Ibn ‘Abbas reported God's Messenger as saying, “There are no days in which a good deed is more pleasing to God than these ten days.” On being asked whether not even jihad in God’s path were as pleasing, he replied, “Not even jihad in God’s path, except when a man goes out in person with his property and loses both life and property.”
Jabir said that on the day of sacrifice the Prophet sacrificed two horned rams which were white with black markings and had been castrated. Then when he made them face the qibla he said, “I have turned my face towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, following Abraham’s religion as a hanif, and I am not one of the polytheists. My prayer, my religious rites, my life and my death belong to God, the Lord of the universe, who has no partner. That is what I was commanded to do, and I am one of the Muslims (Al-Qur’an; 6:161-163). O God, it comes from Thee and is given to Thee from Muhammad and his people. In the name of God, and God is most great.” Then he made sacrifice.
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it. A version by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi says that he sacrificed with his own hand and said, “In the name of God, and God is most great. O God, this is from me and from those of my people who have not sacrificed.”
I saw Ali sacrificing two rams and asked him the meaning of it. He replied, “God’s Messenger enjoined me to sacrifice on his behalf, so that is what I am doing.”
Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted something similar.
'Ali said, “God’s Messenger enjoined us to pay great attention to the eye and the ear, and not sacrifice an animal with a slit which leaves something hanging at the front or back of the ear, or with a lengthwise slit or a perforation in the ear."
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Ibn Majah's words ended with "and the ear.”
Narrated Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said that when God's Messenger was asked what should be avoided in sacrificial animals he pointed with his hand* and said, "Four types:
a lame animal which obviously limps, a one-eyed animal which has obviously lost the sight of one eye, a sick animal which is obviously sick, and a lean animal which has no marrow.”
*i.e. his fingers.
Malik, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.
Mujashi', who belonged to the B. Sulaim, said that God’s Messenger used to say, "A lamb may be given as full payment for that for which a kid is full payment.”
Ibn ‘Abbas said, "We were with God’s Messenger on a journey when the day of sacrifice came, and we shared with one another, seven for a cow and ten for a camel.”
Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a hasan gharib tradition.
‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, "On the day of sacrifice no one does a deed more pleasing to God than the shedding of blood. The sacrifice will come on the day of resurrection with its horns, its hairs and its hoofs, and the blood finds acceptance with God before it falls on the ground, so be glad about it.”
Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, "There are no days on which God likes better to be worshipped than the ten days of Dhul Hijja. Fasting observed on each of these days is equivalent to a year’s fasting, and prayer during each of these nights is equivalent to prayer during Lailat al-qadr.’*
* A night towards the end of Ramadan. See Book 7, Chap. 9.
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Tirmidhi said its isnad is weak.
I was present at the festival on the day of sacrifice along with God’s Messenger. He had done no more than finish his prayer and give the salutation when he saw the flesh of sacrificial animals which had been sacrificed before he finished his prayer. So he said, “Anyone who has sacrificed before he prayed (or, we prayed) must sacrifice another in place of it." In a version he said: The Prophet prayed on the day of sacrifice, then delivered a sermon, then sacrificed, and he said, “Anyone who has sacrificed before he prayed (or, we prayed) must sacrifice another in place of it, and if anyone has not sacrificed he should do so in God’s name."
Zaid b. Arqam said the companions of God’s Messenger asked him the significance of these sacrifices and he replied, “It is a custom which has come down from your father Abraham." They asked what reward they would receive for them and he replied, “For every hair you will receive a blessing." They asked about wool, and he replied, “For every strand of wool you will receive a blessing."
Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “There is no fara’ and no ‘atira.” He said that the fara’ was the first animal born to them which they sacrificed to their idols, and the ‘atira was observed in Rajab.*
* These were practices of the idolatrous pre-Islamic Arabs. While the fara' sacrifice was abolished in Islam, it is said that the sacrifice of a sheep or goat in Rajab, known as the ‘atira, was continued in the early days of Islam and then abolished.
We were standing with God’s Messenger at ‘Arafa, and I heard him say, “O people, every family must offer annually a sacrifice and an ‘atira. Do you know what the ‘atira is? It is what you call the Rajab sacrifice.”
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition with a weak isnad, and Abu Dawud said the ‘atira has been abrogated.
‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “I have been commanded to observe the day of sacrifice as a festival which God has appointed for this people.” A man asked, “Tell me, Messenger of God, if I can get only a female camel lent for milking, am I to sacrifice it?” He replied, “No, but take some of your hair and nails, clip your moustache and shave the hair over your pubes, and that will be a complete sacrifice for you in God’s sight.”
‘A’isha said there was an eclipse of the sun in the time of God’s Messenger, and he sent one to summon the people to congregational prayer. He then went forward and prayed two rak'as in which he bowed four times and prostrated himself four times. ‘A’isha said, “I never performed a bow or a prostration which was longer than it.”
