WHEN SHOULD QURBAN (SACRIFICIAL ANIMAL) BE SLAUGHTERED?

There is a specific time for slaughtering the qurban (sacrificial animal). It is not permitted to slaughter it before or after this time. If the animal is slaughtered before the designated time, it is simply considered meat for the family and does not count as a qurban. If it is slaughtered after the time has passed, then its meat must be given as charity and the person cannot eat from it[1].

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

إن أول ما نبدأ به في يومنا هذا أن نصلي ثم نرجع فننحر من فعله فقد أصاب سنَّتنا ومن ذبح قبل فإنما هو لحم قدَّمه لأهله ليس من النُّسُك في شيء

“Indeed, the first thing we begin with on this day is to pray, then we return and slaughter the qurban. Whoever does so has followed our Sunnah. Whoever slaughters before that, it is just meat he has provided for his family and it is not an act of worship.”[2]

The time for slaughtering the qurban begins after the Eid prayer in places where it is held, and after sunrise in villages where the Eid prayer is not performed. The period continues until sunset on the third day of Eid.

If someone living in a city sends their qurban to a village where the Eid prayer is not performed, and it is slaughtered there after sunrise, it is valid. What matters is the location where the animal is slaughtered, not where the owner lives.

If the Eid prayer is not performed due to severe cold, flooding, heavy snow, or other valid reasons, the qurban may be slaughtered after the time when the Eid prayer would normally have been held, that is, about an hour after sunrise.

If people mistakenly consider a day to be Eid, perform the Eid prayer and slaughter the qurban on that day, and later it turns out it was actually the day of Arafah, both their prayer and sacrifice are still valid[3]. However, if someone knowingly slaughters the qurban before the actual day of Eid, it is considered ordinary charity. The traditional Kazakh “shektik” ceremony is similar to this.

The qurban may be slaughtered during the day or at night, but it is considered disliked (makruh) to do so at night[4]. It is preferable to slaughter the qurban on the first day of Eid[5].

Sharia and Fatwa Department of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan

• [1] Al-Mufassal fi al-Fiqh al-Hanafi, 216.

• [2] Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Tirmidhi.

• [3] Radd al-Muhtar, 6/319.

• [4] Fath Bab al-Ghina, 3/76.

• [5] Kitab al-Ikhtiyar, 4/260.