Which Arabic term can encompass qurban in Islamic law?

Udhiyah is the Arabic term that can encompass qurban in Islamic law. Both terms are used for the ritual livestock sacrifice associated especially with Eid al-Adha, although uḍḥiyah is the more specific legal term in many discussions.

In legal usage, udhiyah generally means the sacrifice of an eligible animal by a particular person during specified days of Dhu al-Hijjah, seeking God’s pleasure. Qurban is a broader term connected to the idea of drawing near to God through an offering. The two words are therefore often treated as near-synonyms in descriptions of the Eid sacrifice.

The practice is linked in Islamic tradition with Abraham’s willingness to obey God and sacrifice his son before God provided a ram. The ritual also has a social purpose: the meat is commonly shared with the household, relatives or friends, and people in need.

Nikah means marriage, sawm means fasting, and zakat is obligatory almsgiving. They are major Islamic concepts, but none names the sacrificial rite.