Who Receives Qurban Meat and How Much Should Each Get?

The distribution of qurban meat has been explained in both the Qur’an and the hadith. In Surah Al-Hajj verse 28, Allah says:

… فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ

“. . . Then eat from it and feed the miserable and the poor.” (QS. Al-Hajj [22]: 28)

This verse explains that qurban meat may be consumed by the person offering the sacrifice (shahibul qurban) and also distributed to the poor and needy.

Likewise, Surah Al-Hajj verse 36 states:

… فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ

“ . . . So eat from them and feed those who are content and those who ask.” (QS. Al-Hajj [22]: 36).

The verse indicates that recipients of qurban meat include both those who openly ask for assistance and those who refrain from asking despite being in need.

Prophetic Guidance on Distribution

The same principle appears in several hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Among them is a narration reported by Ahmad, Muslim, and At-Tirmidhi:

عَنْ بُرَيْدَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كُنْتُ نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ لُحُوْمِ اْلأَضَاحِى فَوْقَ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ لِيَتَّسِعَ ذَوُو الطَّوْلِ عَلَى مَنْ لاَ طَوْلَ لَهُ فَكُلُوْا مَا بَدَالَكُمْ وَأَطْعِمُوْا وَادَّخِرُوْا

Translate: “I had previously forbidden you from storing qurban meat for more than three days so that those who had abundance could assist those who had none. Now, eat from it as you wish, feed others, and store some of it.” (Sunan Ahmad, Muslim, dan at-Tirmidhi)

The hadith shows that qurban meat may be eaten personally, shared with others, and preserved for later use.

Another narration reported by Muslim from Abu Sa’id states:

عَنْ أَبِى سَعِيْدٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَا أَهْلَ اْلمَدِيْنَةِ لاَ تَأْكُلُوْا لُحُوْمَ اْلأَضَاحِى فَوْقَ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فَشَكُوْا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّ لَهُمْ عِيَالاً وَحَشْمًا وَخَدْمًا فَقَالَ كُلُوْا وَأَطْعِمُوْا وَاحْبَسُوْا وَادَّخِرُوْا

“O people of Madinah, do not consume qurban meat beyond three days.” They later informed the Prophet PBUH that they had families, servants, and dependents. The Prophet PBUH then said: “Eat from it, feed others, keep some, and store it.” (Sunan Muslim).

Similarly, a hadith narrated by Aisha and reported by both Muhammad al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj explained:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ دَفَّ أَهْلُ أَبْيَاتٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَادِيَةِ حَضْرَةَ اْلأَضْحَى زَمَانَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ ادَّخِرُوْا ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ تَصَدَّقُوْا بِمَا بَقِيَ … فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ أَجْلِ الدَّافَّةِ فَكُلُوْا وَادَّخِرُوْ وَتَصَدَّقُوْا

“Narrated from Aisha, she said: During the time of the Messenger of Allah, some families from the desert villages came seeking qurban meat. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Store it for three days, then give the remainder in charity.’ … Later, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I only prohibited you because many people were in need. So now, eat from it, store it, and give it in charity.’” (Muttafaq ‘Alaih)

Three Main Groups of Recipients

Based on these Qur’anic verses and hadiths, qurban meat is generally intended for three groups:

the person offering the sacrifice and their family;
the poor and needy, including those who ask for assistance; and
people who may not ask but still deserve support of assistance

Neither the Qur’an nor the hadith specifies an exact percentage for each group. There is no binding formula determining how much should be reserved for personal consumption, charity, or gifts.

Therefore, the distribution may be adjusted according to local conditions and community needs. However, because Islam strongly emphasizes care for the poor, qurban meat should prioritize those who are most in need.