How to pray Eid prayer?

Eid prayer

Eid prayer is one of the main things Muslims do to celebrate Eid, that’s why we will learn together how to pray it and its Sunnah, so, let’s get started. It’s a great idea to teach your kids about Eid Ul Fitr and al Adha, read them Children's Prayers & Supplications books, and the story of Eid al Adha. You can visit the Madinah store and see its various books for kids. It’s important to teach your kids about Islam in a fun way and the best way to do so is through books and games for example you could ask them, what time are the 5 daily prayers in Islam? And let them think about it if they answered the question correctly give them a reward like candies.   

Prayer for Eid.

Prayer for Eid is the Eid Salah prayed after the sun has reached the height of a spear. And we will learn shortly how to pray it.

Eid prayer time.

Abu Bakr al-Jaza'iri said: "The time of the two Eid prayers is after the sun has reached the height of a spear, and until noon. However, it is best to pray al-Adha at the earliest time, to enable the people to slaughter their sacrifices; and is recommended to delay al-Fitr prayer, to enable the people to give out their Sadaqah (zakat Al-Fitr)."

How to pray salat eid?

First, we will learn how to pray eid prayer at the mosque or an open place prepared for the salah then we will learn how to pray it at home.

How to pray eid ul Fitr prayer step by step?

1-  Make the niyyah (intention) before you start praying. The intention comes from the heart you don’t have to say it. Say the following:  ‘I intend to pray two Rakah of the Eid al-Fitr prayer for Allah.’ By doing so you prepare yourself mentally so that you can concentrate. 2- Now you don’t pray on your own, follow the imam. Even if you know how to perform the salah on your own you shouldn’t move or speak before the imam. You are not racing with the imam, so listen to him and follow his lead. 3- When the imam raises his hands and says "Allahu Akbar", you should do the same. Then you will recite the al-Istiftah Dua. Afterward, the imam will say "Allahu Akbar" 3 times and you will repeat after him and raise your hands after each utterance. After raising your hands put them back down by your sides.  “Allahu Akbar" means "The Lord is the most magnificent" or "Allah is the greatest.". while al-Istiftah Dua is the dua that refers to starting the salah. There are multiple dua but here are one of them: غَيْرُكَ (Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta’ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuk). 4- Now put both your hands on your chest, place the right hand on top the left hand. The imam will now recite surah Al Fatiha and then a second Surah. The sunnah is to recite surah Al A'la in the first rakah. Listen to the imam carefully and try to focus. 5- When the imam finishes the surah he is reciting you will perform what is called Ruku, meaning that you will bow and place your hands on your knees and say "Subhaana rabiyal 'adheem" three times. Try to make your back parallel to the ground and look at the ground. Then when you hear the imam saying "Sami Allahu liman Hamidah", stand up again and say "Rabbana lakal Hamd", and they both mean "Allah hears those who praise him," and "Our Lord, praise be to You. 6- Now when the imam says "Allahu Akbar." You will go into sujud. You get onto your knees with your forehead touching the ground and say "Subhaana rabiyal a'la" three times. Then you will sit and do another sujud. And this is the end of the first rakah. 7- The imam will say "Allahu Akbar" and you will stand back up. Then the imam will recite surah Al Fatiha and another Surah. The sunnah is to recite Surah Al Ghashiyah in the second rakah. During this listen carefully and try to focus. 8- When the imam raises his hands and say "Allahu Akbar", you should do the same. Then you will recite the al-Istiftah Dua. Afterwords the imam will say "Allahu Akbar" 3 times and you will repeat after him. Then go to ruku after the third "Allahu Akbar". Now say "Subhaana rabiyal 'adheem" three times. Try to make your back parallel to the ground and look at the ground. Then when you hear the imam saying "Sami Allahu liman Hamidah", stand up again and say "Rabbana lakal Hamd", and they both mean "Allah hears those who praise him," and "Our Lord, praise be to You. 9- when the imam says "Allahu Akbar." You will go into sujud. You get onto your knees with your forehead touching the ground and say "Subhaana rabiyal a'la" three times. Then you will sit and do another sujud. 10- When you finish the second sujud sit and say the Tashahhud Tashahhud is recited in arabic as follows: التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَى النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِين. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيد Attahiyyaatu lillaahi wassalawaatu wattayyibatu. Assalaamu 'alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyi warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh. Assalaamu 'alyna wa 'ala 'ibaadillaahis saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illallaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasooluh. Allaahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad kama sallaita 'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed, wabaarik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhamaad kama baarakta 'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed. Meaning: “All the compliments are for Allah and all the prayers and all the good things (are for Allah). Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and blessings (are on you). And peace be upon us and on the good (pious) worshipers of Allah. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Apostle. O, Allah! Praise Muhammad, and on the family of Muhammad, as You Praised Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem; you are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. And send blessings on Muhammad, and on the family of Muhammad, as you sent blessings on Ibraaheem, and the family of Ibraaheem; you are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory.” 11-  When you finish the Tashahhud turn your face to the right and say "Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah." Then turn your face to the left and repeat the prayer again.

How to pray eid prayer at home?

 1- Listen to the imam in the mosque outside or open the tv on salat al-Eid/ search for it on the internet and follow the imam's lead. 2- Eid prayer is a two-rakah prayer. Start by making your Niyah. 3- When the imam raises his hands and says "Allahu Akbar", you should do the same. Then you will recite the al-Istiftah Dua. Afterward, the imam will say "Allahu Akbar" 3 times and you will repeat after him and raise your hands after each utterance. After raising your hands put them back down by your sides.  “Allahu Akbar" means "The Lord is the most magnificent" or "Allah is the greatest.". while al-Istiftah Dua is the dua that refers to starting the salah. There are multiple dua but here are one of them: غَيْرُكَ (Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta’ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuk). 4- Now put both your hands on your chest, place the right hand on top the left hand. The imam will now recite surah Al Fatiha and then a second Surah. The sunnah is to recite surah Al A'la in the first rakah. Listen to the imam carefully and try to focus. 5- When the imam finishes the surah, you will perform what is called Ruku, meaning that you will bow and place your hands on your knees and say "Subhaana rabiyal 'adheem" three times. Try to make your back parallel to the ground and look at the ground. Then when you hear the imam saying "Sami Allahu liman Hamidah", stand up again and say "Rabbana lakal Hamd", and they both mean "Allah hears those who praise him," and "Our Lord, praise be to You. 6- Now when the imam says "Allahu Akbar." You will go into sujud. You get onto your knees with your forehead touching the ground and say "Subhaana rabiyal a'la" three times. Then you will sit and do another sujud. And this is the end of the first rakah. 7- The imam will say "Allahu Akbar" and you will stand back up. Then the imam will recite surah Al Fatiha and another Surah. The sunnah is to recite Surah Al Ghashiyah in the second rakah. During this listen carefully and try to focus. 8- When the imam raises his hands and say "Allahu Akbar", you should do the same. Then you will recite the al-Istiftah Dua. Afterwords the imam will say "Allahu Akbar" 3 times and you will repeat after him. Then go to ruku after the third "Allahu Akbar". Now say "Subhaana rabiyal 'adheem" three times. Try to make your back parallel to the ground and look at the ground. Then when you hear the imam saying "Sami Allahu liman Hamidah", stand up again and say "Rabbana lakal Hamd", and they both mean "Allah hears those who praise him," and "Our Lord, praise be to You. 9- when the imam says "Allahu Akbar." You will go into sujud. You get onto your knees with your forehead touching the ground and say "Subhaana rabiyal a'la" three times. Then you will sit and do another sujud. 10- When you finish the second sujud sit and say the Tashahhud as follows:

التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَى النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِين. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيد Attahiyyaatu lillaahi wassalawaatu wattayyibatu. Assalaamu 'alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyi warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh. Assalaamu 'alyna wa 'ala 'ibaadillaahis saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illallaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasooluh. Allaahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad kama sallaita 'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed, wabaarik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhamaad kama baarakta 'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed. Meaning: “All the compliments are for Allah and all the prayers and all the good things (are for Allah). Peace be on you, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and blessings (are on you). And peace be on us and on the good (pious) worshipers of Allah. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Apostle. O Allah! Praise Muhammad, and on the family of Muhammad, as You Praised Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem; you are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. And send blessings on Muhammad, and on the family of Muhammad, as you sent blessings on Ibraaheem, and the family of Ibraaheem; you are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory.” 11- When you finish the Tashahhud turn your face to the right and say "Assalamu alaikum Wa Rahmatullah." Then turn your face to the left and repeat the prayer again.

How do Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha?

Eid al-Adha comes at the end of the Hajj (capable Muslims go to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia) to do the pilgrimage. This Eid tells us the story of how Allah commanded the prophet, Ibrahim, to sacrifice his son Ismail to test his faith. And how Ibrahim informed his son Ismail. They both accepted Allah’s command and as Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son, Allah intervenes and a ram is sacrificed in place of Ismail. So, during this Eid Muslims sacrifice animals in remembrance of this story.

Takbeer of eid ul fitr.

The total number of Takbeers is 12. Here is the Eid Takbeer: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ. وَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ. Transliteration: Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, La ilaha illallah, Wallahu akbar, Allahu akbar wa lillahil hamd “Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, there is no god but Allah. And Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.”

Can women pray eid prayer at home?

Eid prayer should be prayed in congregation at the mosque or an open place prepared for the salah. It is narrated that Umm ‘Atiyah said: “We were commanded (and in one report it says, he commanded us – meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)) to bring out to the Eid prayers the adolescent girls and the women in seclusion, and he commanded the menstruating women to avoid the prayer-place of the Muslims.” From this hadith, we understand that should pray Eid prayer at mosques or praying places. Performing Eid prayer is not obligatory for women however it is a Sunnah.

Dua for eid

There are no specific dua but people tend to say the Eid Takbeer after prayers: اللَّهُ اكْبَرُ ٱللَّهُ اكْبَرُ allahu akbar allahu akbar Allah is Great. Allah is Great.   لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ la ilaha illa allahu There is no god save Allah.   وَٱللَّهُ اكْبَر ُاللَّهُ اكْبَرُ wallahu akbar allahu akbar And Allah is Great.Allah is Great.   وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْحَمْدُ wa lillahi alhamd All praise be to Allah.   الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَانَا alhamdu lillahi `ala ma hadana All praise be to Allah for He has shown us the Right Path.
وَلَهُ ٱلشُّكْرُ عَلَىٰ مَا اوْلانَا wa lahu alshshukru `ala ma awlana All thanks be to Him for that which He has conferred upon us.

Sunnah of eid ul fitr

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan (the month of fasting) and it is the first three days of Shawwal (the 10th month of the Islamic calendar). Before you start praying first you should prepare yourself by doing the following: One of the nights that no dua is rejected is the night before Eid, the prophet peace and blessing be upon him said: ‘There are five nights on which dua is not rejected: the first night of Rajab, the fifteenth night of Sha`ban, Thursday night, the night before Eid al-Fitr, and the night before Eid al-Nahr (al-Adha)’. (As-Suyuti). Before you go to the Eid salat you should eat something, and it is a sunnah to eat an odd number of dates. The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) used to eat an odd number of dates before praying the Eid salat. It is sunnah to take a shower and wear your best clothes before going to the Eid prayer, and also to apply perfume. On your way to the salat recite the takbeer, which is: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. La ilaaha illa-llaah, wa-llaahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa li-llaahil hamd. This means "God is the Greatest, there is none worthy of worship besides God and to God belongs all praise". Also, you should know that there are no nafl prayers offered before or after the prayer. Abbas said, ‘The Prophet (saw) went out to the place of prayer on the Day of Fitr and prayed two Rakah of Eid prayer, not praying before or after them’. [Bukhari]