Masruq said to Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): O Mother of the Believers! Some people who are going to Makkah send a sacrificial animal with someone and instruct him that when you reach such-and-such place, put a collar around its neck (so that it is known to be a hady), then when the person going to Makkah reaches that place (according to estimation), from that time the sender remains in the state of ihram until the people (after the sacrifice) come out of ihram? I heard the sound of her hands clapping from behind the curtain, she said: Collars (necklaces) were braided for the hady of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would send those hady (sacrificial animals) towards the Ka'bah, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) would not avoid his wife in the way that a person in ihram does, until the people would even return.
Hadith Referenceسنن دارمي / من كتاب المناسك / 1974
Hadith Takhrijاس روایت کی سند صحیح اور حدیث متفق علیہ ہے۔ دیکھئے: [بخاري 1698] ، [مسلم 1321] ، [أبوداؤد 1758] ، [نسائي 2774] ، [ابن ماجه 3094] ، [أبويعلی 4658] ، [ابن حبان 4009]
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadith 1973)
That is, while residing in Madinah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would send sacrificial animals to Makkah for sacrifice and would perform every act that is not permissible for a person in the state of ihram (ritual consecration).
This incident occurred before the Farewell Hajj, when in the year 9 AH, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam appointed Sayyiduna Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu as the leader of Hajj and sent him to Makkah, and along with him, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also sent sacrificial camels.
Imam Nawawi rahimahullah derived from this hadith the ruling that if a person is unable to go to Makkah himself, it is recommended (mustahabb) to send the sacrificial animal there, and this is also the opinion of the majority of scholars: that merely sending the sacrificial animal does not make a person enter the state of ihram until he himself makes the intention for ihram.