Ruling on Performing Eid Prayer at Multiple Locations in One City
Source: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
Question
What is the ruling on performing the Eid prayer at different locations within the same city? Kindly provide a fatwa. May Allah grant you reward and blessings.
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd:
If, due to necessity or need, multiple Eid gatherings are held at different locations within a city, there is no harm in this. Shariah has allowed multiple gatherings in times of necessity.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَما جَعَلَ عَلَيكُم فِى الدّينِ مِن حَرَجٍ﴾
… Sūrah al-Ḥajj: 78
“Allah has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty.”
If permission is not granted for multiple Eid gatherings in different places, many people would miss the Jumuʿah and Eid prayers — especially in areas where the population is large, and the space for gathering is limited.
Example of a Valid Necessity
If a city is very large, and it becomes difficult for people to travel from one end to the other, then holding multiple gatherings in such a situation is permissible.
However
If there is no such necessity or hardship, then it is preferable and better to perform the Eid prayer at a single location.
ھٰذا ما عندی والله أعلم بالصواب
