বাংলা 
English 
It is established in the Sunnah that for the person who has the wish or resolve to offer Qurbani, it is obligatory that, from the entry of the month of Dhul-Hijjah until the animal of Qurbani is slaughtered, he does not cut any hair, nails or other parts of his body. On this the beloved Prophet (SAW) said: "When you sight the moon of the month of Dhul-Hijjah and any one of you intends to offer Qurbani, let him refrain from cutting his hair and nails until he has performed the Qurbani." Another narration says: "Let him not touch anything of his skin (dead or cracked skin)."
According to the sounder opinion, here the command is used in the sense of an obligation (wajib) and the prohibition in the sense of something haram. For it is a sweeping command and an unrestricted prohibition, with no countermanding evidence. But if anyone knowingly and deliberately cuts his hair or nails, it is necessary for him to seek forgiveness (Istighfar) from Allah; there is no Kaffarah for him. He will perform the Qurbani as normal. Again, if there is a need (for example, if a nail cracks or breaks and hangs loose, or if hair lies over a wound on the head and there is fear of harm), there is no fault in cutting it. For he is not as important as a Muhrim (one who has tied the Ihram for Hajj or Umrah), for whom even shaving the head has been made lawful in case of difficulty.
The reasoning behind this command is that the one who offers Qurbani is, in certain acts, like a Muhrim — for example, attaining nearness to Allah through the Qurbani and the like. Therefore the offerer of Qurbani has also been commanded to observe some of the duties that a Muhrim must observe.
If a person who had no intention of offering Qurbani after seeing the moon has cut his hair or nails, and then afterwards forms the intention of offering Qurbani, from that point on he will not cut them again.
If someone entrusts the Qurbani to another person or bequeaths it, that person too will not cut his nails and hair. The entrusted person or executor, however, is not included in this prohibition; that is, cutting nails and hair is not blameworthy for them.
Likewise, if the guardian of a family offers the Qurbani, this prohibition applies to him alone; the other wives, sons or relatives are not included. Unless a specific Qurbani is designated for them, they may cut their hair and nails. Since the Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to offer Qurbani on behalf of his own descendants, and no narration is found in which he forbade them to cut nails and hair.
If a person who intends to offer Qurbani also makes the intention of performing Hajj (that is, performs both the Hajj and separately a Qurbani), then before tying the Ihram (once the moon of Dhul-Hijjah has risen) it is not appropriate to cut hair and nails, since that is Sunnah in case of need.
However, the performer of Tamattu Hajj (even if he intends a separate Qurbani apart from the obligatory Qurbani of Hajj) will shorten his hair at the end of the Umrah, for that is one of the obligatory acts of Umrah. Likewise, after casting the stones on the day of Qurbani, he may shave his head before performing the Qurbani.
Note that the claim that 'those who cannot offer Qurbani, if they cut their nails, hair and the like on the day of Qurbani, will receive the reward of offering Qurbani' does occur in one Hadith, but it is not authentic.
The conditions for a valid Qurbani
There are certain conditions for a Qurbani to be valid:
1. The animal of Qurbani must be of the class and age fixed by the Shariah. There are four animals of the prescribed classes: the camel, the cow, the sheep and the goat. In the opinion of most scholars, the most excellent Qurbani is the camel, then the cow, then the sheep (ewe), then the goat. Again, a male sheep is better than a female one, since evidence has been narrated on this point.
Seven persons may share in a Qurbani of one camel or one cow. According to another narration, even ten persons may share in a camel Qurbani. Imam Shawkani (RA) says: ten persons sharing in the Qurbani of Hajj and seven in an ordinary Qurbani — this is correct.
But sharing is not valid in a sheep or a goat. However, several persons may be made participants in its reward. Thus, on behalf of a single family, one sheep or one goat is sufficient, however large the number of people in that family may be.
But will one-seventh of a camel or a cow suffice on behalf of a single family? The scholars differ on this. Some say it is not sufficient, because it is not valid for more than seven persons to share in it. Besides, from the family's side one complete 'dam' (animal) will suffice, and one-seventh is not a complete dam.
In the opinion of many, one-seventh of a camel or a cow suffices just as one sheep or one goat does.
It goes without saying that offering one goat or sheep as Qurbani is far better for a family than offering one or two shares of a cow.
It is not sufficient to give, along with the Qurbani, one share intended for Aqiqah, just as it is not sufficient to slaughter one animal with the intention of both Qurbani and Aqiqah. Separate animals are required for Qurbani and for Aqiqah. However, if the day of some child's Aqiqah falls later on the very day of Qurbani and the Aqiqah is slaughtered, then there is no need to give a separate Qurbani. For example: when the causes of two baths coincide, one bath suffices; if the Eid prayer is offered on the day of Jumu'ah, the Jumu'ah prayer need not be offered; if the Tawaf of Hajj is performed at the time of departure, the farewell Tawaf need not be performed; if one enters the mosque at the time of Zuhr and offers the Sunnah of Zuhr, the separate Tahiyyatul Masjid need not be offered; and if the Qurbani of Tamattu Hajj is given, a separate Qurbani need not be given.
In terms of age, the camel must be five years old, the cow two years, and the sheep and goat one year. However, in case of difficulty, a sheep six months old may be sacrificed. The beloved Prophet (SAW) said: "Do not slaughter anything without front teeth (not yet grown). But if it is scarce, slaughter a six-month-old sheep."
But the scholars agree on this point that the Qurbani of a six-month-old sheep will be valid whether or not another animal can be found. Most scholars have taken the command of that Hadith as 'Istihbab' (preferable) and have said that the meaning of that Hadith is not that the Qurbani of a six-month-old lamb is valid only if no other sacrificial animal can be found. For there are other pieces of evidence which prove that the Qurbani of a sheep of that age is also valid, apparently even if the offerer of Qurbani does find another animal with full teeth. As the Messenger (SAW) said: "A six-month-old lamb is an excellent Qurbani."
Uqbah ibn Amir (RA) says: (once) the Prophet (SAW) distributed the animals of Qurbani, and Uqbah's share fell to a six-month-old sheep. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Is my share a six-month-old sheep?' In reply he said: "Perform your Qurbani with this."
2. The animal must be free from the following defects:
(a) evident blindness in one eye; (b) evident sickness; (c) evident lameness; (d) extreme old age. On this the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Four kinds of animals will not be lawful or valid for Qurbani: the one evidently blind in (one) eye, the evidently sick, the evidently lame, and the one with a broken hoof beyond cure."
Therefore a Qurbani with an animal bearing any one of these four defects is not valid. Ibn Qudamah (RA) says: 'we know of no difference of opinion on this matter.'
