Should I Abstain From Cutting My Hair and Nails Before Ritual Slaughter?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question

Is it recommended for the person performing the ritual slaughter (udhiya/qurbani) to abstain from cutting their hair and nails? I have seen hadiths going against it.

Answer

It is recommended for the person performing the ritual slaughter (udhiya/qurbani) to abstain from cutting their hair, nails and the like until after the sacrifice has taken place. However, doing otherwise is not disliked (makruh).

There are clear traditions (hadith) in which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) instructed avoiding such personal upkeep before the sacrifice, but given that we have Prophetic precedence in not doing so, the command is considered to be for a recommendation.

‘A’isha (may Allah be well pleased with her) said, “I used to plait the garlands of the sacrificial camels of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). He would send his camels to the Ka‘ba, but nothing was unlawful to him which is lawful for a man to do with his wife until the people returned.” [Bukhari]

[Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar 1/565; Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih]

Please also see:
Should I Abstain From Cutting My Hair And My Nails If I Intend to Sacrifice?
Cutting Hair and Nails Before Slaughtering on Eid

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

Wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.