How many times did the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offer the udhiyah?

Imam Ahmad
(4955) and at-Tirmidhi (1507) narrated via Hajjaaj ibn Artaah, via Naafi‘,
that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) stayed in Madinah for ten years, and offered the udhiyah every
year.

This hadith was
classed as hasan by Imam at-Tirmidhi.

But there is
some weakness in its isnaad; Hajjaaj ibn Artah is sadooq (sincere), but he
is also mudallis [i.e., he engaged in tadlees, which is when a narrator
narrates a hadith that he did not hear directly from his shaykh, without
mentioning the name of the third party from whom he did hear it, using
wording that may or may not give the impression that he heard it directly].
al-‘Ajli said: People criticised him for tadlees. Abu Zar‘ah said: He is
sadooq but he engaged in tadlees. Abu Haatim said: He is sadooq but engaged
in tadlees, narrating from da‘eef (weak) narrators. But if he says “[so and
so] told us”, then the hadith is sound, and there is no doubt about its
authenticity, if he makes it clear that he heard the hadith directly. Ibn
al-Mubaarak said: Hajjaaj used to engage in tadlees. Ibn ‘Adiy said: Rather
people criticised him for his tadlees in narrating from az-Zuhri and others.
He was also described as engaging in tadlees by Muhammad ibn Nasr, Ismaa‘eel
al-Qaadi, as-Saaji, Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Bazzaar, and others.

See: Tahdheeb
at-Tahdheeb (2/196-19 8)

The hadith was
classed as da‘eef by al-Albaani in Da‘eef at-Tirmidhi and by the
commentators on al-Musnad.

But it seems
from the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
that he was keen to offer the udhiyah, to the extent that he even offered
the udhiyah when Eid al-Adha coincided with his travel.

Muslim (1975)
narrated that Thawbaan said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) slaughtered his udhiyah then he said: “O Thawbaan,
prepare this meat for us.” And he kept giving it to him to eat until he came
to Madinah.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have
mercy on him) said:

This indicates that offering
the
udhiyah is prescribed for the traveller just as it is
prescribed for the one who is not travelling. This is our view and is the
view of the majority of scholars. End quote.

This indicates
that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regarded the
matter of the udhiyah as being of great importance, and obviously his
eagerness and concern to do it when not travelling would be even greater.

Ibn Maajah
(3123) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever can afford it but does not offer
an udhiyah, let him not come near our prayer-place.”

Classed as hasan
by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

Abu Dawood
(2788) narrated from Mikhnaf ibn Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O
people, verily the people of every household must offer an udhiyah every
year…”

Classed as hasan
by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood

See also the
answer to question no. 36432

More than one of
the scholars has stated that he used to offer an udhiyah every year.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to offer an udhiyah every
year of two horned rams that were white speckled with black, one on behalf
of himself and on behalf of the members of his household, and the other on
behalf of all those among his ummah who affirmed the Oneness of Allah.

End quote from
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (18/38)

Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

What is
prescribed for the pilgrim is to offer the hadiy and not the udhiyah. Hence
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not offer an
udhiyah during his Farewell Pilgrimage, even though he used to offer an
udhiyah every year. During the Farewell Pilgrimage he offered a hadiy of one
hundred camels, sixty-three of which he slaughtered with his own hand, and
the rest he gave to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said:
“Slaughter them.” And he did not offer an udhiyah.

End quote from
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (25/42)

If that is
correct, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered
the udhiyah nine times. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stayed for
nine years during which he did not do Hajj, then in the tenth year he
announced to the people that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) was going for Hajj. Narrated by Muslim (1218)

So he stayed for
nine years, and every year he offered an udhiyah, then in the tenth year he
went for Hajj, during which he offered a hadiy and not an udhiyah.

The hadith of
Ibn ‘Umar – assuming that it is proven – may be understood as meaning that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered an udhiyah
every year except the year in which he performed Hajj.

And Allah knows
best.