Who was the first person to offer animal sacrifice?

Question

Who was the first person to offer animal sacrifice? Was it Ibrahim AS or someone before him as well?

Answer 1

In surat al-Maida we may read:

And recite to them the story of Adam's two sons, in truth, when they both offered a sacrifice [to Allah ], and it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other. Said [the latter], "I will surely kill you." Said [the former], "Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him]. (5:27)

Ibn Kathir commented this:

Allah describes the evil end and consequence of transgression, envy and injustice in the story of the two sons of Adam, Habil and Qabil. One of them fought against the other and killed him out of envy and transgression, because of the bounty that Allah gave his brother and because the sacrifice that he sincerely offered to Allah was accepted. The murdered brother earned forgiveness for his sins and was admitted into Paradise, while the murderer failed and earned a losing deal in both the lives. Allah said,

(And recite to them the story of the two sons of Adam in truth;)
meaning, tell these envious, unjust people, the brothers of swine and apes from the Jews and their likes among mankind, the story of the two sons of Adam, Habil and Qabil, as many scholars among the Salaf and later generations said. Allah's statement,
(in truth;)
means, clearly and without ambiguity, alteration, confusion, change, addition or deletion. Allah said in other Ayat,
...
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said -- that during the time of Adam -- "The woman was not allowed in marriage for her male twin, but Adam was commanded to marry her to any of her other brothers. In each pregnancy, Adam was given a twin, a male and a female. A beautiful daughter was once born for Adam and another one that was not beautiful. So the twin brother of the ugly daughter said, `Marry your sister to me and I will marry my sister to you.' He said, "No, for I have more right to my sister." So they both offered a sacrifice. The sacrifice of the one who offered the sheep was accepted while the sacrifice of the other ﴿the twin brother of the beautiful daughter﴾, which consisted of some produce, was not accepted. So the latter killed his brother.'' This story has a better than good chain of narration. The (Source qtafsir)

Some narrations call the son of Adam who offerd a sheep Habyl and the other one Qabyl as stated by al-Baghawi in his tafsir -see here in Arabic- and also in tafsir ibn Kathir -here in Arabic-. some rather untrustworthy narrations pretend that this sacrificed sheep was that which was given as ransom for Isma'ail in

And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice, (37:107)

more trustworthy ones say it came from jannah.

So the first animal sacrifice we have been informed of is this of Habyl the son of Adam who has later been killed by his own brother.