“Once our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) was asked, what is Qurbani? The Prophet (saw) answered: ‘It is the Sunnah of your father Ibrahim (as). For every hair of the Qurbani you receive a reward from Allah (SWT)” – Tirmidhi
Qurbani is a religious sacrifice of sheep, cattle, or goats which is made during the days of Eid-ul-Adha. This takes place between the 10th and 12th days of Dhul Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar. Meat is distributed to impoverished communities to ensure everybody is able to enjoy the days of Eid. The blessed tradition was passed down to us by our Prophet Ibrahim (as) and Ismail (as) reflecting on their ultimate devotion to Allah (swt) and the sacrifices they were willing to make.
Prophet Ibrahim had a series of dreams where he was being commanded to sacrifice his only, beloved son, Ismail. In his devotion to Allah (swt), Ibrahim agreed to follow his dream and perform the sacrifice. But God intervened and sent a ram to be sacrificed in Ismail’s place.
The continued practice of religious sacrifice acts as a reminder of Ibrahim’s obedience to Allah (swt).