Is it true that senior Companions, such as Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, refrained from offering the Udhiyah (sacrifice)? If so, how can their abandonment of the Prophet’s confirmed Sunnah be understood?

Al-Bayhaqi narrated that Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, did not offer sacrifices out of concern that people might follow their example and believe it to be obligatory, as sacrifice is a Sunnah (definition) and not obligatory. This narration has been authenticated by Al-Nawawi, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Albani. Similarly, Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari used to refrain from offering the sacrifice, even though he was well-off, fearing that his neighbors might think it was compulsory for him. This abandonment of a Sunnah is not sinful if it is for a reason, such as the fear that it might be imposed upon people, and not out of disdain for it. This is similar to how the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, abandoned congregational Tarawih prayer, left the Kaaba on the foundation of Quraysh, and drank while standing, all to demonstrate permissibility.