This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Muhammad Farooq's book Issues of the Two Eids.
Special Worship on the Nights of the Two Eids:
Special acts of worship or staying awake at night on the nights of the two Eids are not Sunnah, and the narrations reported on this subject are fabricated and weak.
(1) It is narrated from Abadah bin Samit, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
من صلى ليلة الفطر والأضحى لم يمت قلبه يوم تموت القلوب
"Whoever prays the entire night of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, his heart will be alive on the Day when all hearts will be dead."
Reference: Tabarani Awsat: 159 - Al-Da'ifah: 520 - Very weak
In this chain, Umar bin Haroon Balkhi is a discarded narrator. Hafiz Dhahabi wrote in Mizan al-I'tidal that he is a lying wicked narrator.
Reference: Mizan al-I'tidal: 228/3
(2) It is narrated from Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
من قام ليلتي العيدين محتسبا لله لم يمت قلبه يوم تموت القلوب
"Whoever stands in prayer on the nights of the two Eids with the intention of seeking reward from Allah, his heart will not be dead on the Day when hearts will be dead."
Reference: Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Siyam, Chapter on whoever stands on the nights of the two Eids: 1782 - Weak: 521
There is tadlis (concealment) by Baqiyyah bin Walid in the chain of this hadith.
(3) Abu al-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, states:
من قام ليلتي العيدين لله محتسبا فلم يمت قلبه حين تموت القلوب
"Whoever stands in worship for Allah on the nights of the two Eids with the intention of seeking reward, his heart will be alive at the time when hearts will be dead."
Reference: Bayhaqi: 319/3 - Very weak
In this chain, Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Abi Bayti al-Aslami is a discarded narrator.
(4) It is narrated from Muadh bin Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
من أحيا الليالي الأربع وجبت له الجنة ليلة التروية وليلة عرفة وليلة النحر وليلة الفطر
"Whoever worships throughout the four nights: the night of Tarwiyah (8th Dhu al-Hijjah), the night of Arafah (9th Dhu al-Hijjah), the night of Nahr (10th Dhu al-Hijjah), and the night of Eid al-Fitr, Paradise is obligatory for him."
Reference: Al-Da'ifah: 522 - Fabricated
In this chain, Suwaid bin Saeed is weak, Abdul Rahim bin Zaid al-Ami is discarded, and Zaid bin Hawari is weak narrator.
Ruling on the Eid Prayers:
Scholars of different schools have varying opinions on whether the Eid prayers are Fard 'Ayn, Fard Kifayah, Wajib, or Sunnah Mu'akkadah, which we will explain in detail:
Eid Prayer is Fard Kifayah:
The Hanbali school holds that the Eid prayer is Fard Kifayah, and when some people perform this prayer to the extent of its obligation, the obligation is lifted from the rest of the people. If all the people of the city agree to abandon the Eid prayer, the ruler of the time will fight them.
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh Al-Kabir: 223/2
Among the Shafi'is, Abu Sa'id Istakhri also holds the view that the Eid prayer is Fard Kifayah.
Reference: Sharh Al-Nawawi: 170/6
Eid Prayer is Wajib:
Imam Abu Hanifa says that the Eid prayer is wajib (necessary) but not fard (obligatory) because the sermon is prescribed in this prayer. Therefore, it is wajib, not fard.
Reference: Al-Mughni with Al-Sharh Al-Kabir: 223/2
(Remember! According to the Hanafi school, the status of wajib is less than fard, and the punishment for abandoning wajib is less than abandoning fard. Similarly, one who denies wajib is not considered a disbeliever, whereas one who denies fard becomes a disbeliever.)
Reference: Al-Wajeez fi Usool al-Fiqh p. 32
Eid prayer is a confirmed Sunnah:
(1) Imam Malik and most of the Shafi'is hold the view that the Eid prayer is a confirmed Sunnah.
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh Al-Kabeer: 224/2
(2) Imam Nawawi states that Imam Shafi'i, the majority of Shafi'is, and the majority of scholars consider the Eid prayer to be a confirmed Sunnah.
Reference: Sharh Al-Nawawi: 170/6
The arguments of those who hold this view are as follows:
(1) Talhah ibn Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
أن أعرابيا جاء إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثائر الرأس فقال يا رسول الله أخبرني ماذا فرض الله على من الصلاة فقال الصلوات الخمس إلا أن تطوع شيئا
"Indeed, a disheveled villager came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and asked: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me how many prayers Allah has made obligatory upon me? He said: (Allah has made) five prayers obligatory upon you, but you may perform some voluntary prayers as you wish."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Fasting, Chapter on the Obligation of Fasting Ramadan: 1891 - Sunan Nasai, Book of Fasting, Chapter on the Obligation of Fasting: 2092 - Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 306
Response:
Their argument regarding the non-obligatory nature of Eid prayer is invalid because some narrations explicitly state that the five obligatory prayers refer to the five daily prayers of day and night
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari: 46)
. Otherwise, by this reasoning, the obligation of the Friday sermon, funeral prayer, and Tahiyyat al-Masjid would also be nullified.Ibn Qudamah says: The mentioned hadith is not evidence for the stance of those scholars, because Friday prayer is not obligatory for nomadic people due to their lack of permanent residence; therefore, Eid prayer will also not be obligatory for them.
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh Al-Kabeer: 225/2
(2) Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
خمس صلوات كتبهن الله على العباد
"Allah Almighty has prescribed five prayers upon His servants."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter on One Who Does Not Perform Witr: 1420 - Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book of Prayer, Chapter on Maintaining the Five Prayers: 462 - Musnad Ahmad: 315/5 - Its chain is weak, Abu Rafi' al-Jumahi is an unknown narrator, but its meaning is correct.
Response:
Ibn Qudamah Hanbali, in refutation of this argument, writes that this hadith is specific; the Prophet ﷺ explicitly mentioned the obligation of the five daily prayers because these prayers are obligatory in essence, permanently obligatory, and performed repeatedly day and night. Whereas other prayers, such as the funeral prayer, vow prayers, and those prayers whose obligation is disputed, are rare and occasionally obligatory due to some reason. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ did not mention other obligatory prayers.
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah: 220/2
(3) The third argument of the followers of this school is that the Eid prayer is a confirmed Sunnah because it is a prayer with bowing and prostration for which the call to prayer (Adhan) is not prescribed, and prayers like Salat al-Istisqa (prayer for rain) and Salat al-Kusuf (eclipse prayer) have never been considered obligatory since the time these prayers became established.
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh Al-Kabir: 224/2
Response:
Ibn Qudamah Hanbali refutes this argument by stating that their reasoning is invalid in several respects.
(1) Their analogy that Eid prayer is a prayer with bowing and prostration is incorrect because the obligation of Eid prayer does not depend on bowing and prostration, since all voluntary prayers include bowing and prostration, yet they are not obligatory. Due to the ineffectiveness of this objection, it must be discarded.
(2) Furthermore, their analogy that the call to prayer (Adhan) is not prescribed for it is invalid because the obligation of funeral prayer and vow prayer is established, but the Adhan is not prescribed for them. Also, at the time of establishing the obligation of the five daily prayers, funeral prayer and vow prayer were not considered obligatory.
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh Al-Kabeer: 220/2
Eid prayer is Fard Ayn:
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, Shawkani, Siddiq Hasan Khan, Allama Albani, Ibn Baz, and Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on them, hold the position that the Eid prayer is Fard Ayn (an individual obligation). In terms of evidence, this position is the strongest and closest to the truth. In the following lines, we will present the evidence for the obligation of the Eid prayer along with the statements of the aforementioned Imams.
Evidence:
❀ The command of Allah Almighty is:
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
“So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].”
Reference: (Surah Al-Kawthar: 2)
Explanation of the verse:
(1) Siddiq Hasan Khan states that the Imams of Tafseer have interpreted this verse to mean the Eid prayer.
Reference: Al-Rawdah Al-Nadiyah: 140/1
(2) Imam Qurtubi narrates:
وقال قتادة وعطاء وعكرمة :﴿فصل لربك﴾ صلاة العيد يوم النحر
"Qatadah, Ata, and Ikrimah say that the meaning of ﴿فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ﴾ is to perform the Eid prayer on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah."
Reference: Tafseer Qurtubi: 218/20
(3) Ibn Qudamah Hanbali writes:
ولنا على وجوبها فى الجملة أمر الله تعالى بها بقوله ﴿فصل لربك وانحر﴾ والآمر يقتضي الوجوب ومداومة النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم على فعلها وهذا دليل الوجوب
"And among the comprehensive evidences for the obligation of the Eid prayer for us is this evidence:
(1) That Allah Almighty, in His command ﴿فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ﴾, has ordered the Eid prayer, and a command implies obligation; and the second evidence for obligation is the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) consistent observance of the Eid prayer, and this consistency is proof of the obligation of the Eid prayer."
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh Al-Kabeer: 224/2
(2) Rabi’ ibn Harash (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a companion of the Messenger said:
إختلف الناس فى آخر يوم من رمضان فقدم أعرابيان فشهدا عند النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بالله لاهل الهلال أمس عشية فأمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يفطروا وأن يغدوا إلى مصلاهم
"On the last day of Ramadan, a dispute arose among the people regarding the sighting of the crescent. Then two villagers came and swore by Allah before the Prophet (peace be upon him) that they had indeed seen the moon the previous evening. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered the people to break their fast and to go early the next morning to the Eid prayer ground."
Reference: Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Fasting, Chapter: Testimony of Two Men on the Sighting of the Shawwal Crescent: 2339 - Al-Bayhaqi: 250/4 - Its chain of narration is authentic
(3) Abu Umair ibn Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from his uncles who were companions of the Prophet:
أن ركبا جاءوا إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يشهدون أنهم رأوا الهلال بالأمس فأمرهم أن يفطروا وإذا أصبحوا يغدوا إلى مصلاهم
"Indeed, a group of travelers came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and testified that they had certainly seen the Shawwal crescent the previous day. Upon this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered the people to stop fasting and when morning came, to proceed towards the Eid prayer ground."
Reference: Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter: If the Imam Does Not Go Out for Eid on Its Day, He Goes Out the Next Day: 1157 - Sunan Nasai, Book of the Two Eid Prayers, Chapter: Going Out for the Two Eids the Next Day: 1558 - Ibn Majah, Book of Fasting, Chapter: What Has Been Related About Testimony on the Sighting of the Crescent: 1653 - Musnad Ahmad: 316/5 - Sunan Bayhaqi: 315/3 - Its chain of narration is authentic
❀ Umm Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:
أمرنا نبينا أن نخرج فى العيدين العواتق وذوات الخدور وأمر الحيض أن يعتزلن مصلى المسلمين
"Our Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded us to take adult and veiled women to the Eid prayers on the two Eids, and he commanded menstruating women to stay away from the Muslims’ place of prayer."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of the Two Eids, Chapter: Women and Menstruating Women Going Out to the Musalla: 974 - Sahih Muslim, Book of the Two Eid Prayers, Chapter: Mentioning the Permissibility of Women Going Out on the Two Eids: 980
Benefits:
(1) Allama Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, says: The hadiths in this chapter commanding men and women to reach the Eidgah are evidence for the obligation of the Eid prayer. Also, when going to the Eidgah for Eid prayer is obligatory, then undoubtedly Eid prayer is obligatory on the guardian as well. Therefore, the stronger position is that Eid prayer is obligatory, not Sunnah.
Reference: Tamm Al-Minnah: 344
(2) Siddiq Hasan Khan states that scholars differ on the obligation or non-obligation of Eid prayer, but the stronger issue is that Eid prayer is obligatory, because the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, commanded us to go out for Eid prayer with a permanent commitment (as mentioned in the hadiths of this chapter).
Reference: Al-Rawdah Al-Nadiyyah: 140/1
(3) Imam Shawkani writes: Undoubtedly, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, always adhered to the Eid prayers and never missed any Eid. He also commanded people to go out for Eid prayer. Moreover, he commanded young men, women observing purdah, and menstruating women to go out for Eid prayer. He instructed menstruating women to stay away from the prayer area and to participate in the good and the prayers of the Muslims. He even instructed those women who did not have their own shawls that their friends should arrange shawls for them. All these evidences are clear proof that Eid prayer is a fard ayn (individual obligation), not fard kifayah (communal obligation).
Reference: Al-Sail Al-Jarrar: 315/1
Also, Sheikh Ibn Baz in Fatawa Ibn Baz
Reference: (311/12)
and Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen in Fatawa Ibn Uthaymeen
Reference: (134/16)
have declared the obligation of Eid prayer as the stronger position. (4) Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him, asked Zaid ibn Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him: Have you participated with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in two Eids (on the day of Friday Eid) that coincided on the same day? He said: Yes! Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, asked: What did the Prophet, peace be upon him, do on that day? Zaid ibn Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
صلى العيد ثم رخص فى الجمعة فقال من شاء أن يصلي فليصل
“The Prophet, peace be upon him, performed the Eid prayer on that day, then he dismissed the Friday prayer and said: Whoever wishes to pray the Friday prayer may do so.”
Reference: Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter: If Friday coincides with Eid day: 1070 - Sunan Ibn Majah: Book of Prayer, Chapter: What was narrated about when the two Eids coincide on one day: 1310 - Mustadrak Hakim: 73/3 - 1014 - Bayhaqi: 317/3 - Its chain is Hasan
Iyas ibn Abi Ramla Al-Shami is a trustworthy narrator. Ibn Hibban mentioned him in Kitab al-Thiqat and Hakim authenticated his hadith, which removes any doubts about his reliability.
Fiqh al-Hadith :
Siddiq Hasan Khan says: One of the evidences for the obligation of the Eid prayer is that if Friday and Eid fall on the same day, the Friday prayer is dropped, and something that is not obligatory in itself cannot nullify an obligatory act.
Reference: Al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah : 140/1 - Tamam al-Minnah : 344
