I cut my hair 5 days before Eid-ul-Adha before coming to know that we should not cut our hair ten days before. So was my qurbani accepted or not? Please help me.
In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is desirable for anyone who will be sacrificing an animal for qurbani to avoid cutting their hair or nails until after the animal is slaughtered. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:
“When the ten days (of Dhul Hijjah) begin and a person has an animal for sacrifice which he intends to slaughter, then let him not cut his hair or trim his nails.” (Muslim)
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said in another Hadith:
“Whoever has an animal for slaughtering, once the crescent of Dhul Hijjah has been declared he should not cut his hair or trim his nails until he has sacrificed (the animal)” (Muslim)
It is a recommended act due to the Hadith. However, if one did cut his hair and/or nails during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah before sacrificing, it will not affect the validity of making qurbani.
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: دخل العشر و عنده اضحية يريد ان يضحى, فلا ياخذن شعرا ولا يقلمن ظفرا
(Sahih Muslim, 2/160, Qadimi)
وحدثنى عبيد الله بن معاذ العنبرى حدثنا أبى حدثنا محمد بن عمرو الليثى عن عمر بن مسلم بن عمار بن أكيمة الليثى قال سمعت سعيد بن المسيب يقول سمعت أم سلمة زوج النبى -صلى الله عليه وسلم- تقول قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « من كان له ذبح يذبحه فإذا أهل هلال ذى الحجة فلا يأخذن من شعره ولا من أظفاره شيئا حتى يضحى
(Sahih Muslim #5236)
ومما ورد في صحيح مسلم قال رسول الله (ص): إذا دخل العشر وأراد بعضكم أن يضحي فلا يأخذن شعرا ولا يقلمن ظفرا فهذا محمول على الندب دون الوجوب بالاجماع
(Raddul Muhtaar, 2/181, HM Saeed)
(Fatawa Mahmudiyah, 17/486, Faruqiyyah)
And Allāh knows best.
Muftī Asif Umar
Washington, DC (USA)
Concurred by:
Muftī Abrar Mirza
Chicago, IL (USA)
Under the Supervision of Muftī Ebrahim Desai (South Africa)
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