I want to ask about the ruling on leaving the udh-hiyah (sacrifice) to stay for a night and then cut it up into pieces afterwards. Is this an act of the Sunnah or a recommended act?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

Offering udh-hiyah is an act of the Sunnah. It is a confirmed Sunnah for those who can easily afford it. Some people of knowledge held the opinion that it is obligatory. It is reprehensible for someone who can afford it to abandon it because Anas narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, offered two horned rams, black and white in color, as sacrifice. He slaughtered them with his own hands, mentioned the Name of Allah over them, and said takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar). [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The wisdom behind offering udh-hiyah is following the tradition of Ibraaheem and spending generously on people in the days of ‘eed (feast) about which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “They are days of eating, drinking, and remembering Allah Almighty.”

It is better that one eats from it and gives charity and gifts. There is no problem in saving part of it for the next day or the following days. However, we do not know an origin for the idea of leaving it all to stay for a night before cutting it up into pieces afterwards. If you think that this is done with the purpose of worship or that it is an act of the Sunnah, then there is no doubt that this is wrong and incorrect. If it is done out of laziness, preoccupation, and so on, then this is not a sin, but it is not recommended as it was authentically narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to eat from his udh-hiyah when he returned from the ‘eed prayer. According to Musnad Ahmad: “On the day of ‘Eed Al-Fitr, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not go out before eating something, and on the day of ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha, he did not eat until he returned and ate from his udh-hiyah.”

This context indicates that he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to eat from his udh-hiyah directly after returning, without a separating time interval between his return from the musalla (place of prayer) and eating from the udh-hiyah. It has also been proven authentically that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, commanded the Muslims to eat from the udh-hiyah, save part of it, and give another part of it in charity. All these matters are acts of obedience through which one draws closer to Allah Almighty. So why should one be too lazy or busy to hasten to this great obedience?! There is no doubt that the least that can be said about this delay is that it contradicts the command of initiation and hastening to obedience and good deeds.

Allah Knows best.