Sacrifice is obligatory for whom, how to do it

Sacrifice is one of the provisions in Islam. Sacrifice is a very significant and virtuous act of worship. It has the glory of self-sacrifice and the glory of the service of art. The history of this sacrifice, which began with Abel and Cain, the two sons of the original father, Hazrat Adam (a.s.), is illumined by the great self-sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.), the father of the Muslim nation, and his infant son, Ishmael (a.s.).

If a normally educated, adult, Muslim owns a ‘nisab’ amount of wealth, it is obligatory or necessary to make a sacrifice on their behalf. Nisab is seven and a half loads of gold or fifty and a half loads of silver or its equivalent in cash and business goods or assets.


Sacrifice means approaching or gaining proximity, accepting sacrifice or giving up. Sacrifice in terminology is the slaughter of a certain animal according to the provisions of the Shari'ah for the purpose of pleasing Allah from the morning of the 10th of the month of Jilhaj to the sunset of the 12th. A sacrifice is a goat, a sheep or a ewe and one-seventh of a cow, buffalo and camel. That is, a cow, buffalo or camel can be sacrificed in seven bodies or on behalf of seven people.

The sacrificial animal can be slaughtered by any Muslim man or woman. Whose sacrifice is better than his own. It is not necessary to know the prayer. You have to slaughter by saying 'Bismillahi Allahu Akbar'. Apart from this, if you know other prayers, it is better to read them. There is no intention to slaughter and it is not necessary to mention the name of the victim. He who is sacrificing, the will of his mind will be accepted as intention. If you can't slaughter yourself, you can slaughter with anyone. It is better to be present at the time of slaughter.

The meat of the sacrifice can be eaten by all, rich and poor. Sunnat is to give some part to relatives, some part to poor neighbors and some part to one's own family. The more you give, the better. If necessary, the whole can be kept. Some people give one-seventh, some give a little and give the whole. It is immoral and inhumane to accumulate the flesh of the sacrifice of sacrifice. However, there is nothing wrong with keeping a small amount for a special person or as a hobby.

Apart from the obligatory sacrifices, anyone can perform nafl sacrifices on behalf of anyone, big or small, living or dead. In this both will be entitled to thawab. If a woman is able or possesses a nisab amount of wealth, sacrifice is also obligatory for her. No obligation, including sacrifice, applies to children. Hijras are basically women or men. Therefore, if they are also adults and able, sacrifices like prayers, fasting, Hajj, Zakat will also be obligatory. Just as a cow, buffalo or camel can be sacrificed for more than one person in portions, one can also be given akika at the rate of seven portions. There is no obstacle to make Korbani and Akika together.

Sacrifice is done only by slaughtering animals. There is no substitute for sacrifice. Sacrifice will not be realized through giving money, donating money and giving charity. If a capable person is not able to perform the sacrifice himself due to special excuse, he can perform it with someone else or through a representative. In this case, he has to bear the cost of the animal and all the expenses of management. If someone does it without pay, there is no harm in it.

If one wants to avoid the hassle of buying, slaughtering and distributing sacrificial animals, he can entrust the responsibility of performing his sacrifice to a trusted person-relative or village people or a trusted religious institution or service organization.

In addition to the sacrifices, more charity can be given to the needy, poor, miserable, miserable people to join in the joy of Eid, more clothes can be donated and more necessities and Eid items can be bought.

Mufti Maulana Shaikh Muhammad Usman Ghani is the Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh National Imam Association and Assistant Professor at the Ahsania Institute of Sufism.