Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1470
وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا عَمِلَ ابْنُ آدَمَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ إِهْرَاقِ الدَّمِ وَإِنَّهُ لَيُؤْتَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِقُرُونِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا وَأَظْلَافِهَا وَإِنَّ الدَّمَ لَيَقَعُ مِنَ الله بمَكَان قبل أَن يَقع بِالْأَرْضِ فيطيبوا بهَا نفسا» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَابْن مَاجَه
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Aisha said: The Messenger of God said, “On the Day of Sacrifice, no deed a human being does is dearer to God than the shedding of blood. On the Day of Resurrection, the sacrificial animal will come with its horns, hair, and hooves. Its blood surely attains a standing with God before it falls to the ground, so offer it wholeheartedly.”
Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
وَإِنَّ الدَّمَ لَيَقَعُ مِنَ الله بمَكَان قبل أَن يَقع بِالْأَرْضِ فيطيبوا بهَا نفسا
The expression about the blood attaining a place with God is figurative, and the closing command literally calls for being pleased or content with the sacrifice.
Does the closing expression call for inward contentment, or does it carry another idiomatic sense here?