It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mukhnif bin Qais (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when he was standing at Arafat. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O people! Every year, sacrifice (Qurbani) and ‘Atirah are obligatory upon every household. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Do you know what ‘Atirah is? Ibn ‘Aun, the narrator, says: I do not know what answer the people gave to this question. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is the same which people call Rajabiyyah.

Mawla of the Messenger, Sayyiduna Abu Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) sacrificed two piebald, castrated rams. One ram was on behalf of the Oneness of Allah Almighty and for those who conveyed the message on behalf of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the other ram was on behalf of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and his family. Sayyiduna Abu Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says: It is as if the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) sufficed us.

Abu Ashad Salmi narrates from his father, and he from his grandfather (Sayyiduna Abu al-Ma'la or Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah), may Allah be pleased with him, who says: We were seven people in total with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He ordered us, and each of us collected one dirham, and with the seven dirhams we bought a sacrificial animal. But while informing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, we said: O Messenger of Allah! We have bought a very expensive animal. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The most virtuous sacrifice is the one whose price is the highest and which is the fattest and healthiest. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered, and one man held the hind leg, another held the other hind leg, one held the front leg, another held the other front leg, one held one horn, and another held the other horn, and the seventh man slaughtered it, and all of us recited the takbeer.

Imam Shabi says: Sayyiduna Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us near a pillar of the mosque. If I had been there, I would have shown you the exact place. He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed us and said: The first thing we will do today on this day is that we will first perform the Eid prayer, then return to our homes and offer the sacrifice. Whoever does as such has acted upon our Sunnah, and whoever slaughters the animal before the prayer, it is just meat that he has given to his family to eat; it has nothing to do with the sacrifice. Since my uncle, Sayyiduna Abu Burdah bin Niyar (may Allah be pleased with him), had slaughtered before the appointed time, he said: O Messenger of Allah! I have already slaughtered, and now I have a jadha’ah (young animal), but it is better than a two-toothed animal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then offer it as a sacrifice, but after you, it will not suffice for anyone else.

Aswad bin Qais narrates that it is reported from Sayyiduna Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was present with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the occasion of Eid, and he stated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) first performed the Eid prayer, then delivered the sermon and said: Whoever has slaughtered an animal before the prayer, let him offer another sacrifice in its place, and whoever has not yet slaughtered, let him slaughter in the name of Allah Almighty.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Burdah bin Niyar (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I went to perform the Eid prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When I left for the prayer, after me, my wife slaughtered my sacrificial animal and prepared food. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer and I finished and reached home, my wife brought the food. I said: What is this? She said: It is your sacrifice, we slaughtered it and prepared food for you so that when you come home, you may eat. I said: By Allah! I fear that this act may not be permissible. Anyway, I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him the whole matter. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is nothing; whoever slaughtered the sacrifice before we finished this prayer, it will have no validity, you must sacrifice again. So I searched for a two-toothed animal, but I could not find it. I then went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: By Allah! O Messenger of Allah! I have searched for a two-toothed animal, but I have not found it, what should I do now? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Find a jadha’ (one-year-old) sheep of the sheep breed and sacrifice it. The narrator says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave this Companion permission to sacrifice a jadha’ sheep of the sheep breed at that time when he could not find a two-toothed animal.

Sayyiduna Bara’ narrates from his maternal uncle Sayyiduna Abu Burdah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: O Messenger of Allah! We have slaughtered a goat with meat quickly. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Was it before the prayer? He said: Yes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is just a goat for meat. He said: O Messenger of Allah! I have a kid goat less than a year old, but it is more beloved to me than a two-toothed animal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It will suffice for you, but after you, such an animal will not suffice for anyone.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, he says: The Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, led us in prayer in Madinah Munawwarah on the day of sacrifice. Meanwhile, some people hurried and performed the sacrifice, thinking that you, peace and blessings be upon him, had already performed the sacrifice. Then you, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered that whoever had performed the sacrifice before you, peace and blessings be upon him, should sacrifice again, and people should not perform the sacrifice until you, peace and blessings be upon him, have done so.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man slaughtered a kid goat before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the prayer. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding this: After you, such an act will not suffice for anyone. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the people from offering sacrifice before performing the prayer.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said on the day of sacrifice: Whoever offered the sacrifice before the Eid prayer should offer the sacrifice again. A man said: O Messenger of Allah! This is a day in which there is a desire for meat, then he mentioned the needs of his neighbors. It seemed as if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was confirming him. Then he said: Now I have a young animal (jaz’ah), but it is more beloved to me than the meat of two goats. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) granted him permission. The narrator says: Now I do not know whether this concession was for others as well or not. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to his two rams and slaughtered them, while the people also went towards their goats, distributed them, and offered their sacrifice.