The act of Qurbani is a sacred and important act of worship that eligible Muslims must carry out in any way they can. It falls within the spiritually significant month of Dhul Hijjah, which is the final month of the Islamic calendar and holds deeply meaningful acts of worship throughout it. This month is when the holy pilgrimage of Hajj occurs and, later in the month, Eid ul-Adha. The celebration of Eid ul-Adha is a time for unity and strengthening the ummah, while connecting closer to Allah (SWT). During this time, Qurbani occurs, and able Muslims carry out a sacrifice of an animal to commemorate the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and show their devotion to Allah (SWT). Traditionally, the meat from the sacrifice is split into three parts, with one going to family, another to friends and the last part going to those in need. However, as many believers cannot carry out the sacrifice themselves, Qurbani meat is distributed to those in need through charitable organisations.
This means that Qurbani is not only a sacred act of worship, but also a way to provide sustenance to those facing hunger and hardship, allowing them to join in the celebrations of Eid ul-Adha. There are many Islamic regulations around Qurbani that can make it difficult to understand exactly how to carry out this act correctly. A huge part of the worship that many get confused about is whether you can give Qurbani on behalf of someone else. At Muslim Aid, we strive to help you fulfil your obligations properly, so we’ve created this guide to help you determine if you can give Qurbani to someone else.
Carrying out Qurbani for those who are eligible is a very important act of worship for numerous reasons. However, the main reason that this worship is so sacred and has become a tradition of Eid ul-Adha is due to the deep history of the sacrifice. It all began with the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his utter, unwavering devotion to Allah (SWT). He was commanded by Allah (SWT) to sacrifice his only son, Ismail (AS), as a way to show his devotion to Him. Although this command was painful for Ibrahim (AS), he knew in his heart that the sacrifice must be made for his faith. So, he shared what he must do with Ismail (AS) and showed his unwavering commitment to Allah (SWT) by sticking to the instruction without hesitation. Ismail (AS) also graciously obeyed with his father and willingly allowed the sacrifice to be made. Once he learnt of Allah’s command to his father, Ismail (AS) said:
“O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the steadfast.” [Quran 37:102]
Both men went to Mount Arafat to carry out the sacrifice without wavering and changing their minds. As soon as Ibrahim (AS) was ready to carry out the command, Allah (SWT) sent down a ram as a reward for his devotion and loyalty. This ram was sent to be sacrificed instead of Ismail (AS), showing that the importance of following Allah (SWT) isn’t about the command, but about the intention behind it. The Prophet (AS) sacrificed the ram instead, and the worship of Qurbani began, with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) carrying out an animal sacrifice and encouraging his people to do the same. Now, a sacrifice is made by every able Muslim worldwide on Eid ul-Adha to honour Ibrahim (AS) and reflect his devotion to Allah (SWT) to please Him.
So, can you give Qurbani on behalf of someone else? Yes, you can give Qurbani on behalf of someone else in Islam. There are certain regulations around who you can include in your Qurbani or do it for, and the sacrifice needs to have the right intention behind it for it to count. Donating Qurbani for someone else can help them earn rewards from Allah (SWT) that they would miss out on without you. It can also provide you with rewards. However, doing Qurbani on behalf of another shouldn’t replace your own Qurbani. You still need to ensure that you’ve carried out the sacrifice during Eid to fulfil your obligation correctly.
Typically, you can give Qurbani on behalf of others as long as they fall into the three main categories of people that most scholars deem permissible to do Qurbani for. These are:
Many Muslims around the world, including those in the UK, cannot perform Qurbani themselves due to strict slaughter regulations. Due to this, Qurbani can be fulfilled through donating to a reputable charitable organisation, like Muslim Aid, that handles the whole sacrifice process and distributes the meat to those in need.
At Muslim Aid, we handle your Qurbani for you and give it to those who need it most around the world. Our team work in poverty-stricken areas and conflict zones to provide struggling families, orphans and widows with vital sustenance to save their lives. We make sure that your sacrifice is done during Eid ul-Adha and following Islamic regulations to fulfil your duty correctly. Once the sacrifice is done, we distribute the meat to those who need it most, providing them with dignity and relief from their struggles, while including them in the celebration of Eid. Your Qurbani donation can help end their suffering and bring hope for a better future away from poverty and hardship.
Alongside carrying out your own Qurbani, there is an additional Qurbani you can do to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This additional sacrifice is known as a Prophetic Qurbani because it’s what the Prophet (PBUH) did. He carried out his own Qurbani to show his devotion to Allah (SWT) and then also gave another. This second Qurbani that he did was on behalf of his ummah for those who couldn’t afford to fulfil their obligations. Today, many Muslims worldwide reflect the Prophet’s (PBUH) generosity by doing this Qurbani on behalf of others who cannot afford to do it. By doing this, Muslims follow his Sunnah.
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) sacrificed for the one who could not sacrifice from his Ummah, one who bore witness to the oneness of Allah and (his) prophethood” [Abu Talhah Ahmad]
Giving this type of Qurbani today means that more people in desperate need around the world get the urgent aid they need to survive. This is done as a separate donation, which will be quickly carried out and distributed to the poor and hungry. It can allow you to feed numerous people in need who are facing unimaginable hardship and spread the joy of Eid through healthy meals. Doing this Prophetic Qurbani gives you the chance to give it on behalf of those struggling in the ummah, so that these people can fulfil their obligations and please Allah (SWT) through your kindness.
Alongside Prophetic Qurbani, there are a few other ways to do Qurbani on behalf of others. These all allow you to carry out Qurbani for someone else or to benefit someone else correctly to make sure that the sacrifice is valid and helps those who need it most.
The first way you can do this sacrifice on behalf of someone else is by being requested to do it by the person. This is a common and easy way to include someone else in a sacrifice if they want or need it to. It’s when someone asks you to do Qurbani for them, and you act as their agent to fulfil their duty in any way you can, which means for many donating to charity on their behalf or including them in your Qurbani.
As well as this, Qurbani can be done as a gift of reward to carry it out on behalf of someone else. This is done without request from the person and is when you arrange the sacrifice and donate the reward to someone else. You can donate the reward to family members, any Muslim and even those who are deceased. If this is the way you want to give Qurbani on behalf of others, then it’s important to know that this doesn’t replace your obligation to do a sacrifice for yourself.
There’s also doing Qurbani for the deceased, which is usually done on behalf of parents and relatives who have passed away. It could be done to fulfil a will or as a voluntary act of charity, which counts as Sadaqah Jariyah. This earns the deceased rewards in the afterlife and can earn you rewards too. You can also do Qurbani for your household, which includes your spouse, children and dependents. However, it’s important to know some schools of thought, such as the Hanafi, this doesn’t cover other adults who are financially independent, so it’s best to check with your local Imam.
You can also do shared Qurbani to split the cost of the sacrifice between a group of people or to give each person you want to do the Qurbani their own portion in their name.
Give your Qurbani to Muslim Aid to help save countless lives around the world. You can include others in your Qurbani and even carry out the Prophetic Qurbani by making a separate donation to us for those in desperate need. We use your donations for yourself and your Qurbani on behalf of others to feed those facing hunger and unimaginable hardship. Your donations can help transform lives and provide relief, dignity and joy this Eid ul-Adha to those who never get the chance to celebrate with a nourishing meal.
Donate Qurbani and save lives.
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