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Question:
What is the ruling on abstaining from cutting the hair or clipping the nails for the one who wants to offer a sacrifice, and when does it take place?
Answer:
In Islamic jurisprudence, it is recommended for those who intend to offer a sacrifice during Eid al-Adha to refrain from cutting their hair or clipping their nails from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah until after the sacrifice has been made. This practice is based on the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), where he said:
"When you see the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him refrain from (cutting) his hair and nails." (Sahih Muslim)
When the month of Dhul-Hijjah begins and one becomes aware of this, before the sun sets on the last day of Dhul Qa’dah, the individual who intends to offer a sacrifice must take care of cutting their hair and nails before sunset. Once the sun sets on the last day of Dhul Qa’dah, it becomes obligatory to abstain. This ruling is based on the Hadith of Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها), where the Prophet (ï·º) said:
"When the ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah) come and one of you intends to make a sacrifice, he must not touch any of his hair."
(Sahih Muslim)
And in another narration:
"One must abstain from cutting his hair or nails."
(Sahih Muslim)
Ahmad, Ishaq, Dawood, and Rabee’ah all stipulated that it is Haram (forbidden). Some scholars view it as only being Makrooh (disliked), but the correct view is that it is Haram. This is based on the principle that prohibitions generally indicate something is forbidden.
Among those who also stipulated it as being Haram are al-San’ani, al-Shawkani, al-Wadi’i, and al-‘Uthaymeen (رØمة الله عليهم).
This ruling is recommended (Sunnah) and not obligatory. It begins with the sighting of the new moon marking the start of Dhul-Hijjah and continues until the sacrifice is performed. The wisdom behind this practice is to symbolize solidarity with the pilgrims performing Hajj and to show humility and devotion during these blessed days.