Etiquette of EID
Aadaab al-3Eed (Etiquette of 3Eed)
Ghusl (taking a bath)
One of the manners of 3Eid is to take a bathe before going out to the prayer. 3Abd-Allaah ibn 3Umar used to take a bath on the day of al-Fitr before coming to the prayer-place. (1)
It was reported that Sa3eed ibn Jubayr said: "Three things are sunnah on 3Eid: to walk (to the prayer-place), to take a bath and to eat before coming out." This is what Sa3eed 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 3Eid prayer.
Eating before coming out
One should not come out to the prayer-place on 3Eid al-Fitr before eating some dates, because of the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Anas ibn Maalik who said: "The Messenger of Allaah salallaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam would not go out on the morning of 3Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates… and he would eat an odd number." (2)
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. (3)
If a person does not have any dates, he can eat anything permissible for breakfast. On 3Eid 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 3Eid
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, 3Abd-Allaah ibn 3Umar used to say it aloud on the day of Fitr until the imaam came out.'"
Abu 3Abd al-Rahmaan al-Salami said: "On 3Eid al-Fitr they would say it louder than on 3Eid al-Adhaa." Wakee3 said, "i.e., the takbeer." (4)
Al-Daaraqutni and others reported that when Ibn 3Umar came out on 3Eid al-Fitr and 3Eid 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. (5)
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, 3Abd al-Razzaaq and al-Firyaabi in his book Ahkaam al-'Eidayn from a group of the salaf.
The time for making Takbeer on 3Eid 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 Mas3ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say Takbeer on the days of Tashreeq as follows:
الله أكبر الله أكبر ، لا إله إلا الله ، الله أكبر ، الله أكبر ولله الحمد
"Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, 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 "Allaahu akbar" repeated three times.
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).'" (6)
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.
Looking one's best for 3Eid
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." (7)
Al-Bayhaqi reported that Ibn 3Umar used to wear his best clothes on 3Eid, so men should wear the best clothes they have when they go out for 3Eid.
Women, on the other hand, should avoid adornment when they go out for 3Eid, 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 3Eid khutbah
(The 3Eid 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 3Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa'ib said: "I attended 3Eid with the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam, 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: "It is mustahabb for people to listen to the khutbah, although the khutbah and listening to it are not essential conditions of the 3Eid prayer. (8)
But al-Shaafa3i said: 'If someone does not listen to the khutbah of 3Eid, 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."
One of the scholars said: "It is not obligatory to listen to the 3Eid 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 sallallaahu 3Alayhi wa sallam used to vary his routes on the day of 3Eid. (9)
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.
We ask Allaah to accept our worship and our repentance. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wassallam.
Excerpted from Booklet "Eid: Etiquette and rulings" by Shaykh Salih Al-Munajjid
===============================================================================
References:
(1) al-Muwatta' 428
(2) al-Bukhaari, 953
(3) Fath, 2/446.
(4) Irwaa', 3/122.
(5) Ibn Abi Shaybah reported with a saheeh isnaad that al-Zuhri said: "The people used to make Takbeer on 3Eid 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).
(6) Ibn Hajar. Its isnaad is hasan. Fath, 2/446
(7) Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, 1765
(8) book al-Majmoo' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, p. 23:
(9) Reported by al-Bukhaari, 986
