Qurbani

Qurbani is Waajib (obligatory) on a person who has the means.

"A person who has the means" refers to a person who, in addition to his basic needs and debts, has thirty thousand rupees or that value in any form.

The house, the clothes, the means of transport, the tools of work and the food, are the basic needs of a person. When a person has the sum or the value of thirty thousand rupees in any form in addition to his basic needs and debts, then Qurbani is obligatory on him if he is sane, baaligh and he's not on a journey. 

So, Qurbani is not Waajib on a person who has the means but he is on a journey. Likewise, Qurbani is not Waajib on a minor child even if he has the means. The parents have the right to do Qurbani on behalf of their child if they want but it should be with their money because they are not allowed to use the money of the minor child. Likewise, Qurbani is not Waajib on a mad person.

Time to perform Qurbani

One must take into consideration the place where Qurbani is being performed and not the place where the person who has taken a share of Qurbani, stays. For example, if Eid Salah has already been performed at the place where the Qurbani is being performed, then it is permissible to perform Qurbani. Qurbani is also valid even if Eid Salah has not yet been performed at the place where the person who has taken a share of Qurbani, stays. For example, the Qurbani of a person from Mauritius is being performed in America. On the third day of Qurbani, the sun has already set in Mauritius. However, in America, there are still few hours left before sunset. In this case, if Qurbani was performed in America, the Qurbani will be counted. Similarly, if the Qurbaani of a person in America is being performed in Mauritius, the Qurbaani will be counted even if Eid Salah in America will be performed 8 or 9 hours later. All this is based on the principle that one must consider the place where the Qurbani is being performed.

[English version of "Qourbaani" – Al Jamiat – Vol.2 No.14]