Ruling And Sunnahs Of Eid

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah has set out several rulings concerning Eid, including the following:

1 – It is mustahabb to recite takbeer during the night of Eid from sunset on the last day of Ramadaan until the imam comes to lead the prayer. The format of the takbeer is as follows:

Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no god except Allaah, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, and all praise be to Allaah).

Or you can say Allaahu akbar three times, so you say:

Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no god except Allaah, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great , Allaah is Most Great, and all praise be to Allaah).

Both are permissible.

Men should raise their voices reciting this dhikr in the marketplaces, mosques and homes, but women should not raise their voices.

2 – You should eat an odd number of dates before leaving for the Eid prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not set out on the day of Eid until he had eaten an odd number of dates. He should stick to an odd number as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did.

3 – You should wear your best clothes – this is for men. With regard to women, they should not wear beautiful clothes when they go out to the Eid prayer-place, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Let them go out looking decent” i.e., in regular clothes that are not fancy. It is haraam for them to go out wearing perfume and makeup.

4 – Some of the scholars regarded it as mustahabb to do ghusl for the Eid prayer, because it is narrated that some of the salaf did this. Doing ghusl for Eid prayer is mustahabb, just as it is prescribed for Jumu’ah because one is going to meet people. So if one does ghusl, that is good.

5 – The Eid prayer. The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the Eid prayer is prescribed in Islam. Some of them say that it is Sunnah, some say that it is fard kafaayah (a communal obligation) and some say that it is fard ‘ayn (an individual obligation), and that not doing it is a sin. They quoted as evidence the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded even the virgins and women in seclusion, i.e., those who did not ordinarily come out, to attend the Eid prayer place, except that those who were menstruating should keep away from the prayer-place itself, because it is not permissible for a menstruating woman to stay in the mosque; it is permissible for her to pass through but not to stay there.

It seems to me, based on the evidence, that it is fard ‘ayn (an individual obligation) and that every male is obliged to attend the Eid prayer except for those who have an excuse. This was the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him).

In the first rak’ah the imam should recite Sabbih isma rabbika al-A‘ala (Soorat al-A’la 87) and in the second rak’ah he should recite Hal ataaka hadeeth ul-ghaashiyah (al-Ghaashiyah 88). Or he may recite Soorat Qaaf (50) in the first and Soorat al-Qamar (54) in the second. Both options are narrated in saheeh reports from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

6 – If Jumu’ah and Eid fall on the same day, the Eid prayer should be held, as should Jumu’ah prayer, as is indicated by the apparent meaning of the hadeeth of al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer which was narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh. But those who attend the Eid prayer with the imam may attend Jumu’ah if they wish, or they may pray Zuhr.

7 – One of the rulings on Eid prayer is that according to many scholars, if a person comes to the Eid prayer-place before the imam comes, he should sit down and not pray two rak’ahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed Eid with two rak’ahs, and he did not offer any prayer before or after it.

Some of the scholars are of the view that when a person comes he should not sit down until he has prayed two rak’ahs, because the Eid prayer-place is a mosque, based on the fact that menstruating women are not allowed there, so it comes under the same rulings as a mosque, which indicates that it is a mosque. Based on this, it comes under the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “When any one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two rak’ahs.” With regard to the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not offer any prayer before or after the Eid prayer, that is because when he arrived the prayer started.

Thus it is proven that we should pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid (two rak’ahs to “greet the mosque”) when arriving at the Eid prayer-place, as in the case of all mosques, because if we assume from the hadeeth that there is no Tahiyyat al-Masjid for the Eid mosque, then we should say that there is no Tahiyyat al-Masjid for the Jumu’ah mosque either, because when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) arrived at the Jumu’ah mosque he would deliver the khutbah, then pray two rak’ahs then leave and pray the regular Sunnahs of Jumu’ah in his house, so he did not offer any prayer before it or after it (in the mosque).

What seems more likely to be correct in my view is that we should pray two rak’ahs in the Eid prayer-place to greet the mosque, but we should not denounce one another with regard to this issue, because it is a matter concerning which the scholars differ. We should not denounce others with regard to matters where the scholars differ, unless there is a clear text. So we should not denounce the one who prays (Tahiyyat al-Masjid) or the one who sits down without praying.

8 – One of the rulings on the day of Eid – Eid al-Fitr – is that Zakaat al-Fitr is due on this day. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that it should be paid before the Eid prayer. It is permissible to pay it one or two days before that, because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) which was narrated by al-Bukhaari: “They used to give it one or two days before (Eid) al-Fitr.” If it is paid after the Eid prayer, it does not count as Sadaqat al-Fitr, because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas: “Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is Zakaat al-Fitr, and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity.” It is haraam to delay Zakaat al-Fitr until after the Eid prayer. If one delays it with no excuse then it is not acceptable zakaah, but if there is an excuse – such as if a person is traveling and does not have anything to give or anyone to give it to, or he is expecting his family to pay it and they are expecting him to pay it, then in this case he should pay it when it is easy for him to do so, even if that is after the prayer, and there is no sin on him because he has an excuse.

9 – People should greet one another, but that results in haraam actions on the part of many people, such as men entering houses and shaking hands with unveiled women without any mahram being present. Some of these evils are worse than others.

We see some people denouncing those who refuse to shake hands with those who are not their mahrams, but it is they who are the wrongdoers, not he. But he should explain to them and tell them to ask trustworthy scholars to verify his actions and he should tell them not to get angry and insist on following the customs of his forefathers, because they do not make a permissible thing forbidden or a forbidden thing permissible. He should explain to them that if they do that, they will be like those of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And similarly, We sent not a warner before you (O Muhammad) to any town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: “We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps”
[al-Zukhruf 43:23]

Some people have the custom of going out to the graveyard on the day of Eid to greet the occupants of the graves, but the occupants of the graves have no need of any greeting or congratulations, because they do not fast or pray qiyaam.

Visiting the graves is not something to be done especially on the day of Eid or Friday or any particular day. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) visited the graves at night, as mentioned in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah narrated by Muslim. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Visit the graves for they will remind you of the Hereafter.”

Visiting graves is an act of worship, and acts of worship are not acceptable unless they are in accordance with sharee’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not single out the day of Eid for visiting the graves, so we should not do so either.

10 – There is nothing wrong with what men do on the day of Eid of embracing one another.

11 – It is prescribed for the one who goes out to the Eid prayer to go by one route and return by another, following the example of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This Sunnah does not apply to other prayers, Jumu’ah or anything else, it only applies to Eid.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 16/216-223.

When Zakat Al-Fitr Should Be Paid

Praise be to Allaah.

The time for paying zakaat al-fitr does not begin after the Eid prayer, rather it starts after sunset on the last day of Ramadaan, which is the first night of the month of Shawwaal, and it ends with the Eid prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded that it should be paid before the prayer. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is accepted zakaah (i.e., zakaat al-fitr), and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2/262-263, no. 1609; Ibn Maajah, 1/585, no. 1827; al-Daaraqutni, 2/138; al-Haakim, 1/409.

It is permissible to pay it one or two days before that, because of the report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined sadaqat al-fitr in Ramadaan.” According to another report, they used to pay it one or two days before the end of Ramadaan.

Whoever delays it after its time has sinned, and he has to repent for delaying and give it to the poor.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

The Sunnah With Regard To Siwak

Siwak means cleaning the mouth and teeth with a siwak, which is the name given to the tool used. The siwak is a stick or twig used for this purpose. Siwak is a method of cleaning the mouth which also earns the pleasure of Allah, as is proven in the hadith of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'Siwak cleanses the mouth and pleases the Lord.'" (al-Bukhari, Ahmad and al-Nisa'i)

Use of the siwak is repeatedly encouraged, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported that the Prophet said: "Were it not for the fact that I did not want to make things too hard for my Ummah (nation), I would have commanded them to use the siwak at every time of prayer." (al-Bukhari and Muslim). According to another report narrated by al-Bukhari, he said: "…at every time of making wudoo'."

Imam al-Nawawi reported that the respectable scholars were agreed that the use of siwak is sunnah and is encouraged. One of the signs of its importance is the fact that some of the salaf (early generations of Islam), such as Is'haq ibn Rahwayh, thought that it was obligatory.

Times When the Use of Siwak Is Recommended

Siwak is recommended at all times of the night and day because of the general sense of the hadith quoted above from Aishah, "Siwak cleanses the mouth and pleases the Lord." The scholars have also mentioned situations where the use of siwak is even more strongly encouraged. These include: When making wudoo' and at times of prayer as already stated above. Other situations are:

1. When entering one's home to be with one's family: Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did when he first came home. She said: "When he entered his house, the first thing he would do was use the siwak." (Muslim)

2. When getting up from sleep: Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up during the night, he would clean his mouth thoroughly with the siwak. (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

3. When the smell of one's mouth changes: Siwak is cleansing for the mouth, which means that it should definitely be used when the mouth needs cleaning, whether this is because of eating food with a strong odor, or because of not eating or drinking for a long time, etc.

4. When going to the mosque: Using siwak is a part of the adornment that we are commanded to wear for every prayer, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "O Children of Adam! Take your adornment while praying…'" [al-Aa'raf 7:31]. It is also important because the angels are present in the mosque, and one is going to meet with other worshippers there.

5. When reading Qur'an and joining gatherings in which Allah is remembered (dhikr), because the angels are present on such occasions.

Using Siwak When Fasting:

The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) are agreed that there is nothing wrong with using siwak during the day when one is fasting, but they differed with regard to using it after noon, which some of them disliked (regarded as makrooh). The correct view is that it is sunnah for one who is fasting, just as it is for anyone else, because of the general sense of the reports that prove it is sunnah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not make any exceptions or state any specific time, and a statement that is general in nature should continue to be taken as general unless there is evidence to indicate that it is specific in application. The hadith used as evidence to forbid using siwak after noon is attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who is quoted as saying that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "When you fast, use siwak in the morning but do not use it in the afternoon." (al-Daraqutni. This is a weak hadith. Ibn Hajar said: a weak isnad). There is no proof that this can be attributed to the Prophet .

With regard to the use of the hadith "The odor that comes from the mouth of the fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the scent of musk" (al-Bukhari and Muslim) as evidence, this mouth odor will not be dispelled by use of siwak because it is caused by the stomach being empty, and it could occur early in the day if a person has not eaten suhoor.

All the scholars are agreed that it is permissible for a fasting person to use siwak early in the day. This shows that the use of siwak is encouraged even when fasting, and there is no difference between using it early in the day or later on.

What Should Be Used for Siwak (Cleaning the Mouth):

The scholars are agreed that the best thing for cleaning the mouth is the twigs of the Arak tree, because of its good smell, and because it has brush-like fibers which are effective for cleaning food particles etc. from between the teeth, and because of the hadith of Abdullah ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "I used to gather siwak sticks from the Arak tree for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." (Ahmad).

If Arak twigs are not available, the scholars recommended using palm-leaf stalks, or twigs of the olive tree. The ahadith that have been narrated concerning this, however, are not sound. The correct view is that any kind of sticks that are cleansing and not harmful may be used instead of siwak, if it is not available, to clean the mouth and remove dirt from the teeth. This includes modern toothbrushes, which are known to be beneficial in this regard.
Things That May not Be Used for Siwak:

The scholars have stated that it is forbidden to use poisonous sticks, things that are not pure, and anything that may cause bleeding, illness or any other harm.
Attributes of Siwak:
The scholars have described the siwak as a stick of medium length and thickness, no thicker than one's little finger, and free of knots. It should not be so wet that it will twist, because then it will not remove dirt, nor should it be so dry that it will hurt the mouth or crack during use. No doubt this is describing the ideal, otherwise the reports do not specify any particular type of siwak. It is permissible to use any kind of siwak that will do the job.

How to Clean the Mouth with Siwak:

The scholars have differed as to whether siwak should be done with the right hand or the left hand. One group - the majority - think that it is better to use the right hand, because of the general meaning of the hadith narrated by Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) liked to start with the right when putting on his shoes, dismounting (from his camel), when cleaning himself and in all things." (Agreed upon). They also say that siwak is an act of worship and drawing closer to Allah, so it should not be done with the left hand.

Other scholars say that it is better to use the left hand for siwak, because it comes under the heading of removing dirt. This is the well-known opinion of Imam Ahmad's madhhab, and it is the view favored by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him).

Some scholars have said that when a person is using siwak with the intention of following the sunnah, he should use his right hand, and if he is doing it to remove dirt, he should use his left hand. The fact of the matter is that this issue is open, as there is no definitive proof or report, and every opinion has a valid point.

The scholars suggested that when using siwak, a person should start on the right, and use a side-to-side motion rather than up-and-down, as the latter may harm the gums.

Among the etiquette of using siwak, they mentioned the following: That a person should not use the siwak in front of others or in public, because this is impolite and that the siwak should be washed after use, to get rid of any dirt that may be on it. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to use siwak, then he would give it to me to wash it. I would use it first, then wash it and give it back to him." (Abu Dawood). The siwak should be kept in a clean place.

Using One's Fingers to Clean One's Mouth:

The scholars differ as to whether it is acceptable to use one's fingers to clean one's mouth when there is nothing else available. The correct view is that using the fingers cannot be considered as a substitute for the sunnah action, because there is no basis in Islam for doing so, and this method does not clean the mouth as a siwak or similar instrument does.

Modern methods of cleaning the teeth, like toothbrushes and so on, that remove dirt and make the mouth smell good, are acceptable.

There is nothing wrong with using siwak that is flavored with mint, lemon and so on, so long as they do not cause any harm. But a person who is fasting should avoid using any flavored siwak, and should only use natural siwak when he is fasting.

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