The Two Festivals (Eids)

Sahih al-Bukhari 968

Hadith Text

The Prophet (ﷺ) delivered the Khutba on the day of Nahr (`Id-ul-Adha) and said, "The first thing we should do on this day of ours is to pray and then return and slaughter (our sacrifices). So anyone who does so he acted according to our Sunna; and whoever slaughtered before the prayer then it was just meat that he offered to his family and would not be considered as a sacrifice in any way. My uncle Abu Burda bin Niyyar got up and said, "O, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer but I have a young she-goat which is better than an older sheep." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Slaughter it in lieu of the first and such a goat will not be considered as a sacrifice for anybody else after you."

Scholarly Commentary

This hadith establishes the proper sequence for Eid al-Adha: prayer precedes sacrifice. The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly states that slaughtering before the Eid prayer invalidates the sacrifice as a religious act, reducing it to ordinary meat consumption. This ruling emphasizes the importance of following the prophetic example in both timing and intention.

Abu Burda's case demonstrates the principle of rectifying errors in worship. Though his initial sacrifice was invalid, the Prophet permitted a replacement, showing Islam's flexibility in correcting mistakes. The condition that this replacement wouldn't count for others highlights the personal nature of this dispensation and prevents establishing new precedents.

Scholars derive from this that the time for Udhiyah (sacrifice) begins after the Eid prayer concludes. The ruling applies to both the prayer leader and congregation in towns, while villagers without access to Eid prayers may sacrifice once the prayer time has commenced in nearby cities.