Eid prayer is a prayer that is observed on the day of festive in Islam (Eid fitri & Eid Kabir). These prayers are set to be different from the normal five obligatory salat. We are going to illustrate how to perform eid prayer, where to perform it, time to pray eid, number of rakats and the prerequisite of eid prayer in order to help Muslims who are seeking knowledge.
Place For Eid Prayer
Eid prayer should be offered outdoor in the open, e.g. in a park field, or a desert etc. if it is wet or not possible to find a suitable outdoor place it can be prayed in a mosque or a large hall. (Abu Dawood)
Time Of Eid Prayer
Eid prayer should be offered when the sun is obvious above the horizon.
Number Of Rakats Of Eid Prayer
Eid prayer is 2 rakats. There is no nafl prayer before or after the Eid prayer. There is no iqamat or azan for Eid prayer.
Ibn Abbas (R.A.) reported: “No doubt, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) used to pray 2 rakats only for Eid Prayer. He did not pray anything before or after that. (Bukhari & Muslim)
Conduct Of Eid Prayer
2 rakats of Eid prayer should be offered in the same manner as the 2 rakats of the usual prayer except that there are 7 takbirs in the first rakat and five takbirs in the second rakat. With each extra takbir the hands should be raised up to the shoulder level (as in Takbir Tahrima).
All extra takbirs should be pronounced before starting Qirat (recitation).
Kathir bin Abdullah reported from his father and his father from grandfather that prophet (S.A.W.) said 7 takbirs in the first rakat of Eid prayer and 5 takbirs in the second rakat of Eid prayer before beginning recitation. – (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majjah)
Eid Prayer Is Offered Before Khutbah
Jafar bin Muhammad (R.A.) reported: “No doubt, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), Abu Bakr (R.A.) and Umar (R.A.) said 7 extra takbirs in the first rakat of their Eid and Rain prayer and five extra takbris in the second rakat of their Eid and Rain Prayer. Prophet (S.A.W.) offered Eid Prayer before Khutbah and recited aloud.”
