Recommended Times for Eating on Eid al-Fiṭr and Eid al-Aḍḥā
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
✿ Eating Before Eid al-Fiṭr Prayer and After Eid al-Aḍḥā Prayer is Preferred
➊ Narrated by Buraydah (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ would not go out on the day of Eid al-Fiṭr until he had eaten something, and he would not eat anything on Eid al-Aḍḥā until he had offered the prayer.”
📚 [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī: 447, Book of Ṣalāh: Chapter on Eating Before Going Out on Eid al-Fiṭr; Also in: Tirmidhī: 542, Ibn Mājah: 1756, Dārimī: 1/375, Ibn Khuzaymah: 1426]
➋ Narrated by Anas (رضي الله عنه):
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not go out on the day of Eid al-Fiṭr until he had eaten some dates, and he would eat them in odd number.”
📚 [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 953, Book of Two Eids: Chapter on Eating Before Going Out for Eid al-Fiṭr; Also in: Ibn Mājah: 1754, Aḥmad: 3/126, Ibn Khuzaymah: 1429]
✔ Key Sunnah Practices:
❖ On Eid al-Fiṭr:
– Eat before going out for the prayer.
– Preferably dates, and in an odd number.
❖ On Eid al-Aḍḥā:
– Do not eat anything before the prayer.
– Eat after offering the Eid prayer and after the sacrifice, if possible.
🌟 Wisdom Behind the Practice:
◉ Eid al-Fiṭr: Marking the end of fasting, showing that the fast is no longer applicable.
◉ Eid al-Aḍḥā: Delaying eating reflects anticipation of the Qurbānī (sacrifice) and following the sequence of prayer followed by slaughter.
