7. As for the Day of Eid al-Adha, the Prophet ﷺ would not eat anything before the prayer, for no obligatory fast precedes this day that needs to be set apart from others; the day is already distinct by its very nature. There is another point of wisdom: one of the most meritorious deeds on this day is the sacrificial offering, an act of worship to Allah Most High, and we have been instructed to eat from it. Hence it is preferable that the first food one eats be from his own sacrifice. Al-Bayhaqi reports (3/283): “When he returned, he would eat from the liver of his sacrifice.”

8. The hadith also indicates that a person whom Allah grants success can turn ordinary habits—such as eating, drinking, sleeping, and the like—into acts of worship that draw him nearer to Allah and increase his good deeds. Everything depends on intention and the purity of one’s aim.

This is a great and important matter that calls for alertness and divine enablement from Allah Most High.