The Time of Sacrifice: From Eid Day Until the End of Ayyam al-Tashriq
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
❀ Beginning of Sacrifice Time
The time of Qurbani begins after the Eid al-Adha prayer and continues until the end of the Days of Tashriq.
① Narration of Anas bin Malik (RA):
“من ذبح قبل الصلاة فإنما ذبح لنفسه ومن ذبح بعد الصلاة فقد تم نسكه وأصاب سنة المسلمين“
“Whoever slaughters before the prayer has only slaughtered for himself. But whoever slaughters after the prayer, his sacrifice is complete, and he has followed the Sunnah of the Muslims.”
[Bukhari: 5546, Kitab al-Adahi; Muslim: 1962; Nasa’i: 7/223; Ahmad: 3/113; Abu Ya‘la: 2826; Bayhaqi: 9/262]
② Narration of Jundub bin Sufyan (RA):
“من كان ذبح قبل أن يصلى فليذبح مكانها أخرى“
“Whoever slaughtered before the prayer should sacrifice another animal in its place.”
[Bukhari: 500, Kitab al-Dhaba’ih wa al-Sayd; Muslim: 1960; Ibn Majah: 3152; Nasa’i: 7/224; Abu Ya‘la: 1532; Ibn Hibban: 5913; Bayhaqi: 9/262]
❀ End of Sacrifice Time
Narration of Jubayr bin Mut‘im (RA):
“كل أيام التشريق ذبح“
“All the Days of Tashriq are days of sacrifice.”
[Sahih al-Jami‘ al-Saghir: 4537; Ahmad: 4/82; Ibn Hibban: 3854; Bayhaqi: 5/295; Nayl al-Awtar: 3/490; Fath al-Bari: 10/11; Zad al-Ma‘ad: 2/318]
- Shawkani (رحمه الله): The Days of Tashriq are the Day of Nahr and the three days after (10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah).
[Nayl al-Awtar: 3/490] - Ali (RA): “The days of sacrifice are the Day of Eid and the three days following.”
[Zad al-Ma‘ad: 2/319] - Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله): He held the same view.
[Sharh Muslim: 7/128]
This was also the opinion of Jubayr bin Mut‘im (RA), Ibn ‘Abbas (RA), Imam ‘Ata, Hasan al-Basri, ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, Sulaiman bin Musa, Mak-hool, Imam Shafi‘i, and Dawud al-Zahiri (رحمهم الله).
[Bayhaqi: 5/296–297; Nayl al-Awtar: 3/490]
❀ Alternative Opinion
- Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ahmad (رحمهم الله):
The time for sacrifice is Yawm al-Nahr (10th) and the two days after (11th, 12th Dhul-Hijjah).
[Nayl al-Awtar: 3/490; Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘: 5/73; Tabyin al-Haqa’iq: 6/4; al-Durr al-Mukhtar: 5/222; al-Lubab: 3/233]
They relied on the statement:
“الأضحى يومان بعد يوم الأضحى“
“Sacrifice is (allowed) for two days after Eid al-Adha.”
[Muwatta: 2/487; Bayhaqi: 9/297; Sharh Muslim: 7/128]
❀ Conclusion (Rājih View)
The stronger opinion is that of Imam Shafi‘i and those with him, that sacrifice is valid from after the Eid prayer on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah until sunset on the 13th.
This is because:
- The Hadith of Jubayr (RA) is marfu‘ (attributed to the Prophet ﷺ).
- The opposing view is based only on Companions’ statements.
- Mentioning a lesser number of days does not negate the possibility of more.
