بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Prayer on the two 'Eids
( meaning 'Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadhan,
and 'Eid al-Adha on the 10 Dhul Hijja.)
the prayer on the two 'Eids is a confirmed sunna
and is recommended to be prayed in a group.
Its time begins at sunrise, and it is recommended
to take place after the sun is a spear's length above
the horizon ( the time for its current performance
continuing ) until noon.
It is best to perform it in the masjid if there is room,
though if there if there is not, then it is better to hold
it outdoors.
Recommended measures for
the 'Eid prayer
It is recommended not to eat anything on 'Eid
al-Adha until one performs the prayer, though
one should eat an odd number of dates before
the prayer on 'Eid al-Fitr.
It is recommended to perform the purificatory
bath (ghusl) after dawn, even if one does not
attend the prayer, though it may be performed
from midnight on. It is recommended to wear
perfume, dress one's best, for young boys to
come in their good clothes, and for women who
do not attract men's attention to attend, though
without wearing perfume or fine clothes. It is
offensive for an attractive woman to attend .
it is Sunna :
(1) to come early after the dawn prayer (subh)
on foot ;
(2) to return home by a different route ( than
one came ) ;
(3) for the imam to delay his arrival until the
time of the prayer ;
(4) and to call the people to prayer with the
words ''The prayer is gathering,'' as one also
does for the eclipse prayer and the drought
prayer.
Description of the 'Eid prayer
The 'Eid prayer consists of two rak'ats.
( In addition to the opening Allahu Akbar,)
one says ''Allahu Akbar'' seven times in the
first rakat after the Opening supplication
(Istiftah) and before saying
اَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَّجِيم
''I take refuge, etc.'' (Ta'awwudh,) ;
and five times in the second rakat, not
counting the Allahu Akbar for rising from
prostration, before saying the Ta'awwudh.
One raises one's hands each time one
says ''Allahu Akbar.''
One invokes Allah Most High ( to oneself)
between each Allah Akbar ( saying
سُبحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَلآ أِلَهَ اِلآ الله وَاللهُ اَكْبَر
''Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah,
there is no god but Allah, Allah is
greatest'' ),
placing the right hand upon the left ( each time
one says this invocation ).
Missing or adding repetitions of ''Allahu Akbar''
does not necessitate a forgetfulness prostration at
the end of one's prayer. If one forgets them and
proceeds directly to the Ta'awwudh, one does not
return to them :
It is recommended to recite Qaf (Qur'an 50) in the
first rakat and al-Qamar (Qur'an 54) in the second.
Or if one wishes, one may recite al-A'la (Qur'an 87)
in the first rakat and al-Ghashiya (Qur'an 88) in the
second. ( Or one may recite al-Kafirun (Qur'an 109)
in the first rakat and al-Ikhlas (Qur'an 112) in the
second.)
After the two rakats, the Imam gives two sermons
(khutba) like those of the Friday prayer.
It is recommended to open the first sermon by
saying ''Allahu Akbar '' nine times and to open the
second by saying it seven times.
It is permissible for the Imam to sit during the
sermons.
There are two types of Allahu Akbar ( said
for the 'Eids), unrestricted and restricted.
The
unrestricted, meaning those not confined
to a particular circumstance but rather recited in
masjid, homes, and the street, are sunna to recite
from sunset on the night before each 'Eid until the
the Imam commences the 'Eid prayer with the
opening Allahu Akbar.
The
restricted, meaning those recited after prayers
( whether the five prescribed prayers or the non-
obligatory ), are sunna for 'Eid al-Adha only,
from the noon prayer ( zuhr ) on 'Eid day until the
dawn prayer ( subh ) on last of the three days that
follow it, which is the fourth day of the 'Eid . ( The
more reliable position is that the time for them begins
from dawn of the Day of 'Arafa ( 9 Dhul Hijja ) and
ends at the mid afternoon prayer (asr) on the last of
the three days that follow 'Eid al- Adha.) They are
recited ( by men, by women ( who say them to them-
selves ), by both non-travellers and travellers, and
whether one is prayer by oneself or in a group ) after
the current prescribed prayers or making up prescribed
prayers missed during the 'Eid or before, and after
prayers performed to fulfill a vow, funeral prayers
(janaza), and supererogatory ( nafl ) prayers. If one
misses a prayer during the 'Eid but does not make it
up until after the 'Eid, then one does not recite ''Allahu
Akbar'' after it.
اللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ لآ إلهَ
إلاَّ اللهُ واللهُ أكبرُ اللهُ أكبرُ وللهِ الحمدُ
One says,
''Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,
Allahu Akbar'' ( and then, ''there is
no god but Allah. Allahu Akbar,
Allahu Akbar, praise be to Allah'').
It is commendable to add, as people are
accustomed to,
وَهُو اللهُ أَكبراً إِلى آخرِهِ
''Allah is ever greatest, etc.''
وَالحَمدُ لِلهِ كَثِيراً وَسُبحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وأَصِيلاً
لآ إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَلاَ نَعْبُدُ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ مُخلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِينَ
وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الكَافِرُونَ لآ إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحدَهُ صَدَقَ وَعْدَهُ
وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ وَأَعَزَّ جُنْدَهُ وَهَزَمَ الأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ لآ
إلهَ إلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكبرُ
( namely
: '' Much praise be to Allah. Glory
to Him morning and evening. There is
no god but Allah. Him alone we worship,
making our religion sincerely is though
the unbelievers be averse. There is no
god but Allah alone. He fulfilled His
promise, gave victory to His slave,
strengthened His army, and vanquished
the Confederates alone.There is no god
but Allah. Allah is ever greatest'').
It is recommended to say ''Allahu Akbar'' on the first ten days
of Dhul Hijja whenever one sees a head of livestock ( out of
reverence for its Creator ).
Extracts from
Ahmad ibn Naqib al- Misri
Reliance of the Traveller
Tran .. Nuh Ha mim Keller
