Your Qurbani Transformed Lives in 2024
This Dhul Hijjah, you for gave from what you love and made the the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah especially blessed! In this season of sacrifice and extra reward, your love brought relief to millions of vulnerable people around the world, and here at home in Canada.
204,314
Qurbani/Udhiya Shares Donated
3.3 million
People Received Meat on Eid
62,287
Children Received Eid Gifts
Thank you for standing in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Gaza and Sudan this Dhul Hijjah. Alhamdulillah, we were able to deliver your Qurbani to our ummah in most need, reaching them in the most trusted manner.
- 118,710 Individuals received Qurbani meat in Gaza
- 100,000 Individuals received Qurbani meat in Sudan
Your Qurbani has been a relief for millions of people around the world. Thank you for readily extending your hand to the world's most vulnerable this Dhul Hijjah, and making them a part of your community with love and compassion!
Qurbani Donation
When you give Qurbani & Udhiya with Islamic Relief, we make sure that the most vulnerable families are prioritized to receive the best quality meat.
Our teams work hard to get your Qurbani donation to the most remote areas and conflict zones, including Palestine, Sudan and Yemen.
For many, your Qurbani donation is the only time they will be able to eat meat in the entire year.
Qurbani in Palestine + Sudan
Due to the ongoing war and political instability in these countries, the Qurbani process will be slightly different this year in Gaza and Sudan, to ensure safe and smooth implementation of our Qurbani program.
Qurbani animals will be procured and slaughtered in Egypt, then immediately frozen and transported to Gaza in refrigerated trucks. At the borders, special priority is being given to trucks carrying fresh meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. We expect the meat to reach Gaza and be distributed within 4-8 days after slaughter, and are prepared for multiple contingencies to ensure smooth operations.
In Sudan, Qurbani will be implemented in safer states, specifically Blue Nile, Gedaref, and North Kordofan. Our team in Sudan has a long-standing presence in these regions and was able to easily distribute food packs across the country this past Ramadan.
Your Qurbani is in trusted hands at Islamic Relief. Our field office staff in Gaza and Sudan are familiar with local issues and challenges, enabling them to effectively implement mitigation measures if any issues arise.
Qurbani in Canada
Feed vulnerable communities and your local neighbours in Canada by making a Qurbani donation of $500. This includes all costs to fulfill and distribute your Qurbani/Udhiya of 1/7th of a cow.
Our teams across Canada are working alongside local farms, traders, and Islamic scholars and leaders to source high-quality animals, manage the logistics network, perform the sacrifices, and ensure Shariah compliance each step of the way.
What is Qurbani?
Qurbani means sacrifice. Every year during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims around the world slaughter an animal – a goat, sheep, buffalo, cow or camel – to reflect the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, for the sake of God. After the animal has been sacrificed, its meat is then distributed to those most in need. In 2024, Qurbani distributions will aim to reach more people than ever before.
Donating Qurbani is highly recommended according to the majority of scholars and obligatory in the Hanafi madhab for every Muslim who is financially able to do so. There are also Qurbani rules which dictate which animals can be sacrificed, the quality of the life it has led, its health status and guidelines on how the sacrifice must be carried out.
By giving Qurbani to Islamic Relief, you will enable the world’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in over 30 countries to enjoy Eid, as this is the only time many families eat meat in the entire year.
How Your Qurbani Donations Are Completed
Your
Qurbani
& Udhiya price includes all the costs. Livestock are pre-allocated and paid for, and must be hygienically and ethically treated. They are then sacrificed during the 10th – 13th days of Dhul Hijjah.
The
Qurbani
meat is distributed fresh, chilled or frozen, according to what is appropriate for the dietary culture of the region. Each
Qurbani meat packet
is 4 kilograms of meat and feeds a family of 4-8 people.
Because of you, our global
Qurbani
efforts meant that over 2 million people in over 30 countries felt the joy of Eid last year.
Everyone deserves to enjoy Eid and feed their families just like we do.
How we ensure the highest quality Qurbani
Islamic Relief has been performing Qurbani since 1986. Over the past 36 years, we have worked alongside the communities we serve and established policies and measures to ensure we remain true to our values of excellence and trustworthiness.
Our Qurbani process values:
- Sourcing high quality animals from local farms and traders, to ensure donors are getting the best value for their money and rights-holders are receiving good quality meat.
- Managing the entire transportation and logistics network to ensure the animals are treated in the best possible way, and that all meat is handled, packed and distributed with strict hygiene standards in place.
- Involving local Imams, scholars, and skilled butchers to monitor and perform sacrifices to ensure Shariah compliance.
Ultimately, this process helps us to operate sustainably and responsibly long into the future.
Is Qurbani Mandatory?
According to most Muslims, Qurbani is highly recommended and according to the Hanafi madhab, it is obligatory upon every sane adult Muslim male/female who has wealth in excess to his/her needs. Therefore, normally those who are eligible to pay Zakat are obliged to give Qurbani.
Why is Qurbani significant in Islam?
The Qurbani story is a remarkable illustration of unconditional love and commitment. Prophet Ibrahim had a dream repeatedly where he was being asked by Allah (SWT) to sacrifice his son Ismail. He surrendered to Allah’s (SWT) command without hesitating and prepared himself and his son for sacrifice, who was then replaced by a ram.
The significance of Qurbani in Islam holds great value and is an act of devotion towards Allah (SWT), but it is also an act of giving to others in their time of need. It speaks volumes of faith and devotion towards the Almighty.
Who is eligible for Qurbani?
Islamic Relief has a set criteria and scoring systems in place to determine Qurbani recipients. The scoring system is based on the following criteria:
- Families who live on less than the minimum income for that particular country
- Female-headed households
- Families with disabled and/or elderly persons
- Children under five years old
- Pregnant women
- Breastfeeding mothers
- Families with little or no access to the market
A thorough assessment is therefore carried out by our teams to objectively identify the weighting and priority of each of the above criteria. These are then applied when selecting recipient families to ensure we reach the most vulnerable without bias.
It is the policy of Islamic Relief to distribute only one Qurbani meat pack to each family regardless of family size. To find out who Qurbani is compulsory on, read more here.
What is Qurbani Eid?
Eid al-Adha is sometimes referred to as Qurbani Eid, and follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. We mark Qurbani sacrifice after the Eid prayer on Eid al-Adha, which lasts 3 days. This year, Eid al-Adha is expected to fall on June 16, 2024 (dependent on moon sighting).
Qurbani 2024 FAQs
Here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Our
Qurbani
program uses 100% Halal meat. We do our best to always source animals locally to support the local economy, and distribute meat fresh to our beneficiaries. Only in difficult situations like conflict zones or in the case of very remote communities, we may send frozen or canned meat so it can arrive to the recipients in the best condition. All logistics—from sacrifice to transportation—are handled in accordance with Islamic principles, while working to uphold the best hygienic practices.
The volume of Qurbani is represented by the allocations committed for each country. For donors, the following information can help you calculate your donation:
1 Sheep or Goat = 1
Qurbani
whilst 1 Cow = 7
Qurbani
shares (One
Qurbani
share equals 1/7th of the cow).
Islamic Relief performs
Qurbani
as part of our overall seasonal program. Therefore, the people who benefit in Ramadan and from our general projects, Insha’Allah, would also benefit from
Qurbani
.
This allows us to focus our efforts and help the same people to improve their lives, rather than providing small amounts of help occasionally but not achieving great successes.
The majority of Qurbanis are implemented as fresh meat distributions which take place immediately as the animals are sacrificed and divided. Local butchers and Imams are on hand to facilitate the humane and Shariah compliance of the slaughter with rights-holders often present in order to provide logistical support.
In some countries because of the distance from abattoir to distribution sites, meat is hygienically packed and chilled before transportation. Due to the large numbers of Qurbani performed in some field offices, it is sometimes not possible to distribute Qurbani meat on the same day that the slaughter takes place. In this instance, meat is stored in cool storage before transportation on the following day/s.
In the face of any technical failures beyond our control, Islamic Relief works to ensure that there is no compromise to the quality and safety of the Qurbani meat packs, or the validity and acceptability of the sacrifice. Alhamdulillah, the experience and hard work of our staff and volunteers has enabled us to discharge this duty on behalf of the donor with the highest quality standards for the past 30 years.
Payment for Qurbani Donations
No, as Islamic Relief is conducting hundreds of thousands of Qurbanis around the world, this is practically not possible. It is also not necessary to pronounce the name of the person, even if you are making a Qurbani on behalf of someone else. Simply making the intention that you are giving this Qurban on behalf of a certain person is sufficient.
The time for sacrifice ends when the sun sets on the fourth day of Eid. Therefore, you can make payments right up until the end of the third day after Eid (13th of Dhul-Hijjah) before Maghrib prayer. Islamic Relief has already pre-purchased the animals to be slaughtered.
It is advisable to give as early as possible. Islamic Relief implements our
Qurbani
over 4 days (10th to 13th Dhul Hijjah). We purchase the animals to be slaughtered in advance based on forecasted quotas. Hence if you give a
Qurbani
on any of these days, the
Qurbani
will be carried out in time.
Cost of Qurbani Donations
Since Qurbani is an act of worship that is the most beloved to Allah (SWT) during the days of Tashreeq, it is important that one offers the best possible offering. Therefore Islamic Relief adopts high quality standards when it comes to selecting the sacrificial animals. Standards cover health, weight (meat yielded) and age.
We would also like our brothers and sisters around the world to receive the best quality Qurbani meat because the believer is asked to love for his brother/sister that which he/she loves for him/herself. These high standards therefore come at a higher cost which in turn further supports economic development of our Qurbani farmers.
Islamic Relief always tries to reach the most vulnerable people in the most remote areas where the communities are hard to reach. Transporting meat to hard-to-reach rural areas incurs higher transportation costs which in turn affects the Qurbani price. Conflict or disasters can make distribution more difficult and can add to the cost.
Admin charges are necessary in order to perform the
Qurbani
as they cover the cost of transportation, slaughtering, cutting, packing, distribution and hire of staff as well as organizational support costs.
Yes, all the various expenses such as the cost of the animal, slaughter, butchering, transportation, storage, selection of the beneficiaries, and
Qurbani
distribution are included in the price.
How is Qurbani Performed?
Qurban is performed through Islamic Relief field offices in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Islamic Relief field offices purchase and slaughter animals locally. If there are problems with livestock supply in a particular country (due to limited local supply, natural disaster etc.) then animals are sourced and slaughtered abroad, and then shipped to the affected countries. All animals are sacrificed according to Islamic guidelines.
Qurbani in 2024 will be performed after the Eid Salah in each field office. The slaughter will take place after the Eid prayer on Eid al-Adha (10th Dhul Hijjah) and end at sunset on the 13th of Dhul Hijjah. There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars as to whether Qurbani can be done over three or four days. To respect this difference of opinion, Islamic Relief strives to perform Qurbani in three days. We only extend into the fourth day in localities where this is religiously accepted by the local Muslim population. And if there is an operational need for this extra day.
If you give a
Qurbani
on any of these days, the
Qurban
will still be carried out in time, as Islamic Relief has already pre-purchased the animals to be slaughtered beforehand.
The animals used are livestock animals, such as sheep, goats, cows or buffalo. One whole sheep or goat, or one-seventh share of a cow or buffalo equals one Qurbani donatio . Since the selection of animals depends on the availability and customs of each region, we do not provide the option of selecting your animal of choice at the time of donation. Animals are instead pre-allocated within each region. We ensure that the animals are healthy, free from blindness and chronic sickness or disease or from any apparent ailment, and that they are of a fit age.
You may wish to undertake one
Qurbani
in Canada with Islamic Relief and one abroad as an example and this is permissible. You are allowed to offer more than one sacrifice. The Prophet (SAW) himself carried out multiple
Qurbani
for himself and the Ummah. Many Muslims offer multiple
Qurbani
on behalf of the Prophet (SAW) and for deceased parents.
Miscellaneous Questions
This depends on the school of thought you follow. Please consult your local Imam/Sheikh for further information. According to the Hanafi school of thought it Qurbani donation is obligatory for:
- Every sane Muslim of mature age (who has reached puberty)
- Non-travelling persons Those who additionally own wealth which is beyond their needs, equal to (or more than) the current level of nisab (87.48 grams grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver
We do not require the names, as the practice of reciting the name upon sacrificing is logistically very difficult to fulfill due to the vast requests we receive during this season. This is similar to the practice of offering sacrifice while on Hajj. The scholars have approved the sacrifice without the names as long as the intention of the person was made. We encourage everyone to make their intention when donating their Qurban .
We are not able to
give Qurbani
to specific orphans; the scale of the operation makes this exceptionally difficult. However, orphans are a high priority in our programs; therefore they not only benefit from donors’ sponsorship, but also benefit from receiving other support in Ramadan and
Qurbani
.
Within some schools of thought in the Islamic tradition, it is a recommended act to avoid cutting your hair and nails from the 1st of Dhul Hijjah until your
Qurbani
is performed. As Islamic Relief performs all sacrifices between the 10th of Dhul Hijjah to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah, it would be safest to wait until sunset of the 13th of Dhul Hijjah to trim one’s nails and hair.
Eid al-Adha is sometimes referred to as
Qurbani Eid
, and follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Depending on the country, the celebrations of Eid al-Adha (10th Dhul Hijjah) can last anywhere between two and four days. The
Qurbani
(sacrifice) is carried out following the Eid prayers on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, which are performed in congregation.