The Book of ad-Dahaya (Sacrifices)

Sunan an-Nasa'i - Hadith 4368

Hadith Text

"I attended (the day of) sacrifice with the Messenger of Allah. He led the people in prayer, then when he finished praying he saw some sheep that had been sacrificed. He said: 'Whoever slaughtered (his sacrifice) before the prayer, let him slaughter a sheep in its place, and whoever has not slaughtered, let him offer a sacrifice in the name of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.'"

Scholarly Commentary

This hadith establishes the fundamental ruling that the Eid prayer precedes the sacrificial slaughter on the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijjah). The Prophet's instruction demonstrates that sacrificing before the prayer invalidates the ritual offering, requiring its replacement.

The wisdom behind this sequence lies in making the congregational prayer - which symbolizes unity and obedience to Allah - the primary act of worship on this blessed day. The sacrifice then follows as an implementation of Allah's command after fulfilling the collective obligation.

Scholars have derived from this narration that the proper time for udhiyah (sacrifice) begins after the Eid prayer concludes. This ruling applies to all Muslims, whether praying in congregation or individually, in accordance with the general application of the Prophet's command.

Legal Implications

The requirement to repeat the sacrifice applies only to voluntary offerings (nafl), not obligatory ones. The replacement sacrifice serves as compensation for having performed the ritual at an invalid time.

This hadith emphasizes the importance of proper timing in acts of worship and demonstrates the Prophet's role in correcting practices to ensure they conform to divine legislation.