The reward of sacrifice for two nafl rak‘as and for not trimming hair and nails

Question

Question: Zayd said in his sermon (khutba) that if a person does not have the means to offer a sacrifice, but after the Eid al-Adha prayer prays two rak‘as at home, reciting Surah “Inna a‘taynaka” (al-Kawthar) after Surah al-Fatiha in each rak‘a, he receives a reward equal to the sacrifice; likewise, if he does not trim the hair of his head and his nails, he receives a reward equal to the sacrifice. To what extent does this have any basis?

Answer

That the reward of a sacrifice is obtained by praying two rak‘as in this way — I have not seen this in any book; ask Zayd for a reference. As for the nails and hair, I have heard something like this from some scholars, and in the hadith this has been declared mustahabb for the one offering the sacrifice.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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