The Meat of Sacrifice: Eating, Giving Charity, Storing, and the Virtue of Slaughtering at the Eid Ground
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
❀ Eating, Donating, and Storing the Meat
The sacrificer may eat from the meat, give some in charity, and store the rest.
① Narration of Aisha (RA):
“كلوا وادخروا وتصدقوا“
“Eat, store, and give in charity (from the sacrificial meat).”
[Muslim: 1971, Kitab al-Adahi: Bab bayan ma kana min al-nahy ‘an akl luhum al-adahi]
Initially, the Prophet ﷺ instructed:
“ادّخرو ثلاثا ثم تصدقوا بما بقى“
“Store for three days, and then give away the rest in charity.”
Later, when people mentioned that they had used sacrificial meat to prepare food storage bags and preserve fat, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“إنما نهيتكم من أجل الدافة فكلوا وادخروا وتصدقوا“
“I had only forbidden you because of the arrival of needy people. Now eat, store, and give in charity.”
[Muslim: 1971; Ahmad: 6/51; Abu Dawood: 2812; Nasa’i: 7/235]
② Narration of Salamah bin al-Akwa‘ (RA):
“أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: من ضحى منكم فلا يصبحن بعد ثلالثة وبقى فى بيته منه شيئ فلما كان العام المقبل قالوا يا رسول الله: نفعل كما فعلنا العام الماضي قال: كلوا وأطعموا وادخروا فإن ذلك العام كان بالناس جهد فأردت أن تعينوا فيها“
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever among you offers sacrifice should not keep anything of it in his house after three days. The following year, the Companions asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we do the same as last year?’ He replied: ‘Eat, feed others, and store. That previous year people were in hardship, and I intended that you should help them.’”
[Bukhari: 5569, Kitab al-Adahi; Muslim: 5109]
❀ The Virtue of Slaughtering in the Eid Ground
Narration of Ibn ‘Umar (RA):
“كان رسول الله يذبح وينحر بالمصلى“
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to slaughter and sacrifice in the Eid ground.”
[Bukhari: 5552, Kitab al-Adahi; Ibn Majah: 3161; Abu Dawood: 2811; Ahmad: 2/108]
❀ Conclusion
- It is permissible to eat, give charity, and store sacrificial meat.
- Initially, storing beyond three days was prohibited due to poverty among people, but later it was allowed.
- Slaughtering in the Eid ground is more virtuous, as it was the consistent practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
