Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 585
Should a person who intends to offer a sacrifice (qurbānī) refrain from cutting his hair and nails?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ هِلَالَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، وَأَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ، فَلْيُمْسِكْ عَنْ شَعْرِهِ وَأَظْفَارِهِ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 2, p. 160 – Book of Sacrifice)
Translation:
Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When you see the crescent of Dhul-Ḥijjah and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice, he should refrain from cutting his hair and nails until he has offered the sacrifice.”
If a person is unable to perform the sacrifice, yet refrains from cutting his hair and nails and trims them only after the Eid sacrifice is completed, he too will receive a reward similar to that of offering a sacrifice.
قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ أَجِدْ إِلَّا أُضْحِيَّةً أُنْثَى أَفَأُضَحِّي بِهَا؟ قَالَ: «لَا، وَلَكِنْ تَأْخُذُ مِنْ شَعْرِكَ وَأَظْفَارِكَ وَتَقُصُّ شَارِبَكَ وَتَحْلِقُ عَانَتَكَ، فَتِلْكَ تَمَامُ أُضْحِيَّتِكَ»
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Vol. 2, p. 1; ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd, Vol. 2, Chapter on the Obligation of Uḍḥiyyah, p. 50)
Translation:
A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, if I cannot find an animal to sacrifice, may I offer a milking goat instead?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“No, but you may trim your hair, nails, moustache, and shave your pubic hair after the Eid. Doing so will earn you the full reward of a sacrifice.”
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best what is right.
❖ Question:
Should a person who intends to offer a sacrifice (qurbānī) refrain from cutting his hair and nails?
✿ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
✿ Ḥadīth of Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها:
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ هِلَالَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، وَأَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ، فَلْيُمْسِكْ عَنْ شَعْرِهِ وَأَظْفَارِهِ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 2, p. 160 – Book of Sacrifice)
Translation:
Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When you see the crescent of Dhul-Ḥijjah and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice, he should refrain from cutting his hair and nails until he has offered the sacrifice.”
✿ Virtue for Those Unable to Offer a Sacrifice:
If a person is unable to perform the sacrifice, yet refrains from cutting his hair and nails and trims them only after the Eid sacrifice is completed, he too will receive a reward similar to that of offering a sacrifice.
✿ Ḥadīth of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ رضي الله عنهما:
قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ أَجِدْ إِلَّا أُضْحِيَّةً أُنْثَى أَفَأُضَحِّي بِهَا؟ قَالَ: «لَا، وَلَكِنْ تَأْخُذُ مِنْ شَعْرِكَ وَأَظْفَارِكَ وَتَقُصُّ شَارِبَكَ وَتَحْلِقُ عَانَتَكَ، فَتِلْكَ تَمَامُ أُضْحِيَّتِكَ»
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Vol. 2, p. 1; ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd, Vol. 2, Chapter on the Obligation of Uḍḥiyyah, p. 50)
Translation:
A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, if I cannot find an animal to sacrifice, may I offer a milking goat instead?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“No, but you may trim your hair, nails, moustache, and shave your pubic hair after the Eid. Doing so will earn you the full reward of a sacrifice.”
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best what is right.
