This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Farooq Rafi Sahib's book Qurbani, Aqiqa, and Ashra Zil-Hijjah.
Whoever slaughters the sacrifice before the Eid prayer, it is obligatory for him to slaughter another animal in its place.
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (RA) that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
من ذبح قبل الصلاة فليعد
"Whoever slaughters (the sacrifice) before the prayer, he should slaughter again."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Whoever slaughters before the prayer should repeat it: 5561 - Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on its time: 1962
② Sayyiduna Jundub bin Sufyan Bajali (RA) narrates:
ضحينا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أضحاة ذات يوم، فإذا أناس قد ذبحوا ضحاياهم قبل الصلاة، فلما انصرف رآهم النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أنهم قد ذبحوا قبل الصلاة، فقال: من ذبح قبل الصلاة فليذبح مكانها أخرى، ومن كان لم يذبح حتى صلينا فليذبح على اسم الله
"We slaughtered sacrifices on the day of Eid in the company of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and suddenly some people had already slaughtered their sacrifices before the prayer. When the Prophet (PBUH) returned from the Eid prayer, he saw that people had slaughtered before the prayer, so he said: 'Whoever has slaughtered before the prayer should slaughter another in its place, and whoever has not slaughtered until we have prayed, let him slaughter in the name of Allah.'"
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Slaughtering and Hunting, Chapter: The Prophet (PBUH) said: Let him slaughter in the name of Allah: 5500 - Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on its time: 1960 - Sunan Nasai, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Slaughtering the sacrifice before the Imam: 4403
③ Sayyiduna Bara bin Azib (RA) narrates:
ذبح أبو بردة قبل الصلاة، فقال له النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أبدلها
"Sayyiduna Abu Burda (RA) slaughtered the sacrifice before the Eid prayer, so the Prophet (PBUH) ordered him to slaughter another in its place."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: The Prophet's (PBUH) statement to Abu Burda: Slaughter from the young goat: 5557 - Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on its time: 1961, Musnad Ahmad: 302/4 - Sunan Bayhaqi: 277/9
Benefits:
① The hadiths of this chapter are evidence that slaughtering the sacrifice before the Eid prayer is prohibited and against the Sunnah, and it is obligatory for the one who opposes this act to offer another sacrifice. Ibn Battal, the commentator of Sahih Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
وأجمع العلماء أن من ذبح قبل الصلاة فعليه الإعادة، لأنه ذبح قبل وقته
“The scholars are unanimous on this issue that whoever slaughters the sacrifice before the Eid prayer must offer another sacrifice because he slaughtered the animal before the prescribed time of sacrifice.”
Reference: Sharh Ibn Battal: 20/11
② It is permissible to slaughter the sacrifice after the Eid prayer and before the Imam slaughters the sacrifice. Abu Hanifa, Sufyan al-Thawri, and Laith ibn Saad, may Allah have mercy on them, hold this view.
Reference: Sharh Ibn Battal: 20/11
The hadiths of this chapter support this position. Also, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, states that the hadith of Bara’ ibn Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, cited under the initial time of sacrifice, is evidence that the time for sacrifice begins after performing the Eid prayer, and delaying the sacrifice until the Imam slaughters it is not a condition for the validity of the sacrifice.
Also, this rational argument supports the same position: if the Imam does not slaughter the sacrifice, the permissibility of slaughtering the sacrifice by the general public does not lapse; then if the Imam slaughters the sacrifice before the prayer, his sacrifice will be insufficient. Thus, it is understood that the Imam and the followers have equal status regarding the time of sacrifice.
Reference: Fath al-Bari: 28/10
The hadith used to argue that slaughtering the sacrifice after the Imam has slaughtered it is a condition applies specifically to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him; the general Imam is not included in this ruling, and this meaning is clear from the text of the hadith.
Our master Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, states:
صلى بنا النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم النحر، فتقدم رجال فنحروا، وظنوا أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قد نحر، فأمر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم من كان نحر قبله، أن يعيد بنحر آخر، ولا ينحروا حتى ينحر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم
“The Prophet, peace be upon him, led us in the Eid al-Adha prayer, and some people went ahead and slaughtered their sacrifices, thinking that the Prophet, peace be upon him, had already slaughtered. Upon this, the Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered that whoever slaughtered before him should offer another sacrifice, and until the Prophet, peace be upon him, slaughtered, people should not slaughter their sacrifices.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the Sunnah of Sacrifices: 1964 - Musnad Ahmad: 2/294
