Last updated: 12 October 2026 | Written for Eid ul Adha 2027
Qurbani Easy Editorial Team • Advised by our panel of Islamic scholars
Quick Answer: Nisab for Qurbani is calculated by adding the value of any gold, silver, cash, and business stock a person owns during the days of Qurbani, after subtracting debts and essential household needs. Under the Hanafi view followed by Darul Uloom Deoband, if that total reaches the value of 612.36 grams of silver, Qurbani becomes Wajib on that person, even if they own no gold or silver at all.
A person checking whether Qurbani is Wajib on them this year often starts with the wrong question: “Do I own enough gold?” Nisab for Qurbani is rarely about gold alone. It is a combined calculation across everything a person owns beyond their basic needs, gold, silver, cash in the bank, stock in a business, even money lent to someone else, measured against one fixed benchmark. This guide explains exactly how that calculation works, which figure to use, and where people most often get it wrong.
What Is Nisab, and Why Does It Decide Who Must Do Qurbani
Nisab is the minimum level of wealth a Muslim must own before an obligation like Zakat or Qurbani becomes Wajib on them. Qurbani is not Wajib on everyone. Hanafi fatwa sources say it is Wajib on an adult, sane Muslim who is not a traveller (musafir) and who owns wealth equal to the Nisab of Zakat, over and above basic needs and debts, on any of the three days of Qurbani (Council of Ulama, Hanafi fatwa “Obligation of Qurbani”; Mufti Zakaria Makada, Muftionline). A Hanafi-school fatwa from Darul Uloom Deoband states the figure directly: a person who owns wealth equal in value to 612.36 grams of silver must offer Qurbani (Darul Uloom Deoband, Fatwa 1417/1186). A separate Deoband fatwa clarifies how mixed assets are treated: if a person’s gold or silver alone falls short of its own threshold, but the combined value reaches the silver Nisab, Qurbani and Zakat both become Wajib (Darul Uloom Deoband, Fatwa 1238/966).
Gold Nisab vs Silver Nisab — Which One Applies
This is where most confusion starts, and schools of thought genuinely differ on it. Darul Uloom Deoband’s position is specific: if a person owns only gold and no silver, the gold Nisab (7.5 tola, approximately 87.48 grams) applies to that gold alone. In every other case, including a mix of gold, silver, cash, or business stock, the lower silver Nisab of 612.36 grams governs the combined total (Darul Uloom Deoband, Fatwa 1238/966, cited above). Darul Ifta Birmingham states the Nisab as 612.36 grams of silver or 87.48 grams of gold (Darul Ifta Birmingham, Fatwa ID 01507), so the answer can look different depending on which institution you read. The sources above are all Hanafi, so a person following the Shafi’i, Maliki, or Hanbali school should ask a scholar of that school and not apply these Hanafi numbers directly. Because this difference materially changes who owes Qurbani, it is not a detail to skip — it is the first thing to settle before calculating anything else.
How to Calculate Your Own Nisab, Step by Step
First, list every asset: gold (jewellery included, regardless of whether it is worn), silver, cash at home and in bank accounts, and the current value of any business stock or trade goods. Second, add money owed to you by others that you reasonably expect to recover, since Darul Uloom Deoband treats money you have lent out, and have a right to claim back, as still owned for Nisab purposes (Darul Uloom Deoband, Ref. No. 39/1084). Third, subtract any genuine debts you owe and the value of goods needed for basic living (such as your house, car, and clothing), since Nisab is calculated on surplus wealth, not total wealth (Muftionline, Hanafi fatwa). Fourth, convert the gold and silver you hold into their current market value in rupees, using that day’s gold and silver rates rather than an old or estimated price, since both move daily. Fifth, add that converted gold-and-silver value to your cash, business stock, and recoverable loans. Sixth, compare the total against the current rupee value of 612.36 grams of silver on that same day — if your total equals or exceeds it, Qurbani is Wajib on you for that year, following the Hanafi Deoband view described above. A person who owns only gold, and no silver or other qualifying assets at all, compares that gold instead against the value of 87.48 grams of gold, (Darul Uloom Deoband, Fatwa 1238/966).
Common Mistakes People Make
The most frequent mistake is checking only gold jewellery and ignoring cash, bank balances, or business stock entirely, which understates the total and can wrongly suggest Qurbani is not Wajib. The second is using an outdated gold or silver rate instead of the current day’s price, since Hanafi fatwa sources assess Qurbani Nisab during the days of Qurbani, not weeks earlier. The third is forgetting to subtract real debts before comparing against the threshold, which overstates the total. The fourth is applying the gold Nisab (87.48 grams) to a mixed holding of gold, silver, and cash, when the lower silver Nisab should govern that combined total under the Deoband view (Fatwa 1238/966). The fifth is assuming a fixed rupee figure carries over from last year; because gold and silver prices change, the rupee value of Nisab must be recalculated every year, often every few weeks, rather than reused.
How Qurbani Easy Helps
Once a person has confirmed Qurbani is Wajib on them, Qurbani Easy allows them to book and complete that Qurbani online, with a qualified Wakeel performing the sacrifice and video or photo proof sent, depending on the option chosen. Booking is open all year, and Qurbani Easy does not accept payment from outside India, though a family member or relative in India can complete the booking and payment on someone’s behalf. For the full process, see How to Do Qurbani, or visit the Qurbani page to see current service options and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nisab the same for Zakat and Qurbani?
The threshold figure is the same, 612.36 grams of silver (or, in gold-only cases, 87.48 grams of gold) under the Hanafi Deoband view, but the timing differs. Hanafi fatwa sources say Zakat becomes due after the wealth stays with the person for a full lunar year, while for Qurbani the wealth does not have to be held for a year; owning the Nisab on any of the three days of Qurbani is enough (Muftionline; Council of Ulama).
Do I count my house or car toward Nisab?
No. Hanafi fatwa sources exclude necessary items of use, such as a house, car, cutlery, and clothing, when checking Nisab for Qurbani (Mufti Zakaria Makada, Muftionline). Only surplus wealth, such as cash, gold, silver, business stock, and money owed to you, beyond debts and essential needs, is counted.
What if I only have cash and no gold or silver at all?
Cash is counted too. Darul Uloom Deoband says a person who owns wealth equal in value to 612.36 grams of silver must offer Qurbani (Fatwa 1417/1186), and Fatwa 1238/966 explains that the silver Nisab applies in all cases except gold-only holdings. If your cash and other surplus assets together reach that rupee value during the days of Qurbani, Qurbani is Wajib on you even without owning any gold or silver.
My gold is below 87.48 grams but I also have some cash — does that change anything?
Yes. Under Darul Uloom Deoband Fatwa 1238/966, gold or silver that falls short of its own threshold is still added to the other assets, and if the combined value reaches the silver Nisab of 612.36 grams, Qurbani becomes Wajib. The gold is not ignored just because it falls short on its own.
Where does the figure of 612.36 grams of silver come from?
Muftionline explains that the Zakat Nisab is 200 shar’i dirhams, each weighing about 3.0618 grams, which gives 200 × 3.0618 = 612.36 grams (Muftionline, Calculation of Nisaab of Silver). That answer also corrects an earlier figure of 613.35 grams to 612.36 grams.
If I’m unsure whether my situation meets Nisab, what should I do?
Calculate your total surplus assets using current gold and silver rates during the days of Qurbani, and if the result is close to the threshold or your situation involves debts, loans, or business stock that are hard to value precisely, confirm the final answer with a local qualified scholar before deciding Qurbani is or isn’t Wajib on you.
Citation Sources
• Darul Uloom Deoband, Fatwa 1417/1186 (Hanafi) — islamqa.org — states that a person who owns wealth equal in value to 612.36 grams of silver must offer Qurbani.
• Darul Uloom Deoband, Fatwa 1238/966 (Hanafi) — islamqa.org — supports the gold-only exception and the rule combining mixed assets against the silver Nisab.
• Darul Uloom Deoband, Ref. No. 39/1084 (Hanafi) — islamqa.org — supports counting money you have lent out, and can claim back, as owned for Nisab.
• Council of Ulama (Hanafi), “Obligation of Qurbani” — islamqa.org — supports the conditions (not a traveller, adult, owns Nisab on any of the three days of Qurbani) and that the Nisab need not be held for a full lunar year.
• Mufti Zakaria Makada, Muftionline (Hanafi), “Upon whom is Qurbaani waajib” — islamqa.org — supports excluding house, car, cutlery and clothing, the days of Qurbani (10th–12th Dhul Hijjah), and the traveller exemption.
• Muftionline (Hanafi), “Upon whom is Qurbaani compulsory” — islamqa.org — supports the lunar-year rule for Zakat and the exclusion of necessary items.
• Muftionline (Hanafi), “Calculation of Nisaab of Silver” — islamqa.org — supports how 612.36 grams is calculated (200 dirhams × about 3.0618 g).
• Darul Ifta Birmingham, Fatwa ID 01507, “The Nisab for Qurbani” — daruliftabirmingham.co.uk — gives the Nisab as 612.36 grams of silver or 87.48 grams of gold (cites Radd al-Muhtar).