Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid
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Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds,
and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his
family and companions.
“Eid” is an Arabic word referring to
something habitual, that returns and is repeated. Eids or festivals are
symbols to be found in every nation, including those that are based on
revealed scriptures and those that are idolatrous, as well as others,
because celebrating festivals is something that is an instinctive part
of human nature. All people like to have special occasions to celebrate,
where they can come together and express their joy and happiness.
The festivals of the kaafir nations may
be connected to worldly matters, such as the beginning of the year, the
start of an agricultural season, the changing of the weather, the
establishment of a state, the accession of a ruler, and so on. They may
also be connected to religious occasions, like many of the festivals
belonging exclusively to the Jews and Christians, such as the Thursday
on which they claim the table was sent down to Jesus, Christmas, New
Year’s, Thanksgiving, and holidays on which gifts are exchanged. These
are celebrated in all European and North American countries nowadays,
and in other countries where Christian influence is prevalent, even if
the country is not originally Christian. Some so-called Muslims may also
join in these holidays, out of ignorance or hypocrisy.
The Magians (Zoroastrians) also have their own festivals, such as Mahrajaan, Nowruz and so on.
The Baatinis have their own festivals
too, such as “Eid al-Ghadeer”, when they claim that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave the khilaafah to ‘Ali (may
Allaah be pleased with him) and to the twelve imaams after him.
The Muslims are distinguished by their festivals
The Prophet’s words “Every nation has its
festival, and this is your festival” indicate that these two Eids are
exclusively for the Muslims, and that it is not permissible for Muslims
to imitate the kuffaar and mushrikeen in anything that is a distinctive
part of their celebrations, whether it be food, dress, bonfires or acts
of worship. Muslim children should not be allowed to play on those
kaafir festivals, or to put up decorations, or to join in with the
kuffaar on those occasions. All kaafir or innovated festivals are
haraam, such as Independence Day celebrations, anniversaries of
revolutions, holidays celebrating trees or accessions to the throne,
birthdays, Labour Day, the Nile festival, Shimm al-Naseem (Egyptian
spring holiday), teachers’ day, and al-Mawlood al-Nabawi (Prophet’s
Birthday).
The Muslims have no festivals apart from
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adhaa, because of the hadeeth narrated from Anas
(may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah and the
people had two days when they would play and have fun. He said, ‘What
are these two days?’ They said, ‘We used to play and have fun on these
days during the Jaahiliyyah. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Allaah has given you something
better than them, the day of Adhaa and the day of Fitr.’”
(Sunan Abi Dawood, 1134)
These two Eids are among the signs or
symbols of Allaah which we must celebrate and understand the aims and
meanings behind them.
There follows a discussion of some of the rulings and manners of the two Eids according to Islamic sharee’ah
1 – Ahkaam al-Eid (Rulings on Eid)
Fasting
It is haraam to fast on the days of Eid
because of the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased
with him), who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) forbade fasting on the day of Fitr and the day of
Sacrifice (Adhaa).
(Reported by Muslim, 827)
Ruling on the Eid prayers
Some of the scholars say that Eid prayers
are waajib (obligatory) – this is the view of the Hanafi scholars and
of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him). They say
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always
prayed the Eid prayer and never omitted to do it, not even once. They
take as evidence the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), “Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)” [al-Kawthar 108:2],
i.e., the Eid prayer and the sacrifice after it, which is an
instruction, and the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) ordered that the women should be brought out to
attend the Eid prayers, and that a woman who did not have a jilbaab
should borrow one from her sister. Some scholars say that Eid prayer is
fard kifaaya. This is the view of the Hanbalis. A third group say that
Eid prayer is sunnah mu’akkadah. This is the view of the Maalikis and
Shaafa’is. They take as evidence the hadeeth of the Bedouin which says
that Allaah has not imposed any prayers on His slaves other than the
five daily prayers. So the Muslim should be keen to attend Eid prayers,
especially since the opinion that it is waajib is based on strong
evidence. The goodness, blessings and great reward one gets from
attending Eid prayers, and the fact that one is following the example of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by doing so,
should be sufficient motivation.
Essentials and timing of Eid prayer
Some scholars (the Hanafis and Hanbalis)
say that the conditions of Eid prayer are that the iqaamah should be
recited and the prayer should be offered in jamaa’ah (congregation).
Some of them said that the conditions of Eid prayer are the same as the
conditions for Friday prayer, with the exception of the khutbah,
attendance at which is not obligatory. The majority of scholars say that
the time for the Eid prayer starts when the sun has risen above the
height of a spear, as seen by the naked eye, and continues until the sun
is approaching its zenith.
Description of the Eid prayer
‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: “The prayer of Eid and al-Adhaa is two complete rak’ahs, not
shortened. This is according to the words of your Prophet, and the liar
is doomed.”
Abu Sa’eed said: “The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to come out to the
prayer-place on the day of Fitr and al-Adhaa, and the first thing he
would do was the prayer.”
The Takbeer is repeated seven times in the first rak’ah and five times in the second, the Qur’aan is to be recited after each.
It was reported from ‘Aa’ishah: the
Takbeer of al-Fitr and al-Adhaa is seven in the first rak’ah and five in
the second, apart from the takbeer of rukoo’.
(Reported by Abu Dawood; saheeh by the sum of its isnaads)
If a person joining the prayer catches up
with the imaam during these extra takbeeraat, he should say “Allaahu
akbar” with the imaam, and he does not have to make up any takbeeraat he
may have missed, because they are sunnah, not waajib. With regard to
what should be said between the takbeeraat, Hammaad ibn Salamah reported
from Ibraaheem that Waleed ibn ‘Uqbah entered the mosque when Ibn
Mas’ood, Hudhayfah and Abu Moosa were there, and said, “Eid is here,
what should I do?” Ibn Mas’ood said: “Say ‘Allaahu akbar’, praise and
thank Allaah, send blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and make du’aa’, then say Say ‘Allaahu akbar’,
praise and thank Allaah, send blessings on the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)…etc.”
(Reported by al-Tabaraani. It is a saheeh hadeeth that is quoted in al-Irwaa’ and elsewhere).
Recitation of Qur’aan in Eid prayers
It is recommended (mustahabb) that in the Eid prayers the imaam should recite Qaaf [soorah 50] and Aqtarabat al-saa’ah [al-Qamar, soorah 54], as it is reported in Saheeh Muslim
that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab asked Abu Waaqid al-Laythi, “What did the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
recite at [Eid] al-Adhaa and al-Fitr?” He said, “He used to recite Qaaf. Wa’l-Qur’aan al-majeed [Qaaf 50:1] and Aqtarabat al-saa’ah wa anshaqq al-qamar [al-Qamar 54:1].
Most of the reports indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite Soorat al-A’laa [87] and Soorat al-Ghaashiyah
[88], as he used to recite them in the Friday prayer. Al-Nu’maan ibn
Bishr said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to recite on the two Eids and on Fridays, Sabbih isma rabbika’l-a’laa [al-A’laa 87:1] and Hal ataaka hadeeth al-ghaashiyah [al-Ghaashiyah 88:1].”
(Saheeh Muslim, 878).
Samurah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
recite on the two Eids, Sabbih isma rabbika’l-a’laa [al-A’laa 87:1] and Hal ataaka hadeeth al-ghaashiyah [al-Ghaashiyah 88:1].”
(Reported by Ahmad and others; it is saheeh. Al-Irwaa’, 3/116)
The prayer comes before the khutbah
One of the rulings of Eid is that the prayer should come before the khutbah, as is reported in Musnad Ahmad
from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas, who testified that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed before the
khutbah on Eid, then he gave the khutbah.”
(Musnad Ahmad, 1905. The hadeeth is also in al-Saheehayn).
Another indication that the khutbah
should be after the prayer is the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed (may Allaah be
pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to go out to the prayer-place on the day of al-Fitr and
al-Adhaa, and the first thing he would do was to pray, then he would
stand up facing the people, whilst they were still sitting in their
rows, and would advise and instruct them. If he wanted to send out a
military expedition, he would decide about the matter then, or if he
wanted to issue a command, he would do it then.” Abu Sa’eed said: “This
is what the people continued to do until I came out [to the Eid prayers]
with Marwaan, when he was governor of Madeenah, on either Adhaa or
Fitr. When we reached the prayer-place, we saw the minbar, which had
been built by Katheer ibn al-Salt. Marwaan wanted to get on the minbar
before the prayer. I pulled on his cloak, and he pulled on mine in
return, then he got on the minbar and gave the khutbah before the
prayer. I said, ‘You have changed it, by Allaah!’ He said, ‘O Abu
Sa’eed, what you know is gone.’ I said, ‘What I know, by Allaah, is
better than what I do not know.’ He said, ‘The people will not remain
sitting after the prayer, so we made it [the khutbah] before the
prayer.’”
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 956).
Anyone who wants to leave during the khutbah is allowed to do so
‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa’ib said: “I
attended Eid with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), and when he finished the prayer, he said: “We will give the
khutbah, so whoever wants to sit (and listen to) the khutbah, let him
sit, and whoever wants to leave, let him go.’”
(Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel, 3/96)
Not delaying the prayer for too long
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Bishr, the companion of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), went out with
the people on the day of Fitr or al-Adhaa, and objected to the fact that
the imaam came very late. He said, “At the time of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we would have finished by now,” and
that was at the time of al-Tasbeeh .”
(Reported by al-Bukhaari )
Naafil prayers in the prayer-place
There are no naafil prayers to be done
either before or after the Eid prayer, as Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to come out on
the day of Eid and pray two rak’ahs, with nothing before or after them.
This is the case if the prayer is offered
in a prayer place or public place. If, however, the people pray the Eid
prayer in a mosque, then they should pray two rak’ahs for Tahiyat al-Masjid (“Greeting the mosque”) before sitting down.
If people did not know about Eid until the next day
Abu ‘Umayr ibn Anas reported from his
paternal uncles among the Ansaar who said: “It was cloudy and we could
not see the new moon of Shawwaal, so we started the day fasting, then a
caravan came at the end of the day and told the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that they had seen the new
moon of Shawwaal the day before, so he told the people to stop fasting,
and they went out to pray the Eid prayer the next day.”
(Reported by the five. It is saheeh; al-Irwaa’, 3/102)
If someone misses the Eid prayer, the most correct view is that he may make it up by praying two rak’ahs.
Women’s attendance at Eid prayers
Hafsah said: “We used to prevent
prepubescent girls from attending Eid prayers. Then a woman came and
stayed at the fort of Banu Khalaf, and told us about her sister. Her
sister’s husband had taken part in twelve campaigns with the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and [she said], ‘my sister
was with him on six of them. She said, “We used to treat the wounded and
take care of the sick. My sister asked the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) whether there was anything wrong with her not
going out [on Eid] if she did not have a jilbaab. He said, ‘Let her
friend give her one of her jilbaabs so that she may witness the
blessings of Eid and see the Muslims gathering.’”’ When Um ‘Atiyah came,
I asked her, ‘Did you hear the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) [say this]?’ She said, ‘May my father be sacrificed for
him’ – and she never mentioned him without saying ‘may my father be
sacrificed for him’ – ‘I heard him saying that we should bring out the
young girls and those who were secluded, or the young girls who were
secluded, and the menstruating women, so that they could witness the
blessings of Eid and see the gathering of the believers, but those who
were menstruating were to keep away from the prayer-place itself.”
(Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 324).
The ‘young girls’ (‘awaatiq, sing. ‘aatiq)
are girls who have reached adolescence or are close to it, or have
reached the age of marriage, or are very precious to their families, or
who are spared from having to do humiliating work. It appears that they
used to prevent these young girls from going out because of the
corruption that arose after the first generation of Islam; but the
Sahaabah did not approve of that and they thought that the ruling should
remain in their time as it had been during the time of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Where it says “My sister was with him” it
seems that there is something omitted, probably “the woman said”. [This
is reflected in the translation above. Translator].…
“Her jilbaabs” – she should lend her some of her clothes that she does not need.
“Secluded” – they would have a curtain in the corner of the house behind which virgins would stay.
“Menstruating women” – huyyad, sing. haa’id
– this may refer either to girls who have reached the age of puberty,
or women who are having their period and are not taahir (pure).
“Menstruating women should avoid the
prayer-place itself” – Ibn al-Munayyir said: “The reason why they should
avoid the prayer-place is that if they stand with the women who are
praying even though they are not praying, it may appear that they have
no respect for the prayer or are careless, so it better for them to
avoid that.”
It was said that the reason why
menstruating women should avoid the prayer-place is as a precaution, so
that women will not come near men for no reason if they are not praying,
or so that they will not offend others with their blood or their odour.
The hadeeth urges everyone to attend Eid
prayer, and to co-operate with one another in righteousness and piety.
The menstruating woman should not forsake the remembrance of Allaah or
places of goodness such as gatherings for the purpose of seeking
knowledge and remembering Allaah – apart from mosques. The hadeeth also
indicates that women should not go out without a jilbaab.
This hadeeth tells us that it is not
proper for young women and women in seclusion to go out except for a
valid reason. It states that it is preferable (mustahabb) for a woman to
wear a jilbaab, and that it is permissible to lend and borrow clothes.
It also indicates that Eid prayer is obligatory (waajib).
Ibn Abi Shaybah also narrated that Ibn ‘Umar used to take whoever he could of his household out to the Eid prayers.
The hadeeth of Umm ‘Atiyah also states
the reason for the ruling, which is so that women may witness the
blessings of Eid, see the gathering of the Muslims, and share the
blessings and purification of this day.
Al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Sunan,
after quoting the hadeeth of Umm ‘Atiyah: “Some of the scholars
referred to this hadeeth and allowed women to go out to the Eid prayers,
and some of them disliked this. It was reported that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn
al-Mubaarak said: ‘I do not like for women to go out to Eid prayers
nowadays. If a woman insists on going out, her husband should let her,
if she goes out wearing her shabbiest clothes and not adorning herself.
If she insists on adorning herself, then she should not go out. In this
case the husband has the right to stop her from going out. It was
reported that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: ‘If the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had seen what has
happened to women, he would have stopped them from going to the mosques,
just as the women of Bani Israa’eel were stopped.’ It was reported that
Sufyaan al-Thawri did not like women to go to the Eid prayers in his
day.”
(Al-Tirmidhi, 495).
Umm ‘Atiyah gave her fatwa in the hadeeth
mentioned above a while after the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) had died, and it is not reported that any of the
Sahaabah disagreed with this. The words of ‘Aa’ishah, “If the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had seen what has happened
to women, he would have stopped them from going to the mosques”, do not
contradict this (provided that women are meeting the Islamic conditions
attached to their going out)… It is better if permission is given only
to those women who are not who are not going to look at men or be looked
at, whose attendence will not lead to anything undesirable and who are
not going to rub shoulders with men on the street or in the mosque.
(i.e., women whose going out will not cause fitnah or temptation to her
or to men).
Men should check on their womenfolk when
they going out for the prayer to make sure that their hijaab is
complete, because they are the “shepherds” who are responsible for their
“flocks”. Women should go out in shabby clothes, not adorned or wearing
perfume. Menstruating women should not enter the mosque or
prayer-place; they can wait in the car, for example, where they can hear
the khutbah.
Aadaab al-Eid (Etiquette of Eid)
Ghusl (taking a bath)
One of the manners of Eid is to take a bathe before going out to the prayer. It is reported in a saheeh report in al-Muwatta’ and elsewhere that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar used to take a bath on the day of al-Fitr before coming to the prayer-place.
(al-Muwatta’ 428)
It was reported that Sa’eed ibn Jubayr
said: “Three things are sunnah on Eid: to walk (to the prayer-place), to
take a bath and to eat before coming out.” This is what Sa’eed ibn
Jubayr said, and he may have learned this from some of the Sahaabah.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
mentioned that the scholars were agreed that it is mustahabb to take a
bath before the Eid prayer.
The reason why it is mustahabb to take a
bath before Friday prayer and other public gatherings also applies in
the case of Eid, only more so.
Eating before coming out
One should not come out to the
prayer-place on Eid al-Fitr before eating some dates, because of the
hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Anas ibn Maalik who said: “The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would
not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates…
and he would eat an odd number.”
(al-Bukhaari, 953)
It is mustahabb to eat before coming out
because this confirms that we are not allowed to fast on this day, and
demonstrates that the fast is now over. Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy
on him) explained that this is to prevent people extending the fast and
it also means obeying the commandment of Allaah.
(Fath, 2/446). If a person does
not have any dates, he can eat anything permissible for breakfast. On
Eid al-Adhaa, on the other hand, it is mustahabb not to eat until after
the prayer, when one should eat from the meat of one’s sacrifice.
Takbeer on the day of Eid
This is one of the greatest sunnahs of this day, because of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “…
(He [Allaah] wants that you) must complete the same number (of days),
and that you must magnify Allaah (say Takbeer – ‘Allaahu akbar’) for
having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” [al-Baqarah
2:185]
Al-Waleed ibn Muslim said: “I asked
al-Oozaa’i and Maalik ibn Anas about saying Takbeer aloud on Eid. They
said, ‘Yes, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar used to say it aloud on the day of
Fitr until the imaam came out.’”
Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Salami said: “On
Eid al-Fitr they would say it louder than on Eid al-Adhaa.” Wakee’ said,
“i.e., the takbeer.”
(Irwaa’, 3/122).
Al-Daaraqutni and others reported that
when Ibn ‘Umar came out on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adhaa, he would strive
hard in making Takbeer until he reached the prayer-place, then he would
continue making Takbeer until the imaam came.
Ibn Abi Shaybah reported with a saheeh
isnaad that al-Zuhri said: “The people used to make Takbeer on Eid when
they came out of their houses until they reached the prayer-place and
until the imaam came out. When the imaam came out, they fell silent,
until the imaam said Takbeer, then they said Takbeer.”
(Irwaa’, 2/121).
The practice of making Takbeer from home
to the prayer-place, and until the imaam comes in, was well-known among
the salaf and was reported by a number of authors such as Ibn Abi
Shaybah, ‘Abd al-Razzaaq and al-Firyaabi in his book Ahkaam al-‘Eidayn
from a group of the salaf. An example of this is the report that Naafi’
ibn Jubayr used to make Takbeer and wondered why people did not do so.
He would say to people, “Why do you not make Takbeer?” Ibn Shihaab
al-Zuhri said, “The people used to make Takbeer from the time they left
their homes until the imaam came in.”
The time for making Takbeer on Eid
al-Fitr starts from the night of Eid until the time when the imaam comes
in to lead the prayer.
The wording of the Takbeer
Ibn Abi Shaybah reported in al-Musannaf that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say Takbeer on the days of Tashreeq as follows: “Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar wa Lillaahi’l-hamd
(Allaah is Most Great… there is no god but Allaah, Allaah is Most
Great, and to Allaah be praise).” Ibn Abi Shaybah reported it elsewhere
with the same isnaad, but with the phrase “Allaahuakbar” repeated three times.
Al-Muhaamili also reported that Ibn Mas’ood used to say: “Allaahu akbaru kabeeran, Allaahu akbaru kabeeran, Allaahu akbar wa ajall, Allaahu akbar wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allaah is Most Great of All, Allaah is Most Great of all, Allaah is most Great and Most Glorious, and to Allaah be praise).”
(al-Irwaa’, 3/126).
Congratulating one another
People may exchange congratulations and
good greetings on Eid, no matter what form the words take. For example
they may say to one another, “Taqabbal Allaahu minnaa wa minkum (May Allaah accept [the fast and worship] from us and from you” or “Eid mubarak” and other similar permissible greetings.
Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: “At the time of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when people met
one another on the day of Eid, they would say, ‘Taqabbal Allaahu minnaa wa minka (May Allaah accept from us and from you).’”
(Ibn Hajar. Its isnaad is hasan. Fath, 2/446).
The practice of exchanging greetings was
well-known at the time of the Sahaabah and scholars such as Imaam Ahmad
and others allowed it. There are reports which indicate that it is
permissible to congratulate people on special occasions. The Sahaabah
used to congratulate one another when something good happened, such as
when Allaah accepted a person’s repentance and so on.
There is no doubt that congratulating
others in this way is one of the noblest kinds of good manners and one
of the highest social qualities among Muslims.
At the very least, one can return Eid
greetings when they are given to you, and remain silent if nothing is
said, as Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If someone
congratulates me, I return the greeting, but I do not initiate it.”
Looking one’s best for Eid
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: “ ‘Umar picked up a jubbah (long outer garment)
made of silk that was for sale in the market, brought it to the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
said, “O Messenger of Allaah, buy this and wear it for Eid and when the
delegations come.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, “This is the clothing of the one who has no
share of the Hereafter…”
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 948).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) approved of ‘Umar’s idea of looking one’s best, but
he rejected and denounced the idea of buying this jubbah because it was
made of silk.
Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a
jubbah that he would wear on Eid and on Fridays.”
(Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, 1765).
Al-Bayhaqi reported that Ibn Umar used to
wear his best clothes on Eid, so men should wear the best clothes they
have when they go out for Eid.
Women, on the other hand, should avoid
adornment when they go out for Eid, because they are prohibited from
showing their adornment in front of non-mahrem men. A woman who wants to
go out is forbidden to wear perfume or to show off in a tempting way in
front of men, because she is only going out for the purpose of worship.
Do you think that it is right for a believing woman to disobey the One
Whom she is going out to worship and go against His commands by wearing
attention-grabbing tight and brightly coloured clothes or by putting on
perfume and so on?
Ruling on listening to the Eid khutbah
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book al-Kaafi (p. 234):
“When the imaam has said the salaam (at
the end of the prayer), he should give a khutbah in two parts, like the
two Friday khutbahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) did this. (The Eid khutbah) differs from the Friday
khutbahs in four ways … the fourth of which is: that it is sunnah and it
is not obligatory to listen to it, because it was reported that
‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa’ib said: “I attended Eid with the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and when he had
finished the prayer, he said: “We are going to give a khutbah, so
whoever wishes to sit (and listen) to the khutbah, let him sit down, and
whoever wants to leave, let him go.’”
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book al-Majmoo’ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab,
p. 23: “It is mustahabb for people to listen to the khutbah, although
the khutbah and listening to it are not essential conditions of the Eid
prayer. But al-Shaafa’i said: ‘If someone does not listen to the khutbah
of Eid, at the time of an eclipse, when prayers for rain are offered,
or during Hajj, or he speaks during one of these khutbahs, or leaves, I
would not like this, but he does not have to repeat the prayer.”
In al-Sharh al-Mumti’ ‘ala Zaad al-Mustanfi’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 5/192, it says:
“[Ibn Qudaamah’s] words, ‘like the two
Friday khutbahs’ means that he should give two khutbahs, even though
there is a dispute in this matter, as we have referred to above. The Eid
khutbah is subject to the same rulings as the Friday khutbah, even to
the point that speaking during it is haraam, but it is not obligatory to
attend, whereas attendance at the Friday khutbah is obligatory, because
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe!
When the call for prayer on the day of Jumu’ah (Friday) is given, come
to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu’ah khutbah and prayer], and leave off
business …” [al-Jumu’ah 62:9]. Attendance at the Eid khutbahs is
not obligatory, and a person is allowed to leave, but if he stays he
must not talk to anyone. This is what the author is referring to when he
says ‘like the two Friday khutbahs’.”
One of the scholars said: “It is not
obligatory to listen to the Eid khutbahs, because if it was obligatory
to attend and listen to them it would be haraam to leave. But as it is
permissible to leave, it is not obligatory to listen.”
Nevertheless, if talking disturbs those
who are listening, it is haraam to talk because of this disturbance, not
because of not listening. On this basis, if a person has a book with
him during the imam’s Eid khutbah, it is permissible for him to read it,
because this does not disturb anyone. But according to the madhhab
followed by this author, it is obligatory to listen to the khutbah if
one is present.
To go out one by one route and come back by another
Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to vary his routes on the day of Eid.
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 986)
It was also reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out walking, and
he prayed without any adhaan or iqaamah, then he would come back walking
by a different route. It was said that this was so that the two
different routes would testify in his favour on the Day of Resurrection,
because on that Day the earth will speak about everything that was done
on it, good and evil. It was also said that this was done in order to
demonstrate the symbols and rituals of Islam along both routes; to
pronounce the remembrance of Allaah; to annoy the hypocrites and Jews
and to scare them by the number of people who were with him; to meet the
people’s needs by giving fatwas, teaching them and setting an example
for them to follow; to give charity to those in need; or to visit his
relatives and uphold the ties of kinship.
Warning against wrongdoing
1. Some people think that Islam tells us
to stay up and pray on the night of Eid, quoting an unsound hadeeth
which says that “whoever stays up and prays on the night of Eid, his
heart will not die on the day when hearts die.” This hadeeth was
reported with two isnaads, one of which is da’eef (weak), and the other
is very da’eef. Islam does not tell us to single out the night of Eid
for staying up and praying; if, however, a person habitually stays up
and prays at night (qiyaam), there is nothing wrong with him doing so on
the night of Eid as well.
2. Mixing of men and women in some
prayer-places, streets, etc. It is a pity that this happens not only in
mosques but even in the most sacred of places, al-Masjid al-Haraam [in
Makkah]. Many women – may Allaah guide them – go out uncovered ,wearing
make-up and perfume, flaunting their adornment, when there is such
serious overcrowding in the mosques – the dangers of this situation are
quite obvious. So those who are in charge must organize the Eid prayers
properly, by allocating separate doors and routes for women and delaying
the men’s departure until the women have left.
3. Some people get together on Eid for the purpose of singing and other forms of idle entertainment, and this is not permitted.
4. Some people celebrate on Eid because
Ramadaan is over and they no longer have to fast. This is a mistake, the
believers celebrate at Eid because Allaah has helped them to complete
the month of fasting, not because the fasting ,which some people regard
as a heavy burden, is over.
We ask Allaah to accept our worship and our repentance. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
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