"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us on the day of An-Nahr after the prayer, then he said: 'Whoever prays and offers the sacrifice as we do, his ritual is complete, and whoever offers the sacrifice before the prayer, that is just ordinary meat.' Abu Burdah bin Niyar said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), by Allah, we offered the sacrifice before I came out to the prayer, because I knew that today is the day of eating and drinking, so I hastened to do it and I ate of it and fed it to my family and neighbors.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'That is just a sheep for meat.' He said: 'I have a jadha'ah that is better than two meaty sheep, will that be sufficient (as a sacrifice) for me?' He said: 'Yes, but it will not be sufficient for anyone after you.'"
The Book of the Prayer for the Two 'Eids - Sunan an-Nasa'i 1581
This hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i establishes the proper sequence of Eid al-Adha rituals, emphasizing that the prayer must precede the sacrifice for it to be accepted as Udhiyah.
The Sequence of Rituals
The Prophet (ﷺ) clearly stated that the Eid prayer must come before the sacrifice. Performing the sacrifice before prayer reduces it to ordinary meat consumption rather than an act of worship.
This sequence reflects the spiritual hierarchy where communal prayer establishes the proper intention and context for the individual sacrifice that follows.
The Case of Abu Burdah
Abu Burdah's confession demonstrates the importance of sincerity in admitting errors. His reasoning - hastening for eating and drinking - shows how worldly concerns can distract from proper ritual observance.
The Prophet's response "That is just a sheep for meat" clarifies that without proper sequence and intention, the act loses its sacrificial status.
The Jadha'ah Concession
A jadha'ah refers to a sheep that has reached six months of age. Normally, a thaniyyah (one-year-old sheep) is required for Udhiyah.
The Prophet granted this concession specifically to Abu Burdah to compensate for his missed sacrifice, demonstrating Islamic jurisprudence's flexibility in addressing individual circumstances while maintaining general principles.
Scholarly Implications
This hadith establishes that timing and sequence are essential conditions for the validity of Eid al-Adha sacrifice.
The personal concession given to Abu Burdah does not extend to others, showing how exceptions are carefully contained to prevent undermining general rulings.
The incident teaches the importance of following the Prophetic example in both the spiritual and practical aspects of worship.