Qurbani 2027, the rules and a share calculator
Qurbani, also called Udhiyah, is the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha, from Sunday 16 May to sunset on Tuesday 18 May 2027. Work out how many animals or shares you need and the cheapest way to buy them.
One sheep or goat is one share. A cow or camel is seven.
| Option | What you buy | Spare shares | Cost |
|---|
- Shares needed
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- Whole cows for that
- …
- Cost per share
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Time: after the Eid prayer on Sunday 16 May until sunset on Tuesday 18 May (10 to 12 Dhul Hijjah 1448).
Nothing you type leaves this device. Prices are yours: we do not show or invent any.
Guide
Qurbani (Udhiyah), Hanafi rules first
Qurbani (Udhiyah in Arabic) is the sacrifice of a sheep, goat, cow or camel on the days of Eid al-Adha, following the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim. In 2027 the days are expected from after the Eid prayer on Sunday 16 May 2027 to sunset on Tuesday 18 May 2027. In the Hanafi school it is wajib on every adult Muslim resident who owns the nisab.
لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Lany yanaalal laaha luhoo muhaa wa laa dimaaa'uhaa wa laakiny yanaaluhut taqwaa minkum; kazaalika sakhkharhaa lakum litukabbirul laaha 'alaa ma hadaakum; wa bashshirul muhsineen
"Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good."
Quran 22:37, translation by Sahih International.
Who must give Qurbani?
Qurbani is wajib on every Muslim who is adult, sane, resident (not a traveller) and owns wealth at or above the nisab beyond their basic needs at any time in the three days. The nisab is the same as for zakat al-fitr, and it does not need to have been held for a year. It is due on each eligible person separately, so a husband and wife who each own the nisab give one share each. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever can afford it and does not sacrifice, let him not come near our place of prayer."1
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i, Hanbali
- A confirmed sunnah (sunnah muakkadah) for those who can afford it, not an obligation. One sheep can count for a whole household in reward.
- Maliki
- A confirmed sunnah, and one sheep can be offered on behalf of the household.
The days and time
The sacrifice is from after the Eid prayer on 10 Dhul Hijjah until sunset on the 12th. Sacrificing before the Eid prayer, in a town where it is held, does not count. The first day is best. In villages with no Eid prayer, it may begin after Fajr on the 10th. The Shafi'i school allows it until sunset on the 13th.
Animals and their ages
A sheep or goat is one share. A cow, buffalo or camel can be shared by up to seven people. Jabir said: "We sacrificed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the year of Hudaybiyah a camel for seven and a cow for seven."2 Every partner must intend an act of worship, such as qurbani or aqiqah; if one partner only wants meat, no one's share counts.
| Animal | Hanafi minimum age | Shares | Other madhhabs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep | 1 year; a healthy sheep of 6 months or more that looks like a one-year-old is accepted | 1 | Hanbali: 6 months. Shafi'i and Maliki: 1 year. |
| Goat | 1 year | 1 | Shafi'i: 2 years. Maliki and Hanbali: 1 year. |
| Cow or buffalo | 2 years | 7 | Maliki: 3 years. Shafi'i and Hanbali: 2 years. |
| Camel | 5 years | 7 | The same in all four schools. |
Defects that disqualify an animal
The Prophet ﷺ named four: an animal clearly blind in one eye, clearly sick, clearly lame, or so thin that it has no marrow.3 In the Hanafi school an animal that has lost more than a third of an ear, tail or eye-sight, or has no teeth to graze, also does not count. Small defects such as a split ear or broken horn tip are fine.
Sharing out the meat
- It is recommended to divide it in three: a third for your family, a third for relatives and friends, and a third for the poor. You may keep all of it, but giving to the poor is better.
- The skin may be used or given away, but not sold for your own benefit. If it is sold, the money goes to the poor.
- The butcher is paid separately, not with the meat or skin.
Giving Qurbani abroad
Many UK and US Muslims pay a charity to sacrifice in another country. That is valid: you appoint the charity as your agent. In the Hanafi school the time is judged by where the animal is, so it must be after the Eid prayer there. Many muftis also advise that it be Eid where the giver lives, so trustworthy charities wait until it is Eid in both places.
Hair and nails
For the one who will sacrifice, it is mustahabb not to cut hair or nails from the start of Dhul Hijjah (sunset on {gn(eve(D_DH1))} 2027) until the animal is sacrificed, following the hadith of Umm Salamah.4 It is not a sin to cut them.
Other madhhabs
- Hanbali
- Cutting hair or nails in this period is forbidden for the one who will sacrifice.
- Shafi'i, Maliki
- Cutting them is makruh (disliked).
A worked example
A family of 10 people who must each give, where a sheep costs £180 and a whole cow £1,050: ten sheep cost £1,800. Two whole cows give 14 shares for £2,100, with 4 spare shares. One cow plus three sheep cover all ten for £1,590. If a farm sells single cow shares at £150, ten shares cost £1,500, the cheapest. The calculator above does this with your own prices.
- Sunan Ibn Majah 3123, graded hasan.
- Sahih Muslim 1318.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 2802; Jami at-Tirmidhi 1497, graded hasan sahih.
- Sahih Muslim 1977. Al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah, Kitab al-Udhiyah; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know
When is Qurbani 2027?
From after the Eid al-Adha prayer on Sunday 16 May 2027 until sunset on Tuesday 18 May 2027, if Dhul Hijjah starts as expected. Where Eid is a day later, the days move a day later too.
Is Qurbani wajib or sunnah?
In the Hanafi school it is wajib on each adult Muslim resident who owns the nisab. In the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools it is a confirmed sunnah.
How many people can share a cow for Qurbani?
Up to seven. Each share counts as one person's qurbani, and every partner must intend worship.
Does one Qurbani cover the whole family?
In the Hanafi school, no: each adult who owns the nisab gives their own share. In the other schools, one sheep can be offered for the household.
What is the difference between Qurbani and Udhiyah?
None. Udhiyah is the Arabic word. Qurbani is the word used in Urdu, Bangla, Persian and in the UK and South Asian communities.
Can I give Qurbani on behalf of someone who has died?
Yes, as a voluntary share, and the reward reaches them. If they left a will asking for it, it is paid from their estate and all of the meat goes to the poor.