Qurbani Ke Janwar / Sacrificial Animals Buying Guide for Eid-Ul-Adha 2024

Eid-Ul-Adha 2024: Things to Consider When Buying Sacrificial Animals (Qurbani Ke Janwar)

Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the three days (10th, 11th, 12th) of Zil-hajj. Muslims all over the world offer qurbani (sacrifice of animals on Eid ul Adha) by slaughtering animals like goats, sheep, cows/bulls, camels, etc. But do you know that there are certain conditions in Islam that must be fulfilled when buying qurbani ke janwar (sacrificial animals)?

Since there are different schools of thought on this ritual therefore we’ll try to list only those conditions or rules which are common in all of them. In addition, in this blog, you’ll find some tried and tested tips that are beneficial for people who want to buy sacrificial animals online for Eid ul Adha 2024.

Let us start with the Qurbani rules (common in most schools of thought).

Qurbani Rules for Buying Sacrificial Animals (Qurbani Ke Janwar)

Not abiding by these rules may void your qurbani. So, here are some important qurbani rules that you should follow when buying an animal for sacrifice.

Age of Animal

These are the minimum age requirements every sacrificial animal must meet.

Age of Sheep for Qurbani

1 school of thought: Buy a sheep of at least 6 months old that should have the size/appearance of a 1 year old goat or sheep (qurbani for 1 person).

2nd school of thought: Buy a dumba, chatra, or kajla of at least 1 year age (qurbani for 1 person).

Age of Goat for Qurbani

Buy a bakra/goat of at least 1 year age (qurbani for 1 person)

Age of Cow/bull for Qurbani

Buy a bull or cow at least 2 years age (7 shares)

Age of Camel for Qurbani

Buy a camel of at least 5 years age (7 shares)

How to determine the age of an animal for qurbani?

There are different ways but we are here with the most popular way of checking the age of animals for sacrifice.

At least “Donda”

See if the front 2 teeth (bottom) of the animal are larger and bigger than others, then the animal is called “donda”. These are permanent teeth and they indicate that the animal is eligible for qurbani. Same is the case with cows.

Ensure the Health of Sacrificial Animal (Qurbani Ka Janwar) Before Buying

There are different requirements related to the health of qurbani ka janwar (sacrificial animal). We have listed some of the most common rules agreed upon by different schools of thought.

They shouldn’t be excessively thin or lean
They must be able to walk. They must not have a lame leg
They must not be blind or one-eyed
Their limbs, horns, and teeth must not be broken
Their ears shouldn’t be cropped
Avoid sick or injured animal

Tips for Buying Animals for Sacrifice

Here are some important tips that may help you get the right qurbani ka janwar (animal for sacrifice).

Always Visit in the Day to Buy Qurbani Ka Janwar

It is advised that you always visit the market (mandi) to buy the animal for sacrifice in the daytime. This tips equally applies to when you are visiting an individual whose animal’s ad you’ve seen on OLX Pakistan. It is because you have to see the animal in good lighting conditions.

Many people who shop for animals in the evening or during night might miss many critical things like injuries, animal health, etc. Also, you may not be able to accurately compare the animals in low light.

Bargaining Is Your Right

Sellers will always try to extract the maximum from you. It is therefore important to negotiate with them. Some buyers who are not good at bargaining or not bothered end up paying a lot more than what they should. This trend can jack up the prices and make it difficult for low-income buyers to buy a good animal at a budget-friendly price as the sellers know they can sell their animals at higher price to people who don’t negotiate much.

Watchout for Andal bakras (uncastrated goats) as their price is way lower than the price of Khassi bakras (castrated goats). It is due to the smell in the meat of the former. You should try to buy the Khassi bakra.

Tricks to Check Animals for Sacrifice

Many sellers make their animals drink loads of water to make them look bigger than what they actually are. To avoid falling for this, you should not focus on the stomach size of the animal but grab the spine and analyze if its width matches the overall size of the animal.

Another way is to check the thighs and determine if the thighs and stomach are in line. If not, there are high chances that the animal’s stomach is swollen with water and it is not actually that big.

Don’t go for the bigger size but select an active animal. Inactive, bigger animals will have more fat content in their meat. An active animal will have more muscles and less fats.

Final Verdict

In this blog, we have tried to show you some important things everyone should consider before purchasing qurbani ke janwar (animals for sacrifice). Some of them are tips and tricks while others are compulsory requirements that an animal must meet. Otherwise, qurbani may be void.