Al-Bara' reported: My maternal uncle Abu Burda sacrificed his animal before ('Id) prayer. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: That is a goat (slaughtered for the sake of) flesh (and not as a sacrifice on the day of Adha). He said: I have a lamb of six months. Thereupon he said: Offer it as a sacrifice, but it will not justify for anyone except you, and then said: He who sacrificed (the animal) before ('Id) prayer, he in fact slaughtered it for his own self, and he who slaughtered after prayer, his ritual of sacrifice became complete and he in fact observed the religious practice of the Muslims.

Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) reported that his maternal'uncle Abu Burda bin Niyar sacrificed his animal earlier than the Holy Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) had sacrificed. Thereupon he said: Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , it is the day of meat and it is not desirable (to have longing for it and not to make use of it immediately), so I hastened in offering my animal as a sacrifice, so that I might feed my family and neighbours and my kith and kin. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: Offer again your sacrifice. He said: Messenger of Allah, I have a small milch goat of less than one year, and that is better than two dry goats (from which only) meat (can be acquired). Thereupon he said: That is better than the two animals of sacrifice on your behalf, and the sacrifice of a goat, of less than six months shall not be accepted as a sacrifice on behalf of anyone after your (sacrifice).

Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) reported: Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) delivered an address on the day (of Nahr) in which he said: None of you should offer sacrifice of animals until he has completed the ('Id) prayer. Thereupon my maternal uncle said: Messenger of Allah, it is the day of meat, so it is not desirable (to keep my family in the state of longing). The rest of the hadith is the same.

Al-Bara' reported Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) having said: He who observes prayer like our prayer and turns his face towards our Qibla (in prayer) and who offers sacrifices (of animals) as we do, he must not slaughter the (animal as a sacrifice) until he has completed the prayer. Thereupon my maternal uncle said: Messenger of Allah, I have sacrificed the animal on behalf of my son. The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: This is the thing in which you have made haste for your family. He said: I have a goat with me better than two goats. Thereupon he said: Sacrifice it for that is the best.

Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) reported Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) having said: The first (act) with which we started our day (the day of 'Id-ul Adha) was that we offered prayer. We then returned and sacrificed the animals and he who did that in fact adhered to our Sunnah (practice). And he who slaughtered the (animal on that day before the 'Id prayer), for him (the slaughtering of animal was directed to the acquiring of) meat for his family, and there is nothing of the sort of sacrifice in it. It was Abu Burda bin Niyar who had slaughtered (the animal before the 'Id prayer). He said: I have a small lamb, of less than one year, but better than that of more than a year. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) qaid: Sacrifice it, but it will not suffice (as a sacrifice) for anyone after you.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) through another chain of transmitters.

al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) reported: Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) addressed us on the day of Nahr after the ('Id) prayer. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) reported: Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) addressed us on the day of Nahr and said: None should sacrifice the animal unless he has completed the ('Id) prayer. A person said: I have a milch goat of less than one year, better than two fat goats. Thereupon he said: Sacrifice it, and no goat of less than a year of age will be accepted as sacrifice after you.

Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) reported that Abu Burda slaughtered the animal as a sacrifice before the ('Id) prayer. Thereupon Allah's Apostle ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: Offer a substitute for it (since it does not absolve you of the responsibility of sacrifice). Thereupon he said: Allah's Messenger. I have nothing with me but a goat of less than six months. Shu'bah (one of the narrators) said: I think he (al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA) also) said: And it is better than a goat of one year. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: Make it a substitute for that (and sacrifice it), but it will not suffice for anyone (as a sacrifice) after you.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'bah with the same chain of transmitters, but did not mention tht doubt (expressed in his statement) That is (the goat of less than a year) is better than a goat of more than one year.