This excerpt is taken from Professor Dr. Fazl Elahi's book Masail-e-Qurbani.
The beginning of the time for sacrifice is after the Eid prayer. Below, by the grace of Allah, three points regarding this are presented:
➊ The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade sacrificing before the Eid prayer. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the prayer and said:
”من صلى صلاتنا واستقبل قبلتنا فلا يذبح حتى ينصرف“
'Whoever prays with us and faces our Qiblah should not sacrifice before returning from the prayer.'"
Reference: Agreed upon: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Whoever Slaughters Before the Prayer Repeats It, part of hadith number 20/10, 5563; and Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Its Time, part of hadith number 6-(1961), 1553/3.
The wording of the hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari.➋ If a person slaughters his sacrificial animal before the Eid prayer, it will not be counted as a sacrifice. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said the Prophet ﷺ said:
”إن أول ما نبدأ به فى يومنا هذا أن نصلي ثم نرجع فننحر. من فعله فقد أصاب سنتنا ومن ذبح قبل فإنما هو لحم قدمه لأهله ليس من النسك فى شيء“
"Indeed, on this day the first thing we do is to perform the prayer, then we return and sacrifice. Whoever does this has followed our Sunnah, and whoever slaughters before that, it is meat that he has given to his family; it has no relation to the sacrifice."
Reference: Agreed upon: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: The Sunnah of Sacrifice, part of hadith number 3/10, 5545; and Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Its Time, part of hadith number 8.1961, 1553/3
➌ Regarding the one who slaughters the sacrificial animal before the Eid prayer, the Prophet ﷺ ordered that he should slaughter another animal after the prayer for sacrifice. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have narrated from Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "On the day of sacrifice, the Prophet ﷺ said:
”من كان ذبح قبل الصلاة فليعد“
'Whoever slaughters before the prayer should slaughter again.'"
Reference: Agreed upon: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: What is Desired of Meat on the Day of Slaughter, part of hadith number 6/10, 5549; and Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Its Time, part of hadith number 11-(1962), 1555/3.
The wording of the hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari.In another hadith, narrated by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim from Hazrat Jundub bin Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: I was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, and after he had led the people in prayer, I saw a goat had been slaughtered. The Prophet ﷺ said:
”من ذبح قبل الصلاة فليذبح شاة مكانها ومن لم يكن ذبح فليذبح على اسم الله“
"Whoever slaughtered before the Eid prayer should slaughter another goat in its place, and whoever did not slaughter before the prayer should say Bismillah and slaughter."
Reference: Agreed upon: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Whoever Slaughters Before the Prayer Repeats It, hadith number 20/10, 5562; and Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: Its Time, hadith number 2-(1960), 1551/3.
The wording of the hadith is from Sahih Muslim.
