"I have been instructed to take the Day of Sacrifice as an 'Id which Allah, the Might and Sublime, has ordained for this Ummah." The man said: "What do you think if I cannot find anything but a female sheep that has been loaned to me so that I may benefit from its milk - should I sacrifice it?" He said: "No. Rather cut something from your hair and your nails, trim your mustache and shave your pubic hairs, and you will have a complete reward with Allah, the Might and Sublime, as if you had offered the sacrifice."
The Book of ad-Dahaya (Sacrifices)
Sunan an-Nasa'i 4365
Hadith Text
"I have been instructed to take the Day of Sacrifice as an 'Id which Allah, the Might and Sublime, has ordained for this Ummah." The man said: "What do you think if I cannot find anything but a female sheep that has been loaned to me so that I may benefit from its milk - should I sacrifice it?" He said: "No. Rather cut something from your hair and your nails, trim your mustache and shave your pubic hairs, and you will have a complete reward with Allah, the Might and Sublime, as if you had offered the sacrifice."
Commentary
This noble hadith establishes the sanctity of Eid al-Adha as divinely ordained. The prohibition against sacrificing borrowed animals demonstrates that sacrifice must come from one's lawful property. The substitute acts of personal grooming - hair cutting, nail trimming, mustache trimming, and pubic hair removal - serve as symbolic purification when material sacrifice is impossible. This reveals Allah's mercy in accepting sincere intention and acts of personal purification as equivalent to physical sacrifice in reward, emphasizing that true worship lies in obedience and submission to divine command rather than mere ritual performance.
Legal Rulings
Sacrifice must be from one's own lawful property; borrowed animals cannot be sacrificed. Personal purification acts can substitute for sacrifice when one lacks means. The reward for sincere obedience equals that of physical worship when capability is absent. The comprehensive nature of Islamic worship accommodates varying circumstances while maintaining spiritual rewards.