Offering Udhiyah/sacrifice this Eid al-Adhaa?

by Asma bint Shameem

1. If you're the one offering a sacrifice (udhiyah) this Eid, you should not cut your nails or hair starting from the first of Dhul Hijjah until the time you do the sacrifice.

📌 Proof:

🍃 The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“When you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him refrain from (removing anything) from his hair or nails.” (Saheeh Muslim)

🔺 Why is that?

The ulama explain the reason why cutting the nails and hair is not allowed.

It is to show UNITY, SUPPORT and SOLIDARITY between the hujjaaj and those that are not going for hajj.

2. This prohibition applies to ALL his/her hair whether it’s the hair on the head or face including beard, or moustache, as well as other places on the body.

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“When the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah begin, if you intend to offer an udhiyah on your own behalf or on behalf of someone else from your wealth, then you should not remove anything of your hair, either from the armpit or the pubic area or the moustache or the head, until you have offered your sacrifice.

Similarly, you should not remove anything from your nails, either on the feet or on the hands, until you have offered your sacrifice. …

That is a sign of “respect” for the udhiyah, and so that those who are not in ihram will attain some of what those who are in ihram for Hajj will attain, because when a person goes for Hajj or ‘umrah, he does not shave his head until the sacrificial animal reaches the place where it is to be slaughtered, and Allah, may he be glorified and exalted, wants to give His slaves who are not performing Hajj or ‘Umrah a share of the rituals.”

[Sharh Riyaadh as-Saaliheen (6/450)]

3. This rule ONLY APPLIES to the one doing the sacrifice.

Your family and the others that you're doing the sacrifice on behalf of, do NOT have to do that.

They CAN cut their nails and hair if they need to.

🍃 Shaykh Ibn Baaz said:

“With regard to the family of the one who is going to offer the sacrifice, they are not subject to any obligations, and it is not forbidden for them to remove anything from their hair or nails, according to the sounder of the two scholarly views.

Rather the ruling applies only to the one who is going to offer the sacrifice, the one who has bought the sacrificial animal from his own wealth.”

(Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/316)

🍃 And Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam used to offer the sacrifice on behalf of his household and it is not narrated that he said to them, “Do not remove anything from your hair or nails or skin.”

If that had been forbidden for them, the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam would have told them not to do it.

This view is the more correct opinion.”

🍃And the scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“It is prescribed for the one who wants to offer a sacrifice, once the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah appears, not to remove anything from his hair, nails or skin, until he has offered the sacrifice.

This applies whether he is going to slaughter the sacrifice himself or he has appointed someone else to do it;

but with regard to those on whose behalf the sacrifice is being offered [i.e., his family etc], that is not prescribed for them, because there is no report to that effect.”

[Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (11/397)]

4. Can I brush my hair or wash it etc during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah?

🍃Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“When the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah begin, if a person intends to offer an udhiyah, then he is not allowed to remove anything of his hair, nails or skin.

But if a woman needs to comb her hair during these days, and she intends to offer an udhiyah, there is nothing wrong with her combing her hair, but she should do so gently.

Then if any hair falls out without intending it to, there is no sin on her, because she did not comb her hair for the purpose of making it fall out; rather it was for the purpose of making it neat, and the hair fell out without her intending it to.”[Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (9/5 8)]

🍃And Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“It is permissible for her to undo her hair (if it is braided etc) and wash it, but she should not comb it. If some of her hair falls out when it is being undone or washed, that does not matter.”

[Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (18/47)]

5. What happens if I cut my hair by mistake? Or if I forgot? Or I didn’t know?

If a person does any of the things that he’s not supposed to, out of forgetfulness or ignorance, or because he is forced to do them, there is no blame on him.

🍃 Allaah says: 

“Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error”

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

and Allaah has said,

“I will do that.” (Saheeh Muslim 125)

🍃 And Allaah says: 

“And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allaah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[al-Ahzaab 33:5]

🍃 And the Prophet ﷺ said:

“My ummah is excused for their mistakes, what they forget and what they are forced to do.” 

(Ibn Maajah 2043; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah 1662)

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“If the person who wants to offer the sacrifice does remove anything from his hair, nails or skin (intentionally), then he has to REPENT to Allaah and not do it again, but he does not have to offer any expiation, and that does not prevent him from offering the sacrifice as some of the common people think.

If he does any of those things out of forgetfulness or ignorance, or some hair falls unintentionally, then there is no sin on him.”

6. Can I cut my hair or nails because of some sickness or problem or need like my nail broke?

Someone asked the scholars about cutting their mustache in the ten days of Dhul Hijjah because there’s a “gap” where no hair grows and it’s embarrassing if he doesn’t cut it.

🍃 The scholars said:

“If refraining from removing hair from the mustache will look odd or cause embarrassment – as you mentioned – because of there being a spot where no hair grows, then what appears to be the case – and Allaah knows best – is that it is permissible for you in this case to remove hair from the mustache, so as to avoid embarrassment.”

(Islamqa Fatwa 192308)

🍃 And Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“If a person needs to remove anything from his hair, nails or skin, then there is no blame on him for removing it, such as if he has a wound and he needs to trim the hair from around it, or if he breaks an nail and it bothers him, so he trims whatever is bothering him, or if he has a piece of dead skin and it is bothering him, so he cuts it off. There is no blame on him in any of these cases.” (Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen 25/161)

And Allaah knows best