Firstly, the ḥadīth referred to has been narrated by several narrators:

• Ad-Dāraquṭnī narrated it, with his chain of transmitters, from Buraydah who said: “The Prophet (prayers and peace be upon him) would not go out on the morning of ῾Iīd al-Fiṭr until he had food, and he would not eat anything on the ῾Iīd al-᾽Aḍḥā until he returned, then he would eat from his sacrifice.” Shaykh Shu῾ayb commented on this narration, considering it ḥasan (good).
• Imām An-Nawawī mentioned it in Al-Majmū῾ from Buraydah who said: “The Prophet (prayers and peace be upon him) would not go out on the morning of ῾Iīd al-Fiṭr until he had food, and on the ῾Iīd al-᾽Aḍḥā, he would not eat anything until he returned, then he would eat from his ritual sacrifice.” This narration is also considered ḥasan (good).
• Shaykh Shu῾ayb also mentioned it in his authentication (takhrīj) of Musand ᾽Aḥmad, and he said about it: it is ḥasan (good).
• Imām At-Tirmidhī also narrated it and said: The ḥadīth of Buraydah ibn Ḥaṣīb al-᾽Aslamī is gharīb (strange).
• Al-Ḥākim mentioned and authenticated it in Al-Mustadrak, as well as Al-Bayhaqī in his Sunan, and Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ, among others.

This narration relies on Thawwāb ibn ῾Utbah, who narrated it from ῾Abdullāh ibn Buraydah, from his father. He (Thawwāb) has a confirming narrator (mutābi῾), which we will mention later.

Thawwāb bin ῾Utbah’s credibility is disputed among scholars of ḥadīth criticism and praise (jarḥ and ta῾dīl); some consider him reliable, like Ibn Ḥibbān, while others, like Ibn Ma῾īn, were unsure, sometimes describing him as “ṣadūq” (truthful) and other times as “thiqah” (trustworthy). Assuredly, labeling a transmitter as “ṣadūq” does not require that he is reliable, because it is a descriptive label that does not account for reliability. Being “ṣadūq” does not inherently indicate the authenticity of the narration, as he may not make lies but may forget (yahim) and make mistakes (yukhṭi᾽). For this reason, some transmitters were labeled as “ṣadūq” while being criticized due to lack of retention skills.

For example, Abū Zur῾ah ar-Rāzī said about a transmitter: “layyin al-ḥadīth mudallis (his narrations are lenient and he is a misleader). He was asked: Is he a ṣadūq? He replied: “He, he used to not lie.”

The same thing was reported from Yaḥyā in relation to his comment on a transmitter: “ṣadūq wa-lays bi-ḥujjah (he is truthful and not an authority).”

Al-Bukhārī said about Muḥammad ibn ῾Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā: “ṣadūq ᾽ilā ᾽annahu lā yudrā ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīthihi min saqīmihi (he is truthful, although his authentic and inauthentic narrations cannot be determined).”

Among ḥadīth critics are those who rendered Thawwāb ibn ῾Utbah as weak. Al-῾Ajlī said about him: “yuktab ḥadīthu wa-lays bi-qawī (his narrations are to be recorded but he is not strong).” (The mention of recording [his] narrations here is for bringing notice to him). Adh-Dhahabī commented: “fīh līn (he is subject to leniency.”

As for the confirming narration (mutābi῾ah), it is from ῾Uqabah ibn ῾Abdullāh ar-Rafā῾ī al-᾽Aṣam from Ibn Buraydah. It is recorded bt Aṭ-Ṭabarānī and Al-Bayhaqū. This ῾Uqabah is weaker than the previous one, as he was weakened by Yaḥyā, Abū Dāwūd, An-Naṣ᾽ī, and Ibn al-Madīnī. Ibn Ḥajar stated about him: “ḍa῾īf wa-rubbamā dallas (he is weak, and perhaps he misled).”

Ibn ῾Adī mentioned in Al-Kāmil from ῾Abdullāh ibn Abī Sa῾īd al-Warrāq, who said that ῾Abdullāh ibn Ṣāliḥ Abū ῾Abdullāh an-Nassāj related to us, from Sammāk ibn Ḥarb, from Jābir ibn Samurah, saying: “The Prophet (prayers and peace be upon him) used to break his fast on the day of ῾Iīd al-Fiṭr with seven dates or seven raisins, and he would not eat anything on the day of ῾Iīd al-᾽Aḍḥā until he returned.” He [Ibn ῾Adī] said: “These traditions from Sammāk ibn Ḥarb from Jābir ibn Samurah are not recorded.”

Ash-Shawkānī said: “It includes Nāṣiḥ Abū ῾Abdullāh whose narration is lenient. He was weakened by Ibn Ma῾īn, Al-Fallās, Al-Bukhārī, Abū Dāwūd, and Ibn Ḥibbān.”

Therefore, the ḥadīth is weak, and its authentication by Al-Ḥākim shall not be considered.

Secondly, assuming it as ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) or ḥasan (good), scholars (῾ulamā᾽), in their commentary on it, stated that the matter is recommended, due to the general prohibition of fasting on the day of ῾Iīd, and abstaining from eating implies fasting. Some have attempted to reconcile between the different ḥadīths by distinguishing between the one offering the sacrifice and others. The one offering the sacrifice eats immediately after the prayer, while the one offering a sacrifice waits until he eats from his sacrifice.

Az-Zayla῾ī said: “This applies to those who sacrifice to eat from their sacrifice, but not to others.”

Al-Mubārakfūrī stated: “᾽Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal specifically recommended delaying eating on ῾Iīd al-῾Aḍḥā for those who have to sacrifice.”

In my opinion, this narration is weak, and there is no evidence to support delaying food, especially in these times when the sacrifice might be delayed until nightfall due to waiting for turns, scarcity of animals, and few suppliers. This contradicts the prohibition of abstaining from eating on the day of ῾Iīd. Furthermore, what about those who sacrifice on the second or third day of ῾Iīd? Should they refrain from eating for several days until they eat from their sacrifice?

Fatwa issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr