35/1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1961a — Sacrifice After Eid Prayer
The time for sacrifice
Hadith About Sacrifice After Eid Prayer and the Sunnah
Sahih Muslim : 1961a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1961a
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، قَالَ ضَحَّى خَالِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ قَبْلَ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " تِلْكَ شَاةُ لَحْمٍ " . فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ عِنْدِي جَذَعَةً مِنَ الْمَعْزِ فَقَالَ " ضَحِّ بِهَا وَلاَ تَصْلُحُ لِغَيْرِكَ " . ثُمَّ قَالَ " مَنْ ضَحَّى قَبْلَ الصَّلاَةِ فَإِنَّمَا ذَبَحَ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ ذَبَحَ بَعْدَ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَدْ تَمَّ نُسُكُهُ وَأَصَابَ سُنَّةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ " .
Al-Bara Narrated from:
My maternal uncle Abu Burda sacrificed his animal before ('Id) prayer. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: That is a goat (slaughtered for the sake of) flesh (and not as a sacrifice on the day of Adha). He said: I have a lamb of six months. Thereupon he said: Offer it as a sacrifice, but it will not justify for anyone except you, and then said: He who sacrificed (the animal) before ('Id) prayer, he in fact slaughtered it for his own self, and he who slaughtered after prayer, his ritual of sacrifice became complete and he in fact observed the religious practice of the Muslims.
[1] Its mention preceded in the Book of Zakât . It is a term that refers to a particular age among cattle. For goats it refers to what entered its second year, for cows what completed the third, for camels what entered its fifth year, and in the case of sheepReference : Sahih Muslim 1961aIn-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 6USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 22, Hadith 4823
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1961a
This Hadith gives a strong and practical lesson about sacrifice after Eid prayer. Al-Bara' reports that his maternal uncle Abu Burda sacrificed before the Eid prayer. Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said it was a goat for meat, not the Adha sacrifice. Abu Burda mentioned that he had a six-month lamb, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) allowed him to offer it, while saying it would not count for anyone except him. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then explained the rule: whoever sacrificed before the prayer slaughtered for himself, while whoever slaughtered after the prayer completed the ritual and followed the religious practice of the Muslims. This is a key Qurbani timing hadith and a clear guide about the Eid order.
What we learn from this hadith
- A sacrifice before Eid prayer is treated as meat, not the Adha sacrifice in this Hadith.
- The sacrifice after prayer completes the ritual.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) gave a special allowance to Abu Burda, not a general rule for everyone.
- Following the taught order is part of the Muslims' practice.
