How to pray the Eid prayer, step by step
The full method of the Eid prayer in order, from the intention and the extra takbirs to the two sermons that follow it.
Here is how to pray the Eid prayer, one step at a time. It is prayed behind an imam, in a group.
How to pray Eid
- Make the intention in your heart: "I intend to pray the two rakats of Eid al-Fitr with six takbirs for the sake of Allah."For Eid al-Adha, say Eid al-Adha instead.
- The imam makes his own intention to lead, and everyone behind him intends to follow him.
- Say the opening takbir ("Allahu Akbar"), raise your hands to your ears, then fold them, and say the opening dua (Thana) quietly.
- Say "Allahu Akbar" again, raising your hands to your ears, then let them fall to your sides. Stay quiet and still for a moment, saying "Subhan Allah" to yourself three times.
- Say "Allahu Akbar" again the same way, raise your hands, let them fall, and pause again.
- Say "Allahu Akbar" a third time. This time, keep your hands folded afterwards, ready to listen to the recitation.
- The imam recites Surah al-Fatiha and another surah out loud. Then bow (ruku) and prostrate (sujood) as usual, and stand up for the second rakat.
- In the second rakat, after the recitation, say "Allahu Akbar" three more times, raising your hands each time and letting them fall. After the third one, do not fold your hands.
- Say "Allahu Akbar" a fourth time and go straight into ruku. Finish the rest of the prayer as normal.
- After the prayer, sit and listen quietly while the imam gives two short talks (khutbahs).
The six extra takbirs of the Eid prayer are necessary (wajib): three in the first rakat before the recitation and three in the second rakat after it, raising your hands each time. The prayer comes first, and the two sermons come after it.
123456After Surah al-Fatiha the imam reads another surah out loud. It is the Prophet's ﷺ way to read Sabbih (Surah al-A'la) in the first rakat and Hal ataka (Surah al-Ghashiyah) in the second, or Surah al-Jumu'ah and Surah al-Munafiqun.
1اللہ اکبر
Allāhu akbar
Allah is the greatest.
سبحان اللہ
Subḥān Allāh
Glory be to Allah.
Eid al-Adha is prayed in exactly the same way as Eid al-Fitr; only the intention changes. The one difference in the sunnah of the day is that on Eid al-Fitr you eat before going to the prayer, and on Eid al-Adha you do not eat until after it.
1The Eid prayer is prayed in congregation, behind an imam. The procedure is as follows.
The method of the Eid prayer
- Make the intention: "I intend to pray the two rakats of Eid al-Fitr with six takbirs for the sake of Allah the Almighty" (for Eid al-Adha, the intention names Eid al-Adha instead).
- The imam makes the intention to lead the prayer, and the followers intend to pray behind the imam.
- Begin with the takbirat al-tahrima, raising both hands, and recite the thana (the opening praise of Allah).
- Both imam and followers say "Allahu Akbar" a second time, raising the hands up to the ears and then letting them drop. After dropping the hands, pause for a moment, reciting "Subhan Allah" silently three times; no other dhikr or recitation is said during this pause.
- Say "Allahu Akbar" a third time, again raising the hands to the ears, and pause once more.
- On this third takbir, raise the hands again but this time keep them folded as usual, since a recitation is now due.
- The imam recites the isti'adhah and basmalah, then Surah al-Fatiha and another surah, aloud.
- Complete the rest of the rakat as normal, ruku and the two sajdahs, then rise for the second rakat.
- After completing the recitation in the second rakat, both imam and followers raise their hands for three more takbirs, without folding the hands again after the third.
- Go directly into a fourth takbir and then into ruku; this fourth takbir (the takbir for ruku) is itself obligatory in the Eid prayer. Complete the prayer as usual.
- After the prayer, the imam delivers two khutbahs, and the congregation listens in silence, unlike Friday, the imam does not sit down again after standing up for the sermon.
The six additional takbirs of the Eid prayer are wajib: three in the first rakat after the thana and before the recitation, and three in the second rakat after the recitation, the hands being raised at each, with the takbir for ruku in the second rakat also wajib. The prayer is offered before the two khutbahs, without adhan or iqamah.
123456اللہ اکبر
Allāhu akbar
Allah is the greatest.
سبحان اللہ
Subḥān Allāh
Glory be to Allah.
| Rakat | Comes after | Hands |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | The opening takbir and thana, before the recitation (three takbirs) | Raised then dropped on the 1st and 2nd; raised and kept folded on the 3rd |
| 2nd | The recitation, before ruku (three takbirs) | Raised then dropped on all three; not folded again after the 3rd |
It is sunnah to recite Surah al-Jumu'ah in the first rakat and Surah al-Munafiqun in the second, or Surah al-A'la (Sabbih isma) in the first and Surah al-Ghashiyah (Hal ataka) in the second, as the Prophet ﷺ recited in the two Eids.
1Eid al-Adha is prayed by the same method as Eid al-Fitr, only the intention differing, and every recommended practice of Eid al-Fitr applies to it, except that the sunnah is to eat before the prayer on Eid al-Fitr and not to eat until after the prayer on Eid al-Adha.
1The ʿīd ṣalāh is prayed only in congregation. Its method, in the order transmitted, is as follows.
The method of the Eid prayer, in full
- The niyyah: "I intend to pray the two rakats of Eid al-Fitr with six takbirs for the sake of Allah the Almighty", substituting Eid al-Adha where that is the occasion.
- The imam forms the intention to lead; the muqtadīs form the intention to follow him.
- Takbīrat al-taḥrīmah, with both hands raised, followed by the thanāʾ.
- A second takbīr, hands raised to the ears then dropped; a brief pause follows in which nothing but sirran-recited Subḥān Allāh, three times, is said; no other dhikr or supplication.
- A third takbīr, raised and dropped the same way, and a further pause.
- A fourth position, described in the source as "the third takbīr" counting only the zāʾid ones, on which the hands are raised and, this time, folded as before a recitation, since the qirāʾah now follows: the rule given is that the hands are folded after any takbīr that is followed by a recitation, and left open after one that is not.
- The imam recites the istiʿādhah and basmalah, then al-Fātiḥah and a sūrah, aloud, and the rakat is completed with rukūʿ and the two sajdahs as usual.
- In the second rakat, after the qirāʾah, three further takbirs are said by imam and muqtadīs alike, hands raised and dropped each time; the hands are not folded again after the third.
- A further takbīr, the takbīr for rukūʿ, follows directly, and rukūʿ is entered on it; this takbīr is itself wājib in the ʿīd ṣalāh (unlike in the ordinary prayers, where it is sunnah). The rest of the rakat proceeds as usual, concluding with the tashahhud and salām.
- After the salām, the imam delivers two khutbahs, which the congregation hears in silence; unlike the Friday khuṭbah, the imam does not sit again after rising to deliver it, since ʿīd has no adhān to have been sitting through.
The six za'id takbirs of the Eid prayer are wajib: three in the first rakat after the thana' and before the qira'ah, and three in the second after the qira'ah, the hands raised at each, with the takbir for ruku' in the second rakat itself wajib. The prayer precedes the two khutbahs and has no adhan or iqamah.
123456اللہ اکبر
Allāhu akbar
Allah is the greatest.
سبحان اللہ
Subḥān Allāh
Glory be to Allah.
The recitation of al-Jumu'ah in the first rakat and al-Munafiqun in the second is mustahabb, and Sabbih isma Rabbika al-A'la with Hal ataka hadith al-ghashiyah is the second transmitted sunnah, being what the Prophet ﷺ recited in the two Eids and in Jumu'ah.
1| Rakat | Takbir | Hands |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2nd (of the extra three) | Raised to the ears, then dropped; pause with silent Subḥān Allāh ×3 |
| 1 | 3rd (of the extra three) | Raised to the ears, then dropped; a further pause |
| 1 | 4th position, before qirāʾah | Raised and folded, since a recitation follows |
| 2 | 3 extra takbirs, after qirāʾah | Raised then dropped each time; not folded again after the last |
| 2 | Takbīr for rukūʿ (wājib) | Directly into rukūʿ |
Eid al-Adha follows the identical method, the niyyah alone differing, and every mustahabb of Eid al-Fitr transfers to it, except the sunnah of eating: before the prayer on Eid al-Fitr, and only after it on Eid al-Adha, as the Prophet ﷺ practised.
1This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 1,196 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Eid Prayers 7. Method of Performing Eid Prayers
The procedure for Eid prayer is as follows:
(1) First, make the intention for the Eid prayer: "I intend to pray the two rak'ahs of Eid al-Fitr with six Takbeers for the sake of Allah the Almighty."
(2) The imam makes the intention for leading the prayer, and the followers intend to pray behind the imam.
(3) Begin with the takbeer (Takbeer al-Tahrima), raise both hands, and recite Thana (praise of Allah).
(4) Both the imam and the followers say "اللہ اکبر" and raise their hands up to their ears, then let them drop.
(5) After dropping the hands, pause for a moment [During this pause, no Dhikr or other prayers should be said, one should remain silent.], reciting "سبحان اللہ" three times.
(6) Say "اللہ اکبر" again, raising the hands to the ears [Like how the hands are raised in the Takbir al-Tahreemah.], and pause again.
On the third takbeer, raise the hands again and keep them raised, tying the hands as usual [Meaning, when a recitation is required after the Takbir, such as in Takbir al-Tahreemah, one should fold the hands. However, when no recitation is required, such as in the Takbir during Eid, one should leave their hands open.].
(7) The imam then recites اعوذ باللہand بسم اللہbefore reciting Surah Al-Fatiha and another surah aloud.
(8) Complete the rest of the prayer following the regular procedure, with rukoo and sujood, and then begin the second rak'ah.
(9) After finishing the recitation in the second rak'ah, both the imam and the followers raise their hands again for three takbeers, without tying their hands after the third takbeer [With the initial Takbir, the six Takbirs of Eid are completed, three after the opening Takbir in the first Rak'ah, and three after the recitation in the second Rak'ah.].
(10) After these takbeers, proceed directly to the fourth takbeer [The fourth Takbir is mandatory in this Eid prayer.] and go into the ruku. Complete the prayer as usual.
(11) After the prayer, the imam delivers two khutbahs (sermons), and the congregation listens silently [Upon standing, the sermon should not begin immediately, unlike Friday when one should sit after standing for the sermon.].
(Note):
(1) The procedure for Eid al-Adha is the same, but the intention should be for Eid al-Adha instead of Eid al-Fitr.(2) All the practices that are recommended for Eid al-Fitr also apply to Eid al-Adha, with the difference that on Eid al-Fitr, it is recommended to eat something before heading to the Eid ground, whereas on Eid al-Adha, it is recommended to eat after returning from the prayer.
Rulings of Eid Prayers 8. Rules Regarding Eid Prayers
(1) It is recommended to recite Surah Al-Jumu'ah in the first rak'ah and Surah Al-Munafiqoon in the second rak'ah, or alternatively [In one narration, it is recommended to recite Surah Qomar in the first Rak'ah and Surah Iqtarabat as-Saa'ah in the second Rak'ah.], reciteسبح اسم in the first rak'ah and ھل اَتٰکin the second.(2) The Takbeer al-Tahrima ("اللہ اکبر") is obligatory. If anything other than " اللہ اکبر " is said (like " اللہ اکبر " or " اللہ اعظم "), it will be invalid, and the person must perform a Sujood as-Sahw (prostration for forgetfulness) [Unlike other prayers, where Saying “Allah Akbar” after a mistake in prostration is not necessary.].(3) In Eid prayers, there are six takbeers in total, and the takbeer for ruku in the second rak'ah is also obligatory. If any takbeer is forgotten by mistake, Sujood as-Sahw will be necessary.(4) The takbeers should be pronounced loudly by the imam in Eid prayers [The follower should say "Ameen" quietly.].(5) Both the imam and the followers should raise their hands for each takbeer [Like how one raises hands in Takbir al-Tahreemah.]. If the imam does not raise his hands, the followers should still raise their hands [Then one should leave their hands open.].(6) If the imam forgets a takbeer, the followers should not raise their hands and should follow the imam’s lead [There are five things in which it is necessary to follow the Imam: first, the first sitting (Qada'a), second, reciting Qunoot, third, reciting Sujood al-Tilawah, fourth, the prostration for mistakes (Sujood al-Sahw), fifth, the Takbirs of Eid. If the Imam performs these, the follower should also do the same, and if the Imam forgets, the follower should also leave it out.].(7) If the imam adds more takbeers than necessary, the followers should continue following him until 13 takbeers [If they hear the Imam's voice; otherwise, they should follow the Takbir of the Muqaddim (one who makes the call).], after which they should not follow [There are four things where one should not follow the Imam: first, adding an extra unit to the prayer (e.g., two bowings or three prostrations), second, standing up for the fifth Rak'ah, third, adding extra Takbirs during the funeral prayer, fourth, adding extra Takbirs during the Eid prayers. If the Imam forgets, the follower should still not perform them.].(8) If the imam is from the Hanafi school and the followers are Shafi’i, or vice versa, the followers should follow the imam in the order of takbeers and raising of hands.(9) If the imam forgets a takbeer in the first rak'ah and starts reciting after reading Surah Al-Fatiha, he should stop and recite the takbeer before starting the recitation again. If he is reciting another surah, the takbeer should be said after finishing the recitation.(10) If the imam forgets a takbeer in the second rak'ah and remembers while in ruku, he should recite it in ruku and should not return to the standing position.(11) If a mistake is made during the Eid prayer, Sujood as-Sahw should not be done to avoid causing confusion among the people [In the Eid prayers (and Friday prayers), because there is a large congregation, the possibility of confusion arises, so Sujood al-Sahw should not be done in such gatherings.].(12) If someone joins the prayer after the imam has started, he should make the intention and say the takbeers before joining the prayer, even if the imam has already started reciting.(13) If someone joins when the imam is in ruku, he should say the takbeers and join the ruku. If the imam is about to lift his head from ruku before the takbeers are finished, the person should go directly to the ruku and perform the takbeers there without raising his hands.(14) If someone joins in the second rak'ah, they should wait until the imam finishes the prayer and then complete their missed rak'ahs.(15) If someone finds the imam in the tashahhud, they should follow the imam's actions accordingly [Even though this is a part of Sujood al-Sahw.], Saying the takbeers before the recitation in the first rak'ah and after recitation in the second rak'ah.(16) If a person misses the Eid prayer entirely, they cannot perform it alone. However, if they find others who missed it [Meaning, after everyone else has completed the prayer, only then should one offer prayers; not before.], they can pray together.(17) If a person’s Eid prayer is invalid for any reason [For example, if one realizes after the prayer that they did not have wudu.], they cannot make it up individually but should join with others for a replacement prayer.
Terms on this page
Related
- The units of prayer (rakats) and the extra takbirs of the Eid prayer The Eid prayer is two units (rakats) with three extra, necessary (wajib) takbirs in each, six in total, plus a necessary takbir for the bowing (ruku) in the second unit.
- Mistakes, forgetfulness and joining late in the Eid prayer What to do if one of the extra takbirs (saying Allahu Akbar) is said wrongly, forgotten or added to, and how to join the Eid prayer after the imam has already started.
- How to pray the funeral prayer, with the words to say The four takbirs of the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) in order, and the exact Arabic, transliteration and translation of the praise (thana), salutations (durood) and supplications (duas) said at each.
- The method of offering the Friday sermon and prayer The units (rak'ahs) of the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) in order, the intention to use, who may lead, and step by step how the imam moves from the sermon into the prayer.