Guidance on Qurbani

This year Eid al-Adha falls on 23rd or 24th September, depending on the sighting of the moon. Muslims in the UK will communally celebrate this auspicious festival incorporating the act of Qurbani/sacrifice.

Guidelines have been produced by the Agricultural & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) so that local authorities and consumers are aware that the Qurbani sacrifice can ONLY be performed after Eid-ul-Adha prayers, otherwise it is unlawful and cannot be classified as Qurbani. The time for Eid prayer begins ten minutes after sunrise and their Qurbani can only begin AFTER the Eid prayer has been completed.

We urge all slaughtermen, abattoir operators and suppliers/butchers to strictly abide by the lawful timings of Qurbani, in order to validate this act which is purely done to fulfill the commandment of Allah Subhanahu Wata’la without any financial or social interest and advantage.

The Halal Food Authority (HFA) has also found out that some abattoirs start slaughtering for Qurbani as early as 3am in the morning of the day of Eid-ul-Adha, or even a night before, and butcher shops, due to the demand, sell meat as Qurbani that is slaughtered in this manner.

The HFA encourages Muslims to fully abide by the Qurbani guidelines that are compiled by the AHDB in line with Islamic jurisprudence. We fully support Qurbani operations that are run under the independent supervision and certification of appropriately qualified Islamic institutions with the motive of achieving transparency, traceability and excellence.

The HFA has also attended Qurbani slaughter run at the abattoir in the past where consumers had reported that Qurbani bookings were taken by an abattoir and collections and visual observations of the process were also invited by such an abattoir at 3am in the morning of the day of Eid-al-Adha. The HFA had to keep a long queue of people waiting for their Qurbani until after the time of first Salat-ul-Eid had passed.

HFA advises the community to be vigilant of such practices and report such activities without delay fulfilling their moral, ethical and religious duty. The HFA invites all fellow Muslims to come and help stop the practice of unlawful Qurbani.

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