This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Muhammad Farooq's book Issues of the Two Eids.
Taking an odd number of dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer on the day of Eid:
Consuming an odd number of dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer is a Sunnah and recommended practice because it was the regular habit of the Prophet ﷺ to eat an odd number of dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer.
Anas bin Malik (RA) narrates:
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يغدو يوم الفطر حتى يأكل تمرات وياكلهن وترا
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not leave the house on the day of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates, and he used to take an odd number of dates.”
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of the Two Eids, Chapter: Eating on the Day of Eid before Going Out: 953. Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 1429 - Musnad Ahmad: 126/3
Anas bin Malik (RA) narrates:
ما خرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم الفطر حتى يأكل تمرات ثلاثا أو خمسا، أو سبعا أو أقل من ذلك أو أكثر من ذلك وترا
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never went out on the day of Eid al-Fitr (for the Eid prayer) without eating an odd number of dates, whether three, five, seven, or fewer or more.”
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 232/3. Sahih Ibn Hibban: 3814 - Bayhaqi: 283/3 - Hakim: Isnad Hasan
Buraidah bin Husayb (RA) states:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يخرج يوم الفطر حتى يطعم، ولا يطعم يوم الأضحى حتى يصلي
“The Prophet ﷺ would not go out for the Eid al-Fitr prayer without eating, and on the day of Eid al-Adha, he would not eat anything until he had performed the Eid prayer.”
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 360/5 - Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Chapters of the Two Eids, Chapter on Eating on the Day of Eid al-Fitr before Going Out: 542 - Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Fasting, Chapter on Eating on the Day of Eid al-Fitr before Going Out: 1756 - Hakim: 295/1. Isnad Hasan, Thawab bin Utbah Mahri is a truthful narrator.
Benefits:.
Imam Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him, states that according to the scholars, it is recommended to eat something before going out for the Eid al-Fitr prayer, but eating dates is the most preferred practice.
Reference: Tirmidhi, under Hadith: 542
Wisdom behind eating something before the Eid al-Fitr prayer:.
Mahlab bin Abi Safrah, may Allah have mercy on him, says: The wisdom behind eating before the Eid al-Fitr prayer is so that no one suspects that fasting is obligatory until after the Eid prayer. This act remedies such suspicion, and according to some scholars, since on the day of Eid al-Fitr the obligation to fast has ended, the obligation to break the fast has come into effect, therefore, in compliance with Allah’s command, it is recommended to eat early before the Eid prayer on the day of Eid al-Fitr. Limiting oneself to a small amount of food is intended to comply with the divine command, because if obedience to Allah’s command was not considered, the Prophet, peace be upon him, would have eaten a larger amount.
Reference: Fath al-Bari: 576/2
Wisdom behind eating dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer:.
The wisdom behind the recommendation to eat dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer is that the sweetness strengthens the eyesight, which has weakened due to fasting. Also, sweetness corresponds to faith and the interpretation of dreams, softens the heart, is easily available, and some of the Tabi‘in, may Allah have mercy on them, have considered the consumption of any sweet thing as recommended, such as honey. Moreover, whoever does not have access to dates or similar items can consume anything as breakfast, even water. Maḥlab, may Allah have mercy on him, says: Eating dates in an odd number points to the oneness of Allah Almighty, and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, used to use odd numbers in all matters as a form of blessing.
Reference: Fath al-Bari: 577, 576/2 - Tuhfat al-Ahwazi: 68/3
Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, states that the opinion of most scholars, such as Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, and Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, is that eating before the Eid prayer on Eid al-Fitr and eating after the Eid prayer on Eid al-Adha is a Sunnah act, and there is no disagreement among scholars regarding this Sunnah practice.
Reference: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah with Al-Sharh al-Kabir: 229/2
Statement of weak narrations related to this issue:.
It is narrated from Jabir bin Samurah رضي الله عنه, he states:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يغدو يوم الفطر حتى يأكل سبع تمرات
"The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would not go out for Eid prayer on the day of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten seven dates."
Reference: Al-Tabarani Al-Kabeer: 2039 - Its chain is very weak - in its chain Nasih bin Abdullah, Abu Abdullah Haik is a discarded narrator.
Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما states:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يغدو يوم الفطر حتى يغدي أصحابه من صدقة الفطر
"The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would not go out for Eid prayer on the day of Eid al-Fitr without feeding his companions the Zakat al-Fitr."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Fasting, Chapter on eating on the day of Eid before going out: 1755 - Its chain is weak
In its chain, three narrators, Jabbara bin Muflis, Mandal bin Ali, and Umar bin Sahban are weak.
