“So We gave him good news of a forbearing boy.” [al-Sāffāt: 101] When he submitted to being sacrificed, and Abraham, peace be upon him, submitted to sacrificing him, Abraham was given good news that his son would be a prophet among the righteous.
I say: Al-Mufaddal’s view that it was Ishmael is the more evident view. There has been considerable disagreement over this, and Allah knows best. Abū Ja‘far al-Tabarī argued in support of his view that it was Isaac, peace be upon him, that Abraham would be unlikely to ask his Lord to grant him what He had already granted him. This argument is only valid if Isaac was older than Ishmael. If, however, Ishmael was older than Isaac—as al-Mufaddal stated, reporting no disagreement among the transmitters on this point—then that argument supports al-Mufaddal’s view that the son to be sacrificed was Ishmael. Allah knows best.
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It is related that the ram with which Abraham’s son was ransomed from sacrifice—may Allah bless Abraham and grant him peace—was the offering that Allah tells us He accepted from one of Adam’s two sons, saying:
“It was accepted from one of them, but not from the other.” [al-Mā’idah: 27]
When Adam’s two sons were commanded to make an offering, one of them owned sheep. A lamb had been born in his flock, and he loved it so much that he would give it preferential treatment at night and carry it on his back, until none of his possessions was dearer to him. When he was commanded to make an offering, he offered it to Allah, and Allah accepted it from him. It continued to graze in Paradise until Abraham’s son was ransomed with it. Allah knows best.
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The Eid sacrifice is one of the established practices of Islam and one of its prescribed rites. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “I have been commanded to offer sacrifice, while for you it is a sunnah.” As for the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
“So pray to your Lord and sacrifice.” [al-Kawthar: 2]
It has been said that they mean: Pray to your Lord and sacrifice to your Lord. According to this interpretation, the verse applies generally to sacrificial offerings brought to the Sacred Sanctuary and to Eid sacrifices. It has also been said that it means the dawn prayer at al-Mash‘ar al-Harām, followed by slaughtering the sacrifice