This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Muhammad Farooq's book Issues of the Two Eids.
There is no authentic evidence to justify delivering the Eid sermon while riding, however, a narration is transmitted in Ibn Hibban and Ibn Khuzaymah from which the permissibility of delivering the Eid sermon on a mount is derived, but this narration contains distortion and anomaly, due to which it is not a reliable proof.
❀ Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم خطب يوم عيد على راحلته
"Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered the Eid sermon while on his mount."
Reference: Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 1440 - Sahih Ibn Hibban: 2820 - Musnad Abi Ya'la: 1182
In terms of the chain, this narration is authentic, but its text contains anomaly and distortion, because in previous hadiths narrated from Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and the same narrators, there is mention of delivering the sermon while standing, even in
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 31/3 and Ibn Majah: 1288
the words are clearly ”رجليه“ instead of ”راحلته“, therefore this hadith is anomalous due to contradiction with previous hadiths and there is also suspicion of distortion that the scribe mistakenly took ”راحلته“ instead of ”رجليه“.The possible evidence of distortion is that the same narration of Ibn Khuzaymah is transmitted in ”اتحاف المهره“ and in it the words are ”رجليه“ instead of ”راحلته“. Also, Ibn Khuzaymah titled this chapter: ”باب الخطبة قائما على الأرض إذا لم يكن بالمصلى منبر“ (the statement of delivering the sermon standing on the ground when there is no pulpit in the Eidgah).
Then after narrating the hadith, Ibn Khuzaymah writes that there are two possible meanings in this hadith:
➊ The Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered the sermon standing, not sitting.
➋ The Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered the sermon standing on the ground, as Abu Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) denied the bringing of a pulpit in Marwan’s Eidgah and said that during the time of the Prophet’s mission, no pulpit was brought in the Eidgah.
Ibn Khuzaymah’s titling of the chapter and reasoning from the hadith makes it clear that in his view the words are ”رجليه“ (the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered the sermon on his feet), therefore due to the scribe’s distortion ”رجليه“ was replaced with ”راحلته“ and Ibn Hibban, Abu Ya'la, etc. remained upon this distortion. Also, Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared this narration anomalous and distorted.
Reference: Sahihah: 467/6, under Hadith: 2928
Using the pulpit for the Eid sermon is an innovation:
Therefore, it is Sunnah to deliver the sermon standing on the ground during Eid, and using the pulpit for the Eid sermon is an innovation. The evidences are as follows:
(1) Abu Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
لم يزل الناس على ذلك حتى خرجت مع مروان وهو أمير المدينة فى أضحى أو فطر فلما أتينا المصلى إذا منبر بناه كثير بن الصلت
"People always adhered to this Sunnah (performing the prayer before the Eid sermon and delivering the Eid sermon standing on the ground without a pulpit), until I went out with the Emir of Madinah, Marwan, on Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr, and when we reached the Eidgah, suddenly there was a pulpit there, which was built by Kathir bin Salat."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of the Two Eids, Chapter: Going out to the Musalla without a pulpit: 956 - Sahih Muslim, Book of Eid Prayers: 889
Fiqh of Hadith:
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, states: From this hadith, it is understood that during the Prophetic era, there was no pulpit in the Eidgah, and the first use of the pulpit was by Marwan.
Reference: Fath al-Bari: 079/2 - Nail al-Awtar: 321/3
(2) Abu Saeed Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates:
أخرج مروان المنبر يوم عيد ولم يكن يخرج به وبدأ بالخطبة قبل الصلاة ولم يكن يبدأ به قال فقام رجل فقال يا مروان خالفت السنة أخرجت المنبر يوم عيد ولم يكن يخرج به فى يوم عيد وبدأت بالخطبة قبل الصلاة ولم يكن يبدأ بها
"On the day of Eid, Marwan brought out a pulpit (towards the Eidgah) even though (a pulpit was not taken to the Eidgah), and he began the sermon before the Eid prayer, whereas the sermon was not started before the Eid prayer. Then a man stood up and said: Marwan! You have opposed the Sunnah, you have brought out a pulpit on the day of Eid, whereas on the day of Eid (to the Eidgah) a pulpit was not taken, and you have started the sermon before the prayer, whereas (in the Prophetic era) the sermon was not started before the prayer."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Chapter on the Explanation that Prohibition of Evil is Part of Faith: 49 - Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter on the Sermon on the Day of Eid: 1140 - Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Book of Tribulations, Chapter on Changing Evil by Hand: 2172 - Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Establishing Prayers, Chapter on What is Reported Regarding the Eid Prayers: 1275 - Musnad Ahmad: 10/3
Benefits:
➊ Arranging a pulpit in the Eidgah for the Eid sermon is an innovation and against Shariah.
➋ The originator of this innovation was Marwan bin Hakam, therefore, instead of following Marwan's practice, following the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is required, and the Prophet’s ﷺ permanent practice was to deliver the Eid sermon standing on the ground without a pulpit.
➌ Instead of remaining a silent spectator upon seeing evil, it is a better deed to try to prevent the evil as much as possible and not to care about the blame of the one who blames in this regard.
Arranging Takbirs during the sermon is not Sunnah:
Arranging Takbeerat during the Eid sermon is not correct, because there is no authentic hadith that proves the permissibility of Takbeerat during the sermon; therefore, it is better to avoid this practice. Also, the hadith regarding the permissibility of Takbeerat during the sermon is weak.
(1) It is narrated from Saad the Mu'adhdhin, who states:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يكبر بين أضعاف الخطبة يكثر التكبير فى خطبة العيدين
"The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to say Takbeerat repeatedly during the sermon, and he (peace be upon him) used to say many Takbeerat in the Eid sermons."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Establishing Prayers, Chapter on the Sermon in the Two Eids: 1287 - Bayhaqi: 299/3 - Its chain of narration is weak
Abdur Rahman bin Saad bin Ammar is weak, and his father Saad bin Ammar and grandfather Ammar bin Saad the Mu'adhdhin are unknown narrators.
