This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Zubair Ali Zai Rahimahullah's Book on the Rules and Issues of Qurbani.
Sacrifice is not permissible before the Eid prayer
عن أبى بردة بن نيار أنه ذبح أضحيته قبل أن يذبح رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فزعم أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أمره أن يعود بضحية أخرى، فقال أبو بردة: لا أجد إلا جذعا فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : إن لم تجد إلا جذعا فاذبحه
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Burda bin Niyar رضي الله عنه that on the day of Eid al-Adha, he slaughtered his sacrifice before the sacrifice of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم (i.e., before the Eid prayer), so he was told that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered him to slaughter again. Abu Burda رضي الله عنه said: I only have one juvenile goat (a one-year-old kid), so the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said to him: "If you have nothing except the juvenile goat, then slaughter it."
Verification:
The chain is authentic
Source:
Al-Muwatta
Reference: (Narration by Yahya 383/2, Hadith 1063, Book 23, Volume 43) At-Tamhid 180/23, Al-Istidhkar: 997
Reference: Also narrated by Ad-Darimi (1969) from the hadith of Malik with supporting narrations in Bukhari (955) and Muslim (1961) and others.
Jurisprudential Understanding:
➊ It is not permissible to offer the sacrifice before the Eid prayer.
➋ The kid of a goat that is eight or nine months old is called a jaz'ah.
Reference: (Al-Qamus Al-Muheet p. 243)
If not available, the sacrifice of a sheep's jaz'ah is permissible.
➌ Compliance with the Shariah limits is necessary for the acceptance of acts of worship and matters of drawing closer to Allah.
➍ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما said: Besides the day of sacrifice, there are two other days for sacrifice.
Reference: (Al-Muwatta 638/2 Hadith 1071, and its chain is authentic)
➎ Imam Malik رحمه الله عليه said: "Sacrifice is Sunnah, not obligatory, and I do not like that a person, despite having wealth, abandons it."
Reference: (Al-Muwatta 638/2 after Hadith 1073)
Reference: Muwatta narration of Ibn Al-Qasim p. 578
