Sunan an-Nasa'i 4378
سنن النسائي#4378Da'ifأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ سَيْفٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَعْيَنَ - وَأَبُو جَعْفَرٍ - يَعْنِي النُّفَيْلِيَّ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تَذْبَحُوا إِلاَّ مُسِنَّةً إِلاَّ أَنْ يَعْسُرَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَذْبَحُوا جَذَعَةً مِنَ الضَّأْنِ " .
It was narrated that Jabir said:"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Do not slaughter anything but a Musinnah, unless that is difficult, in which case you can slaughter a Jadh'ah sheep
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 43:18