Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalam Alaekum, May Allah give you the best in Akhirat and Duniya for this great service you are doing for the Muslim Ummah, ameen. My question is; A relegious personality (Not Alem just a pious person) in our family circle told me that "I shall get my nails trimmed and hair cut before the 1 Zhil Hajj, if I am planning to sacrifice (Qurbani) as its not allowed to cut hair or rim nails from 1st Zhil Hajj till the sacrifice (on eid day)". Is this right in the light of Guran & Sunah?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Cut nails hair sacrifice before eid

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 4869 Narrated by Umm Salamah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘When any one of you intending to sacrifice the animal enters in the month (of Dhul-Hijjah) he should not get his hair or nails touched (cut).’

There is indeed a mention in the authentic Sunnah that one who intends to offer a sacrifice during the ‘Eid-ul-Adha’ should not cut their hair or their nails from the beginning of the month of Dhul-Hijjah until the sacrifice is completed.

There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars and jurist in Islam regarding the implications of this guidance. Some amongst the scholars, including Imam Ibn-Taimiyaah, are of the opinion that by the statement: ‘When any one of you intending to sacrifice the animal enters in the month (of Dhul-Hijjah)…..’ does not imply to all the believers in general, but implies only to those believers who wish to offer the Hajj pilgrimage, and it is they who should abstain from cutting their hair or their nails.

Other scholars are of the opinion that the wordings of the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) are absolutely clear and in their opinion any believer who, regardless of whether or not he/she is performing the Hajj pilgrimage, intends to offer a sacrifice during the ‘Eid-al-Adha’, all of them should abstain from cutting their hair and their nails from the beginning of the month of Dhul-Hijjah until the sacrifice is completed.

Although it would not be prudent or wise to discount or overrule the opinion of a scholar of the stature of Imam Ibn-Taimiyaah, in our humble opinion, it would be safest for all the believers who intend to offer a sacrifice during the ‘Eid-al-Adha’, regardless of whether they intend to perform the Hajj pilgrimage or not, to abstain from cutting their hair or their nails from the beginning of the month of Dhul-Hijjah until the sacrifice is completed on the Day of Eid. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan