The virtue of sheep

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "A young ram is better than a large billy goat." A narrator named Dawud says: Sayyid means jalil (that is, large or healthy).
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abu Thifal, about whom Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: there is room for reservation about him (fihi nazar).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) states: Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of sacrifice. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What do you think of this sacrifice of ours?" He replied: The people of the heavens take pride in it. O Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), know that a young ram is better than a large billy goat. O Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), know that a young ram is better than a large cow or camel. And if Allah Almighty had known of any animal more virtuous than it, Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) would have been ransomed with that other animal.
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Ishaq al-Hunayni, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) states: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to examine carefully the eye and the ear (of the sacrificial animal).
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Kathir al-Qurashi al-Mula'i, whom Yahya bin Ma'in declared thiqah (trustworthy) and a group declared da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We do not slaughter the muqabalah and the mudabarah (that is, an animal from the back part of whose ear a small piece is cut and left hanging), nor one whose ear has been split, nor one in whose eye or ear a round hole has been made."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Ghaffar bin al-Qasim, who is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Among sacrificial animals, the sacrifice of one that is one-eyed, or utterly emaciated, or mangy, or whose udders have been completely cut off, is not permissible."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Atba' means udders, that is, an animal whose udders have been cut off. Its chain contains a narrator, Ali bin Asim bin Suhayb, in whom there is weakness, though he has been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) states that he was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the place of sacrifice, he and a man from the Ansar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) distributed the sacrificial animals, and neither he nor his companion received anything. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had the hair of his head shaved into his garment and had it kept, then gave it, and had it distributed among some people. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) trimmed his nails, and he gave his companion some of his hair. The narrator says: That hair was with us, dyed with henna and katam (a plant).

In one narration the wording is: "On the day of sacrifice he was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he and another Companion from Quraysh. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) distributed the sacrificial animals, and that man received nothing, nor did his companion. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had his head shaved and the hair placed in a garment, and gave it to them, and it was distributed among some people." After that, the hadith is as before.
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyidah Umm Bilal (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Sacrifice a young sheep (or lamb), for it is permissible."
Ahmad recorded it, and Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) states: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent some goats to Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) so that he might distribute them among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who were performing Hajj Tamattu'. A single billy goat was left over from them, so Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) sacrificed it himself for his Hajj Tamattu'.
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) states: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) a young goat and ordered him to sacrifice it.
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah, in whom there is weakness, but despite that he is hasan al-hadith (good in hadith).

Muhammad bin Sirin states: Sayyiduna Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) said: That I sacrifice a young animal is more beloved to me than that I sacrifice an old animal, because (a young animal) is more deserving (of being sacrificed).
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) states: We were sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a man came to him. He brought a fat young goat, and he brought a young sheep that was weak and lean. He said: "O Messenger of Allah! This is a young sheep that is weak and lean, and this is a young goat that is fat and healthy, and it is the better of the two. Shall I sacrifice it?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sacrifice it, for what is for Allah Almighty should be the best."
Abu Ya'la recorded it as a narration of Hanash al-Abdi; I did not find anyone who has given his biography.