And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.
It was reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
"A ram which had grazed in Paradise for forty years."
Imam Ahmad recorded that Safiyyah bint Shaybah said,
"A woman from Bani Sulaym, who was the midwife of most of the people in our household, told me that the Messenger of Allah sent for `Uthman bin Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him."
On one occasion she said, "I asked `Uthman, `Why did the Prophet call you?'
He said, `The Messenger of Allah said to me,
إِنِّي كُنْتُ رَأَيْتُ قَرْنَيِ الْكَبْشِ حِينَ دَخَلْتُ الْبَيْتَ فَنَسِيتُ أَنْ امُرَكَ أَنْ تُخَمِّرَهُمَا فَخَمِّرْهُمَا فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي الْبَيْتِ شَيْءٌ يَشْغَلُ الْمُصَلِّي
I saw the horns of the ram when I entered the House (i.e., the Ka`bah), and I forgot to tell you to cover them up; cover them up, for there should not be anything in the House which could distract the worshipper."'
Sufyan said, "The horns of the ram remained hanging in the House until it was burned, and they were burned too."
This offers independent evidence that the one who was to be sacrificed was Ismail, peace be upon him. The Quraysh had inherited the horns of the ram that Ibrahim sacrificed, and they had been passed down from generation to generation, until the Messenger of Allah was sent. And Allah knows best.
Reports which state that the One Who was to be sacrificed was Ismail, and that this is Correct without a Doubt
Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Amir Ash-Sha`bi, Yusuf bin Mihran, Mujahid, Ata' and others reported from Ibn Abbas that it was Ismail, peace be upon him.
Ibn Jarir narrated that Ibn Abbas said,
"The one who was ransomed was Ismail, peace be upon him. The Jews claimed that it was Ishaq, but the Jews lied."
It was reported that Ibn Umar said,
"The sacrifice was Ismail."
Ibn Abi Najih said, narrating from Mujahid,
"It was Ismail, peace be upon him."
This was also the view of Yusuf bin Mihran.
Ash-Sha`bi said,
"It was Ismail, peace be upon him, and I saw the horns of the ram in the Ka`bah."
Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Al-Hasan bin Dinar and `Amr bin `Ubayd from Al-Hasan Al-Basri that;
he did not doubt that the one of the two sons Ibrahim was commanded to sacrifice was Ismail, peace be upon him.
وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الاْخِرِينَ