Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha: A Simple Guide

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, after the fasting month of Ramadan. It is a day to thank Allah for the strength to complete the fast.

Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah. It remembers the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), who was ready to sacrifice his son for Allah. Allah replaced the sacrifice with a great offering, as Quran 37:102-107 tells.

The dates depend on the Hijri calendar and on moon sighting, so follow the announcement of your local community.

The Eid prayer is prayed in congregation, in the morning, after the sun has risen. Scholars differ on its status. The Hanafi school says it is required (wajib), the Maliki and Shafi'i schools say it is a confirmed sunnah, and the Hanbali school says it is a communal obligation (fard kifayah). It has these features:

• It has two rak'ahs (units of prayer), with extra takbirs (saying "Allahu akbar") added in the rak'ahs. Scholars differ on how many extra takbirs there are. The Hanafi school says three in each rak'ah, the Shafi'i school seven in the first and five in the second, and the Maliki and Hanbali schools six in the first and five in the second. Follow the imam.
• There is no adhan (call to prayer) and no iqamah for it (Sahih al-Bukhari 960; Sahih Muslim 886).
• The Prophet ﷺ usually prayed it outdoors, in an open prayer ground (Sahih al-Bukhari 956). Many communities still do this when they can, and others pray in large halls or mosques.
• The prayer comes first, and the imam gives a khutbah (sermon) after it (Sahih al-Bukhari 957). It is good to stay and listen.

Men, women and children are all encouraged to attend. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that women be brought out for the two Eids, including young women and those who usually stay at home. Women who are menstruating also go to the gathering and share the good, but they keep away from the prayer area (Sahih Muslim 890).

The takbir is a call of praise that Muslims say in the days of Eid, as Allah says to complete the fasting period and to glorify Him for guiding us (Quran 2:185). For Eid al-Adha it is also said in the first days of Dhul Hijjah and in the days that follow Eid (Quran 2:203). A common form is: "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahi al-hamd." It means that Allah is the Greatest and all praise belongs to Him.

Zakat al-fitr is a small charity that each Muslim gives at the end of Ramadan, for themselves and for the people they support. The Prophet ﷺ made it a duty of one sa' (a measure) of dates or barley, on everyone, young or old, male or female, free or slave (Sahih al-Bukhari 1503). It purifies the fasting person from idle and bad talk and feeds the poor (Sunan Abi Dawud 1609; Sunan Ibn Majah 1827). It should be paid before the Eid prayer, as the Prophet ﷺ taught. The Companions used to pay it a day or two earlier (Sahih al-Bukhari 1511), and many scholars allow this. If you pay it after the prayer, it counts as ordinary charity (Sunan Abi Dawud 1609), and delaying it without a reason is wrong. The Hanafi school allows paying its value in money, while other schools say to give food. Ask a local scholar about the amount and the form of payment.

After the prayer on Eid al-Adha, Muslims who are able offer a udhiyah (sacrifice) of an animal, such as a sheep, goat, cow or camel. The Prophet ﷺ said, "The first thing we begin with on this day of ours is to pray, then to return and sacrifice" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5545). He sacrificed two horned rams with his own hand, saying the name of Allah and "Allahu akbar" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5558). The animal must meet the conditions of age and health, so it must be free of clear defects such as obvious blindness, illness, lameness or extreme thinness (Sunan Abi Dawud 2802), and it is slaughtered in the way Islam teaches.

Scholars differ on its status. The Hanafi school says it is required (wajib) for those who have the means, while the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say it is a confirmed sunnah.

Quran 22:36 tells us to eat from it and to feed the needy, and the Prophet ﷺ said, "Eat, feed and store" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5569). As commonly taught, the meat is shared in three parts: one for the family, one for relatives, friends and neighbours, and one for the poor. This is a recommendation and not a fixed rule, and some scholars allow other proportions.

Fasting is forbidden on the day of Eid al-Fitr and on the day of Eid al-Adha (Sahih al-Bukhari 1990; Sahih Muslim 1137). These are days of eating and enjoying the gifts of Allah.

Eid is a day of joy and kindness. These habits are recommended:

• Take a bath, wear your best clean clothes and use perfume (for men).
• On Eid al-Fitr, eat a few dates before going out to the prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 953).
• Go to the prayer by one road and return by another (Sahih al-Bukhari 986).
• Greet people kindly, for example with "Eid Mubarak".
• Visit family, neighbours and friends. Forgive old arguments and make peace.
• Be generous to the poor, to orphans and to anyone who is alone.
• Enjoy permitted food and fun, and avoid waste and anything that Allah forbids. When two girls were singing in his house on Eid, the Prophet ﷺ told Abu Bakr, "O Abu Bakr, every people has an Eid, and this is our Eid" (Sahih al-Bukhari 952).