By Alhamdulillah, by the grace and mercy of Allah SWT, we’ve almost finished another blessed month of Ramadan. And now, it’s time for us to prepare for Eid-ul-Fitr.
Before we get into answering some common questions regarding Eid prayer and what exactly we do during the prayer, let’s go over what we should have done before we go off for Eid prayer.
It is essential that we pay our fitrah before Eid day. Fitrah, or Zakat Al Fitr is the obligatory charity that must be given before Eid day. Every Muslim must pay a for themselves and their dependents (kids, spouses, parents) every year. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, they used to pay Zakat Al Fitr with around 3 kgs of dates and 3 kgs of barley, as stated in the Sahih hadiths, and give it to the poor and needy in time for Eid. These days, the cash equivalent of those amounts is around $9.50 USD (or $12 AUD). While this Zakat is obligatory to be paid between the sunset of the last fast and the sunrise of Eid day, it is recommended that we pay as early as we can during the month in order to ensure our Zakat reaches the needy in time for Eid.
Once that is paid, we can begin preparing for Eid salaah. Having a shower, wearing your newest or best clothes, and making yourself smell nice and look presentable are the basics of Eid day. So let’s get started with our short Q&A.
Do we pray Fajr on Eid at home before we attend Eid prayer at the mosque?
Yes, we do pray fajr. No matter the day, fajr is part of the five obligatory prayers that every Muslim should be praying so there is no reason to skip praying fajr. Eid salaah can be prayed just after sunrise and fajr should be prayed before sunrise.
Do we do or say anything before praying Eid prayer?
Yes, it is the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad SAWS to walk to the mosque or hall where the Eid prayer is being held and recite “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallahu, Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa lillahil Hamd.” Which translates to: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no god except Allah. And Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. And to Him is all praise and thanks. The Prophet would then walk a different route back home after the prayer and sermon ended.
How many raka’ah do we pray for Eid prayer?
The Eid prayer is two raka’ah, followed by a sermon that we must listen to if we are praying in a congregation.
How do we pray Eid Salaah?
Eid salaah has two raka’ah spoken out loud and six takbeers (AllahuAkbar). We begin the salaah following the imam and the first takbeer that we would normally say when starting salaah. Then, we should all say the dua (Subhana Kallahumma Wa bihamdika…) and then the Imam follows that with three more takbeers and each time, we should raise our hands, repeat the takbeer, and place our folded hands on our chest. The rest of the raka’ah continues as normal.
The second raka’ah goes as normal until the imam finishes reading a different surah after Surah Fatiha. Before ruku’, we do the three takbeer’s again, but this time, instead of folding our hands and placing them on our chest after each takbeer, we raise our hands to our ears and then let them fall to our side each time. The salaah then continues as usual.
If Eid falls on a Friday, do we still attend Jumu’ah prayer?
Yes, we pray Jumu’ah prayer as usual. Like fajd, Jumu’ah salaah is compulsory so we must pray it no matter the circumstances.
Do we eat breakfast before Eid prayer?
Yes, the Prophet Muhammad SAWS said we must eat before going to Eid prayer. There are several hadiths stating that the Prophet would eat an odd amount of dates and drink water before heading to pray Eid salaah.
Is it Obligatory to offer Eid Salaah?
For men it is obligatory. However, while it is not obligatory for women, it is still a sunnah and the Prophet Muhammad encouraged all the women to attend the Eid gathering and pray if they were able to.
May Allah SWT accept our month of fasting and accept all the ibadah we did during the month. May He also bless our Eid day. Ameen.
In case you feel you need a video showing you what to do, here’s a short video by Sheikh Suhaib Webb. You’ll notice a slight variation of how many times we say takbeer. Don’t worry about this. Do your best. Allah SWT knows best what your intentions are.