Who Is Qurbani Obligatory For? Nisab, Conditions and Examples

The question who is Qurbani obligatory for comes up in every family as Eid al-Adha approaches.

The short answer: according to the Hanafi school, for every sane, adult Muslim who is resident (not travelling) and who owns wealth equal to the Nisab beyond their debts and basic needs. But the details matter more than people think.

What is the ruling on Qurbani?

According to the Qurbani booklet of Diyanet (Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs), in the Hanafi school it is wajib for every Muslim who meets the conditions to offer Qurbani during the days of Eid al-Adha.

According to the majority view of the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools, however, it is sunnah mu'akkadah, i.e. a strongly emphasised sunnah.

Qurbani is grounded in the Qur'an: “For every nation We have appointed … a rite of sacrifice” (al-Hajj, 22/34). See also al-Kawthar, 108/2.

In this article we follow the Hanafi school, which is followed by the majority of Muslims in Türkiye and of the Turkish community in Europe.

Who is Qurbani obligatory for? 5 conditions

According to Diyanet, all of the following conditions must be met to be obliged to offer Qurbani:

• Being Muslim.
• Being of sound mind.
• Having reached puberty (bulugh).
• Being resident (muqim): not being a traveller (musafir).
• Owning wealth equal to the Nisab: 80,18 grams of gold or money or goods of that value, excluding basic needs and debts.

These conditions apply during the days of Eid. Someone who does not meet them on the first day of Eid but does so before the last day of slaughter ends is also obliged to offer Qurbani.

What is the Nisab and how is it calculated?

The Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth at which a person is considered wealthy in religious terms. Diyanet sets it at 80,18 grams of gold.

The calculation includes cash, bank accounts, gold, foreign currency, investments and items beyond basic needs.

Basic needs such as the home you live in, the car you use daily, household goods and clothing are not counted.

The difference between the Qurbani Nisab and the Zakat Nisab

In both cases the measure is 80,18 grams of gold, but there are two important differences:

Condition	Zakat	Qurbani
Nisab	80,18 g gold	80,18 g gold
One year passing over it (hawl)	Required	Not required
Wealth being productive (nami)	Required	Not required
Timing	When the year is complete	During the days of Eid al-Adha

So someone who does not owe Zakat may still be obliged to offer Qurbani. For calculating Zakat, see our guide calculating Zakat in Austria.

The Qurbani Nisab in euros for those living in Europe

If you live in Austria, you need to think of the Nisab in euros. Since the gold price changes every day, we cannot give a fixed euro figure.

The calculation is simple: 80,18 × the price per gram of gold at Eid (€).

Worked example: a working person in Vienna

Worked example (gold assumed at ~€100 per gram; please check the current price yourself):

• Nisab: 80,18 × €100 ≈ 8.018 €
• Bank account: €6.500
• Gold bangle kept aside: worth €2.000
• Credit card debt: €700
• Net: 6.500 + 2.000 − 700 = 7.800 €

In this example, net wealth is below the Nisab; Qurbani is not wajib. However, the person may offer a voluntary (nafl) Qurbani if they wish and will be rewarded for it.

If the same person had €7.500 in the bank, their net wealth would be €8.800 and Qurbani would be wajib.

Does a person in debt have to offer Qurbani?

According to Diyanet, Qurbani is wajib for those who own wealth equal to the Nisab beyond their debts and basic needs.

If a person has wealth but also debts, the debts and basic needs are deducted first. If wealth equal to the Nisab remains, they offer Qurbani; if not, they do not need to.

What about mortgages and instalments?

There are different approaches to how long-term debts (such as a mortgage) should be treated in the Nisab calculation.

For your own situation, we recommend consulting an imam.

Family members: does each offer a separate Qurbani?

In Islam, ownership is individual even within the family. The wealth of wife, husband and adult children is assessed separately.

According to Diyanet, each family member who is considered wealthy in religious terms is obliged to offer Qurbani. The head of the family offering one does not lift the obligation of the others.

Example scenario: a family of four in Innsbruck

• Father: has savings above the Nisab excluding debts and needs → Qurbani wajib.
• Mother: owns her own gold exceeding the Nisab → Qurbani wajib.
• 20-year-old working son: has money below the Nisab in his own account → not wajib.
• 9-year-old daughter: has not reached puberty → not wajib.

This family needs to offer two wajib Qurbanis. In Africa 2 × €100 = €200, in Türkiye 2 × €250 = €750.

According to the Shafi'i school, on the other hand, one Qurbani for the family is sunnah kifayah; the sunnah is fulfilled when one member of the family offers it.

Does a traveller (musafir) have to offer Qurbani?

According to the Hanafi school, a traveller is not obliged to offer Qurbani, but is rewarded if they do.

Someone who did not offer Qurbani while travelling during the days of Eid and returns home before Eid ends should offer Qurbani on their return.

Someone who travels to their home country for the Eid holiday can have their Qurbani slaughtered where they are, or by proxy in another country.

Shared Qurbani: how many people can take part?

A small animal (sheep, goat) is sacrificed on behalf of one person only.

For a large animal (cattle, camel), up to seven people can share one Qurbani. Each shareholder must own at least one seventh.

All partners must intend it as worship. According to Diyanet, under the Hanafi school, if one of the partners takes part only for the meat, the Qurbani of everyone sharing in the animal becomes invalid.

The intentions do not have to be of the same kind: one partner can take part with the intention of wajib Qurbani, another with the intention of Nadhr or Aqiqah.

Region	Small animal (1 person)	Large animal (up to 7 shares)
Africa	100 €	700 €
Yemen / Afghanistan / Asia	150 €	1.050 €
Türkiye	250 €	2.650 €

For all regions, see the Qurbani projects page.

Does someone performing Hajj have to offer Qurbani?

According to the view preferred in Diyanet's Qurbani booklet, a person who is performing Hajj is not obliged to offer the udhiyah sacrifice.

Nevertheless, they may have a Qurbani slaughtered there or in their home country if they wish. Sacrifices related to Hajj (hady) are a separate matter and are slaughtered within the Haram area.

Do women and non-working spouses have to offer Qurbani?

The measure for Qurbani is not income, but the wealth owned. If a non-working spouse's own gold or savings exceed the Nisab, Qurbani is wajib for them too.

Jewellery given at the wedding and regarded as the woman's property is also included in this calculation. If you are unsure, consult an imam.

Can Qurbani be offered with money given by someone else?

Yes. According to Diyanet, a person who is given money by their son or someone else becomes the owner of that money.

When they buy and slaughter a sacrificial animal with this money, the animal counts as Qurbani.

For example, a child working in Austria can send Qurbani money to their mother in Türkiye, or have a Qurbani in Türkiye slaughtered by proxy on their mother's behalf.

If it is to be slaughtered on the mother's behalf, it is appropriate for her to know about it and give her consent.

What should someone do who forgot or neglected to offer Qurbani?

According to Diyanet, someone who met the conditions but did not offer Qurbani should, according to the Hanafis, give the value of one Qurbani to the poor as Sadaqah for that year, and also repent and seek forgiveness.

However, giving the money as Sadaqah during the days of Eid instead of offering Qurbani does not replace the wajib Qurbani. Paying the value only applies once the time has passed.

How to fulfil the wajib Qurbani in Austria

If Qurbani is obligatory for you, an animal must be slaughtered on your behalf during the days of Eid. In Austria, doing this yourself is difficult in practice.

According to Diyanet, since Qurbani is a financial act of worship, having it slaughtered by proxy is permissible, and there is no objection to it being slaughtered abroad.

When donating online, selecting the Qurbani type “Eid al-Adha Wajib Qurbani” on the form and entering on whose behalf it is to be slaughtered counts as the proxy.

• Africa: €100 · Yemen: €150 · Palestine: €250 · Türkiye: €250
• The slaughter video comes via WhatsApp for Türkiye and by SMS for other regions.

For all regions, dates and our recommended last donation date, see our guide Qurbani donation from Austria 2027.

What can those for whom Qurbani is not obligatory do?

Even if Qurbani is not wajib for you, you can offer a voluntary (nafl) Qurbani and share in its reward.

If your budget is limited, Sadaqah or a clothing an orphan donation that brings joy to a child at Eid are also lovely options.

Sources: Diyanet – Qurbani Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) · High Council of Religious Affairs – Qurbani Fatwas · Diyanet – Religious Days 2027