Question

Is the habit of eating from the liver of the Qurbani animal proven in the Hadith?

Answer

Sayyiduna Buraydah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that ‘Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would not go for the ‘Eidul Fitr Salah without eating something. On the day of ‘Eidul Adha, he would not eat anything until he returned [from the ‘Eid Salah].’

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 542, Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, Hadith: 1426, Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith: 2812, Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 1, pg. 294)

Although this narration merely states that on the day of ‘Eidul Adha, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would not eat until after the Salah, the same Hadith appears with the following addition in Sunanud Daraqutni (Hadith: 1715) with the following words:

‘… On the day of ‘Eidul Adha, he would not eat anything until he returned [from the ‘Eid Salah], and eat from his animal of sacrifice.

Hafiz Ibnul Qattan (rahimahullah) has declared it as authentic (sahih)

(Bayanul Wahmi wal Iham, Hadith: 2531. Also see: Nasbur Rayah, Hadith: 2796 and Talkhisul Habir, vol. 2, pg. 84)

This version specifically mentions eating from the Qurbani animal.

Mention of eating from the liver of the Qurbani animal appears in a weak version of the same narration in As-Sunanul Kubra of Bayhaqi, vol. 3, pg. 283.

Despite its weakness, it can be used to understand which part of the animal was referred to in the above authentic narrations. Although one is at liberty to eat from any part of the animal.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar,

Those who assign their animals to be slaughtered by some far off farmer or abroad, and do not slaughter their animals themselves, or under their personal supervision, or locally, are actually deprived of this deed…