My maternal uncle Abu Burda sacrificed his animal before ('Id) prayer. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 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.
The Book of Sacrifices - Sahih Muslim 1961a
This narration from Sahih Muslim addresses the proper timing of the Udhiyah (sacrificial slaughter) during Eid al-Adha, establishing a fundamental ruling that distinguishes between mere slaughter for meat and the valid Islamic sacrifice.
Timing of the Sacrifice
The Prophet (ﷺ) clearly distinguished between slaughtering before the Eid prayer and after it. Slaughtering before the prayer renders the act merely as ordinary meat preparation, while slaughtering after the prayer completes the ritual sacrifice (Udhiyah).
This timing requirement serves to distinguish the Islamic sacrifice from pre-Islamic practices and ensures the unity of the Muslim community in performing this important ritual at the designated time.
Conditional Acceptance
When Abu Burda offered to sacrifice a six-month-old lamb to rectify his error, the Prophet permitted it but specified it would only be valid for him personally. This indicates that while concessions may be made in certain circumstances, they don't establish general rulings for all Muslims.
The scholars explain that the normal requirement is for sacrificial animals to have reached the designated age, but individual circumstances may warrant exceptions while maintaining the general rule.
Legal and Spiritual Dimensions
The Prophet's statement "he in fact observed the religious practice of the Muslims" emphasizes that proper observance of rituals according to Islamic guidelines is what constitutes following the way of the Muslim community.
This hadith establishes that outward conformity to Islamic rulings is an essential aspect of religious practice, and timing is integral to the validity of certain acts of worship, particularly those connected to specific occasions like Eid al-Adha.