Eid mornings tend to be chaotic. Someone can't find their good shoes, the baby needs changing again, and there's a pan of something on the stove that can't be left. It's worth knowing that tucked inside that ordinary rush are a handful of small acts of worship, each one taken from the way the Prophet ﷺ spent his own Eid.
None of them are hard. Most take a minute or two. Here they are in the order you'll meet them.
The night before: start the takbir
The moment the crescent is announced, or Ramadan completes thirty days, the takbir of Eid begins. Many scholars link it to the end of the fasting verses, where Allah tells the believers to "complete the number of days and glorify Allah for having guided you" (Qur'an 2:185, meaning).
A wording you'll hear in most mosques:
اللهُ أكبر، اللهُ أكبر، لا إله إلا الله، واللهُ أكبر، اللهُ أكبر، ولله الحمد
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. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and all praise belongs to Allah."
Men say it aloud, at home, in the street and on the way to the prayer. Women say it more quietly. It carries on until the imam starts the prayer. It's also worth giving that last night some time for prayer and dua, since it closes the month.
A bath and your best clothes
It's recommended to take a full bath, a ghusl, on Eid morning. Imam Malik recorded in al-Muwatta that Abdullah ibn Umar used to bathe on the day of al-Fitr before going out to the prayer ground.
Then put on the best clothes you have. They don't have to be new, and they certainly don't have to be expensive, just clean and the nicest you own. Umar ibn al-Khattab once offered the Prophet ﷺ a fine garment to "adorn yourself with for Eid and for meeting delegations" (Sahih al-Bukhari 948), which tells us that dressing up for Eid was already a normal thing to do. Men can wear perfume too.
Dressing well and dressing modestly go together. Eid doesn't change that.
Eat something before you leave
This is the one people forget after a month of fasting. On Eid al-Fitr the Sunnah is to eat before the prayer, not after it. Anas ibn Malik reported:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates, and he would eat an odd number of them."Sahih al-Bukhari 953 (meaning)
Three dates, five, seven, whatever you like. The point is to show that the fast is over and this is a day for eating. If there are no dates in the house, anything lawful will do. (Eid al-Adha is the opposite, by the way: there the Sunnah is to wait and eat after the prayer.)
The prayer itself
The Eid prayer is held in the morning, any time from shortly after sunrise until just before midday. The Prophet ﷺ usually prayed it outdoors in an open prayer ground, the musalla, and plenty of communities still do: parks, playing fields, even large car parks.
Everyone is encouraged to come, including women and children. Umm Atiyyah reported that the Prophet ﷺ told even young women and those who usually stayed at home to come out and "witness the good and the gathering of the believers" (Sahih al-Bukhari 324). Women who are menstruating come for the gathering and the dua but don't pray.
There's no adhan or iqamah for it (Sahih Muslim 885). It's two rak'ahs with extra takbirs at the start of each, followed by a sermon. Our step-by-step guide to the Eid prayer covers exactly how it goes, including the difference between the schools.
Take a different road home
Jabir ibn Abdillah noticed that on Eid the Prophet ﷺ would go to the prayer one way and come back another (Sahih al-Bukhari 986). Scholars have suggested several reasons: greeting more people, spreading the happiness of the day through more streets, letting more of the earth witness the worship. Whatever the wisdom, it's an easy Sunnah to follow. Walking is better where you can manage it.
The rest of the day
After the prayer, the day opens up. Some things worth holding on to:
- Greet people. The Companions said Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum, "may Allah accept from us and from you". "Eid Mubarak" is fine too.
- Visit family, especially parents and older relatives. If you can't visit, call.
- If there's someone you've fallen out with, Eid is a good excuse to break the ice.
- Make the day memorable for children, with gifts, Eidi and time with you. We have a few ideas here.
- Think of people on their own: a neighbour who lives alone, a student far from home, a new family at the mosque.
- Keep the five daily prayers on time. It's easy to let Dhuhr slip in the middle of a busy family lunch.
Celebration in Islam is generous. Enjoy the food, the company and the rest. It just stays clear of anything Allah has prohibited, which, with a full table and a house full of family, is rarely difficult.
What's here reflects widely accepted positions. The details of the Eid prayer differ a little between schools, so follow your local imam and ask a scholar if you're unsure.