Question
Concerning the hadith which states that anyone who wants to offer an Ud-hiyah (sacrificial animal) must refrain from cutting anything from their hair, skin, or nails from the onset of Dhul-Hijjah until after the sacrifice: Does this prohibition apply to all members of a household (old and young), or does it apply only to the adults and not to the children? In other words, if a man is offering the sacrifice on behalf of himself and his family, do his wife and children also need to refrain from cutting hair and nails, or is the prohibition limited to him alone?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the
worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the most noble of prophets and
messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
This is an important question
concerning the rituals of Ud-hiyah (sacrificial animal offered during Eid
al-Adha) and the specific prohibitions that apply during the first ten days of
Dhul-Hijjah for those intending to offer a sacrifice. The answer requires a
careful examination of the authentic hadith texts, the interpretations of the
major scholars, and the distinction between the person who offers the sacrifice
and those on whose behalf the sacrifice is offered.
The Authentic Hadith on
Refraining from Cutting Hair and Nails
The foundational evidence for
this ruling comes from the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) as narrated by
Umm Salamah (Radhiyallahu Anha), the wife of the Prophet. She reported that the
Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
الْحَدِيثُ: «إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ هِلَالَ ذِي
الْحِجَّةِ وَأَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ، فَلْيُمْسِكْ عَنْ شَعْرِهِ وَأَظْفَارِهِ»
Translation: "When you see
the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah, and any one of you intends to offer a sacrifice,
let him refrain from (cutting) his hair and his nails." (Sahih Muslim,
1977; Sunan Abi Dawud, 2791; Sunan At-Tirmidhi, 1523; Sunan An-Nasa'i, 4248;
Sunan Ibn Majah, 3151)
In another narration reported by
Muslim and Abu Dawud, the wording is:
الْحَدِيثُ: «مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ ذِبْحٌ يَذْبَحُهُ،
فَإِذَا أُهِلَّ هِلَالُ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، فَلَا يَأْخُذَنَّ مِنْ شَعْرِهِ وَلَا مِنْ
أَظْفَارِهِ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يُضَحِّيَ»
Translation: "Whoever has a
sacrifice to offer, when the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah appears, let him not
remove anything from his hair or his nails until he has offered his
sacrifice." (Sahih Muslim, 1977; Sunan Abi Dawud, 2791)
The Wisdom Behind the
Prohibition
The scholars have offered several
explanations for the wisdom behind this prohibition. The most prominent of
these is that the person who intends to offer a sacrifice is entering into a
state of partial resemblance to the pilgrim (muhrim) who is in the state of
ihram. Just as the pilgrim refrains from cutting hair and nails during the days
of Hajj, the one offering Ud-hiyah is commanded to refrain from these acts
during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah until after the sacrifice. This
creates a sense of shared sanctity and devotion to Allah during these blessed
days.
Additionally, this prohibition
serves as a means of preserving the hair and nails so that they are included in
the comprehensive forgiveness that comes with the sacrifice. When the person
offers the sacrifice, they are freed from the Fire, and by keeping their hair
and nails intact until that moment, they ensure that every part of their body
participates in this spiritual liberation.
The Scope of the Prohibition:
Who Must Refrain?
This is the central question. The
original answer correctly distinguishes between two categories of people: (1)
the person who is actually offering the sacrifice (the one who owns the animal
and performs or arranges the slaughter), and (2) those on whose behalf the
sacrifice is offered (such as family members).
The Person Offering the
Sacrifice
The hadith explicitly addresses
"one who wants to offer a sacrifice" and "whoever has a
sacrifice to offer." The command to refrain is directed specifically to
the individual who owns the sacrificial animal and is responsible for offering
it. Therefore, if a man is the one purchasing and offering the Ud-hiyah on
behalf of himself and his household, he must personally refrain from cutting
his hair, nails, or skin (by removing dead skin or shaving any part of his
body) from the first day of Dhul-Hijjah (the 1st of Dhul-Hijjah) until after he
has offered his sacrifice on the day of Eid al-Adha or the following days of
Tashriq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah).
This prohibition applies
regardless of whether the person performs the slaughter himself or appoints
someone else to do it on his behalf. As long as he is the one offering the
sacrifice (i.e., the animal belongs to him and he is the one seeking the reward),
the prohibition applies to him.
Family Members: Wife and Children
The original answer correctly
states that the prohibition does not apply to the wife or children of the
person offering the sacrifice, unless they are offering their own separate
Ud-hiyah. The hadith specifically addresses "one who wants to offer a sacrifice"
and does not extend the prohibition to those on whose behalf the sacrifice is
offered.
This is the view of the majority
of scholars, including the Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi'i schools, and it is the
position favored by the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta in
Saudi Arabia. Their reasoning is based on several principles:
1. The Basic Principle is
Permissibility: In Islamic law, the default ruling for any action is
permissibility (ibahah) unless there is evidence to prohibit it. Since there is
no authentic hadith or verse that explicitly prohibits family members from
cutting their hair or nails during these days, the basic principle remains that
these acts are permissible for them.
2. The Command is Specific: The
Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) directed his command specifically to
"one who wants to offer a sacrifice" and not to the household in
general. If the prohibition were intended to include the entire family, the Prophet
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would have made that clear, as he did in other
contexts (such as the prohibition of fasting for women during menstruation,
which is specific to them).
3. The Analogy to the Pilgrim
(Qiyas): In Hajj, the prohibition on cutting hair and nails applies only to the
pilgrim (muhrim) and not to the pilgrim's family members. Similarly, in
Ud-hiyah, the prohibition applies only to the one offering the sacrifice, not
to his dependents.
Imam An-Nawawi (Rahimahullah)
stated in Sharh Sahih Muslim (13/126): "The prohibition of removing hair
and nails applies only to the person who is offering the sacrifice. It does not
apply to the members of his household, because the hadith explicitly says 'one
who wants to offer a sacrifice.' This is the view of the majority of scholars,
and it is the correct and well-established position."
Special Case: A Wife Offering
Her Own Ud-hiyah
If a wife offers her own Ud-hiyah
separately from her husband (i.e., she purchases her own animal with her own
money and intends to offer it for herself), then the prohibition applies to her
as well. She must refrain from cutting her hair and nails from the 1st of
Dhul-Hijjah until after she has offered her sacrifice.
If, however, the husband is
offering the Ud-hiyah on behalf of his wife (i.e., the sacrifice is from his
wealth and he includes her in his intention), then the prohibition does not
apply to her because she is not the one "offering" the sacrifice;
rather, the sacrifice is being offered on her behalf.
Children
The prohibition does not apply to
children for two reasons:
1. They are not legally
responsible (mukallaf): Children below the age of puberty are not obligated to
perform the rituals of Ud-hiyah, and the commands of the Shariah that apply to
adults do not apply to them in the same manner. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) said:
الْحَدِيثُ: «رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ:
عَنِ النَّائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ، وَعَنِ الصَّبِيِّ حَتَّى يَحْتَلِمَ، وَعَنِ
الْمَجْنُونِ حَتَّى يَعْقِلَ»
Translation: "The pen has
been lifted from three: the sleeping person until he wakes, the child until he
reaches puberty, and the insane person until he regains his sanity."
(Sunan Abi Dawud, 4403; Sunan At-Tirmidhi, 1423; authenticated by Al-Albani)
2. They are not included in the
command: The hadith specifically addresses adults who have the intention and
ability to offer a sacrifice. Children do not fall under this category, and
therefore they are not required to refrain from cutting their hair or nails.
The One on Whose Behalf the
Sacrifice Is Offered
The original answer mentions
"a person on whose behalf the Ud-hiyah is being offered, whether old or
young, they are not forbidden to remove anything from their hair, skin or
nails, based on the basic principle, which is that these actions are permitted.
We do not know of any evidence to the contrary."
This is the correct and strongest
position. The person for whom the sacrifice is offered (such as a deceased
relative or a living family member who is not offering their own sacrifice)
does not need to refrain from cutting hair or nails. This includes:
• Elderly
parents on whose behalf the sacrifice is offered
• Children of
any age who are included in the sacrifice
• Deceased
relatives (clearly, they are not subject to any prohibitions)
• Living
relatives who are not offering their own separate Ud-hiyah
The Timing of the Prohibition
The prohibition begins at the
moment the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah is sighted (i.e., at the beginning of the
1st of Dhul-Hijjah). It continues until after the person has offered their
sacrifice. If the person offers the sacrifice on the day of Eid al-Adha (the
10th of Dhul-Hijjah) after the Eid prayer, the prohibition ends immediately
after the slaughter. The person may then cut their hair and nails.
If the person delays the
sacrifice to the 11th, 12th, or 13th of Dhul-Hijjah (the days of Tashriq), the
prohibition continues until the sacrifice is offered. Once the sacrifice is
complete, the prohibition ends.
What About Cutting Hair and Nails
Before the Prohibition Begins?
If a person cuts their hair or
nails before the 1st of Dhul-Hijjah, there is no prohibition, and they have not
violated any command. The prohibition applies only to actions taken after the
month of Dhul-Hijjah has begun.
What About Other Actions Such as
Shaving or Removing Dead Skin?
The scholars have extended the
prohibition to include any removal of hair from any part of the body, not just
the head. This includes shaving the armpits, pubic hair, mustache, beard, or
any other body hair. It also includes removing dead skin, peeling skin, or any
act that alters the natural state of the body. The wisdom behind the
prohibition is to preserve the person in their natural state until the
sacrifice is offered.
However, if a person has a
legitimate need to remove hair or nails—such as a broken nail that causes pain,
or excessive hair that causes discomfort—some scholars permit removal out of
necessity. The general principle is that necessity (darurah) overrides
prohibitions.
Summary of the Ruling
Based on the authentic hadith and
the consensus of the majority of scholars, the ruling can be summarized as
follows:
Person Must Refrain from
Cutting Hair/Nails?
The person who owns and offers
the Ud-hiyah (the one purchasing the animal and seeking the reward) YES
(obligatory prohibition)
The wife, if the husband is
offering the sacrifice on her behalf NO (not required)
The wife, if she is offering her
own separate Ud-hiyah with her own wealth YES (she is the one offering)
Children (below puberty) NO (not
legally responsible)
Elderly parents on whose behalf
the sacrifice is offered NO (not required)
Deceased relatives N/A (not
applicable)
Any person for whom the sacrifice
is offered but who is not offering their own NO (not required)
Practical Guidance
For a typical Muslim family where
the husband purchases the Ud-hiyah animal and offers it on behalf of himself,
his wife, and his children:
• The husband
must refrain from cutting his hair, nails, or removing any skin from the 1st of
Dhul-Hijjah until after he has offered his sacrifice.
• The wife
may continue to cut her hair and nails as normal, because the prohibition does
not apply to her.
• The
children may also continue to cut their hair and nails as normal.
If the wife wishes to also
refrain out of caution (taqwa) and to share in the spiritual state of the head
of the household, this is permissible but not required. However, the original answer
correctly states that there is no evidence to make it obligatory upon her.
Conclusion
The prohibition on cutting hair
and nails during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah applies specifically to the
person who is offering the Ud-hiyah (the one who owns the sacrificial animal
and intends to slaughter it for the sake of Allah). It does not apply to family
members, children, or others on whose behalf the sacrifice is offered, because
the hadith explicitly addresses "one who wants to offer a sacrifice"
and the basic principle in Islamic law is permissibility unless there is
evidence to the contrary.
This ruling is based on the
authentic hadith narrated by Umm Salamah (Radhiyallahu Anha) and is supported
by the majority of scholars from the Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi'i schools, as
well as the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta. It reflects
the mercy and ease of Islamic law, which does not burden people with
obligations that are not explicitly commanded by Allah and His Messenger.
We ask Allah to accept our
sacrifices, to forgive our shortcomings, and to grant us the ability to follow
the Sunnah of His Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in all our
affairs.
والله أعلم (Wallahu A'alam - Allah knows best).
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