عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَ يَخْرُجُ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ حَتَّى يَطْعَمَ وَلاَ يَطْعَمُ يَوْمَ الأَضْحَى حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ
Abdullah bin Buraidah narrated from his father:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) would not leave on the Day of Fitr until he ate, and he would not eat on the day of Adha until he prayed.”
[Saheeh Tirmidhi no. 542]
This narration is general and includes those who will slaughter a sacrificial animal on Eidul-Adhaa and those who will not. The majority of the jurists mentioned that it is recommended for the one who will not slaughter to delay eating until after the Eid prayer on the Day of Nahr.
It is mentioned in al-Mowsu’aat al-Fiqhiyyah:
“As for the one who is not slaughtering, then the majority of the jurists took the opinion (al-Hanafiyyah, Malikyyah, and it is what is taken from the general expressions of the Shafiyyah) that it is recommended for him also to delay eating [until after the Eid prayer]. The Hanaabilah made it clear that the one who will not slaughter chooses between eating before the prayer or after it due to the Hadith:
The Prophet did not go out on the Day of Fitr until he ate and he did not eat anything on the day of Nahr until he returned. Then he ate from his sacrificial animal
[Reported by ad-Daraqutni (2/45)].
They [the Hanaabilah] said: If he does not have a sacrificial animal, then it does not matter if he eats”
[al-Mowsu’aat al-Fiqhiyyah (45/341)]
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“It is understood from [the author’s] speech that if he does not have a sacrificial animal, then it is not legislated to hold back from eating before the prayer. Rather, he has a choice. If he ate before going out to the prayer, then we do not say to him: you have opposed the Sunnah”
[Sharh al-Mumti’ (5/124-125)]
However, based on the generality of the Hadith and the statement of the majority of jurists, it is preferred to eat after the Eid prayer even if one does not slaughter.
And Allah Knows Best
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
