1. The Prophet’s ﷺ Practice on Eid
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would go to the Eid ground on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha:
- First, he would perform the prayer.
- Then, he would deliver the khutbah while people remained seated in rows.
- In the khutbah, he would advise, remind, and issue relevant rulings, then return.
(Bukhari 959; Muslim 889)
2. Number of Takbirs in Eid Prayer
‘Aishah (RA) narrated:
- First rak‘ah: Seven takbirs.
- Second rak‘ah: Five takbirs.
(Abu Dawud 1149; Tirmidhi 536 – authenticated by Imam Ahmad and ‘Ali ibn al-Madini)
3. Raising Hands and Recitation
- Raise the hands with each takbir.
- Place hands in the normal position after each takbir.
- Imam recites Surah al-Fatihah and another surah aloud.
- The congregation recites al-Fatihah quietly and listens silently to the rest.
Evidence for raising hands in extra takbirs:
Ibn ‘Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to raise his hands at every takbir before bowing until the prayer was completed.
(Abu Dawud 744 – authenticated by Ibn al-Jarud)
4. Khutbah Before Prayer is Against Sunnah
Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (RA) said:
On Eid al-Adha, the Prophet ﷺ came, greeted the people, and said:
"The first thing we begin with today is prayer."
He led two rak‘ahs, then turned to face the people, took support from a bow, praised Allah, commanded good, and forbade evil.
(al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah 1768)
5. Innovation of Pre-Prayer Khutbah
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (RA) reported that during Marwan ibn al-Hakam’s time, the minbar was brought to the Eid ground and the khutbah was delivered before the prayer. A man objected, saying this was against the Sunnah, as previously:
- No minbar was brought to the Eid ground.
- Khutbah was given after the prayer.
(Bukhari 956; Muslim 889; Abu Dawud 1144; Ibn Majah 1289)
6. Khutbah of Eid is Sunnah, Not Obligatory
‘Abdullah ibn al-Sa’ib (RA) said:
"I attended Eid with the Prophet ﷺ. After completing the prayer, he said: ‘We are now going to deliver the khutbah. Whoever wishes to sit may sit, and whoever wishes to leave may leave.’"
(Ibn Majah 1290)
This proves listening to the Eid khutbah is Sunnah, not obligatory.
7. Practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs
The Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman (RA):
- First performed the prayer.
- Then delivered the khutbah.
(Bukhari 962; Muslim 884)
While hadiths mention only one khutbah, some scholars draw analogy from Jumu‘ah and give two.
8. Eid Prayer Before Sacrifice
Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (RA) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever offers the sacrifice after the prayer has completed his sacrifice and followed the way of the Muslims. Whoever offers before the prayer, it is just meat for his family, not a valid sacrifice."
(Bukhari 968; Muslim 1961)
9. Repeating the Sacrifice if Done Before Prayer
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever sacrifices before the Eid prayer must sacrifice again after the prayer."
(Bukhari 955; Muslim 1960)
10. Summary of the Eid Prayer Method
- Go to the Eid ground early.
- No adhan or iqamah.
- First rak‘ah: Takbir al-Ihram + 6 extra takbirs (total 7).
- Recite Surah al-Fatihah and a surah (e.g., Qaf or al-A‘la).
- Second rak‘ah: Stand and say 5 extra takbirs, recite Surah al-Fatihah and another surah (e.g., al-Qamar or al-Ghashiyah).
- Complete the prayer, then deliver the khutbah.
- Offer Eid al-Adha sacrifice after the prayer.
