How to Pray Eid Salah: Takbirs, Steps and Sunnahs (Hanafi)

The Eid prayer

The Eid prayer is offered on the morning of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha: two rak‘at in congregation with six extra takbirs, followed by the khutbah (Method of Eid Salah, pp. 3–4).

This guide follows the Hanafi method as taught in Dawat-e-Islami’s books, such as Method of Salah and Bahar-e-Shariat.

How to pray the Eid prayer

1. Intention and first takbirIntend the Eid prayer behind the imam, say Allahu Akbar, fold your hands and recite the thana.
2. Three extra takbirsSay Allahu Akbar three times, raising your hands each time. Drop the hands after the first two and fold them after the third.
3. RecitationThe imam recites Al-Fatihah and a surah; then ruku and sujood as normal.
4. Second rak‘ahAfter the recitation, say three extra takbirs, raising your hands and dropping them each time.
5. Fourth takbir into rukuSay a fourth takbir without raising the hands and go into ruku, then finish the prayer as normal.
6. Listen to the khutbahStay for the khutbah after the prayer.

Method of Eid Salah (Dawat-e-Islami), pp. 3–4; Radd al-Muhtar and Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 1, p. 781.

Sunnahs of Eid day

• Ghusl, miswak, your best clothes and perfume.
• Eid al-Fitr: eat an odd number of dates before going (Sahih al-Bukhari 953).
• Eid al-Adha: not eating before the prayer is mustahab (Method of Eid Salah, p. 10).
• Walk to the Eidgah (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 530; Imam Tirmidhi: hasan) and return by a different route (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 541).
• Pay sadaqat al-fitr before the Eid al-Fitr prayer.
• Say the takbir on the way: quietly for Eid al-Fitr and aloud for Eid al-Adha.

Method of Eid Salah (Dawat-e-Islami), pp. 8–10; Bahar-e-Shariat, vol. 1, pp. 779–781; Fatawa ‘Alamgiri.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Method of Eid Salah (Hanafi), Dawat-e-Islami (Maktaba-tul-Madinah), English edition: status, p. 4; method, pp. 3–4; sunnahs, pp. 8–10.
2. Bahar-e-Shariat, Mufti Amjad Ali A‘zami, vol. 1, pp. 779–781; Radd al-Muhtar and Fatawa ‘Alamgiri (as cited in Method of Eid Salah).
3. Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 953; Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 530 and 541.