Once upon a time on the day of Eid-ul-Adha, the people of Medina suffered from famine. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, then called on the Companions to distribute the qurbani meat immediately. In fact, he forbade storing it beyond three days. This prohibition is validly recorded in the hadith from Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), that the Prophet said in Sahih Bukhari no. 5249 and Sahih Muslim no.1974:

مَنْ ضَحَّى مِنْكُمْ فَلاَ يُصْبِحَنَّ بَعْدَ ثَالِثَةٍ وَفِى بَيْتِهِ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ

“For those who slaughter sacrificial animals, do not leave any meat at home past the three days of Eid.”

One year later. The society had become calmer, and life was running ideally. The day of Eid-ul-Adha came again. The people celebrated it with great enthusiasm, by performing qurbani. So many animals and meat were sacrificed at that time. The Companions remembered that in the previous Eid-ul-Adha, the Prophet told them not to leave any meat past the three days of Eid-ul-Adha. On the other hand, they had families, relatives and servants to share the qurbani meat with. The Companions again asked the Prophet about this matter.

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَفْعَلُ كَمَا فَعَلْنَا عَامَ الْمَاضِى ؟

“O Rasulullah, should we do the same as last year?”

قَالَ: كُلُوا وَأَطْعِمُوا وَادَّخِرُوا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ الْعَامَ كَانَ بِالنَّاسِ جَهْدٌ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ تُعِينُوا فِيهَا

“The Prophet replied, ‘Please eat, distribute, and save the rest. So actually last year, many people were in trouble because of the famine. That’s why I want you to help them’.”

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On another occasion, or in another narration, namely in the Hadith narrated by Tirmidhi, the Prophet mentioned the reason for the prohibition of distributing the sacrificial meat beyond the three days. This is solely for the common good, namely so that those who have the ability to make ends meet distribute their sacrificial meat more widely to those who are in difficulty.

كُنْتُ نَهَيْتُكُم عَنْ لُحُومِ اْلأَضَا حِيِّ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ لِيَتَّسِعَ ذُو الطَّوْلِ عَلَى مَنْ لاَ طَوْلَ لَهُ فَكُلُوا مَابَدَا لَكُمْ وَأَطْعِمُوا وَادَّخِرُوا

“In the past, I forbade you to keep the qurbani meat for more than three days, so that those who have enough can give more to those who don’t have enough. But now, feel free to eat as much as you like, share and save.”

Based on these traditions, it is permissible to store qurbani meat for future use. In fact, for more benefit, processing qurbani meat can provide longer-lasting benefits because it can be stored. So, when there are people who really need it, while being constrained by distance and access, the processed meat can be given at any time.

For example, what is currently happening to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. The humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, making it very difficult for them to get food. Let alone to perform qurbani, they can’t even afford to eat everyday, relying solely on aid. For months, Dompet Dhuafa has been present in their midst, fully understanding the needs and difficulties they face. Even so, Dompet Dhuafa will try to always be present to assist them, including at the moment of qurbani worship do Zulhijah 1445 H this.

To deliver the mandate of the qurbani donors so that their qurbani reaches Palestine, Dompet Dhuafa has several implementation schemes. First, Dompet Dhuafa’s Tebar Hewan Kurban (THK) team slaughters the animals, processes the meat, and distributes the food directly in Palestine. This has always been done from year to year. Second, the team will slaughter in several nearby countries. Then, they will process and preserve the meat in cans. Then distribute it to Palestine along with other Dompet Dhuafa humanitarian assistance.

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The distribution of qurbani meat in this processed form is in accordance with the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Number 37 of 2019 which outlines that qurbani meat may be:

• Distributed in a delayed manner (‘ala al-tarakhi) to expand the value of maslahat.
• Processed and preserved, such as canned and processed in the form of corned beef, rendang, or the like.
• Distributed to areas outside the slaughter location.

Good friends! Dompet Dhuafa needs your help so that more of our brothers and sisters in Palestine can benefit from qurbani. In fact, according to Hamas Ministry of Health data, dozens of Palestinians, including children, continue to lose their lives every day due to the humanitarian conflict in the Gaza Strip. The number of casualties mentioned, 34,000 people in Gaza, since the start of the war, shows the escalation of the humanitarian impact that needs world attention.

Since December 7, 2023, the Gaza Food Bank (DD Kitchen) Program has continued to provide 2,000 servings of ready-to-eat food every day. Through the THK 1445 H Program, Dompet Dhuafa and partners plan to distribute canned qurbani meat to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. This distribution will take place for two months after the slaughter on the day of Eid al-Adha. (Dompet Dhuafa)

Let’s complete this year’s qurbani by performing qurbani for Palestine!

Qurban for Palestine

Text: Riza Muthohar
Photo: Dompet Dhuafa Document
Editors: Dhika Prabowo, Ronna