The Two Eids of Islam
‘Eid (festival) is the name given to something which returns (ya’ood), and is used to describe gatherings which happenperiodicallyeg on a yearly, monthly , weekly basis, etc. So an ‘eid includes a number of things, such as a day which comes regularly, e.g., ‘Eid al-Fitr and Friday; gatherings on that day; and actions such as acts of worship and customs which are done on that day.
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.
It is reported that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) settled in Madinah and its people had made two days a year for celebrating and enjoying themselves. So he (sallahu alayhi wassalam) said to them: “Allah has substituted these two (days) for you with two better days: the day ending the fast and the day of sacrifice.”[1]
It was also narrated by Ai’sha (may Allah be pleased with her) that once Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to her on the day of ‘Eid-ul-Fitr or ‘Eid-ul-Adha while the Prophet was with her and there were two (young) girl singers with her, singing songs of the Ansar about the day of Buath. Abu Bakr said twice. “Musical instrument (is an instrument) of Satan!” But the Prophet said, “Leave them Abu Bakr, for every nation has an ‘Eid and this day is our ‘Eid.”[2]
It is important to note that some people have wrongly understood this hadith due to the word, translated as: musical instrument, ‘Mizmaar’; which literally means musical wind instrument. Some people have used this hadith as a proof to justify the permissibility of using musical instruments. However, as is clear from the apparent context of the hadith, this is an incorrect understanding as Abu Bakr was referring to the singing of the two young girls and not a musical instrument. This is because the word Mizmaar, though it holds the meaning of wind instruments, can also refer to natural voices. The hadith collected by al-Bukhari (4660) and Muslim (1322) is a similar instance in which the word sallahu alayhi wassalam) Mizmaar is used to refer to a natural voice. On one occasion the prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) complimented Musa al-Ash’ari (do you mean Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari?)(may Allah be pleased with him) on his beautiful recitation of Qur’an by saying,
“O Abu Musa! You have been given one of the Mizmaar of the family of Dawud”
Again it would clearly be inappropriate to say that the prophet was referring to musical instruments as he was complementing Musa’s voice.
The above two hadith illustrate the purpose behind having an ‘Eid which is for the Ummah to gather together and enjoy themselves with food and halal entertainment; all the while remembering their Lord. Thus the prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) said,
“The days of al-Tashreeq[3] are the days of eating, drinking and remembering Allaah.”[4]
However, there is a difference between the days of Tashreeq and the day of Eid. The ahadith show that fasting is categorically prohibited on the two days of ‘Eid. These are the only days by consensus in which it is haraam to fast on, though scholars differed about the prohibition on the days of tashreeq.
What actually constitutes an ‘Eid?
Which elements, when they occur together, constitute an Eid? Similarly one could ask, what are the integral parts of the two Eids? By highlighting such elements it is possible then to make a ruling on whether it is permissible to have other set days of celebration i.e. other ‘Eids in the year; for example a national holiday.
The scholars have mentioned that ‘Eid has two fundamental elements
1) It is celebration on a particular day that is reoccurring periodically e.g. 10th Thul-Hijjah
2) It entails a gathering of people e.g. ‘Eid prayer, family gatherings etc
The first element illustrates the fact that ‘Eid is a celebration which is connected specifically to a date such that it cannot be celebrated on another day; this is a fine point which is paramount in understanding this issue. Also, the day involves the coming together of people to pray, eat, rejoice etc. Therefore, any day which entails these two elements [a set day which is regularly celebrated along with a gathering] is automatically considered an ‘Eid. However, according to the aforementioned hadith of Anas ibn Malik in which the prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) said,
“Allah has substituted these two (days) for you with two better days: the day ending the fast and the day of sacrifice”
Clearly shows that there are only two days in which the Muslim Ummah can hold an ‘Eid; which technically means that they can only have two days in which they can specify to gather together and celebrate; regularly. Hence any other celebration is a non-Islamic ‘Eid and would not be condoned by the Sharee’ah rather it would be considered a Bida’h.
The reason why the scholars classed it as a Bida’h is because the Islamic acts of worship that are repeated at certain times are special occasions that have been prescribed by Allaah and are sufficient for mankind. If any other gatherings are invented in addition to these gatherings, it means that they are being given a status equal to that of the occasions prescribed by Allaah. Hence having a national holiday in which people will undoubtedly gather to celebrate would be considered a prohibited ‘Eid, even if this holiday is not an imitation of the Kufaar. What then about celebrating birthdays, which are not only an extra ‘Eids but also an imitation of the Kufaar? This is in contrast to what a person or a small group of people may undertake on their own, incidentally.
So it would be permissible for people to gather regularly, whether weekly or yearly, to hold conferences, camps, lectures etc, even if that is on a specific day or weekend because the actual gathering is not taking place because of that day; rather the gathering is merely falling on that day and if circumstances permitted, the gathering could easily be shifted to another more convenient day. It would also be permissible to have a “one-off” event or celebration of any halal kind on any day as long as that day is not made into a reoccurring day of celebration.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) spoke at length in his book Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem li Mukhaalifat Ashaab al-Jaheem (The Requirements of the Straight Path in Differing from the People of Hell), condemning the innovated occasions and festivals that have no basis in the pure Sharee’ah and the ways in which they corrupt people’s religious commitment.
What are the etiquettes of ‘Eid?
1) Fasting on the two days of Eid is haraam, as indicated by the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) forbade fasting on the day of al-Fitr and al-Nahr.”[5]
The scholars are unanimously agreed that fasting on these two days is haraam even if it be for the one fasting due to kaffaarah (expiation).
2) Attending the ‘Eid congregational prayer:-
The scholars differed concerning the ruling on Eid prayers. There are three scholarly points of view:
1 – The ‘Eid prayer is Sunnah Mua’kkadah (a confirmed Sunnah). This is the view of Imam Maalik and Imam al-Shafi’ee (may Allaah have mercy on them).
2 – The ‘Eid prayer is a communal obligation [Fard Kifayah]. This is the view of Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him).
3 – The ‘Eid prayer is a duty for each Muslim and is obligatory for men [Fard ‘Ayn]; thus those who abandon the prayer with no legitimate excuse are sinning. This is the view of Imam Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have mercy on him), and was also narrated from Imam Ahmad. Among those who favored this view were Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and al-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on them).
See al-Majmoo’, 5/5; al-Mughni, 3/253; al-Insaaf, 5/316; al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 82.
Those who opined that the prayer was Fard ‘Ayn said that the fact that the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) commanded the people to go out to it (the Eid prayer) and even commanded the women to go out too, even including the women on menses shows that it is an individual obligation. Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallahu alayhi wassalam) commanded us to bring them (women) out on (Eid) al-Fitr and (Eid) al-Adha, and to bring out adolescent girls, menstruating women and virgins, but the menstruating women were to stay away from the prayer (area), but were to witness goodness and the gathering of the Muslims. I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what if one of us does not have a jilbaab?” He said: “Let her sister lend her a jilbaab.[6] This hadith shows that the prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) wouldn’t even accept the excuse of not having any clothing to attend the prayer; instead such a person should borrow a set of clothes in order to attend.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/214):
What I think is that the Eid prayer is fard ‘Ayn (an individual obligation), and that it is not permissible for men to miss it, rather they have to attend, because the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) enjoined that. He even commanded the women – including virgins and those who usually stayed in seclusion – to come out to the Eid prayer, and he commanded menstruating women to come out to the Eid prayer, but told them to keep away from the prayer-place itself. This indicates that it is confirmed.
He also said (16/217):
What seems more likely to be correct in my view, based on the evidence, is that it is fard ‘ayn (an individual obligation), and that it is obligatory for every male to attend the Eid prayer apart from those who have an excuse.
The scholars who said that the ‘Eid prayer is a Sunnah, and they are the majority, quoted the famous hadith of the Bedouin narrated by Talha ibn ‘Ubaidullah,
A man from Najd with unkempt hair came to Allah’s Apostle and we heard his loud voice but could not understand what he was saying, till he came near and then we came to know that he was asking about Islam. Allah’s Apostle said, “You have to offer prayers perfectly five times in a day and night (24 hours).” The man asked, “Is there any more (praying)?” Allah’s Apostle replied, “No, but if you want to offer the Nawafil prayers (you can).” Allah’s Apostle further said to him: “You have to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan.” The man asked, “Is there any more fasting?” Allah’s Apostle replied, “No, but if you want to observe the Nawafil fasts (you can.)” Then Allah’s Apostle further said to him, “You have to pay the Zakat (obligatory charity).” The man asked, “Is there any thing other than the Zakat for me to pay?” Allah’s Apostle replied, “No, unless you want to give alms of your own.” And then that man retreated saying, “By Allah! I will neither do less nor more than this.” Allah’s Apostle said, “If what he said is true, then he will be successful (i.e. he will be granted Paradise).”[7]
Hence they said that Allah has not imposed any prayers on His slaves other than the five daily prayers, so the ‘Eid prayer cannot be an obligation rather a Sunnah Mua’kkadah. However, one can also note that many other fara’id are not mentioned in this hadith, including al-Hajj! Thus, it is not possible to unequivocally state that there are no other fard acts besides those mentioned in the above hadith. For instance, it is possible that the Bedouin was taught the other fara’id by the companions whilst he was residing in Madinah before he met the prophet and this hadith is an account of the Bedouin asking the prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) about the regularly occurring fara’id. This would explain why Hajj was not asked about nor mentioned by the prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam).
So every 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wassalam) by doing so, should be sufficient motivation.
Other etiquettes include:-
1: The Muslim is required to make gusl or ablution on this day. It can be done at any time but to serve the purpose it is recommended to do it before going out for the prayer. The ‘Eid prayer is held in congregation and it is held in a huge gathering more than the Jumu’ah prayer, therefore, as the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa salam) asked Muslims to make gusl for Friday prayer, it should also be considered for ‘Eid prayer to serve the purpose. The purpose and the goal is to be clean for prayer and avoid harming the people with odor, etc. The Muslim is required to make gusl or ablution on this day. It can be done any time but to serve the purpose it is recommended to do it before going out for the prayer. This is recommended because, the person will feel fresh throughout the day, he will have full concentration in his prayer and to what is being mentioned in the Khutbah after the prayer and most importantly, he will not harm others with the bad smell.
Imam Al-Baghawee said in ‘Sharhus Sunnah’: vol.4, pp.301-302, that, “And the Sunnah is to take a bath on the day of ‘Eid. It is reported that ‘Alee used to take bath on the day of ‘Eid, and similarly it is reported that Ibn ‘Umar and Salamah ibn Al-Akwa’ used to do so”
2: Eating on the two ‘Eids: It is a Sunnah to eat dates before leaving for ‘Eid-ul-Fitr. It is preferable not to eat anything on the day of ‘Eid-ul-Adh-haa until performing the ‘Eid prayer in the morning; then one should return home, slaughter an animal, and prepare the meal and eat from it. For ‘Eidul Fitr, it is a Sunnah to eat an odd number of dates before going to pray salaatul ‘Eid while for ‘Eidul adh-haa the eating should be delayed until one returns from the ‘Eid prayer and then he may eat of his sacrifice if he has sacrificed an animal.
Anas reports:
“The Prophet would not go out on the festival of breaking the fast until he had eaten an odd number of dates.” [This is related by Sahih al-Bukhari: vol. 2, no.73.]
Buraidah reports: “The Prophet would not go out on the day of breaking the fast (’Eidul Fitr) until he had eaten and on the day of sacrifice (’Eidul adh-haa) he would not eat until he had returned [from salah].” This is related by at-Tirmithee and Ibn Majah, and also by Sunan Ad-Daaramee who added: “And he would eat from his sacrifice.” [ Sharhus Sunnah: vol. 4, p. 306]
3: It is highly recommended that he should wear his best clothes on this day. Ja’far ibn-Muhammad relates from his father on the authority of his grandfather who reported that the Prophet would wear a Yemeni cloak on every ‘Eid. This is related by ash-Shaafi’ee and al-Baghawee. Ibn al-Qayyim writes: “The Prophet used to wear his most beautiful clothes for them and he had a special cloak that he would wear on the two ‘Eids and Jumu’ah.” [Reference can be checked in Sharhus Sunnah: vol. 4, p. 302, footnote. 2. See Zaadul Maad: vol. 1, p.441.]
4: He is required to apply perfume if he has his own, otherwise, he may use his wife’s perfume. Al-Hassan as-Sibt says: “The Messenger of Allâh ordered us to wear the best clothes we could find for the two ‘Eids and to apply the best perfume we could find and to sacrifice the best animal we could find.” This is related by al-Haakim and in its chain is Ishaaq ibn Barzakh whom al-’Azdi declares to be weak while Ibn Hibban says he is trustworthy.
5: He should use the tooth-brush (miswaak) before going to the ‘Eid prayer.
6: He must remove all offensive smells, which might harm others. It is prohibited for him to attend the ‘Eid prayer, if he smells onion or garlic.
Allah Knows Best
[1] Sunan at-Tirmidhi & abu Dawood; see Saheeh Sunan Abu Dawood (vol. 1, p. 210, no.1004)
[2] al-Bukhari (268)
[3] These are the three days of staying at Mina during the Hajj; 11th, 12th and 13th days of the month of
Dhul-Hijjah
[4] Muslim (1141)
[5] al-Bukhaari (1992) & Muslim (827)
[6] al-Bukhaari (324) and Muslim (890)
[7] al-Bukhaari (44)
