Islamic Fiqh > Prayer > The two Eids' prayer (Eid al-fitr and al-adha)
The Eid prayer: time, place, form without adhan or iqama, the takbirs, the sermon and what surrounds it (ghusl, perfume, return path).
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Updated on 31 August 2026 at 3:55 AM
The two Eids have a congregational prayer, without adhan or iqama. Ibn 'Abbas said: I attended the prayer of the breaking of the fast with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), with Abu Bakr and with 'Umar: all of them prayed it before the sermon (Muslim 884). The Prophet prayed it without adhan and without iqama (reported by Ahmad).
It was practiced by the Prophet constantly and publicly. The Hanafis count it among the collective obligations, other schools make it a strongly confirmed sunna; no one holds it as a mere option.
'Umar summarizes: the Friday prayer is two rak'as, the prayer of the breaking of the fast two, the prayer of the sacrifice two, the travel prayer two: complete, without shortening, upon the tongue of Muhammad (reported by an-Nasa'i). The classical description: the imam prays two rak'as; in the first, after the opening takbir, he pronounces several additional takbirs before the recitation; in the second, he pronounces them before the bowing. Ibn Mas'ud counted nine in total (reported by 'Abd ar-Razzaq). The hands are raised at every takbir according to the Hanafi description reported.
The jurists teach that any pure place may host the Eid prayer, but the majority (Hanafis, Malikis, Hanbalis) recommends going out to the prayer place outside the town, following the Prophet: Abu Sa'id reports that he would go out on the day of the breaking of the fast and of the sacrifice to the place of prayer, leaving his mosque (al-Bukhari 913). This movement displays the festival, its crowd and its joy. With rain or an excuse, it is prayed in the mosque.
Unlike Friday, the khutba of the two Eids comes after the prayer, and listening is recommended without more: whoever wants to stay stays, whoever wants to leave leaves (reported by Abu Dawud). The Prophet also wrote: "hasten toward the sacrifice, delay the breaking of the fast, and remind the people" (reported by Ash-Shafi'i, with a discussion about its chain).
The Hanafis and the Malikis: whoever misses the Eid prayer with the imam does not make it up in its form; he may pray four rak'as (reported from Ibn Mas'ud) or two, without takbir, as a voluntary prayer.
The day of Eid is prepared: bath, finest clothes, a place in the crowd, then the sermon and supplications. The morning takbirs carry the community's joy: pronouncing them is a practice lived by the Companions.
No: neither adhan nor iqama (Muslim 887); it starts directly with the takbir.
The Medinan sunna is the open-air congregational prayer; praying alone at home is admitted by a part of scholars, the complete form remaining the gathering.
Yes: the Prophet ordered women, even menstruating (without praying), to attend the good and the invocation (al-Bukhari 964).
For Eid al-fitr: eat a few dates before and pay zakat al-fitr before the prayer; for Eid al-adha: not eating before the prayer per the majority, eating of the sacrifice after.