Written by: Abu Ismail Abdul Ghaffar, Hyderabad, India
Published by: Sabeel al-Mu’mineen Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Department of Scholarly Research
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Messenger, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
Respected readers: The Eid prayers are similar in structure to the regular prayers, except that they contain twelve additional Takbirs (Allāhu Akbar)—seven in the first rak‘ah after the opening supplication (Thanaa) and five in the second rak‘ah before Surah Al-Fatiha, as mentioned in the following narration:
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (رضي الله عنهما) said:
❝أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَبَّرَ فِي الْعِيدِ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ سَبْعًا فِي الْأُولَى وَخَمْسًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ سِوَى تَكْبِيرَةِ الصَّلَاةِ❞
Meaning: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said seven Takbirs in the first rak‘ah and five in the second rak‘ah of the Eid al-Fitr prayer, excluding the Takbir of entering into the prayer.”
This narration has been transmitted with a Hasan (sound) chain of narration by the following hadith scholars:
① Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Ali ibn al-Jarood an-Naysaboori (d. 307 AH)
Al-Muntaqa Ibn al-Jarood, Book of Salah, Chapter: What is Reported Regarding the Two Eids, p. 76, Hadith 262
② Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Zuhayr
Tareekh Ibn Abi Khaythamah, Volume 2, pp. 681–682, Hadith 2845
③ Abu Ja‘far Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Salamah
Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar, Book of Additions, Chapter: How the Eid Prayer is Performed, Vol. 4, p. 343, Hadith 7262
④ Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad an-Naysaboori (d. 324 AH)
Az-Ziyadat ‘ala Kitab al-Muzani, p. 292, Hadith 128
⑤ Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Umar
As-Sunan, Book of the Two Eids, Vol. 2, pp. 180–181, Hadiths 1710 & 1712
⑥ Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH)
Al-Khilafiyat, Book of Salah, Issue 173, Vol. 4, p. 103, Hadith 2893
Ma‘rifat al-Sunan wal-Athar, Vol. 3, p. 37, Hadith 1894
As-Sunan al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 285, Hadith 6171
As-Sunan as-Sughra, Vol. 1, p. 259, Hadith 694
The primary narrator Abu Ya‘la Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya‘la ibn Ka‘b ath-Thaqafi at-Ta’ifi is considered trustworthy and his hadith are Hasan by the majority of scholars. His narrations from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb are deemed upright, as supported by:
✔ Imam Abu Ahmad Abdullah ibn ‘Adiyy al-Jurjani (d. 365 AH) said:
❝فَإِنَّهُ يَرْوِي عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ أَحَادِيثَهُ مُسْتَقِيمَةٌ❞
Al-Kamil fi Du‘afa ar-Rijal, Vol. 4, p. 168, Entry 986
✔ Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) said:
❝وَحَدِيثُ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ هَذَا صَحِيحٌ رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَغَيْرُهُ بِأَسَانِيدَ حَسَنَةٍ❞
Al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, Book of Salah, Chapter: Eid Prayers, Vol. 5, p. 16
✔ Imam Ibn al-Wazir (d. 840 AH) said:
❝وأكثر المتأخرين على صحّته❞
Ar-Rawd al-Basim, Vol. 2, p. 544, ed. Ali ibn Muhammad al-‘Imran
✔ Imam Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi‘i (d. 204 AH) said:
❝...فَكَانَ: وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي، وَمَا بَعْدَهَا ثُمَّ كَبَّرَ سَبْعًا... وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ... خَمْسًا...❞
Kitab al-Umm, Chapter: The Takbirs in Eid Prayer, p. 177, ed. Hassan Abd al-Mannan
✔ Imam al-Bayhaqi opened a chapter with:
❝تكبيرات العيد سبع في الأولى سوى تكبيرة الافتتاح، وخمس في الثانية سوى تكبيرة القيام❞
Al-Khilafiyat, Book of Eid Prayer, Issue 173, Vol. 4, p. 103
✔ Imam Abu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas‘ud al-Baghawi (d. 516 AH) said:
❝وَهَذَا قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ...❞
Sharh as-Sunnah, Book of Salah, Chapter on Takbirs of Eid, Vol. 4, pp. 309–310, under Hadith 1106
In another place, he said:
❝السُّنَّةُ فِي الاسْتِسْقَاءِ... يُكَبِّرُ فِي الأُولَى سَبْعًا... وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ خَمْسًا...❞
Sharh as-Sunnah, Chapter on Istisqa’, Vol. 4, p. 402, under Hadith 1161
The practice of saying twelve additional Takbirs—seven in the first rak‘ah and five in the second rak‘ah of Eid prayer—is a well-established Sunnah. It is supported by authentic narrations and upheld by the majority of scholars from the Companions and the generations that followed.
"Our duty is only to convey the message."
— Sabeel al-Mu’mineen Foundation Team
Published by: Sabeel al-Mu’mineen Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Department of Scholarly Research
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Messenger, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
✿ The Structure of Eid Prayers and Additional Takbirs
Respected readers: The Eid prayers are similar in structure to the regular prayers, except that they contain twelve additional Takbirs (Allāhu Akbar)—seven in the first rak‘ah after the opening supplication (Thanaa) and five in the second rak‘ah before Surah Al-Fatiha, as mentioned in the following narration:
✔ Authentic Report on Additional Takbirs
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (رضي الله عنهما) said:
❝أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَبَّرَ فِي الْعِيدِ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ سَبْعًا فِي الْأُولَى وَخَمْسًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ سِوَى تَكْبِيرَةِ الصَّلَاةِ❞
Meaning: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said seven Takbirs in the first rak‘ah and five in the second rak‘ah of the Eid al-Fitr prayer, excluding the Takbir of entering into the prayer.”
✦ Benefit: Sources and Authentication of the Narration
This narration has been transmitted with a Hasan (sound) chain of narration by the following hadith scholars:
① Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Ali ibn al-Jarood an-Naysaboori (d. 307 AH)
Al-Muntaqa Ibn al-Jarood, Book of Salah, Chapter: What is Reported Regarding the Two Eids, p. 76, Hadith 262② Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Zuhayr
Tareekh Ibn Abi Khaythamah, Volume 2, pp. 681–682, Hadith 2845③ Abu Ja‘far Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Salamah
Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar, Book of Additions, Chapter: How the Eid Prayer is Performed, Vol. 4, p. 343, Hadith 7262④ Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad an-Naysaboori (d. 324 AH)
Az-Ziyadat ‘ala Kitab al-Muzani, p. 292, Hadith 128⑤ Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Umar
As-Sunan, Book of the Two Eids, Vol. 2, pp. 180–181, Hadiths 1710 & 1712⑥ Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH)
Al-Khilafiyat, Book of Salah, Issue 173, Vol. 4, p. 103, Hadith 2893 Ma‘rifat al-Sunan wal-Athar, Vol. 3, p. 37, Hadith 1894 As-Sunan al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 285, Hadith 6171 As-Sunan as-Sughra, Vol. 1, p. 259, Hadith 694✿ Note on the Narrator: Abu Ya‘la Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman
The primary narrator Abu Ya‘la Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya‘la ibn Ka‘b ath-Thaqafi at-Ta’ifi is considered trustworthy and his hadith are Hasan by the majority of scholars. His narrations from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb are deemed upright, as supported by:
✔ Imam Abu Ahmad Abdullah ibn ‘Adiyy al-Jurjani (d. 365 AH) said:
❝فَإِنَّهُ يَرْوِي عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ أَحَادِيثَهُ مُسْتَقِيمَةٌ❞
Al-Kamil fi Du‘afa ar-Rijal, Vol. 4, p. 168, Entry 986✦ Additional Scholarly Endorsements
✔ Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) said:
❝وَحَدِيثُ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ هَذَا صَحِيحٌ رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَغَيْرُهُ بِأَسَانِيدَ حَسَنَةٍ❞
Al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, Book of Salah, Chapter: Eid Prayers, Vol. 5, p. 16✔ Imam Ibn al-Wazir (d. 840 AH) said:
❝وأكثر المتأخرين على صحّته❞
Ar-Rawd al-Basim, Vol. 2, p. 544, ed. Ali ibn Muhammad al-‘Imran✦ Statements of the Jurists
✔ Imam Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi‘i (d. 204 AH) said:
❝...فَكَانَ: وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي، وَمَا بَعْدَهَا ثُمَّ كَبَّرَ سَبْعًا... وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ... خَمْسًا...❞
Kitab al-Umm, Chapter: The Takbirs in Eid Prayer, p. 177, ed. Hassan Abd al-Mannan✔ Imam al-Bayhaqi opened a chapter with:
❝تكبيرات العيد سبع في الأولى سوى تكبيرة الافتتاح، وخمس في الثانية سوى تكبيرة القيام❞
Al-Khilafiyat, Book of Eid Prayer, Issue 173, Vol. 4, p. 103✔ Imam Abu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas‘ud al-Baghawi (d. 516 AH) said:
❝وَهَذَا قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ...❞
Sharh as-Sunnah, Book of Salah, Chapter on Takbirs of Eid, Vol. 4, pp. 309–310, under Hadith 1106In another place, he said:
❝السُّنَّةُ فِي الاسْتِسْقَاءِ... يُكَبِّرُ فِي الأُولَى سَبْعًا... وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ خَمْسًا...❞
Sharh as-Sunnah, Chapter on Istisqa’, Vol. 4, p. 402, under Hadith 1161❖ Conclusion
The practice of saying twelve additional Takbirs—seven in the first rak‘ah and five in the second rak‘ah of Eid prayer—is a well-established Sunnah. It is supported by authentic narrations and upheld by the majority of scholars from the Companions and the generations that followed.
"Our duty is only to convey the message."— Sabeel al-Mu’mineen Foundation Team
