The Obligation and Evidences of Eid Prayers (Ṣalāt al-ʿĪdayn)
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
The Eid prayers (ʿĪd al-Fiṭr and ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā) are obligatory (farḍ ʿayn) upon every accountable Muslim. The evidence from authentic Aḥādīth establishes its firm obligation.
➊ Ḥaḍrat Umm ʿAṭiyyah (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
“We were commanded to bring out adolescent girls and menstruating women on the two Eids so they could witness goodness and the supplications of the Muslims. Menstruating women were to stay away from the prayer area.”
[Bukhārī: 981, Muslim: 890, Abū Dāwūd: 1136, Tirmidhī: 537]
➋ Another narration in Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī adds:
“Our Prophet ﷺ ordered us to bring them out.”
[Bukhārī: 974]
➌ Umm ʿAṭiyyah (رضي الله عنها) also asked:
“If one of us doesn’t have a cloak, should she still go out (for the Eid prayer)?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Let her friend share her cloak with her so that she may also witness the goodness and the Muslims’ supplications.”
[Bukhārī: 980]
➍ When a group testified to sighting the moon late, the Prophet ﷺ commanded:
“Break your fast and go out to your prayer ground in the morning.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 1026, 1157; Aḥmad: 5/85; Nasāʾī: 1557; Ibn Mājah: 1653]
If such instructions apply even to excused women, it is even more binding upon men to attend the Eid prayer.
Some have referenced the verse:
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
“So pray to your Lord and sacrifice.”
This is not a strong argument for the obligation of Eid prayer, as this verse is from a Makkan Sūrah, while the Eid prayer was legislated in Madīnah.
[Fatḥ al-Bayān: 7/563; Aḥkām al-Qurʾān by Ibn al-ʿArabī: 4/1986]
✔ Shawkānī (رحمه الله):
Eid prayer is wājib.
[As-Sayl al-Jarrār: 1/315]
✔ Amīr Ṣanʿānī (رحمه الله):
It is farḍ ʿayn (individually obligatory).
[Subul as-Salām: 2/677]
✔ Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān (رحمه الله):
Same position.
[Ar-Rawḍah an-Nadiyyah: 1/358]
✔ Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله):
Eid prayer is wājib, and this is the correct opinion.
[Tamām al-Minnah: p. 344]
[Al-Mughnī: 2/367, Kashshāf al-Qināʿ: 2/55, Fatḥ al-Qadīr: 1/422, etc.]
✔ Preferred (Rājiḥ) View:
Eid prayer is farḍ ʿayn for every accountable Muslim, supported by multiple authentic narrations.
➤ Ḥaḍrat Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ prayed two Rakʿahs on the day of Eid, and did not pray anything before or after them.”
[Bukhārī: 989, Muslim: 884, Abū Dāwūd: 1159, Tirmidhī: 537]
✔ This affirms that the Eid prayer consists of two Rakʿahs.
❖ Eid prayer is individually obligatory (farḍ ʿayn) upon every Muslim.
❖ Even excused women were ordered to attend the gathering.
❖ The Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, and leading scholars acted upon this.
❖ The Eid prayer consists of two Rakʿahs, offered without any prior or subsequent nafl.
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❖ Ruling on Eid Prayers
The Eid prayers (ʿĪd al-Fiṭr and ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā) are obligatory (farḍ ʿayn) upon every accountable Muslim. The evidence from authentic Aḥādīth establishes its firm obligation.
✦ Evidences from the Sunnah:
➊ Ḥaḍrat Umm ʿAṭiyyah (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
“We were commanded to bring out adolescent girls and menstruating women on the two Eids so they could witness goodness and the supplications of the Muslims. Menstruating women were to stay away from the prayer area.”
[Bukhārī: 981, Muslim: 890, Abū Dāwūd: 1136, Tirmidhī: 537]➋ Another narration in Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī adds:
“Our Prophet ﷺ ordered us to bring them out.”
[Bukhārī: 974]➌ Umm ʿAṭiyyah (رضي الله عنها) also asked:
“If one of us doesn’t have a cloak, should she still go out (for the Eid prayer)?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Let her friend share her cloak with her so that she may also witness the goodness and the Muslims’ supplications.”
[Bukhārī: 980]➍ When a group testified to sighting the moon late, the Prophet ﷺ commanded:
“Break your fast and go out to your prayer ground in the morning.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 1026, 1157; Aḥmad: 5/85; Nasāʾī: 1557; Ibn Mājah: 1653]If such instructions apply even to excused women, it is even more binding upon men to attend the Eid prayer.
✦ Refutation of the Qur’anic Argument
Some have referenced the verse:
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
“So pray to your Lord and sacrifice.”
This is not a strong argument for the obligation of Eid prayer, as this verse is from a Makkan Sūrah, while the Eid prayer was legislated in Madīnah.
[Fatḥ al-Bayān: 7/563; Aḥkām al-Qurʾān by Ibn al-ʿArabī: 4/1986]❖ Opinions of Classical Scholars
✔ Shawkānī (رحمه الله):
Eid prayer is wājib.
[As-Sayl al-Jarrār: 1/315]✔ Amīr Ṣanʿānī (رحمه الله):
It is farḍ ʿayn (individually obligatory).
[Subul as-Salām: 2/677]✔ Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān (رحمه الله):
Same position.
[Ar-Rawḍah an-Nadiyyah: 1/358]✔ Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله):
Eid prayer is wājib, and this is the correct opinion.
[Tamām al-Minnah: p. 344]✦ Views Among the Fuqahāʾ
- Imām Aḥmad: Farḍ Kifāyah
- Imām Abū Ḥanīfah: Wājib for those on whom Jumuʿah is wājib
- Imām Mālik & Imām Shāfiʿī: Sunnah Muʾakkadah
[Al-Mughnī: 2/367, Kashshāf al-Qināʿ: 2/55, Fatḥ al-Qadīr: 1/422, etc.]✔ Preferred (Rājiḥ) View:
Eid prayer is farḍ ʿayn for every accountable Muslim, supported by multiple authentic narrations.
✦ Number of Rakʿāt
➤ Ḥaḍrat Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ prayed two Rakʿahs on the day of Eid, and did not pray anything before or after them.”
[Bukhārī: 989, Muslim: 884, Abū Dāwūd: 1159, Tirmidhī: 537]✔ This affirms that the Eid prayer consists of two Rakʿahs.
Summary:
❖ Eid prayer is individually obligatory (farḍ ʿayn) upon every Muslim.
❖ Even excused women were ordered to attend the gathering.
❖ The Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, and leading scholars acted upon this.
❖ The Eid prayer consists of two Rakʿahs, offered without any prior or subsequent nafl.
