Hujayyah bin Adi said: I heard Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when a man asked him about a cow, and he said: It is on behalf of seven people. He asked him about the horn, and he said: That makes no difference. He asked him about lameness, and he said: If it reaches the place of slaughter (that is, if it can walk on its own feet to the place of sacrifice). And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to examine the eye and the ear carefully. All of these chains are sahih (authentic). Although the two Shaykhs did not use Hujayyah bin Adi as evidence, he is among the senior companions of the Commander of the Believers, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Yazid bin Khalid al-Misri; he said: I came to Sayyiduna Utbah bin Abd al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: O Abu al-Walid! I went out looking for sacrificial animals, but I did not find anything that pleased me except a tharma' (one whose front teeth have fallen out), and I disliked it. What is your opinion? He said: Why did you not bring it to me? I said: Subhan Allah! Is it valid on your behalf and not valid on mine? He said: Yes, because you are in doubt and I am not in doubt. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) only forbade (sacrificing) these animals: the musfarrah (one whose ear has been cut off from the root until its ear-hole becomes visible), the musta'salah (one whose horn has been broken off from the root), the bakhqa' (one whose eye has been put out), the mushayya'ah (one that lags behind the flock because it is emaciated and weak), and the kasra' (a lame animal with broken limbs). This hadith has an authentic chain (sahih al-isnad), but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Among the large sacrificial animals (camels and the like), these are not permissible: the one-eyed animal, the emaciated animal, the mangy animal, and the animal whose teats have been cut off (from the root)." This hadith has an authentic chain (sahih al-isnad), but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

Asim bin Kulayb narrates from his father that he said: In the military campaigns we used to appoint the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as our commanders. We were in Persia when, on the Day of Nahr, the musinnah (a two-year-old sheep or goat) became expensive, so we began taking two jadh'ahs (six-month-old young ones) in exchange for one musinnah. Then a man from the tribe of Muzaynah stood up and said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and faced a situation like this, and we used to take two or three jadh'ahs in exchange for one musinnah. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the jadh'ah (six-month-old young one) suffices for what the thani (two-year-old animal) suffices for."

Asim bin Kulayb narrates from his father that he said: We were with Sayyiduna Mujashi' bin Mas'ud al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) on a military expedition, and sacrificial animals became scarce there. So he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "Indeed, the jadh'ah (young sheep) suffices for what the thani (older animal) suffices for."

Asim bin Kulayb narrates from his father, and he from a man of the tribe of Muzaynah or Juhaynah, that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), a day or two before the sacrifice, used to give two jadh'ahs (six-month-old lambs) and take one thani (two-year-old animal) (in exchange for the larger animal). So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the jadh'ah suffices for what the thani suffices for." This is a hadith in which there is disagreement over Asim bin Kulayb, and it is among those that the two Shaykhs did not record. However, I have made it my condition to use it as evidence, and in my view this hadith is sahih (authentic), because all agree on mentioning the Companion in it, and then the Imam of the discipline of hadith, Sufyan al-Thawri, also named him explicitly.

Sa'id bin al-Musayyab narrates from one of the pure wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that she said: To sacrifice a jadh'ah (six-month-old lamb) of sheep is dearer to me than to sacrifice a musinnah (two-year-old animal) of goats. Muhammad bin Ishaq named this female Companion in this narration as Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her).

It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: To sacrifice a jadh'ah (six-month-old lamb) of sheep is more beloved to me than to sacrifice a musinnah (two-year-old animal) of goats.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shedding the blood of a whitish (dust-coloured) animal is dearer to me than shedding the blood of two black animals."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A jadh'ah (six-month-old lamb) of sheep is better than the chief (a large he-goat) of the goats."