Qurbani is not valid at any time you like. It has a start and an end. The start is agreed; the end differs between schools of law. This guide shows both, with sources, and the expected dates for 2027.
When it starts: after the Eid prayer
Al-Bara’ reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The first thing we will do on this day of ours is to offer the (‘Id) prayer and then return to slaughter the sacrifice. Whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (tradition), and whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) before the prayer, what he offered was just meat he presented to his family, and that will not be considered as Nusak (sacrifice)” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5545, translation as shown on sunnah.com). So a sacrifice slaughtered before the Eid prayer does not count as Qurbani.
When it ends: the schools differ
| View | Last time for Qurbani | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hanafi | Shortly before sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah (three days: 10th, 11th, 12th) | MuftiOnline.co.za, citing Al-Durr al-Mukhtar 6/318 |
| Shafi’i school; one Hanbali opinion (also chosen by Ibn Taymiyyah) | Sunset on the 13th of Dhul Hijjah (four days, the days of Tashriq) | Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta; IslamQA.info answer 36651 |
If you follow the Hanafi school, finish before sunset on the 12th. If you follow a school that allows the 13th, the extra day is available to you, although Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta still advises hastening to slaughter before sunset on the 12th. Whichever view you follow, the first day is best. Within the permitted days, the earlier day is better: IslamQA records that each day is better than the one after it, and the best time is right after the Eid prayer.
Expected dates in 2027
Eid ul Adha falls on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah 1448 AH. Astronomical calculation (Umm al-Qura) puts it at about 16 May 2027, and India, where the new moon is usually confirmed a day later than Saudi Arabia, is likely to observe it on about 17 May 2027. These are estimates: the actual date depends on moon sighting and will be known only around the evening of the 29th of Dhul Qa’dah. Check the announcement of your local moon-sighting committee. Count the days of Qurbani from the Eid date announced where you live.
If you book through Qurbani Easy
The right end time depends on your school, so if you are unsure which window applies to you, ask a scholar of your school before the days begin. Details of the booking process are in our Eid ul Adha Qurbani 2027 guide. The other conditions are in the animal conditions guide and in common mistakes that invalidate Qurbani. Rulings are gathered in the Qurbani rules hub.
Citation sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5545 (Chapter: The legal way of Al-Udhiya) — Al-Bara’; checked on sunnah.com.
- Hanafi end time: MuftiOnline.co.za, “Can Qurbani be performed on the twelfth of Zil Hijjah?” (Mufti Zakaria Makada, checked by Mufti Ebrahim Salejee, citing Al-Durr al-Mukhtar 6/318), via islamqa.org (Hanafi section).
- Shafi’i/Hanbali end time and the advice to hasten before sunset on the 12th: Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, “The last date for sacrifice” (dar-alifta.org, fatwa 704). The “each day is better than the next” point and the Eid-prayer start: IslamQA.info answer 36651, “What Is the Time for Offering Udhiyah?”.
- Dates: Umm al-Qura calendar estimate and the usual one-day lag in India; estimates only, subject to moon sighting.
- Madhab note: Hanafi (end of 12th) and the Shafi’i/Hanbali view (end of 13th) are shown side by side; this guide does not choose between them.
Roman Hindi mein padhein: Qurbani Ke Din Aur Waqt
Related guides: the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah and Eid ul Adha morning: what is reported from the Prophet.