"The Prophet (ﷺ) delivered a Khutbah on the day of An-Nahr and said: 'The first thing we start with on this day of ours is the prayer, then we offer sacrifice. Whoever does that, he has followed our sunnah, but whoever slaughtered (his sacrifice) before the (prayer), that is just meat that he gave to his family. Abu Burdah bin Niyar had slaughtered his sacrifice and he said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I have a Jadha'ah that is better than a Musinnah.' He said: 'Slaughter it (as a sacrifice), but that will not be sufficient for anyone else (as a sacrifice) after you.'"
The Book of the Prayer for the Two 'Eids - Sunan an-Nasa'i 1563
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i establishes the proper sequence for Eid al-Adha rituals, emphasizing that the prayer must precede the sacrifice.
Order of Rituals
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) clearly stated that the Eid prayer comes first, followed by the sacrificial slaughter. This sequence is essential for the validity of the sacrifice as an act of worship.
Whoever reverses this order by slaughtering before the prayer has merely provided meat for his family rather than performing a valid Udhiyah (sacrificial offering).
The Case of Abu Burdah
Abu Burdah's situation demonstrates the Prophet's flexibility in accommodating sincere mistakes while maintaining religious principles.
Though his Jadha'ah (six-month-old goat) was technically younger than the required Musinnah (one-year-old animal), the Prophet permitted it as an exception since the slaughter had already occurred.
The qualification "this will not be sufficient for anyone after you" establishes that this ruling was specific to Abu Burdah's circumstance and doesn't change the general requirement for sacrificial animals.
Legal Implications
This hadith establishes that timing is integral to the validity of worship acts. The sacrifice must follow the Eid prayer to be considered a valid Udhiyah.
The ruling also shows the wisdom of Islamic jurisprudence in balancing strict adherence to rituals with consideration for human circumstances and intentions.