Qurbani Share Calculator: Cost Split, Shares & Distribution (2026)

By Sharif Hossain · Last reviewed 2026
This guide covers the rules for qurbani shares — how many people can share a cow, camel, goat, or sheep, how to split costs across a group, recommended meat distribution, and when qurbani must be performed. Sources are listed at the end.

Qurbani (also called Udhiyah) is the animal sacrifice performed during Eid al-Adha, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah. The tool below helps with the practical questions: how much each person pays when sharing a cow, how to divide the meat between family, relatives, and the poor, and which animals satisfy the obligation for how many people. There’s a free calculator pre-configured for 9 currencies underneath.

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Quick Summary of Share Rules

• Goat or sheep: 1 share — counts for one person only. Must be at least 1 year old.
• Cow or buffalo: Up to 7 shares — can be split among up to 7 people. Must be at least 2 years old.
• Camel: Up to 7 shares — can be split among up to 7 people. Must be at least 5 years old.
• Fewer shares are permitted: if only 3 or 4 people share a cow, that’s valid — the unused shares count as voluntary (nafl) reward per Imam ash-Shafi’i and others.
• Each share needs its own intention (niyyah): all participants in a shared animal must intend qurbani specifically.

When Is Qurbani Performed?

Qurbani is performed during three specific days each year:

• 10 Dhu al-Hijjah — the day of Eid al-Adha itself. The best and most common day, performed after the Eid prayer.
• 11 Dhu al-Hijjah — second day, also valid.
• 12 Dhu al-Hijjah — third day. Some madhabs extend permissibility to 13 Dhu al-Hijjah as well.

The sacrifice must be after the Eid prayer if you live in an area where Eid prayer is held. Slaughtering before Eid prayer doesn’t count as qurbani — it counts as ordinary meat for the household.

For Eid al-Adha 2027, the expected date is around Friday, May 14, 2027 (10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448 AH). The exact date depends on moon-sighting.

Is Qurbani Obligatory?

This is a major scholarly disagreement, so worth understanding clearly:

Hanafi position: Wajib (compulsory)

The Hanafi madhab holds that qurbani is wajib (compulsory) on every sane adult Muslim who:

• Has reached puberty
• Is of sound mind
• Is a resident (not a traveler — generally defined as more than 48 miles / ~78 km from home)
• Owns wealth above the zakat nisab threshold after basic needs and debts (87.48g of gold or 612.36g of silver)

Under this view, if you qualify for zakat, you also must perform qurbani. Husband and wife each have their own obligation if both meet the nisab independently.

Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali position: Sunnah Mu’akkadah (confirmed Sunnah)

The other three madhabs hold qurbani is Sunnah Mu’akkadah — strongly recommended, with great reward, but not strictly obligatory. Skipping it isn’t sinful, but it’s strongly encouraged for those who can afford it.

What this means in practice

If you can afford to perform qurbani, just do it — across all four madhabs, doing so is highly rewarded. The disagreement only matters if you’re trying to determine whether skipping it is a sin (Hanafi: yes; others: no).

How Shares Work

Small animals (goat, sheep)

One goat or sheep = one share = one person. You cannot split a goat or sheep between multiple people — even members of the same household need separate small animals if each qualifies for qurbani separately.

Example: a household has a husband, wife, and adult son, each independently meeting the nisab threshold. Under Hanafi practice, all three are obligated. They need either three separate goats/sheep, or share a cow (three shares of seven).

Large animals (cow, buffalo, camel)

One large animal = up to 7 shares. The shares can be allocated however the group decides:

• 7 different people each taking 1 share
• One family taking 3 shares (mother, father, adult child), with 4 other neighbors taking 1 each
• One person taking 4 shares (for themselves and 3 deceased relatives), with 3 others taking 1 each
• Just 3 people splitting a cow into 3 shares (Imam ash-Shafi’i permits — surplus is voluntary)

The flexibility is wide. The key constraint: you cannot have more than 7 shares in a single large animal.

Intentions per share

Each share must have its own clear intention (niyyah). The intention can be for:

• Yourself — fulfilling your own qurbani obligation.
• A living family member — performing qurbani on their behalf (with their knowledge typically, though scholars differ on whether it’s required for adults).
• A deceased relative — qurbani on behalf of someone who has passed away, which becomes Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity) for them.
• The Prophet ﷺ or the ummah — the Prophet himself sacrificed extra animals on behalf of his ummah.

You don’t necessarily need to verbalize the name out loud. A mental intention is sufficient as long as it’s clear in your mind which share corresponds to which intention.

Animal Eligibility Rules

The animal must meet specific conditions to count as qurbani:

Age requirements

• Goat: at least 1 year old
• Sheep: at least 1 year old (or a 6-month-old lamb that physically looks fully grown, per Hanafi position)
• Cow/Buffalo: at least 2 years old
• Camel: at least 5 years old

Health and condition

The animal must be healthy and free of significant defects. Animals that are NOT eligible:

• Blind in one or both eyes
• Severely lame (cannot walk to slaughter on its own)
• Severely sick or emaciated
• Missing a significant ear or more than a third of its tail
• Missing more than a third of its meat-bearing parts
• Has lost most of its teeth (cannot properly graze)

Minor defects (a small ear notch for identification, a slight limp that resolves, a small wound) don’t disqualify the animal. The principle is that the animal should be in clearly good condition — a meaningful sacrifice, not a token offering.

Use the Calculator

Select your animal type, enter the total cost, and the number of people sharing. The tool will calculate per-share cost, suggest meat distribution percentages, and let you record names and intentions for each share.

Meat Distribution: The Three-Thirds Recommendation

After the qurbani animal is slaughtered and the meat divided, the traditional recommendation is to split it into three parts:

• One-third for your household — your immediate family, to enjoy and use.
• One-third for relatives and friends — extended family, neighbors, friends. Especially good to share with those you don’t see often.
• One-third for the poor and needy — those who genuinely need the meat, who may not otherwise have it during the Eid celebration.

Is this distribution strictly required?

No — it’s recommended (mustahabb), not obligatory. Scholarly positions:

• If your local community is wealthy and there are no nearby poor recipients, you can adjust the proportions accordingly.
• If your family is in genuine need themselves, you can keep more than a third for the household.
• If you want to give all of it to the poor, that’s permissible and rewarded.
• Conversely, keeping all of it for the household is technically permissible but discouraged — the spirit of qurbani includes sharing.

Many people in Western countries arrange for the qurbani to be performed abroad (in places with greater need), with the meat distributed to refugees, the poor, or disaster-affected communities. Organizations like Islamic Relief, Muslim Aid, and others offer this service.

Group Qurbani: Practical Tips

If you’re organizing a group qurbani — say, several families sharing a cow or buffalo — here are practical considerations:

Choosing your group

• All participants must be Muslim (this is unanimous across madhabs for the validity of the qurbani itself).
• All participants must intend the slaughter as qurbani — not just as buying meat. The Hanafi position is especially clear that if even one of the 7 shares is intended as ordinary meat purchase rather than qurbani, the entire animal’s qurbani is invalidated.
• It’s good practice to confirm everyone’s intention before the slaughter.

Splitting the cost

If all 7 shares are equal, the cost split is straightforward: total animal cost ÷ 7. The calculator above handles this.

Some groups split unequally — for example, one family taking 3 shares (paying 3/7) and 4 individuals taking 1 share each (paying 1/7 each). This is permissible and common. The calculator can model this if you adjust the number of shares to match how the financial split actually works.

Splitting the meat

After slaughter, the meat is divided into equal parts according to the number of shares. The standard practice is to:

1. Hang the carcass and break it down into roughly equal portions by weight.
2. Distribute portions to each share-holder so each person receives a roughly equal weight.
3. Each shareholder then handles their own distribution (family/relatives/poor split) from their portion.

Some groups do this in person; others rely on the butcher or slaughterhouse to package and distribute. In group qurbani arranged through charities, the meat is typically distributed directly to the poor in the destination country and shareholders just receive confirmation.

Qurbani on Behalf of Others

You can perform qurbani on behalf of others. Three common categories:

1. On behalf of family members (alive)

Common practice: a head of household performs qurbani for themselves and on behalf of their wife and children. This is permissible across all madhabs.

Under Hanafi practice, if any family member meets the nisab independently (e.g., a working wife with her own savings, or an adult son with his own wealth), each of them has their own separate obligation to perform qurbani. One sacrifice doesn’t satisfy multiple separate obligations unless multiple shares are taken in a large animal.

2. On behalf of the deceased

Performing qurbani on behalf of a deceased parent, spouse, or other relative is well-established and considered Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity). The reward continues for the deceased.

Some scholars specifically encourage performing qurbani for deceased parents annually if you can afford it. The Prophet ﷺ performed qurbani on behalf of those of his ummah who couldn’t, which is the basis for performing extra qurbanis on behalf of others.

3. On behalf of those who can’t (poverty)

If you have means and wish to gift a qurbani to a poor relative or community member who can’t afford one, that’s permissible and rewarded.

Estimated Meat Yields

If you’re planning quantities for distribution, here are approximate dressed-meat yields:

• Goat: ~12-18 kg of meat (varies by breed and size)
• Sheep: ~15-25 kg
• Cow: ~150-200 kg (depending on breed; Western beef cattle higher, South Asian breeds typically lower)
• Buffalo: ~180-250 kg
• Camel: ~250-350 kg

These are approximations — actual yield depends on the specific animal’s weight, age, and breed. The slaughterhouse or local butcher can give you a more precise figure for your specific animal.

Common Mistakes

• Slaughtering before Eid prayer. If you live in an area where Eid prayer is held, qurbani must be after the prayer. Slaughtering before doesn’t count as qurbani.
• Sharing a goat or sheep between multiple people. Small animals are one share only. Each person needing qurbani needs their own goat/sheep, or a share in a large animal.
• More than 7 people sharing a cow. Strictly invalid. 7 is the maximum.
• One person in a group sharing for non-qurbani intentions. Hanafi position invalidates the entire animal’s qurbani. Confirm all participants’ intentions before slaughter.
• Slaughtering an underage animal. Check age before purchase. Goats and sheep under 1 year don’t count (with the lamb exception under Hanafi).
• Buying a defective animal. Blindness, severe lameness, missing significant parts — all disqualify. Inspect before buying.
• Forgetting the niyyah. Each share needs its own intention. Without intention, the slaughter is just ordinary meat preparation, not qurbani.
• Selling qurbani meat or skin. The meat must be consumed or given away, not sold. The skin can be used or given to the poor, but not sold for profit by the qurbani-giver (some scholars permit selling and giving the proceeds to the poor as charity).

Sources and Scholarly Notes

This guide draws on:

• The Qur’an, particularly Surah Al-Hajj (22:34, 22:37) and Surah Al-Kawthar (108:2) on the rituals of sacrifice.
• Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim for hadith on qurbani timing, animal conditions, and distribution.
• Imam ash-Shafi’i’s al-Umm on the permissibility of fewer than 7 sharing a large animal (surplus as voluntary act).
• The Hanafi madhab position on qurbani as wajib for those meeting nisab.
• The Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali positions on qurbani as Sunnah Mu’akkadah.
• Contemporary fatwa councils including IslamQA, Darul Uloom Pretoria, and major Islamic relief organizations on practical group-qurbani guidance.

For your personal situation — especially involving intentions for multiple deceased relatives, group-qurbani logistics with non-family members, or unusual circumstances — consult a qualified scholar from your madhab.

Disclaimer: This guide is provided for general educational purposes. It is not a fatwa and is not a substitute for personal scholarly consultation. The author is not a scholar.

Related Tools

• Zakat Calculator — calculate your annual zakat (the same nisab threshold determines qurbani obligation under Hanafi)
• Islamic Events Calendar — track Eid al-Adha and other major Islamic dates
• Hijri Date Converter — convert between Hijri and Gregorian dates
• Prayer Times — daily salah times for your location
• Qibla Finder — find the direction of the Kaaba
• Ramadan Timer — countdown to suhoor and iftar during Ramadan

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many people can share a cow for qurbani?
A: Up to 7 people. Fewer than 7 is also permitted — the unused shares count as voluntary reward per Imam ash-Shafi’i. More than 7 is not permitted.

Q: Can I share a goat with my family?
A: No. A goat (or sheep) is one share for one person only. If multiple family members each need to perform qurbani, you need either multiple small animals or shares in a large animal.

Q: Is qurbani obligatory or just recommended?
A: It depends on your madhab. The Hanafi madhab holds qurbani is wajib (obligatory) for those meeting the zakat nisab threshold. The Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali madhabs hold it’s Sunnah Mu’akkadah (strongly recommended but not strictly obligatory). If you can afford it, you should do it across all madhabs.

Q: When does qurbani need to be performed?
A: During the days of Eid al-Adha — 10th, 11th, and 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah (some madhabs include the 13th). The 10th, after Eid prayer, is best. For 2027, this is approximately Friday, May 14, 2027.

Q: Can I do qurbani on behalf of someone who has passed away?
A: Yes. This is well-established and considered Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity) for the deceased. Many people perform qurbani on behalf of deceased parents annually.

Q: How is the meat distributed?
A: Recommended: one-third for your household, one-third for relatives and friends, one-third for the poor and needy. This is recommended (mustahabb) not strictly obligatory. You can adjust proportions based on circumstances.

Q: What if the people in our group cow share have different intentions?
A: All shares must be for qurbani. Under the Hanafi position, if even one share is intended for non-qurbani purposes (e.g., just buying meat), the entire animal’s qurbani is invalidated. Confirm everyone’s intentions clearly before the slaughter.

Q: How old does the animal need to be?
A: Goat/sheep at least 1 year old (or a 6-month lamb that looks mature under Hanafi). Cow/buffalo at least 2 years. Camel at least 5 years. Check the animal’s age before purchase.