❖ Is Being Sahib-e-Nisab a Condition for Qurbani?
Ruling for a Person Earning ₹5000 Monthly
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Volume 1, Page 663
❖ Question:
A person’s monthly income is around ₹5000. He claims that he is not Sahib-e-Nisab (i.e., not liable for zakat) because he does not possess 7.5 tolas of gold, and he spends his monthly earnings entirely.
Is Qurbani (Udhiyyah) still obligatory upon such a person?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
◈ Qurbani Does
The performance of Qurbani is not dependent on the Zakat threshold (Nisab).
There is no clear statement in the Qur'an or Sunnah that conditions Qurbani on possession of zakat-level wealth.
❖ Prophetic Practice (Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ)
For ten consecutive years, the Prophet ﷺ made Qurbani — in all circumstances: ease or hardship, travel or residence.
عن ابن عمر قال:
أقام رسول الله ﷺ بالمدينة عشر سنين يضحي.
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī)
Translation:
Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stayed in Madinah for ten years and continued to offer sacrifice (Qurbani).”
❖ Being Sahib-e-Nisab is Not a Prerequisite
It is now clear that being Sahib-e-Nisab (according to zakat standards) is not a condition for Qurbani.
Therefore, this individual's excuse — that he does not own gold or spends all his income — is not valid.
Such a person should repent, and in the future, he should perform Qurbani willingly and gladly.
Otherwise, he will be guilty of:
✖ Disobedience
✖ Abandoning an emphasized Sunnah
✖ According to the Ḥanafī school, abandoning a Wājib act
❖ Clarifying the Concept of Nisab
It must also be remembered that being Sahib-e-Nisab does not require actual gold.
◈ If a person possesses cash or trade goods equivalent to the value of 7.5 tolas of gold, he is deemed Sahib-e-Nisab in Sharīʿah.
Summary
✔ Qurbani is obligatory upon such a person.
✔ His excuse of not having jewelry or savings is not valid.
✔ Failure to offer Qurbani means abandoning the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ According to the Ḥanafī school, it is the neglect of a Wājib obligation.
هذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
