Translate this page

English Arabic French German Greek Swahili Turkish

25 April 2024 / 16. Shawal 1445

Qurbani - Sacrifice in the Way of Prophet Ibrahim (as)

‘Therefore offer prayer for your Lord, and do the sacrifice.’ (Quran 108:2). ‘Qurbani’ is Arabic for ‘sacrifice’ of an animal (usually a cow, sheep or goat) in the way of Islam whose meat is then distributed among the deserving for consumption. This sacrifice takes place during Eid al-Hajj. This tradition has origins in the time of Prophet Ibrahim, where it symbolizes the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail in the way of Allah.

‘But why is Qurbani performed?’ one might ask. The answer lies in two very valuable benefits associated with this act. One being the humanitarian benefit of helping the poor and the needy. The other reason relates to the idea of spiritual closeness and submission to Allah (swt). Sacrificing an animal in this way signifies letting go of things for the benefit others in submission to Allah (swt) in order to get closer to Him. As the Holy Quran says:

‘It is not their flesh or their blood that reaches God. Rather, it is your God-wariness that reaches Him…’

(Holy Qur’an 22:37)

One can also enhance their spiritual journey prior to this. The World Federation of KSIMC is currently providing a wealth of resources that can help you along your spiritual journey of Hajj, including 4GB MP3 player pre-loaded with various Hajj related MP3’s. To find out more:  Click Here

The World Federation of KSIMC is running a Qurbani Appeal 2014 campaign and is now taking orders. For more information:  Click Here


Related News


In Iraq, 400 families including orphans, widows and those living in local slums will receive a food basket.


Ramadhan Relief in Iraq has started where food baskets have been prepared and are being distributed to families. The World Federation has sent a member of its own team to Iraq to assist with Ramadhan Relief efforts as well as to assess the overall humanitarian needs in the region.


This year several individuals, couples and families will be embarking on the spiritual journey of walking from Najaf to Karbala to commemorate Arba’een.  These people from different parts of the world will unite to complete an 80km walk through war-torn Iraq from the holy city of Najaf to the land of Karbala. They shall walk for three days during the daytime with the scorching desert sun bearing down upon them and they will rest in the evenings in makeshift tents, when the blistering cold takes over as temperatures rapidly plummet.