After the sacrifice, what happens to the meat? Many families ask whether it must be given away, whether it can be kept, and how much should go to whom. This guide answers from the Quran and from Hanafi fatwa sources, and says where it stops.
What the Quran says
The Quran says about the sacrificial animals: “you may eat from their meat, and feed the needy — those who do not beg, and those who do” (Quran 22:36, The Clear Quran, checked on quran.com). So the verse permits eating from the sacrifice and tells us to feed the needy, both those who ask and those who do not.
The three-part practice
Hanafi fatwa sources say it is recommended (mustahabb), not obligatory, to divide the meat of the Qurbani into three portions: one for the immediate family, one for relatives and friends, and one for the poor and needy. MuftiOnline.co.za cites Al-Hindiyyah (5/300) for this. Dar al-Ifta of Jordan gives the same division for a voluntary sacrifice: one-third charity, one-third for the household and one-third as gifts.
- Recommended: three portions as above.
- Permitted: AskMufti.co.za says other proportions are also permissible, and MuftiOnline.co.za says keeping the entire meat for one’s own needs is permissible — the division is a recommendation.
- Different case: an animal sacrificed to fulfil a vow (nadhr) follows a stricter rule: Dar al-Ifta of Jordan says the owner may not eat from it. See our guide on sacrificing a goat to fulfil a vow.
What this guide does not cover
Rulings on selling any part of the animal, on paying the butcher from the meat or skin, and on giving meat to non-Muslims are specific and this guide does not state them. Ask a scholar of your school.
When the meat is distributed on your behalf
Qurbani Easy distributes the meat to people in need; our where Qurbani Easy meat goes and our distribution policy describe how. If you want to know how your family’s own share fits the three-part practice, ask our team before you book. Related guides: who Qurbani is due on, days and time of Qurbani and the Qurbani rules hub.
Citation sources
- Quran 22:36 — text and translation checked on quran.com (The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab).
- Hanafi three-part recommendation (mustahabb, not obligatory): AskMufti.co.za, “Distribution of Qurbani meat” (Moulana Yusuf Laher, checked by Mufti Siraj Desai, via islamqa.org); and MuftiOnline.co.za, “Distributing the Qurbaani meat” (Mufti Zakaria Makada, checked by Mufti Ebrahim Salejee, citing Al-Hindiyyah 5/300), via islamqa.org (Hanafi section).
- Dar al-Ifta al-Urduniyyah (aliftaa.jo), “Summary of the Rulings of the Udhiyah in Islamic Jurisprudence”: division into thirds for a voluntary sacrifice and the vowed-sacrifice rule.
- Madhab note: the “other proportions are permissible / keeping all is permissible” points are stated by Hanafi fatwa sources only; other schools may differ.
Roman Hindi mein padhein: Qurbani Ke Gosht Ki Taqseem