underage goat. A goat must be a full year old. Only sheep have the six-month allowance.
• A share partner who only wants meat. This spoils the Qurbani of every partner.
• Paying the butcher with skin or meat. His wage must be paid separately.
• Forgetting the time zone gap. This matters when a US donor gives overseas.
• Assuming a salary earner never qualifies. Savings and gold can easily pass the silver nisab.

About MWA Charity

MWA Charity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Chicago, USA, with a simple mission: to serve underprivileged communities with compassion, transparency, and lasting impact. Since our founding in 2018, we have built clean water wells and homes and provided food aid in some of the most underserved regions of Bangladesh, Africa, and beyond.

Our work was born from a legacy. Our founder grew up watching his father organize charity buses in Saudi Arabia to take pilgrims to Umrah, using the proceeds to support a girls’ school in Hyderabad, India. That sincerity still guides us today. We document every project, share regular updates with photo and video proof, and make sure every dollar goes where it is needed most. MWA Charity is committed to doing good with honesty, heart, and humility.

Extend the Reward of Eid

The spirit of Qurbani is sharing what Allah has given. Alongside your sacrifice, you can leave a Sadaqah Jariyah that keeps benefiting people after Eid ends:

• a clean water well for a village in need
• a wheelchair for $350 for a child who cannot walk
• Qurans and Arabic books for mosques in Uganda

Every project comes with photo and video proof, so you can see the good your gift has done.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who must give Qurbani in 2027?

Every adult, sane Muslim who is not travelling and owns the nisab beyond basic needs during 10 to 12 Dhul Hijjah, according to the Hanafi school.

What is the Qurbani nisab?

It is the value of 612.36 grams of silver (52.5 tola) or 87.48 grams of gold (7.5 tola). Unlike Zakat, no full year of ownership is needed.

Is Qurbani wajib on a woman?

Yes, if she meets the conditions. A woman who owns gold jewellery above the nisab must give her own Qurbani.

Can one goat cover the whole family?

Not in the Hanafi school. Each eligible adult needs their own goat or cow share. The other three schools allow one Qurbani for the household.

When does Qurbani 2027 start and end?

It starts after the Eid prayer on 10 Dhul Hijjah, expected on 16 or 17 May 2027. It ends at sunset on 12 Dhul Hijjah in the Hanafi school.

Is Qurbani wajib on a traveller?

No. A shar’i traveller is exempt, but a voluntary Qurbani is still rewarded.

Can I give Qurbani with a loan?

If your debts reduce your wealth below the nisab, Qurbani is not wajib. You may still give it voluntarily if you can do so without hardship.

Can I give Qurbani in Pakistan while living abroad?

Yes. Your Qurbani is valid if the animal is sacrificed after the Eid prayer has been held in the place of slaughter.

What happens if I miss Qurbani?

If it was wajib on you, give the value of a sheep or goat in charity. If you had already bought an animal, give that animal to the poor.

Final Comments

Qurbani connects us to the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the Sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ. Check your nisab before Dhul Hijjah begins, and make sure every eligible adult in your home has a Qurbani. Choose a healthy animal of the right age, and sacrifice it within the three blessed days. May Allah accept your sacrifice and fill your home with barakah.