Our guide to the meaning and significance of qurbani and Eid al-Adha.
What is qurbani?
Qurbani means sacrifice. Every year during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims around the world slaughter an animal – a goat, sheep, cow or camel – to reflect the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, for the sake of God.
At least one third of the meat from the animal must go to poor or vulnerable people. Traditionally, a Muslim would keep one third of the meat for their family and give the final third to their neighbours.
Who can give qurbani?
According to most scholars, qurbani is highly recommended.
According to the Hanafi madhab, it is obligatory upon every sane adult Muslim male/female who has wealth in excess to his/her needs. Essentially, those who are obliged to pay zakat are similarly obliged to give qurbani.
The significance of qurbani
The practice of qurbani can be traced back to the Prophet Ibrahim, who dreamed that God ordered him to sacrifice his only son, Ismail. In his devotion to God, Ibrahim agreed to follow his dream and perform the sacrifice. But God intervened and sent a ram to be sacrificed in Ismail’s place.
Ismail was spared because Ibrahim proved he would sacrifice his son as an act of piety, despite the loss it would have caused him. The continued practice of sacrifice acts as a reminder of Ibrahim’s obedience to God.
Eid-al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, is celebrated during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, known as Dhul Hijjah – which translates to ‘month of the pilgrimage’. It is during this month that pilgrims travel to Mecca in order to visit the Kaaba. Hajj is performed on the 8th, 9th, and 10th days of the lunar month. Eid ul-Adha begins on the 10th and ends on the 13th. In 2026, Eid will be on Wednsday 27 May.
Islamic Relief and qurbani
Islamic Relief has been carrying out qurbani projects since 1986, when we performed 670 qurbanis.
Thanks to your generosity, in 2025 our teams on the ground distributed qurbani to over 3.2 million people across 29 countries!
The meat is distributed fresh, frozen or canned, depending on factors such as cost, availability and access, though the majority of countries receive fresh meat. The meat is purchased from local suppliers in order to benefit the local economy. Each meat packet contains on average of three kilograms of meat, which will provide a family of four with meals for about a week.
When distributing qurbani meat, we prioritise the most vulnerable, including widows, orphaned children and displaced people.
For the majority of these people, meat is not part of their regular diet and the qurbani meat parcel may be the only time they eat meat all year.
When families receive qurbani meat, it fosters a real sense of hope for them and allows them to celebrate this important occasion along with millions of other Muslims across the world.
This year, we will continue to enable poor people around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha. You can help: give your qurbani with Islamic Relief today.
