Luqman bhai, in short can you tell me who is sahib-e-nisab? For zakat and for qurbani.

And also this: is qurbani fard, sunnah or wajib?

A reasoned explanation concerning the nisab and the Shariah status of qurbani is given below:

In the light of the Shariah texts, the nisab has two forms:

• The nisab of zakat: For this it is a condition that one's wealth reach the nisab (seven and a half tolas of gold, or the value of fifty-two and a half tolas of silver) and that a year pass over it. In the case of cash, preference is given to the nisab of silver, so that the poor benefit.
• The nisab of qurbani: For qurbani it is not a condition that a year pass over the wealth. If, during the days of Eid, a person has wealth or cash beyond his own and his family's basic necessities and his debts that are due, equal to the value of fifty-two and a half tolas of silver, he is counted in the Shariah as one who has the capacity for qurbani.

In this issue, two basic positions emerge from the deduction of the texts:

1. The position of Sunnah Mu'akkadah: According to the majority of the scholars of hadith, it is a Sunnah whose emphasis has been stated. Its major proof is the narration of Sahih Muslim in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"When you see the crescent of Dhul-Hijjah and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice..."

Here the word "intends" indicates that this act is not obligatory, because an obligatory act does not depend on a person's intention but on Allah's command. It is also narrated from among the Companions that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, would sometimes not offer the sacrifice, lest people suppose that it is obligatory.

2. The position of obligation (wajib): According to some verifying scholars and imams, qurbani is obligatory upon the person of capacity. Their proof is this authentic narration of Sunan Ibn Majah:

"Whoever has the means and does not offer a sacrifice, let him not approach our place of Eid prayer."

So severe a warning is generally given only for abandoning something obligatory. Therefore, the demand of caution is this very thing: whoever has financial room should never abandon it.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.