According to the practice of the Prophet during his Farewell Hajj, the prescribed sequence of acts on 10 Dhul-Hijjah is: first, pelting the pebbles; then slaughtering the Hady animal; thereafter shaving the head or shortening the hair; and then completing Tawaf al-Ziyarah and performing Sa‘i. Therefore, deliberately disrupting the sequence of these four acts of this day by performing them earlier or later is contrary to the practice of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. However, if someone is unable to maintain the sequence due to an excuse or incapacity, or mistakenly performs them out of order, there will be no problem. Some of the noble Companions who performed Hajj with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed them in this manner, out of order. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about it, he said that there was no problem. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
«كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُسْأَلُ يَوْمَ مِنًى فَيَقُولُ : لاَ حَرَجَ ، لاَ حَرَجَ فَأَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ : حَلَقْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَذْبَحَ ، قَالَ : لاَ حَرَجَ قَالَ : رَمَيْتُ بَعْدَ مَا أَمْسَيْتُ قَالَ : لاَ حَرَجَ».
‘When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked in Mina on the Day of Sacrifice, he said, “There is no problem, there is no problem.” A man came to him and asked, “I shaved my head before slaughtering.” He said, “There is no problem.” Another man said, “I pelted the pebbles after evening.” He said, “There is no problem.”’[1]
It is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on 10 Dhul-Hijjah while he was standing near the Jamarah. The man said,
«يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنّىْ حَلَقْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَرْمِىَ. فَقَالَ: ارْمِ وَلاَ حَرَجَ ، وَأَتَاهُ آخَرُ فَقَالَ إِنِّى ذَبَحْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَرْمِىَ. قَالَ : ارْمِ وَلاَ حَرَجَ ، وَأَتَاهُ آخَرُ فَقَالَ إِنِّى أَفَضْتُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَرْمِىَ. قَالَ : ارْمِ وَلاَ حَرَجَ ، قَالَ فَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ سُئِلَ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنْ شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ قَالَ : افْعَلُوا وَلاَ حَرَجَ».
‘O Messenger of Allah, I shaved my head before pelting the pebbles.’ He said, ‘Pelt them; there is no problem.’ Another man came and said, ‘I slaughtered before pelting the pebbles.’ He said, ‘Pelt them; there is no problem.’ Another man came and said, ‘I performed Tawaf al-Ifadah before pelting the pebbles.’ He said, ‘Pelt them; there is no problem.’ The narrator said, ‘Whatever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about that day, he replied, “Do it; there is no problem.”’[2]
There are many more authentic hadiths on this matter. If one acts according to them due to an excuse or incapacity, then, Allah willing, the Hajj will not be harmed in any way. Particularly in the present day, there are immense crowds of pilgrims, and the process of slaughtering the Hady is also very complicated. Therefore, we should view the matter with the same ease with which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, viewed it. In particular, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, the two renowned students of Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him), expressed the opinion that even if the prescribed sequence of the acts of 10 Dhul-Hijjah is not maintained, dam will not become obligatory.
It is written in Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘, a renowned book of Hanafi jurisprudence,
فَإِنْ حَلَقَ قَبْلَ الذَّبْحِ مِنْ غَيْرِ إحْصَارٍ فَعَلَيْهِ لِحَلْقِهِ قَبْلَ الذَّبْحِ دَمٌ فِي قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ ، وَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ ، وَجَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ : أَنَّهُ لَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْهِ ،
‘If one shaves his head before slaughtering, he must offer a dam for it, according to the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him). According to Imam Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad, and a group of scholars of Islamic law, nothing is obligatory upon him for this.’[3]
[1]. Ibn Majah: 3050.
[2]. Muslim: 2305.
[3]. Bada’i‘ al-Sana’i‘: 2/158.