What is the meaning of the verse, "And do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal reaches its destination" (Al-Baqarah/196), and does it indicate that slaughtering precedes shaving?

Allah Almighty's saying: (And do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal reaches its place of sacrifice) means do not shave until you have slaughtered. The Sunnah, however, permitted shaving before slaughter as a facilitation. There are two interpretations for understanding the verse: either that "reaches its place of sacrifice" means the time for slaughter arrives, not the actual slaughter, or that "until the sacrificial animal reaches its place of sacrifice" means it is slaughtered, but the Sunnah permitted advancing the shaving before the slaughter.