Question: What is the minimum wealth (nisab) that makes one liable for performing qurban (qurbani, udhiyah)?
ANSWER
Let me explain it one by one:
1. One who possesses the minimum wealth that makes one liable for giving fitrah and performing qurban is called a rich person. If one is a mukallaf (a person obligated by Islam to discharge an Islamic duty), that is, sane, has reached puberty and muqim, it becomes wajib on one to perform qurban only for oneself. It is haram for such a person to receive zakat and wajib to provide for his poor female mahram relative and poor male relative who is not able to work.
2. The wealth one inherits or a woman receives as mahr must be included in nisab. After a year passes over the time when one obtained as much wealth as nisab amount, one must give zakat for that year only.
3. It is wajib to perform qurban on every free Muslim who possesses as much wealth or money as nisab amount above and beyond his immediate needs and debts. The nisab of qurban and the value of things are determined based on gold and silver.
4. The wealth to be included in the nisab of qurban does not have to be for trade, and it is not a condition that a year should pass over it. Debts should be deducted from accounts receivable and existing wealth. The remainder is included in the nisab of qurban, just as in the case of zakat.
5. One’s basic needs are not included in the nisab of qurban. One’s basic needs mean, whatever its value, a house, food needed for a month, every year three sets of clothes and underwear one has, things and tools used at home, a vehicle, books related to one’s job, and one’s debts. It is not a condition that they should be present. If they are present, they are not included in the nisab of zakat, fitrah, and qurban.
6. Things in excess of one’s necessities and not for trade, one’s houses for rent, ornaments at home, carpets not spread out, household goods in excess of one’s needs and not used, tools of art and trade are not considered basic needs. That is, they are included in the nisab of qurban. If they equal 96 grams of gold when calculated, it becomes wajib on one to perform qurban. If one’s house is big and one has rooms not used, they are not included in nisab.
7. A woman’s gold and silver jewelry is included in the nisab of qurban and zakat. Her pearl, coral, diamond, emerald is included only in the nisab of qurban, not that of zakat.
8. One’s computer, mobile phone, gun, tape recorder, CD, DVD, watch, fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, cleaning robot, valuable Islamic painting, and chandelier are not included in the nisab of qurban as they are used. However, household goods and kitchen utensils that are never used, whether old or new, are included in nisab.
9. If one has a Mushaf, hadith, fiqh or other scientific books whose value reach nisab, one does not include them in nisab if one reads them. However, one must include them in nisab if one does not read them or does not know how to read them.
10. If the household goods that are not used exceed nisab, then it becomes wajib to perform qurban. For example, the possessor of the things bought to be used after marriage has to perform qurban. If the father who bought them has not given them away to his daughter yet, they are still in his possession. It is the father who must perform qurban. If he has given them away to his daughter, then it is she who must perform qurban. If the things to be bought after marriage reach nisab, these rulings apply.
11. Every year, three pieces of clothes one has are considered basic needs. What one has in excess of them is included in nisab even if it is old. Old household goods and kitchen utensils that are not used are also included in the nisab of qurban. (Three pieces of clothes mean three jackets, three pairs of trousers, one overcoat, three shirts, three vests, three pairs of underpants, and a pullover. Clothes in excess of what has been mentioned must be included in the nisab of qurban.)
12. A married woman who has a home is considered rich according to Imam-i A’zam and Imam-i Abu Yusuf. She has to perform qurban no matter whether she lives in it or not. A man who has one home is not considered rich, but a home is not of nafaqa for a married woman. Her husband has to find a home for her to live. She has to perform qurban if she has money according to Imam-i A’zam and Imam-i Abu Yusuf. According to Imam-i Muhammad, it is not necessary for a woman who has one home to perform qurban. This is the fatwa. That is, she earns the thawab of wajib if she performs it, and she is not sinful if she does not. If she does not have a husband, her house where she lives is considered of nafaqa. Then she does not have to perform qurban according to Imam-i A’zam and Imam-i Abu Yusuf.
13. Suppose that one has two homes. One lives in one of them in the summer and in the other in the winter. They are not counted two separate houses, and it does not become wajib to perform qurban. (Hindiyya)
Question: Someone owes me huge amount of money that exceeds nisab. I do not have any debts. Do I have to include it in the calculations of nisab of zakat? Do I have to perform qurban?
ANSWER
Dues for which there are written proofs or which are confessed by the debtors are included in the nisab even if they are kept by an insolvent or poor person. When you receive them, you pay their zakat for the past years as well. Hadrat Ibn Abidin says: "If one who has huge wealth in a company and cannot receive it has as much money or wealth as to perform qurban, one must perform it."
Question: I have an ad agency. We are hired to produce television commercials, films, translations, and websites. The services we will produce and the price for them are written on the contracts. Do I have to include the written price in the nisab of zakat and qurban?
ANSWER
No, you do not. The price is due after you produce the service and give it to the client. You must include that amount then in the nisab of qurban and zakat. Such kind of debt that will be received is not included in nisab before one produces the service and gives it to the client.
Question: The nisab of qurban is 96 grams of gold. However, some say that it is 80 grams of gold. If it is 80 grams, then my gold jewelry reaches nisab. Is performing qurban wajib on me?
ANSWER
They say it wrongly as they do not base what they say on naql. If your gold jewelry reaches 96 grams after you deduct you debts, it is wajib on you to perform qurban.
Question: Suppose that one does not have wealth that reaches nisab now. However, one will obtain money exceeding nisab immediately after Eid al-Adha. Is it necessary to perform qurban?
ANSWER
It is not necessary. In order for it to be wajib, it must be in one’s possession on the third day of Eid al-Adha.
Question: Someone owes me money exceeding nisab but I cannot get it back. I have wealth in excess of my basic needs but I do not have cash. Is performing qurban wajib on me?
ANSWER
Debts owed you are included in the nisab of qurban just as it is in the nisab of zakat. However, if one who does not have cash has wealth in excess of one’s basic needs does not give fitrah or perform qurban, one is not sinful according to Imam-i Muhammad. If one performs qurban by taking out a loan or selling something, one earns the thawab of wajib according to Imam-i A’zam and Imam-i Abu Yusuf.
Question: I have a piece of valuable land whose value exceeds nisab. Is performing qurban wajib on me?
ANSWER
It is not wajib according to Imam-i Muhammad but wajib according to Imam-i A’zam and Imam-i Abu Yusuf. In order to earn the thawab of wajib according to Imam-i A’zam and Imam-i Abu Yusuf, one should perform it. One’s house and car are not included in nisab.
Question: The payment day of electricity, water bills is on Eid al-Adha, so I will pay it after Eid al-Adha. The money I will pay is in my pocket. Do I have to include this money in the nisab of qurban?
ANSWER
You will not include it because you will give it after Eid al-Adha. That is, it is something trust. If one has money exceeding nisab in excess of that money, then it is wajib on one to perform qurban.
Question: Suppose that one gives zakat for one's gold. Does one have to perform qurban also?
ANSWER
They are two different duties. Gold is included in the nisab of both qurban and zakat. That is, if it reaches nisab, you must both give zakat and perform qurban.
Question: I have major appliances to use when I get married. Should I perform qurban and give zakat on them?
ANSWER
If you are using your major appliances that you keep for marriage, you will not include them in the nisab of qurban. If you do not use them now, you must perform qurban every year if they reach nisab. There is no zakat on them.
Question: If one who possesses the nisab of qurban does not have cash, is it necessary to borrow money to perform qurban?
ANSWER
If one possesses nisab due to things in excess of one’s basic needs or one’s debts that one cannot receive or any other reason, it is not necessary to borrow money to perform qurban if one does not have cash. If one performs qurban, one earns the thawab of wajib. If one has gold, it is not an excuse that one does not have cash. One must change it into cash and perform qurban. So does one who has foreign currency.
Question: If one is rich based on the nisab of silver, will one earn the thawab of wajib?
ANSWER
One earns the thawab of wajib if one knows that one is rich.
Question: Is it wajib on a person who has hives and honey to perform qurban?
ANSWER
If the value of hives together with his money and honey reaches nisab, it is wajib to perform qurban.
Question: If one, in addition to his home, has a timeshare or a piece of land or a share in another house, is it necessary to include it in the nisab of qurban and perform it?
ANSWER
One does not include it according to Imam-i Muhammad. That is, one does not have to perform qurban. According to Imam-i A’zam and Imam-i Abu Yusuf, one earns the thawab of wajib if one includes it in nisab and performs qurban. In order to earn this immense thawab, one should prefer the second qawl.
