I received the following from M.Makoojee on whatsapp. I am very confused.Is it true that it is not desirable to abstain....

Question

Assalaamu alaikum Mufti Meerun Saheb.

I received the following from M.Makoojee on whatsapp. I am very confused.Is it true that it is not desirable to abstain from cutting the hair and nails in the first 10 days of zul hijjah for a hanafi who intends to do qourbani ?

Bismihi Ta`ala

NO RESTRICTIONS FOR HANAFIS AS FAR AS NAILS AND HAIR CUTTING DURING BEGINNING OF ZUL HIJJAH EVEN IF TAKING SHARE IN QURBANI.

عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ هِلَالَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ وَأَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ فَلْيُمْسِكْ عَنْ شَعْرِهِ وَأَظْفَارِهِ
مسلم
It is reported in Muslim shareef that the beloved prophet SAW said that one who intend to perform Qurbani and sees the crescent of the month of Zul Hijjah, then he should abstain from cutting his hair and nails.(Muslim)

Imaam Ahmad r.a. says that it is wajib to follow this hadith and hence according to him it is obligatory to abstain from cutting hair and nails from 1st of Zul Hijjah to the accomplishment of Qurbani.

According to Imaam Shafi`ee it is sunnah to observe this command.

But according to Imaam Abu Hanifah and one qawl of imaam Malik r.a., it is permissible to cut nails during the 1st ten days of Zul Hijjah.

At first, it seems that it is the opinion of Imaam Abu Hanifah that is going against hadiths. But in fact, after encompassing ahadiths, you would conclude that the proof of imaam Abu Hanifah is more reliable and more sahih!

Imaam Abu Hanifah take support of a few hadiths in Bukhari whereby Hazrat Aisha r.a. says that the beloved prophet SAW during the 9th Hijri when he sent Abu Bakr r.a. in Hajj, the beloved prophet SAW spent the 10 days of Zul Hijjah normal without any restrictions(Bukhari).

عن القاسم عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت
فتلت قلائد هدي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم أشعرها وقلدها أو قلدتها ثم بعث بها إلى البيت وأقام بالمدينة فما حرم عليه شيء كان له حل
بخاري

أنا فتلت قلائد هدي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيدي ثم قلدها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيديه ثم بعث بها مع أبي فلم يحرم على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم شيء أحله الله له حتى نحر الهدي
بخاري

Since it is the last Zul Hijjah that the beloved prophet Swalallahou Alaihi Wasallam spent in Madinah, then it abrogate all other ahadiths on the issue. And the hadiths of bukhari is more clear, direct and according to practice of sahabahs and tabi'eens.

So, according to hanafis, it is NOT RECOMMENDED TO ABSTAIN FROM NAIL AND HAIR CUTTING. HENCE COMPLETELY PERMISSIBLE to cut nails and hair during the first 10 days of Zul Hijjah, even if you are performing Qurbani.

Imaam Tahawi report the same opinion of imaam Abu Hanifah, imaam Abu Yousuf and imaam Muhammad r.a. in Ma'aniyul Athaar:

فَكَانَ الْجِمَاعُ أَغْلَظَ الْأَشْيَاءِ الَّتِي يُحَرِّمُهَا الْإِحْرَامُ . ثُمَّ رَأَيْنَا مَنْ دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَيَّامُ الْعَشْرِ , وَهُوَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَا يَمْنَعُهُ مِنَ الْجِمَاعِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَلِكَ لَا يَمْنَعُهُ مِنَ الْجِمَاعِ , وَهُوَ أَغْلَظُ مَا يَحْرُمُ بِالْإِحْرَامِ , كَانَ أَحْرَى أَنْ لَا يَمْنَعَ مِمَّا دُونَ ذَلِكَ . فَهَذَا هُوَ النَّظَرُ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ أَيْضًا , وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ , وَأَبِي يُوسُفَ , وَمُحَمَّدٍ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
شرح معاني الاثار

We are aware that Allamah Shami said ‘Mandoob’ and mustahab, I`laa us Sunnan said khilafe awla (not advisable) but the original hanafi opinion remain that one may cut nail and hair anytime and also from 1st Zul Hijjah till qurbani time.

We find that same opinion OF COMPLETE PERMISSIBILITY reported in Mirqat:
فالمستحب لمن قصد أن يضحي عند مالك والشافعي أن لا يحلق شعره ولا يقلم ظفره حتى يضحي فإن فعل كان مكروها وقال أبو حنيفة هو مباح ولا يكره ولا يستحب وقال أحمد بتحريمه
مرقاة المفاتيح للقاري

And also in Muntaqa Sharhe Muatta Malik, we find same opinion of imaam Abu Hanifah whereby he says: Not sunnah to abstain and not makrooh to cut hair or shave.:

وَالْمَذْهَبُ الثَّالِثُ : - وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَمَالِكٍ - لَيْسَ بِسُنَّةٍ وَلَا يُكْرَهُ أَخْذُ شَعْرِهِ وَبَشَرِهِ احْتِجَاجًا بِأَنَّهُ مُحِلٌّ ، فَلَمْ يُكْرَهْ لَهُ أَخْذُ شَعْرِهِ وَبَشَرِهِ كَغَيْرِ الْمُضَحِّي ، وَلِأَنَّ مَنْ لَمْ يَحْرُمْ عَلَيْهِ الطِّيبُ وَاللِّبَاسُ لَمْ يَحْرُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَلْقُ الشَّعْرِ كَالْمُحِلِّ
للباجي المنتقى

And in Al Hawi fi fiqhi Shafi`ee also same opinion whereby he says: There is absolutely no recommendation on this issue(of abstaining from cutting/shaving hair nails:

وَقَالَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ : لَيْسَ فِي ذَلِكَ اسْتِحْبَابٌ
الحاوي الماوردي

Since Imaam Tahawi mentioned the same opinion from Imaam Abu Hanifah, we conclude that there is complete permissibility to cut and trim hair for those taking share in Qurbani from 1st Zil Hijjah until Qurbani. That recommendation stand only for non Hanafis.

Wallahou A`lam.

Mufti Ayoob bin Ismael Mackoojee

Please let me know if i can rely on the above article. Jazakallah Mf meerun shb.