This excerpt is taken from Professor Dr. Fazl Elahi's book Masail-e-Qurbani.
During the above-mentioned four days, from after the Eid prayer and Eid sermon until sunset on the last day, one can slaughter whenever they wish. Some scholars of the Ummah have prohibited slaughtering during the nights of these days and have presented the following two arguments regarding this:
➊ In Surah Al-Hajj it is stated: ﴿وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ﴾
"And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds. And [due] to Allah from the people is a sacrifice to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way."
Reference: (22-Al-Hajj:28)
Their argument from this noble verse is that Allah Almighty has mentioned sacrifice during the appointed days, not during the nights of those days.
Reference: See: Al-Mughni 387/13.
➋ In a noble hadith it is stated:
”نهى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الذبح بالليل“
"The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade slaughtering at night."
Reference: See: Majma' al-Zawa'id, Kitab al-Adahi, Bab al-Nahy 'an al-Tadhiyah bil-Layl, 23/4.
However, reasoning from these two arguments is... and Allah Almighty knows best... not correct, because:
● The noble verse does not mean that slaughtering should only be done during the day and not at night, rather it means to slaughter during those appointed days including their nights. An example of this is if a person swears, "I will not speak to so-and-so for three days," it does not mean that he will not speak during the daylight but will speak during the night, rather it means he will not speak to that person during those three days including their nights.
Reference: See: Al-Muhalla 48/8
● As for reasoning from the hadith, if this hadith were authentic, it would be decisive, but this hadith is not authentic at all.
Hafiz Haithami wrote: It was narrated by Tabarani in Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir and it contains Sulayman ibn Abi Sulmah Janabzi, who is abandoned (matruk).
Reference: (Majma' al-Zawa'id 23/4)
And (matruk) refers to a narrator who is proven to lie in general conversation, and the narration of such a narrator is rejected.
Reference: (See: At-Talkhis al-Habeer 142/4; and Al-Muhalla 48/8).
In summary, from after the Eid prayer and Eid sermon until sunset on the fourth day, it is permissible to slaughter the sacrificial animals at any time.
Warning:
Slaughtering at night to deprive the needy and poor of meat is an undesirable act.
