Every year, Zakat Foundation of America’s generous donors help us make Eid al-Adha special for people in dozens of countries. Some of these beneficiaries only eat meat on Eid al-Adha, so they celebrate when they receive their udhiyah (also called qurbani) shares.
In accordance with the Prophet Muhammad’s sunnah,on him be peace, these beneficiaries receive fresh udhiyah (also spelled udhiya) meat after Eid prayer on the morning of Eid al-Adha and in the following days of Eid. We at Zakat Foundation of America take pride in being able to distribute freshly slaughtered and cleaned, never canned or frozen meat.
What do you mean by udhiyah (or qurbani)?
In the Arabic language, udhiyah refers to the animal that is slaughtered on the days of Eid al-Adha as an act of worship, following the examples of Prophets Abraham and Muhammad, on them be peace. The intention of the udhiyah act of sacrifice is to “draw nearer” to God, Allah. It’s a form of worship to freely submit one’s will to Him.
From this intent of surrender and faith in Him comes the word Arabic qurban, meaning in this context to “become closer” to Allah. The Persianate word qurbani derives from this. It is now also commonly used among English-speaking Muslims to refer to the udhiyah sacrifice. So, in this sense, udhiyah and qurbani are interchangeable synonyms.
The practice also commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s (peace upon him) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, who the Angel Jibreel (peace upon him) replaced with a ram. Granted, that’s the short version of the story. And the Prophet Abraham’s (peace upon him) story extends far beyond ritual sacrifice, or qurbani.
How do you coordinate the Qurbani distributions?
Zakat Foundation of America works with its regional offices and partners in dozens of countries to employ livestock caretakers in each country of distribution. It stimulates the local economy by working with those who raise livestock specifically for halal slaughter and distribution. Our offices work ahead of time to ensure enough cattle are ethically raised for udhiyah (qurbani) so that on Eid al-Adha, our representatives and partners can focus on helping beneficiaries celebrate the holiday.
This year, and for the past few years, our donors helped us reach the hungry in East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South America. The smiles our representatives see around the world warm our hearts and ease our souls. See for yourself.
