Four Days of Qurbani: Quran & Sunnah Guide New

The Four Days of Sacrifice in Islam: Quran and Sunnah Insights

Sacrifice (Qurbani) is an act of worship, and all acts of worship are tawqifi (divinely prescribed). They must be performed exactly as established in the Shariah. According to the correct view, sacrifice is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah (an emphasized Sunnah). Whoever has the means should offer a sacrifice, and whoever does not have the means is not required to do so. However, there is a stern warning for those who have the ability to offer a sacrifice but choose not to.

In this brief article, we will discuss the days of sacrifice in the light of the Quran and Sunnah and examine whether the days of sacrifice are three or four.

The Definition of Sacrifice:

“It is what is slaughtered from the an’am (specific livestock animals) to seek closeness to Allah the Almighty, from the day of Eid until the end of the Ayyam al-Tashreeq.” (Mughni al-Muhtaj: 6/122, Al-Iqna’: 2/277)

In determining the days of sacrifice, the “Ayyam al-Tashreeq” hold great importance. Understanding the meaning and determination of Ayyam al-Tashreeq makes it very easy to know the days of sacrifice.

Although some scholars consider the Ayyam al-Tashreeq to be four days, the more sound opinion is that they are three days: the 11th, 12th, and 13th (of Dhul-Hijjah). The meaning of tashreeq is to brighten or to shine. History reveals that during Hajj, the Arabs would cut the meat of their sacrifices during the Ayyam al-Tashreeq (11th, 12th, and 13th) and lay it out to dry on the hills of Mina. When the sun’s rays fell upon it, the meat would shine, which is why these days came to be known as Ayyam al-Tashreeq.

The Three Days of Ayyam al-Tashreeq:

• The first day of Ayyam al-Tashreeq is called Yawm al-Qarr (the Day of Settling) because on this day, the pilgrims stay and spend the night in Mina.
• The second day of Ayyam al-Tashreeq is called Yawm al-Nafar al-Awwal (the First Day of Departure), on which a pilgrim is permitted to leave early after performing the Rami al-Jamarat (stoning of the pillars) before sunset.
• The third day of Ayyam al-Tashreeq is called Yawm al-Nafar al-Thani (the Second Day of Departure from Mina). This is the last day for pilgrims to perform Rami al-Jamarat, after which they leave Mina.

Allamah Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him), explaining the reason for this name, writes:

“These three days (11th, 12th, 13th) were named Ayyam al-Tashreeq because the meat of the sacrifices is spread out in the sun to dry (tushraq). It is also said that it is because the sacrificial animals are not slaughtered until the sun has risen.” (Fath al-Bari: 4/242)

Maulana Inamullah Qasmi writes:

“According to this saying ‘i.e., the reason for the name’, the application of Ayyam al-Tashreeq, for however many days it may be, will be related to slaughter and sacrifice. Because any day in which sacrifice is not permissible cannot be called a day of Tashreeq. Therefore, when the three days after Yawm al-Nahr have been called Tashreeq by the consensus of the Ummah, then sacrifice will also be permissible for three days after Yawm al-Nahr.” (Ayyam-e-Qurbani: p. 22)

Understanding the meaning of Ayyam al-Tashreeq makes it abundantly clear that there are four days of sacrifice: one day (Yawm al-Nahr) is known by the name of sacrifice itself, and the remaining three are the days of Ayyam al-Tashreeq. This is also established from the Quran, Hadith, the traditions of the Sahaba (Companions), and the statements of the Imams and Tabi’in (Successors).

Evidence for Four Days of Sacrifice from the Holy Quran:

Allah the Almighty has stated in the Glorious Quran:

"And remember Allah during the appointed days. Then whoever hastens [his departure] in two days - there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays, there is no sin upon him."1 (Surah Al-Baqarah: 203)

And He also said:

"And mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] cattle." (Surah Al-Hajj: 28)

The Ayyam Ma’dudat (appointed/numbered days) and Ayyam Ma’lumat (known days) are the Ayyam al-Tashreeq. There is a consensus of the Ummah on this.

Accordingly, Allamah al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in this regard:

“Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, commanded His servants to remember Him during the Ayyam al-Ma’dudat, which are the three days after Yawm al-Nahr. Yawm al-Nahr is not among them, due to the consensus of the people that no one departs on the Day of Departure, which is the second day after Yawm al-Nahr. And if Yawm al-Nahr were included in the Ma’dudat, it would have been permissible for whoever wished to depart early to do so on the day of departure, because he would have completed two days of the Ma’dudat.” (Tafsir al-Qurtubi 3/363)

Al-Biqa’i writes:

“(Ma’dudat) refers to your stay in Mina in the hospitality of Allah, the Glorified, to complete the remaining acts of the Hajj worship. The first of these is Yawm al-Qarr, which is the 11th, so that people may settle in Mina. The second is Yawm al-Nafar al-Awwal. The third is Yawm al-Nafar al-A’zam. These three days are called Ayyam al-Tashreeq, and along with the day of Eid, they are called Ayyam al-Nahr. And the four days, along with the day of Arafah, are called the days of Takbir and Dhikr.”

(See also the books of Imam Razi and Allamah Shawkani, among others: Tafsir Ibn Kathir 5/208 and Fath al-Qadir 1/205)

The two days for hastening and the one day for delaying make up a total of three days. In these three days, the command has been given to slaughter the sacrificial animals by mentioning the name of Allah. Thus, the Ayyam al-Tashreeq are the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, and everyone knows that the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah is called Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice).

In this way, the heavenly book of Allah has decreed that there are four days of sacrifice. And they are Yawm al-Nahr and Ayyam al-Tashreeq, i.e., the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th.

Evidence for Four Days of Sacrifice from the Authentic Hadiths:

There are several Hadiths in this regard; a few are mentioned here.

First Hadith:

“The Prophet ﷺ said to a man from Ghifar: ‘Get up and announce that none but a believer will enter Paradise, and that these are the days of eating and drinking, the days of Mina.’ Sulayman ibn Musa added, ‘and slaughter,’ meaning they are the days of slaughter.”

(See: As-Silsilah as-Sahihah: 5/620)

This Hadith mentions the Ayyam Mina (Days of Mina). The Days of Mina are well-known; they are three days: the 11th, 12th, and 13th. These days have been called the days of eating and drinking, which makes it clear that they are days of sacrifice. In fact, some narrations explicitly mention slaughter, stating that the Days of Mina are the days of slaughter, which helps in determining the meaning.

This narration is also found in several books of Hadith. In one place it says:

“O people! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘These are not the days for fasting; they are the days of eating and drinking.'” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, checked by Al-Albani: 2147)

In another place, the words of the Hadith are:

“These are the days of food and remembrance (dhikr).”

This Hadith meets the criteria of Imam Muslim (See: Irwa al-Ghalil: 4/131)

In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated as follows:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent him and Aws ibn al-Hadathan during the Ayyam al-Tashreeq to announce that none but a believer will enter Paradise, and the Days of Mina are days of eating and drinking.” (Sahih Muslim: 1142)

Second Hadith:

“The Day of Arafah, the Day of Sacrifice, and the Ayyam al-Tashreeq are our ‘Eid for us, the people of Islam, and they are days of eating and drinking.” (Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 773, Sahih al-Nasa’i: 3004, Sahih Abi Dawood: 2419, Irwa al-Ghalil: 4/130)

Sheikh Al-Albani declared this Hadith as Sahih in Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Abu Dawood, and in Irwa al-Ghalil, he stated it meets the conditions of Muslim.

In this Hadith, the day of Eid is mentioned separately from the Ayyam al-Tashreeq, which is clear evidence that Ayyam al-Tashreeq are from after the day of Eid until the 13th.

Third Hadith:

“All the days of Tashreeq are for slaughter.” (As-Silsilah as-Sahihah: 2476)

Several companions, including Jubayr ibn Mut’im, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, and Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with them), narrate that the Prophet ﷺ said: “All the days of Tashreeq are days of slaughter (sacrifice).”

Al-Albani has graded this Hadith as Hasan (good).

This Hadith is brief but very clear in its meaning: the Ayyam al-Tashreeq are days of sacrifice. A slightly longer narration with this meaning is as follows:

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“All of Arafat is a place of standing, but stay away from the valley of Uranah. All of Muzdalifah is a place of standing, but stay away from the valley of Muhassir. Every pathway of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and all the days of Tashreeq are days of slaughter.” (Sahih al-Jami’: 4537)

Since the Ayyam al-Tashreeq are days of sacrifice and eating and drinking, the Prophet ﷺ forbade fasting on these days:

“He forbade fasting on six days of the year: the three days of Tashreeq, the day of Eid al-Fitr, the day of Eid al-Adha, and Friday when singled out from other days.” (As-Silsilah as-Sahihah: 2398)

In another place, the Prophet’s ﷺ statement about these days is:

Badil ibn Warqa’ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever is fasting should break his fast, for these are the days of eating and drinking.” (As-Silsilah as-Sahihah 7/1540)

In light of the above texts, there is clear proof for four days of sacrifice. This is also the opinion of the majority of scholars. Imam Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him), considering the Hadith “All the days of Tashreeq are for slaughter,” deduced:

“That all the days of Tashreeq are days of slaughter, and they are the Day of Nahr and three days after it.” (Nayl al-Awtar 5/125)

Proof for Four Days of Sacrifice from the Companions (Sahaba):

There is proof from numerous companions, both in statement and in practice, for four days of sacrifice, which further clarifies and supports the aforementioned texts.

From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), he said: “The sacrifice is for three days after the Day of Nahr.”

This means that sacrifice is for three days (11th, 12th, 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) after the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijjah). That is, including the day of Eid, there are a total of four days of sacrifice. (See: Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 9/296)

The chain of this narration is weak, but the same meaning is transmitted from Ibn Abbas through multiple chains, which strengthens this report.

Similarly, Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), while explaining the school of thought of Imam al-Shafi’i in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, wrote:

“Al-Shafi’i said: It is permissible on the Day of Nahr and the three days of Tashreeq after it.”

Meaning Imam al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said that sacrifice is permissible on the Day of Nahr and the three days of Ayyam al-Tashreeq that follow it.

After this, the Imam mentioned the names of some companions and others who held this view. The text is as follows:

“And among those who held this view were Ali ibn Abi Talib, Jubayr ibn Mut’im, Ibn Abbas, ‘Ata’, al-Hasan al-Basri, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, Sulayman ibn Musa al-Asadi the jurist of the Levant, Makhul, Dawud al-Zahiri, and others.”

In Zad al-Ma’ad, Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:

“Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The days of Nahr are: the Day of Nahr, and three days after it.”

This is the school of thought of Hasan, the Imam of the people of Basra; ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, the Imam of the people of Makkah; al-Awza’i, the Imam of the people of the Levant (may Allah have mercy on them all); and the Imam of the jurists, Imam al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him). Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) also chose this view. This is because these three days are specifically linked to Mina and the stoning of the pillars, and these are the Ayyam al-Tashreeq, and fasting on them is prohibited. Thus, they are like brothers in these rulings. So how can a distinction be made in the permissibility of slaughtering without a clear text or consensus?

And it is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ through two different chains that he said:

“All of Mina is a place of slaughter, and all the days of Tashreeq are days of slaughter.” (Zad al-Ma’ad: 2/319)

Proof for Four Days of Sacrifice from the Successors (Tabi’in):

Besides the Companions, proof for four days of sacrifice is found from many of the Tabi’in and Tabi’ al-Tabi’in (successors of the successors). The positions of some Companions and Tabi’in have just been mentioned from the words of Imam al-Nawawi.

‘Ata’ ibn Rabah, Hasan al-Basri, the Commander of the Faithful ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, Imam al-Zuhri, Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, Makhul, al-Awza’i, and Sulayman ibn Musa (may Allah have mercy on them) – scholars have transmitted the view of four days of sacrifice from them in their books.

1. Imam al-Tahawi states: “Imam Hasan and Imam ‘Ata’ have said that sacrifice is until the last day of Ayyam al-Tashreeq, meaning four days from Eid.” (Ahkam al-Quran lil-Tahawi: 2/206; Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 9/299)
2. Imam Abu Abdullah al-Mahamili (d. 330 AH) said: “Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) used to say that sacrifice should be done on all the days of Tashreeq, meaning four days including Eid al-Adha: 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th.” (Amali al-Mahamili, Riwayah Ibn Yahya al-Bayyi’: p. 89; Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 9/296, via Hammad, and its chain is authentic)
3. The Commander of the Faithful, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him): Imam al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH) states: “The Caliph ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz said that sacrifice is on the day of Eid and three days after it (i.e., a total of four days of sacrifice).” (Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 9/297, its chain is authentic)

Besides these, many other Tabi’in have adopted the position of four days of sacrifice.

The Four Days of Sacrifice and the Four Imams:

Among the four Imams, Imam al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) has adopted a clear position of four days of sacrifice. His position has been mentioned above through the words of Imam al-Nawawi, which mentions four days of sacrifice. Imam al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him), in his book “Al-Umm,” while mentioning the final time for sacrifice, wrote:

“When the sun sets on the last of the Ayyam al-Tashreeq, and then someone sacrifices, there is no sacrifice for him.” (Al-Umm: 2/244)

Meaning, if someone sacrifices after sunset on the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, his sacrifice is not valid.

According to one narration, this is also known to be the school of thought of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). As for Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), the position of three days of sacrifice is attributed to him, and similarly, the position of Imam Malik is also three days.

In addition to the verses, Hadiths, traditions of the Companions, and statements of the Tabi’in and Imams, a large number of scholars hold the view of four days of sacrifice. The list is very long, but among them are the following notable names:

Imam Ibn al-Mundhir, Imam al-Bayhaqi, Imam al-Nawawi, Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, Imam Ibn Kathir, and Imam al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on them all), among others. For fear of being too lengthy, their statements and the names of more scholars are not being mentioned here.

An Examination of the Three-Day View

According to the Hanafis, sacrifice is only permissible for three days. They have presented some evidence to support their position. An examination of it is presented here.

“Whoever among you offers a sacrifice, let him not have any of its meat remaining in his house after the third night.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

It is argued from this Hadith that since there is a command to keep the meat of the sacrifice for only three days, it proves that sacrifice is for three days.

The response to this is, firstly, that it prohibits storing meat, not sacrificing for more than three days. Secondly, the answer to this confusion is found in the subsequent words of the Hadith itself:

“When the next year came, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we do as we did last year?’ He said, ‘Eat, feed others, and store, for that year the people were in hardship, and I wanted you to help them in it.'” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Additionally, some traditions from the Companions are presented that do not reach the level of being established proofs.

Conclusion

Issuing a final verdict, it can be said that the verses of the Quran, the authentic Hadiths, and the majority of the pious predecessors (Salaf al-Salih) provide evidence that there are a total of four days of sacrifice. This is the unanimous position of the Ahl al-Hadith community. In addition to the scholars of India, contemporary senior scholars from Pakistan and the Arab world have also explicitly stated this position. This is also the fatwa of the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia.

May Allah the Almighty grant us the ability to speak the truth, listen to the truth, and act upon it. Ameen.

🖋️ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi, Hafizahullah
Jeddah Da’wah Center, Hayy As-Salamah (Saudi Arabia)