There are various opinions about the law of cutting nails before the sacrifice. Some forbid it, some allow it, and some have a different meaning. Of course, it would be uncomfortable if it turned out that during the Eid al-Adha prayer our nails were long or our hair was long. It feels like cutting, but there are various opinions of scholars who allow to forbid cutting hair and cutting nails before the sacrifice.
The Beginning of the Opinion of Cutting Nails Before Eid
The difference of opinion on cutting nails before Eid stems from the interpretation of the hadith narrated by Ummu Salamah. This hadith is narrated by many books, which reads, “When the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah have arrived and any of you intends to offer a sacrifice, let him not touch his hair or skin with anything, until he has offered his sacrifice,” (HR Ibn Majah, Ahmad, and others). (HR Ibn Majah, Ahmad, etc.).
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There is also a Hadith from Muslim that reads, “If you have witnessed the new moon of Dhu al-Hijjah (meaning you have entered Dhu al-Hijjah) and you want to offer an animal sacrifice, then the owner of the sacrifice should let (meaning not cut) his hair and nails.”
In both of these hadiths, there is a prohibition on not touching or doing anything to the hair, skin, or nails until the sacrifice has been completed. Even though in both of these hadiths the subject is mentioned, namely ‘individual among you’ and ‘shohibul qurban’, there are still differences in the interpretation of the scholars as to who is prohibited in the hadith.
In order for us to understand it, we should consider the following explanation of the two different opinions in interpreting the hadith above.
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Who is Prohibited from Getting a Haircut and Nail Clipping Before Eid?
There are differences among scholars in interpreting the hadith narrated by Ummu Salamah. The first opinion is that the prohibition on cutting hair and nails is aimed at people who want to sacrifice an animal for Eid. The second opinion is that the prohibition is aimed at sacrificial animals. For more details, let’s look at the following discussion.
To Those Who Want to Sacrifice
The law of cutting hair and nails before sacrifice is aimed at people who want to sacrifice. This opinion comes from several famous scholars. These scholars include Imam Shafi’i, Imam Malik, Imam Hanafi, Imam Ahmad, and finally Imam Nawawi.
In essence, this issue is of a khilafiyah nature, which means that the law regarding the prohibition of cutting hair and nails when wanting to sacrifice an animal is not agreed upon by the scholars. The scholars only expressed their respective opinions in interpreting the hadith.
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Imam Malik and Imam Shafi’i are of the opinion that not cutting hair and nails for people who sacrifice animals until the slaughter is complete is sunnah. If he does it before the slaughter is finished, it is makruh.
Unlike Abu Hanifah, he is of the opinion that cutting hair and nails is permissible, not makruh if cut and not sunnah if not cut.
Imam Ahmad, on the other hand, is of the opinion that cutting hair and nails before the slaughter is finished is haram. This means that if we do it, we will sin. So it is obligatory for those of us who want to sacrifice an animal for Eid not to cut our hair and nails before the slaughtering process is complete.
Imam Nawawi in the book Al Majmu’ argues that not cutting hair and nails before the sacrifice will have a virtue, namely that in the afterlife one will be saved from the fire of hell.
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Intended for Sacrificial Animals
A different opinion comes from a cleric named Kiai Ali Mustafa Yaqub in our At-Turuqus Shahiha fi Fahmis Sunnatin Nabawaiyah. He says that to understand the meaning of the prohibition on cutting nails and hair in the hadith narrated by Ummu Salamah, it is necessary to compare it with other related hadiths.
The hadith narrated by Aisyah, that the Messenger of Allah said, “There is no deed of the beloved child of Adam on Eid al-Adha except for the sacrifice. Because he will come on the Day of Judgment with his horns, feathers, and nails. So fast is it, the reward of the sacrifice has reached Allah before the blood of the sacrificed animal falls to the ground. So adorn yourselves with the sacrifice,” (HR Ibn Majah).
From the hadith above, Kiai Ali Mustafa concluded that the prohibition on cutting nails before the sacrifice as narrated by Ummu Salamah was aimed at sacrificial animals. Because the nails and hair of the sacrificial animal will be witnesses in the afterlife. This is also stated in the book At-Turuqus Shahihah fi Fahmis Sunnatin Nabawiyah as follows:
“’Illat prohibition of cutting hair and nails is because they will be witnesses on the Day of Judgment. This is appropriate when it is related to the prohibition of cutting the hair and nails of sacrificial animals, not the hair of the person who makes the sacrifice.”
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Deadline for Hair and Nail Cutting Before Sacrifice
Although the two opinions above are different, they do not contradict each other. The owner of the sacrificial animal does not need to cut its nails or hair as long as it is not needed. However, if the hair and nails are long, dirty, or even infested with lice, they can be cut. Cutting hair or nails before the sacrifice does not count as a valid requirement for the sacrifice.
The deadline for cutting hair and nails before the sacrifice is until the shohibul’s sacrificial animal has been slaughtered. So if the slaughter is done on the 3rd tasyrik day, there is no need to cut nails and hair until that day.
In Indonesia, the Government has determined through the Indonesian Ministry of Religion that Eid al-Adha falls on June 17, 2024. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not cut your nails before the sacrifice, which is from the 1st to the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah and the three days following it, which are the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah, or from the 8th to the 20th of June 2024.
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Sacrifice at Dompet Dhuafa
Complete the Eid al-Adha prayer with an animal sacrifice at Dompet Dhuafa. Sacrificial animals are guaranteed to be male, healthy, and in accordance with Islamic law. The distribution of sacrificial meat is channeled throughout the country to locations that are difficult to get to. Spread the blessings and goodness of the sacrifice as widely as possible, click on the following image for complete information.
