What is the ruling on the three sacrifices slaughtered on the Day of Arafah and distributed on the Day of Eid, and is a fourth sacrifice on behalf of the Ummah of Muhammad permissible?
Muslims are in agreement that the time before the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr) is not the time for udhiyah. Sacrifices made on Arafah are not valid as udhiyah, but merely as meat. Whoever slaughters before the prayer must slaughter another in its place. If the udhiyah is designated by saying, "This is an udhiyah," then it becomes designated. This is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Abu Hanifa and Malik. If it is designated and the one who ruined it by slaughtering it before its time replaces it, then he must purchase a substitute and slaughter it as a make-up (qada'). However, if designation was not permitted, it is not designated, and they are liable for it. Its owner has the choice between using it as an udhiyah or keeping it as his property. Slaughtering on behalf of the entire nation (umma) is permissible according to some scholars, such as Ibn Hazm, but what is given as fatwa with us is that a single sheep is sufficient for a man and those he supports.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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