The Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: Sacrifice only a full-grown animal unless it is difficult for you, in which case sacrifice a lamb. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2797)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا تَذْبَحُوا إِلَّا مُسِنَّةً إِلَّا أَنْ يَعْسَرَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَذْبَحُوا جَذَعَةً مِنَ الضَّأْنِ  

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The first thing that we should do on this day of ours is to pray and then return to slaughter the sacrifice. So anyone who does so, he acted according to our Sunna (tradition), and whoever slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer, it was just meat which he presented to his family and would not be considered as Nusuk." A person from the Ansar named Abu Burda bin Niyyar said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I slaughtered the Nusuk (before the prayer) but I have a young shegoat which is better than an older sheep." The Prophet ﷺ I said, "Sacrifice it in lieu of the first, but it will be not sufficient (as a sacrifice) for anybody else after you." (Using translation from Bukhārī 965)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا نَبْدَأُ بِهِ فِي يَوْمِنَا هَذَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ ثُمَّ نَرْجِعَ فَنَنْحَرَ فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ أَصَابَ السُّنَّةَ وَمَنْ نَحَرَ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ لَحْمٌ قَدَّمَهُ لِأَهْلِهِ لَيْسَ مِنَ النُّسُكِ فِي شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو بُرْدَةَ بْنُ نِيَارٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي قَدْ ذَبَحْتُ وَعِنْدِي جَذَعَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُسِنَّةٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ اجْعَلْهَا مَكَانَهَا وَلَنْ تُوَفِّيَ أَوْ لَنْ تُجْزِيَ عَنْ أَحَدٍ بَعْدَكَ  

[Machine] "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'This is a sheep of meat.' He then said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I have a portion of goat meat.' He replied, 'Sacrifice it and it won't be suitable for anyone else.'"  

رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ تِلْكَ شَاةُ لَحْمٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ عِنْدِي جَذَعَةٌ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ فَقَالَ ضَحِّ بِهَا وَلَا تَصْلُحُ لِغَيْرِكَ  

[Machine] He said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have a castrated male goat, should I slaughter it?" He replied, "Slaughter it and it is not permissible for anyone other than you."  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ عِنْدِي دَاجِن جَذَعَةً مِنَ الْمَعْزِ فَقَالَ اذْبَحْهَا وَلَا يَصْلُحُ لِغَيْرِكَ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ distributed sacrificial animals among his companions, and a stump was left for Uqbah. So I said, "O Messenger of Allah, a stump has been left for me." He said, "Sacrifice it, for it is the wording of a Makkian hadith."  

قَسَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَضَاحِيَ بَيْنَ أَصْحَابِهِ فَصَارَتْ لِعُقْبَةَ جَذَعَةٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّهُ صَارَتْ لِي جَذَعَةٌ فَقَالَ ضَحِّ بِهَا لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ مَكِّيٍّ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave me some sheep that he distributed as sacrifices among his companions. There remained a female camel, so I mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and he said, "Sacrifice it yourself."  

أَعْطَانِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ غَنَمًا أَقْسِمُهَا ضَحَايَا عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَبَقِيَ مِنْهَا عَتُودٌ فَذَكَرْتُهُ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ ضَحِّ بِهَا أَنْتَ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah gave me some sheep and I distributed them as sacrifices among my companions. Only a female camel called "Atud" remained. He said to me, "Sacrifice it yourself and do not permit anyone else to sacrifice it after you. This additional rule, if preserved, will be a permission for him (i.e., the companion) as it was a permission for Abu Burdah ibn Niyyar."  

أَعْطَانِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ غَنَمًا أَقْسِمُهَا ضَحَايَا بَيْنَ أَصْحَابِي فَبَقِيَ عَتُودٌ مِنْهَا قَالَ ضَحِّ بِهَا أَنْتَ وَلَا أُرَخِّصُهُ لِأَحَدٍ فِيهَا بَعْدُ فَهَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ إِذَا كَانَتْ مَحْفُوظَةً كَانَتْ رُخْصَةً لَهُ كَمَا رَخَّصَ لِأَبِي بُرْدَةَ بْنِ نِيَارٍ  

[Machine] The messenger of Allah ﷺ distributed sheep to his companions, and he gave me a young goat. He said, "Sacrifice it." I said, "Can I sacrifice it? It is a young goat." He said, "Yes, sacrifice it." So, I sacrificed it, according to the narration of Al-Wahbi, but it is not mentioned in the narration of Abu Dawood whether it was a goat or not.  

قَسَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ غَنَمًا فَأَعْطَانِي عَتُودًا جَذَعًا فَقَالَ ضَحِّ بِهِ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّهُ جَذَعٌ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ أُضَحِّي بِهِ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ ضَحِّ بِهِ فَضَحَّيْتُ بِهِ لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ الْوَهْبِيِّ وَلَيْسَ فِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ  

“It is permissible to offer a Jadha’a* among sheep as a sacrifice.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3139)   

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ يُجْزِي فِي الْأَضَاحِيِّ  

[Machine] "We sacrificed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a part of a sheep's trunk. It was narrated by Waki' and Ibn Wahb from Usamah bin Zaid Al-Laythi, who narrated from Mu'adh bin Abdullah bin Khubayb Al-Juhani. He said, 'I asked Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib about the trunk of the sheep, and he said, 'Sacrifice it.''  

ضَحَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِجِذَاعٍ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ وَرَوَاهُ وَكِيعٌ وَابْنُ وَهْبٍ عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ اللَّيْثِيِّ عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ خُبَيْبٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيِّبِ عَنِ الْجَذَعِ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ فَقَالَ ضَحِّ بِهِ  

[Machine] We were on a raid and Mujaashi'u ibn Mas'ood, a companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , was with us or against us. The sheep were lost, so he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'The branch will repay from what the second branch repays.'"  

كُنَّا فِي غَزَاةٍ مَعَنْا أَوْ عَلَيْنَا مُجَاشِعُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَعَزَّتِ الْغَنَمُ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ يُوفِي الْجَذَعُ مِمَّا يُوفِي مِنْهُ الثَّنِيُّ  

[Machine] He was one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that they were with Mujashi' al-Sulami. The sacrifices were over, and a man from the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'The jadha' (cut-off part of the tail) of the sheep should be cut, as the thyniyah (cut-off part of the ear) is cut.' I see that Sufyan doubts about this narration regarding goats."  

كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا مَعَ مُجَاشِعٍ السُّلَمِيِّ فَعَزَّتِ الْأَضَاحِيُّ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ يُوفِي الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ مَا تُوفِي الثَّنِيَّةُ أُرَاهُ قَالَ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ شَكَّ سُفْيَانُ كَذَا فِي هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةِ  

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "The shank of the lamb is as sufficient as its thigh."  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْجَذَعَ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ يَفِي مَا تَفِي مِنْهُ الثَّنِيَّةُ  

On the authority of his father: We were with a man from the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ called Mujashi' who belonged to Banu Sulaim. There was a scarcity if goats (in those days). He commanded a man to announce (among the people); so he announced that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say: A lamb may be given as full payent for that for which has full-grown animal is payment. Abu Dawud said: His name is Mujashi' b. Mas'ud. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2799)   

كَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يُقَالُ لَهُ مُجَاشِعُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ السُّلَمِيُّ عَزَّتِ الْغَنَمُ فَأَمَرَ مُنَادِيًا فَنَادَى إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْجَذَعَ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ يُوفِي مِمَّا تُوفِي مِنْهُ الثَّنِيَّةُ  

[Machine] From a companion of the Prophet, ﷺ , from Juheina or Muzaina, that they were with the Prophet, ﷺ , one or two days before Eid al-Adha, and they used to give the sheep as thanniyah (a specific type of charity). So the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said, "The jadha'ah (a different type of charity) rewards as the thanniyah rewards from it."  

عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ أَوْ مُزَيْنَةَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَبْلَ الْأَضْحَى بِيَوْمٍ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ فَكَانُوا يُعْطُونَ الشَّاتَيْنِ بِالثَّنِيَّةِ فقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْجَذَعَةُ تُجْزِي مِمَّا تُجْزِي مِنْهُ الثَّنِيَّةُ  

[Machine] About Umm Bilal, a woman who converted to Islam, her father was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Day of Hudaybiyah. She said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Sacrifice the trunk of the sheep, as it is permissible."  

عَنْ أُمِّ بِلَالٍ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ وَكَانَ أَبُوهَا يَوْمَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ ضَحُّوا بِالْجَذَعِ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ فَإِنَّهُ جَائِزٌ  

[Machine] "The Prophet ﷺ said that it is permissible to offer a young sheep as a sacrifice. Abu Bakr ibn al-Harith informed us, who was informed by Abu Muhammad ibn Hayyan, who narrated from Ubaidullah ibn Muhammad ibn Sawwad, who narrated from Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Hizami, who narrated from Abu Damrah, and he mentioned it."  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ يَجُوزُ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ أُضْحِيَّةً أَخْبَرَنَاهُ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ أنبأ أَبُو مُحَمَّدِ بْنُ حَيَّانَ ثنا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَوَّادٍ ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ الْحِزَامِيُّ ثنا أَبُو ضَمْرَةَ فَذَكَرَهُ  

[Machine] I brought two young sheep to the city, but they ran away from me. I met Abu Huraira and informed him about what happened. He said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'The best or most excellent form of sacrifice is a young sheep.'" He also said that people were in a rush to obtain them. I learned from Abu 'Isa Al-Tirmidhi that he said, "Al-Bukhari said..."  

جَلَبْتُ غَنَمًا جِذْعَانًا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَكَسَدَتْ عَلَيَّ فَلَقِيتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ نِعْمَ أَوْ نِعْمَتِ الْأُضْحِيَّةُ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ قَالَ فَانْتَهَبَهَا النَّاسُ بَلَغَنِي عَنْ أَبِي عِيسَى التِّرْمِذِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ قَالَ الْبُخَارِيُّ  

[Machine] Jibril, ﷺ , came to the Prophet ﷺ on the day of Eid al-Adha and asked, "How do you see our sacrifices?" The Prophet replied, "The people of the heavens take delight in it." Jibril then informed him, "O Muhammad, know that the sacrifice of a young sheep is better than the sacrifice of a camel or a cow. If Allah had known of a better sacrifice, He would have commanded Ibrahim, ﷺ , to offer it. Abu Ja'far al-Sammani also narrated a similar hadith from Ishaq, in which he added that the sacrifice of a young sheep is better than the sacrifice of a goat, and Ishaq mentioned this in his narration even though it has a weak chain of narration."  

جَاءَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَوْمَ الْأَضْحَى فَقَالَ كَيْفَ رَأَيْتَ نُسُكَنَا هَذَا؟ قَالَ لَقَدْ بَاهَى بِهِ أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ وَاعْلَمْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَنَّ الْجَذَعَ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الثَّنِيَّةِ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللهُ ذَبْحًا أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ لَفَدَى بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَرَوَاهُ أَيْضًا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ السِّمْنَانِيُّ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ زَادَ فِيهِ وَالْجَذَعُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الثَّنِيَّةِ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ وَإِسْحَاقُ يَنْفَرِدُ بِهِ وَفِي حَدِيثِهِ ضَعْفٌ  

[Machine] Some of the wives of the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , used to say, "I prefer to sacrifice a leg of sheep rather than sacrificing a mature goat." This was narrated by Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt from Ibn Musayyib from Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet, ﷺ .  

أَنَّ بَعْضَ أَزْوَاجِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَتْ تَقُولُ لَأَنْ أُضَحِّيَ بِجَذَعٍ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ أَحَبُّ إِلِيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُضَحِّيَ بِمُسِنَّةٍ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ وَرَوَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ قُسَيْطٍ عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ  

[Machine] The jurist Abu Al-Fath informed us that Abd al-Rahman al-Shurayhi informed Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi, who narrated from Abdul A'la ibn Hammad, who narrated from Hammad ibn Salama, who narrated from Qatadah, who narrated from Mutarraf, who narrated from Imran ibn Husayn, who said, "If a thousand camels were to come to us, I would not sacrifice except with a leg from a sheep."  

أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَقِيهُ أَبُو الْفَتْحِ أنبأ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الشُّرَيْحِيُّ أنبأ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْبَغَوِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ الْأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ ثنا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ ؓ قَالَ لَوْ يَرِدُ عَلَيْنَا أَلْفٌ مِنَ الشَّاءِ لَمَا أُضَحِّي إِلَّا بِجَذَعٍ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ  

[Machine] A pair of mature, salted rams was presented as a gift to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and he sacrificed them.  

أُهْدِيَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَبْشَانِ جَذَعَانِ أَمْلَحَانِ فَضَحَّى بِهِمَا  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ used to sacrifice in Madinah sometimes with a cow, and with a sheep if he did not find a cow.  

النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يُضَحِّي بِالْمَدِينَةِ بِالْجَزُورِ أَحْيَانًا وَبِالْكَبْشِ إِذَا لَمْ يَجِدْ جَزُورًا  

[Machine] 'Aasim An-Nabil narrated from Sufyan, from Ibn Abi Layla, from Al-Hakam, from Miqsam, from Ibn Abbas, that the Prophet ﷺ was given one hundred camels, among which was a silver nose ring for Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. This was stated in the later part of the book of Hajj, and if it is proven that it is permissible to give male animals as gifts or sacrifices, then Allah knows best.'  

عَاصِمٍ النَّبِيلُ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مِقْسَمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أُهْدِيَ مِائَةَ بَدَنَةً فِيهَا جَمَلٌ لِأَبِي جَهْلِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ فِي أَنْفِهِ بَرَّةٌ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ قَدْ مَضَى سَائِرُ طُرُقِهِ فِي آخِرِ كِتَابِ الْحَجِّ وَفِيهِ إِنْ ثَبَتَ دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى جَوَازِ الذِّكْرِ فِي الْهَدَايَا وَالضَّحَايَا وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ