In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate
"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"
Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with
Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah
guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one
can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness
that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu
What should the one who wants to offer a sacrifice refrain from doing ?
If the onset of Dhul-Hijjah has been proven and a person wants to offer a
sacrifice, it is haraam for him to remove anything from the hair on his body or
to cut his nails or any part of his skin. It is not forbidden for him to wear
new clothes or to put on henna or perfume, or to be intimate with his wife or
have intercourse with her.
This ruling applies only to the one who is going to offer the sacrifice, and
not to the rest of his family, and not to the one whom he appoints to slaughter
the sacrifice on his behalf. None of these things are forbidden for his wife or
children, or for his deputy.
No differentiation is made between men and women with regard to this ruling. If
a woman wants to offer a sacrifice on her own behalf, whether she is married or
not, then she should refrain from removing any hair from her body or cutting
her nails, because of the general meaning of the texts which state that that is
not allowed.
This is not called ihraam, because there is no ihraam except during the rituals
of Hajj and Umrah, and the one who is in ihraam wears the ihraam garments and
refrains from wearing perfume, having intercourse, and hunting, but all of
these things are permissible for the one who wants to offer a sacrifice after
the month of Dhul-Hijjah begins. He is not forbidden to do anything except cut
his hair, trim his nails or remove anything from his skin.
It was narrated from Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you see the new
moon of Dhul-Hijjah, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him refrain
from (removing anything) from his hair or nails.” Narrated by Muslim, 1977.
According to another version: “Let him not remove anything of his hair or
skin.”
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
It is prescribed for the one who wants to offer a sacrifice, when the month of
Dhul-Hijjah begins, that he should not remove anything from his hair, nails or
skin until he has offered the sacrifice, because of the report narrated by the
group apart from al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on them), from Umm Salamah
(may Allaah be pleased with her), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you see the new moon of
Dhul-Hijjah, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him refrain from
(removing anything) from his hair or nails.”
According to a version narrated by Abu Dawood, Muslim and al-Nasaai: “Whoever
has a sacrifice to offer, when the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah begins, let him not
remove anything from his hair or nails until he has offered the sacrifice” –
whether he is going to slaughter the sacrifice himself or has asked someone
else to slaughter it on his behalf. As for the one on whose behalf the
sacrifice is being offered, that is not prescribed in his case, because there
is no report to that effect. That is not called ihraam, rather ihraam refers to
the one who enters ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah or both. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/397, 398
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:
They replied:
The hadeeth indicates that it is not allowed to remove anything from the hair
or nails after the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah begin, for the one who wants
to offer a sacrifice. The first report includes a command to refrain, which
basically implies that refraining is obligatory, and we do not know of any
reason to interpret it otherwise. The second report includes the prohibition on
removing anything, which basically implies that it is haraam, and we do not
know of any reason to interpret it otherwise. Thus it is clear that this
hadeeth applies only to the one who wants to offer the sacrifice. As for the
one on whose behalf the sacrifice is being offered, whether he is old or young
he is not forbidden to remove anything from his hair, skin or nails, based on
the basic principle, which is that these actions are permitted. We do not know
of any evidence to the contrary. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah, 11/426, 427
Secondly:
None of these things are haraam for the one who does not intend to offer a
sacrifice because he is unable to. Whoever removes anything from his hair or
nails although he plans to offer a sacrifice does not have to offer any fidyah
(ransom), but he has to repent and seek forgiveness.
(islam-qa)
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