The Two Festivals (Eids)

كتاب العيدين

Chapter 1: The two Eid and sprucing oneself up on them

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

`Umar bought a silk cloak from the market, took it to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Take it and adorn yourself with it during the `Id and when the delegations visit you." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) replied, "This dress is for those who have no share (in the Hereafter)." After a long period Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) sent to `Umar a cloak of silk brocade. `Umar came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) with the cloak and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! You said that this dress was for those who had no share (in the Hereafter); yet you have sent me this cloak." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him, "Sell it and fulfill your needs by it."

Chapter 2: A display of spears and shields on 'Eid Festival day

Narrated Aisha

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (p.b.u.h) lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, "Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out and they left. It was the day of `Id, and the Black people were playing with shields and spears; so either I requested the Prophet (p.b.u.h) or he asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then the Prophet (p.b.u.h) made me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on! O Bani Arfida," till I got tired. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) asked me, "Are you satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?" I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave.

Chapter 3: The legal way of the celebrations on the two 'Eid festivals

Narrated Al-Bara'

I heard the Prophet (p.b.u.h) delivering a Khutba saying, "The first thing to be done on this day (first day of `Id ul Adha) is to pray; and after returning from the prayer we slaughter our sacrifices (in the name of Allah) and whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (traditions)."

Narrated Aisha

Abu Bakr came to my house while two small Ansari girls were singing beside me the stories of the Ansar concerning the Day of Buath. And they were not singers. Abu Bakr said protestingly, "Musical instruments of Satan in the house of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) !" It happened on the `Id day and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Abu Bakr! There is an `Id for every nation and this is our `Id."

Chapter 4: Eating on the day of Fitr before ethe 'Eid-al-Fitr

Narrated Anas bin Malik

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never proceeded (for the prayer) on the Day of `Id-ul-Fitr unless he had eaten some dates. Anas also narrated: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to eat odd number of dates.

Chapter 5: Eating on the day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijjah)

Narrated Anas

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever slaughtered (his sacrifice) before the `Id prayer, should slaughter again." A man stood up and said, "This is the day on which one has desire for meat," and he mentioned something about his neighbors. It seemed that the Prophet (ﷺ) I believed him. Then the same man added, "I have a young she-goat which is dearer to me than the meat of two sheep." The Prophet (ﷺ) permitted him to slaughter it as a sacrifice. I do not know whether that permission was valid only for him or for others as well.

Narrated Al-Bara' bin `Azib

The Prophet (ﷺ) delivered the Khutba after offering the prayer on the Day of Nahr and said, "Whoever offers the prayer like us and slaughters like us then his Nusuk (sacrifice) will be accepted by Allah. And whoever slaughters his sacrifice before the `Id prayer then he has not done the sacrifice." Abi Burda bin Niyar, the uncle of Al-Bara' said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have slaughtered my sheep before the `Id prayer and I thought today as a day of eating and drinking (not alcoholic drinks), and I liked that my sheep should be the first to be slaughtered in my house. So slaughtered my sheep and took my food before coming for the prayer." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The sheep which you have slaughtered is just mutton (not a Nusuk)." He (Abu Burda) said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have a young she-goat which is dearer to me than two sheep. Will that be sufficient as a Nusuk on my behalf? "The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Yes, it will be sufficient for you but it will not be sufficient (as a Nusuk) for anyone else after you."

Chapter 6: To proceed to a masjid without a pulpit

Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to proceed to the Musalla on the days of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha; the first thing to begin with was the prayer and after that he would stand in front of the people and the people would keep sitting in their rows. Then he would preach to them, advise them and give them orders, (i.e. Khutba). And after that if he wished to send an army for an expedition, he would do so; or if he wanted to give and order, he would do so, and then depart. The people followed this tradition till I went out with Marwan, the Governor of Medina, for the prayer of Id-ul-Adha or Id-ul-Fitr. When we reached the Musalla, there was a pulpit made by Kathir bin As-Salt. Marwan wanted to get up on that pulpit before the prayer. I got hold of his clothes but he pulled them and ascended the pulpit and delivered the Khutba before the prayer. I said to him, "By Allah, you have changed (the Prophet's tradition)." He replied, "O Abu Sa`id! Gone is that which you know." I said, "By Allah! What I know is better than what I do not know." Marwan said, "People do not sit to listen to our Khutba after the prayer, so I delivered the Khutba before the prayer."

Chapter 7: Eid prayer before the Khutba and no Adhan or Iqama for it

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to offer the prayer of `Id-ul-Adha and `Id-ul-Fitr and then deliver the Khutba after the prayer.

Narrated Ibn Juraij

`Ata' said, "Jabir bin `Abdullah said, 'The Prophet (ﷺ) went out on the Day of `Id-ul-Fitr and offered the prayer before delivering the Khutba, Ata told me that during the early days of Ibn Az-Zubair, Ibn `Abbas had sent a message to him telling him that the Adhan for the `Id Prayer was never pronounced (in the life time of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)) and the Khutba used to be delivered after the prayer. Ata told me that Ibn `Abbas and Jabir bin `Abdullah, had said, "There was no Adhan for the prayer of `Id-ul-Fitr and `Id-ul-Aqha." `Ata' said, "I heard Jabir bin `Abdullah saying, 'The Prophet (ﷺ) stood up and started with the prayer, and after it he delivered the Khutba. When the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah (p.b.u.h) finished (the Khutba), he went to the women and preached to them, while he was leaning on Bilal's hand. Bilal was spreading his garment and the ladies were putting alms in it.' " I said to Ata, "Do you think it incumbent upon an Imam to go to the women and preach to them after finishing the prayer and Khutba?" `Ata' said, "No doubt it is incumbent on Imams to do so, and why should they not do so?"

Chapter 8: The Khutba after the Eid prayer

Narrated Ibn `Abbas

I offered the `Id prayer with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman and all of them offered the prayer before delivering the Khutba.

Narrated Ibn `Umar

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), Abu Bakr and `Umar! used to offer the two `Id prayers before delivering the Khutba.

Narrated Ibn `Abbas

The Prophet (ﷺ) offered a two rak`at prayer on the Day of Id ul Fitr and he did not pray before or after it. Then he went towards women along with Bilal and ordered them to pay alms and so they started giving their earrings and necklaces (in charity).

Narrated Al-Bara' bin `Azib

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "The first thing that we should do on this day of ours is to pray and then return to slaughter the sacrifice. So anyone who does so, he acted according to our Sunna (tradition), and whoever slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer, it was just meat which he presented to his family and would not be considered as Nusuk." A person from the Ansar named Abu Burda bin Niyyar said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I slaughtered the Nusuk (before the prayer) but I have a young shegoat which is better than an older sheep." The Prophet (ﷺ) I said, "Sacrifice it in lieu of the first, but it will be not sufficient (as a sacrifice) for anybody else after you."

Chapter 9: It is disliked to carry arms on 'Eid and in the Haram

Al -Hasan said that they ended to carry the salt on a day of Eid, except that they fear an enemy.
Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair

I was with Ibn `Umar when a spear head pierced the sole of his foot and his foot stuck to the paddle of the saddle and I got down and pulled his foot out, and that happened in Mina. Al-Hajjaj got the news and came to inquire about his health and said, "Alas! If we could only know the man who wounded you!" Ibn `Umar said, "You are the one who wounded me." Al-Hajjaj said, "How is that?" Ibn `Umar said, "You have allowed the arms to be carried on a day on which nobody used to carry them and you allowed arms to be carried in the Haram even though it was not allowed before."

Narrated Sa`id bin `Amr bin Sa`id bin Al-`Aas

Al-Hajjaj went to Ibn `Umar while I was present there. Al-Hajjaj asked Ibn `Umar, "How are you?" Ibn `Umar replied, "I am all right," Al-Hajjaj asked, "Who wounded you?" Ibn `Umar replied, "The person who allowed arms to be carried on the day on which it was forbidden to carry them (he meant Al-Hajjaj)."

Chapter 10: To offer the Eid prayer early

'Abd al-Allah ibn Bisr said, "If we are finished at this hour, and that is when we are praised."
Narrated Al-Bara'

The Prophet (ﷺ) delivered the Khutba on the day of Nahr (`Id-ul-Adha) and said, "The first thing we should do on this day of ours is to pray and then return and slaughter (our sacrifices). So anyone who does so he acted according to our Sunna; and whoever slaughtered before the prayer then it was just meat that he offered to his family and would not be considered as a sacrifice in any way. My uncle Abu Burda bin Niyyar got up and said, "O, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer but I have a young she-goat which is better than an older sheep." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Slaughter it in lieu of the first and such a goat will not be considered as a sacrifice for anybody else after you."

Chapter 11: Superiority of deeds on the days of Tashriq

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Remember Allah in the days of information are the ten days, and the numbered days are the days of al-Tashreeq." Ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurayrah used to go out to the market in the ten days of growing up, and people would grow up by takbeer. Ben Ali's Mohamed grew up behind the superfluous.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja)." Then some companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Not even Jihad?" He replied, "Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah's sake) and does not return with any of those things."

Chapter 12: To say Takbir on the days of Mina and while proceeding to Arafat

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to grow up in his dome in Mina, and the people of the mosque would hear him, and the people of the markets would grow up, so that Mina would tremble in takbeer. Ibn 'Umar grew up in Mina those days and behind prayers, on his bed and in Fustata, and his council and walkers all those days. Maimouna was growing up on the day of sacrifice. Women used to grow up behind Aban bin Othman and Omar bin Abdul Aziz for the nights of al-Tashreeq with the men in the mosque.
Narrated Muhammad bin Abi Bakr Al-Thaqafi

While we were going from Mina to `Arafat, I asked Anas bin Malik, about Talbiya, "How did you use to say Talbiya in the company of the Prophet?" Anas said: "People used to say Talbiya and their saying was not objected to and they used to say Takbir and that was not objected to either. "