This excerpt is taken from Professor Dr. Fazl Elahi's book Masail-e-Qurbani.
By the grace of Allah, three points related to this topic are presented below:
➊ As previously stated, eating the meat of sacrifice, giving it as charity, and storing it are all permissible and correct. However, on one occasion, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade storing the meat of sacrifice for more than three days when needy Bedouin people came to Medina Tayyiba, but then allowed storing it the following year.
Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have narrated from Hazrat Salma bin Aku’ (RA) that he said the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
”من ضحى منكم فلا يصبحن بعد ثالثة، وبقي فى بيته منه شيء.“
“Whoever among you sacrifices, let not any meat remain in his house after the third day.”
The next year, people asked:
”يا رسول الله نفعل كما فعلنا فى العام الماضي.“
O Messenger of Allah! Should we do this year as we did last year?
The Prophet ﷺ said:
”كلوا، وأطعموا، وادخروا، فإن ذلك العام كان بالناس جهد، فأردت أن تعينوا فيها.“
Eat, feed others, and store it. Last year people were in hardship, so I wanted you to help them.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on what is eaten from the meat of sacrifices and what is stored, Hadith No. 24/10,5569; and Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the prohibition of eating sacrifice meat after three days in early Islam and its abrogation and permissibility as desired, Hadith No. 34 - (1974), 1563/3.
The wording of the hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari.In another hadith, narrated by Imam Muslim from Hazrat Aisha (RA), she said:
“During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, some Bedouin families came on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ادخروا ثلاثا، ثم تصدقوا بما بقي.
Gather it for three days and then give the rest as charity.”
After that, people said:
”يا رسول الله إن الناس يتخذون الأسقية من ضحاياهم، ويحملون منها الودك.“
O Messenger of Allah! People make musk from their sacrifices and melt its fat.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ”وما ذاك؟“ What do you mean?
They said: ”نهيت أن تؤكل لحوم الأضاحي بعد ثلاث.“
You have forbidden eating the meat of sacrifice after three days.
He said:
”إنما نهيتكم من أجل الدافة التى دفت. فكلوا وادخروا وتصدقوا.“
I forbade you because of the arrival of the poor. Now you may eat, store, and give as charity.
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the prohibition of eating sacrifice meat after three days in early Islam and its abrogation and permissibility as desired, Part of Hadith No. 28 (1971) 1561/3
➋ From a hadith in Musnad Ahmad, it is understood that the Prophet ﷺ said on the occasion of Hajj al-Wada’:
إني كنت أمرتكم أن لا تأكلوا الأضاحي فوق ثلاثة أيام يتسعكم، وإني أحله لكم، فكلوا منه ما شئتم.
I had commanded you not to eat the meat of sacrifices for more than three days so that it would reach all people, and now I make it permissible for you to eat their meat as long as you wish.
Reference: Quoted from Fath al-Bari 25/10
Moreover, from the above-mentioned hadith of Hazrat Salma bin Aku’ (RA), it is understood that the Prophet ﷺ forbade eating the meat of sacrifice for more than three days one year and permitted it the next year. Thus, this prohibition was given in the ninth Hijri and the permission in the tenth Hijri, because Hajj al-Wada’ was performed in the tenth Hijri.
Reference: See: the previous reference 25/10 - 26
➌ Here the question arises: If hardship and famine conditions arise again, would it be permissible to forbid people from eating the meat of their sacrifices for more than three days?
Imam Shafi’i wrote about this: If poor and needy people come, then it will be prohibited to store the meat of sacrifices after three days, and if such a situation does not exist, then it is permissible to eat, store, and give the meat of sacrifices as charity.
He also wrote: It is also possible that the prohibition of storing the meat of sacrifices after three days is abrogated in all circumstances.
Reference: Quoted from: the previous reference 28/10
According to Imam Ibn Hazm, the prohibition of storing the meat of sacrifices after three days applies when there is hardship or the arrival of needy people. He supported his opinion by presenting the sermon of Hazrat Ali (RA), in which he referred to the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ during the time of hardship in Medina Tayyiba and forbade eating the meat of sacrifice for more than three days. Imam Bukhari narrated from Abu Ubaid that he was present with Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. He led the prayer before the sermon. Then he addressed the people and said:
”إن رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نهاكم أن تأكلوا لحوم نسككم فوق ثلاث.“
Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade you from eating the meat of your sacrifices for more than three days.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on what is eaten from the meat of sacrifices and what is stored, Hadith No. 24/10,5573.
Imam Ibn Hazm writes that when many Bedouin people came to Medina during the siege of Hazrat Uthman (RA) due to the fitnah, and hardship conditions arose there, Hazrat Ali (RA) gave the above-mentioned sermon, commanding the people as the Prophet ﷺ had commanded during the time of hardship and the arrival of needy people in Medina Tayyiba.
Reference: See: Al-Muhalla, Issue 58/8,984
And perhaps... Allah Almighty knows best... the correct opinion is that under normal circumstances, Muslims may eat the meat of sacrifice as long as they wish, but during times of hardship and difficulty, they should not eat it for more than three days so that the meat can reach the maximum number of people.
