Last updated: 2027
Not every Muslim is required to offer Qurbani. Whether it is an obligation or a strongly confirmed Sunnah depends on which school of law you follow:
- Hanafi school: Qurbani is wajib (obligatory) on every adult, sane, resident Muslim who owns wealth above the nisab, on the days of Eid ul Adha.
- Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools: Qurbani is sunnah mu’akkadah — a strongly confirmed Sunnah — for every Muslim who can afford it, whether resident or travelling. Leaving it is not sinful the way a missed obligation is, but it should not be neglected without reason.
The conditions below are set out in the Hanafi framing of who Qurbani is obligatory on, with the points where the majority differ noted.
1. The nisab threshold — financial capability
The measure is the same as the nisab for Zakat — roughly the value of 612 grams of silver, or 87 grams of gold. It is assessed on wealth that is surplus to your basic needs on the days of Eid, including:
- cash and money in the bank
- gold and silver
- business stock or merchandise
- property beyond your primary home, and other assets not needed for daily living
Your home, an everyday vehicle used for necessary transport, and personal effects are not counted. You check whether you meet the threshold on the days of Eid ul Adha itself — the 10th of Dhul Hijjah and the days that follow.
2. Adult and of sound mind
In the Hanafi view, Qurbani is not obligatory on a child or on a person who is not of sound mind — and it is not required of their guardian to offer it on their behalf either, though a guardian may choose to do so as a good act.
3. Residence — the Hanafi traveller exemption
In the Hanafi school, a person who is a traveller (musafir) in the Shariah sense during the days of Eid is not obligated to offer Qurbani. This exemption is specific to the Hanafi school. The Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools consider Qurbani a confirmed Sunnah for the traveller and the resident alike. Either way, a traveller who can afford it is encouraged to offer Qurbani.
Is Qurbani obligatory for women?
The nisab rule applies to women in exactly the same way, on their own wealth, independent of a husband’s or family’s situation. A woman who meets the threshold is the one who offers her own Qurbani.
Performing Qurbani on behalf of others
Offering Qurbani for members of your household is permitted across the schools. Offering it for someone who has passed away is permitted by most scholars, with the Shafi’i school restricting it to where the deceased left a bequest — see our guide on Qurbani for a deceased loved one.
If you are not obligated but can afford it
Every school regards offering Qurbani voluntarily as an encouraged and rewarded act. Not meeting the nisab does not shut you out of the reward — you can still take a share in a Qurbani if it is genuinely affordable. Our guide to Qurbani on a low income explains how basic needs, due debts and affordability affect that decision.
How the meat should be distributed
The recommended practice — not an obligation — is to divide the meat into three parts: one for your household, one for relatives and friends, and one for the poor. You may keep more or give more. Selling the meat, the skin, or any part of the animal for profit is not allowed.
Performing your Qurbani with Qurbani Easy
If you meet the eligibility requirements above, Qurbani Easy handles the full process for families across India — animal sourcing from a trusted local network, Shariah-compliant slaughter, and documented distribution of the meat to those in need. See available Qurbani packages.
Sources
- Qurbani classified as wajib in the Hanafi school (on the resident who owns wealth surplus to needs above the nisab) and as sunnah mu’akkadah in the Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools — IslamQA (Hanafi section, “The Fiqh of Ritual Slaughter (Udhiya/Qurbani)”); and, for the majority position, IslamQA citing the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas.
- Qurbani not obligatory on a child or the insane, nor on their guardian to perform it for them; and the traveller (musafir) exemption being specific to the Hanafi school — IslamQA (Hanafi Q&A on upon whom Qurbani is obligatory).
- No Quran or Hadith text is quoted directly in this guide.
Conclusion
If you follow the Hanafi school, Qurbani is due on you when you are an adult, resident, of sound mind, and own wealth above the nisab on the days of Eid. If you follow one of the other three schools, it is a strongly confirmed Sunnah whenever you can afford it. Where it is not required of you, offering it anyway remains a rewarded act.