Your Qurbani Journey: 6 Things You Need to Consider
The below article was updated in May 2022 with information for Qurbani 2022.
With five weeks to go until Eid al-Adha (8th or 9th July 2022, depending on the moon sighting), many of us are looking into our Qurbani options and deciding how to carry out this essential worship.
This article covers the six things we need to keep in mind while doing Qurbani research: how many animals we're giving, what our budget is, which location we should give to, who will benefit from our Qurbani, who will carry out our Qurbani and how we can maximise our reward.
If you're not sure whether you need to give a Qurbani, please read our article about the rules of Qurbani.
Without further ado, here are six things you need to consider at the start of your Qurbani journey:
1. How many animals do I need to give?
There are two types of Qurbani: giving one small animal (such as a goat) or giving a share in a larger animal (such as a cow). Neither is more rewardable - i.e. both fulfil your obligation.
Some organisations will tell you if the animals you are choosing is small or large. At Muslim Hands, we choose the best-value animal for each location, and if you choose any of our Qurbani options you will have fulfilled your obligation.
2. What is my budget?
The essence of Qurbani is that is symbolises our surrender to Allah (swt). In the same way that Prophet Ibrahim (as) was willing to sacrifice what was most precious to him (his son) in order to obey Allah, we would also sacrifice everything to please Him.
On a practical level, this means choosing the best animal and fulfilling our Qurbani in the best way possible, in order to tangibly demonstrate our piety to Allah. As a charity, this means that we don't cut corners by using tinned or frozen meat - we strive to make sure that our Qurbani prices are affordable without compromising the quality of your Qurbani.
With that being said, we pride ourselves on being able to cater to a wide range of budgets, to ensure as many Muslims as possible can take part in this beautiful worship.
With Qurbanis starting from £35, most of us will be able to afford to give one Qurbani in order to show our devotion to Allah while feeding the poor. Meanwhile, for those Muslims who can afford the higher price-tags, we have Qurbanis up to £245, ensuring needy families can share in the blessings of Eid even in areas where the price of meat has sky-rocketed.
No matter what your budget is, there will be a Qurbani option available to you, alhamdulillah.
3. Where should I give my Qurbani?
With so many countries in need, it can be difficult to narrow down where to give your Qurbani! With that in mind, here are five locations you may want to consider in 2022:
1. Somalia: At £45, ordering your Qurbani to Somalia is not only affordable, it will also feed some of the most vulnerable people in the world. The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in a decade - in Somalia alone, 1 in 4 people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Your sacrifice will not only be sharing the blessings of Eid with our brothers and sisters, it will also provide essential nutrition amid this crisis.
2. Afghanistan: With the economic collapse in Afghanistan, the vast majority of families aren't eating enough, with record hunger levels in both cities and rural areas. Afghan families can't even afford bread - so at £70, they definitely can't sacrifice an animal themselves. You can make sure they have meat to eat on Eid al-Adha.
3. Yemen: The Prophet (saw) loved the people of Yemen so much that he even said 'I am Yemeni' [Ahmad] - therefore, many Muslims are eager to give to this blessed land, especially on Eid! For £140, you can sacrifice in Yemen, feeding war-torn communities with Qurbani meat.
4. Syria: This is another blessed land and it has been close to our hearts during the last decade of conflict. The price of food in Syria has skyrocketed since early 2020, to the point where many people can't even afford bread. You can order your Qurbani for £200 to feed people within Syria.
5. United Kingdom: Since Eid al-Adha is a communal celebration, many of us would love to share the Qurbani meat with our family and neighbours. If you sacrifice in the UK, we will deliver two-thirds of the meat to your doorstep during the days of Eid al-Adha! (This is approximately 15kg). One-third will go to our community kitchen in London, feeding low-income families and homeless people. This costs £245 in total.
You can see a full list of 24 locations on our Qurbani page, but if you still can't decide where to give - don't worry! Simply select our Where Most Needed option at £55 and let our experts allocate your Qurbani to where it is most needed on the ground.
4. Who is benefitting from your Qurbani?
After deciding how many animals to give, calculating a budget and deciding your location, it's time to research exactly whom your Qurbani will be benefitting.
If you are giving with an organisation, they will have guidelines for how they select who to distribute meat to. You can look on their website or call them personally to make sure your sacrifice is feeding those most in need.
At Muslim Hands, we distribute meat to the following people:
- Impoverished families, prioritising orphans and widows first
- Disabled and elderly people who come from a poor background
- Those living in areas affected by war or conflict e.g. Yemen
- Refugees, both those living in refugee camps and those who have shelter but can't afford meat
- Internally displaced people who have fled war or disaster
- Homeless people in the UK
It is important to remember that, due to prolonged conflicts and the economic impact of coronavirus, the price of food has skyrocketed in many countries. Many of the families we are distributing meat to are struggling to afford even one daily meal, so meat is an unattainable luxury. When you give your Qurbani with us, you are ensuring those most in need can enjoy Eid al-Adha like the rest of the Ummah.
5. Who should you entrust your Qurbani to?
Traditionally, Muslims across the world would personally sacrifice an animal after Eid prayer. This gave them a deeper connection with this worship: they would source a suitable animal themselves, purchase it, take care of it, make an intention before sacrificing it and divide the meat among family, friends and those in need themselves. This not only had spiritual weight but, on a practical level, it also ensured people felt secure in their Qurbani, knowing that they had personally fulfilled their obligation.
In this day and age, many Muslims are unable to perform Qurbani personally, so they have two options:
1. Asking family or trusted friends 'back home' to sacrifice an animal for them, paying them in advance
2. Ordering their Qurbani from an organisation, usually a charity, and entrusting them with distributing the meat
Whichever option you choose, it is important to research the following things:
- How will the person or organisation source the animal? At Muslim Hands, we work with local farmers to select the best-value animal in each location and we carry out regular vet checks to ensure it is up to the standard for being a Qurbani animal.
- Will your sacrifice be Shariah-compliant? At Muslim Hands, we never stun the animal and we will recite your name over the animal before sacrificing it, as we are intending to sacrifice it on your behalf.
- Will your Qurbani be carried out on time? Our teams begin sacrificing after Eid prayer and continue sacrificing over the three days of Eid (sometimes four, depending on the local school of thought).
- Will your Qurbani be distributed as fresh meat? Some organisations will offer cheaper Qurbani options because they are not sacrificing on location. Rather, they will sacrifice the animal in a cheaper location, tin or freeze the meat, and transport it to the country in need. However, Muslim Hands always distributes fresh meat, sacrificed on location, ensuring our brothers and sisters receive the best food and supporting local farmers with our purchases.
Because Qurbani is a worship, you must make sure you are giving with a trusted person or organisation who will fulfil your amanah. We would like to reassure you that we have been facilitating Qurbanis for over 25 years and we will share feedback with you across our website, social media and email newsletters throughout your Qurbani journey, keeping you as connected to the process as possible.
6. How can you maximise the reward of your Qurbani?
Finally, if you can afford to do so, we highly recommend giving a second, extra Qurbani to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw):
'The Prophet (saw) sacrificed for the one who could not sacrifice from his Ummah, one who bore witness to the Oneness of Allah and [his] Prophethood'. [Tabarani & Ahmad]
The Prophet (saw) used to give an additional Qurbani on behalf of those Muslims who could not afford to do so. This merciful deed would allow more people from the Ummah to share in the blessings of Eid al-Adha.
Many of the Sahabah also used to follow this Sunnah of giving twice like the Prophet (saw). Anas bin Malik (ra) said, ‘The Prophet (saw) used to offer two rams as sacrifices, and I also offer two rams for sacrifice’. [Bukhari]
Yet today, this Sunnah is rarely practiced. We therefore encourage anyone who can afford to do so to give an extra Qurbani this year and revive the Sunnah!
Summary
Before giving your Qurbani, it is important to thoroughly research where you are giving, who will be facilitating your Qurbani and who will be benefitting from your sacrifice. At Muslim Hands, we cater to every budget, offer Qurbani in 24 locations, always distribute fresh meat and make sure we are feeding those most in need.
You can learn more about our Qurbani Service on our previous blog and you can also check out our article about the rules of Qurbani.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch at 0115 911 7222. We pray Allah accepts your Qurbani and puts barakah in it, amin!
