Aid Al Fitr prayer or Salat el aid is a special prayer that commemorates the end of Ramadan on the day of Aid Al Fitr. Muslims around the world perform this prayer once a year, and the method is different from daily prayers.
Eid Al Fitr prayer consists of two rak’ahs (units of prayer). It is part of the sunnah that this prayer is offered in an open space, such as a large field, rather than in a mosque.
The Aid El Fitr prayer can be a bit confusing, since it is only done twice a year and you have to refresh your memory! So we have prepared an easy guide to help you pray the Eid prayer. Follow the steps below for Eid al-Fitr (based on the Hanafi and Maliki school of thought).
Before starting the Eid Al Fitr prayer
- Before going to the Eid prayer, it is the sunnah to do the ghusl and put on your best clothes. Eid is a holiday, after all!
- It is also sunnah to recite takbir after leaving your house while on your way to the Eid prayer. It is: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. La ilaaha illa-llah, wa-llaahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa li-llaahil hamd.
- There are no nafl (voluntary) prayers offered before or after the Eid prayer. Ibn Abbas (ra) said: “The Prophet (saw) went out to the place of prayer on the day of Fitr and prayed two raka’ah of the Eid prayer, without praying before or after them”. [Bukhari]
- As with other prayers, remember to make your niyah (intention) before you begin. This intention must be present in the heart. However, if you also wish to verbalize it, you can do so as follows: “I intend to pray two raka’ah of the Eid al-Fitr/Eid al-Adha prayer for Allah facing the Ka ‘bah” .
When to pray the Eid prayer?
The first day of the tenth Islamic lunar month, Shawwal, is Eid Al-Fitr. It marks the end of Ramadan, and it is a day of celebration and giving thanks to God. Most Muslims celebrate Eid for at least three days.
What time to pray aid el fitr?
The correct time to pray Salat Eid El Fitr begins 15 minutes after sunrise and lasts until 10-15 minutes before Dhuhr (noon).
Aid ul fitr 2022
Aid El Fitr 2022 will be the 1st or the 2nd of May 2022.
When did we pray Salat Al Aid for the first time?
The first aid prayer that our Beloved Prophet Salla LAHOU alayhi wa sallem prayed was the aid el fitr prayer in the year 2 of the Hegira.
How to pray Eid al-Fitr? Salat el aid
The First Rakaa
- Now begin your prayer by raising your hands up to your earlobes for men, and up to your shoulders for women, while saying the takbir: Allahu Akbar.
- Recite your opening supplication: SubhanaK-Allahumma wa bihamdiKa, wa tabaarak-asmuKa, wa ta-‘aala jadduKa, wa la ilaaha illa ghayruK. It means: O Allah, glory and praise are Yours, and blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your Majesty and there is no god but You.
- Now comes the main thing that differentiates the Eid prayer from other prayers! The imam will now recite several takbirs to begin the prayer. For each takbir, raise your hands up to your ears/shoulders then drop them to your sides.
- In the first rak’aa of the prayer, the prophet pronounced the formula Allahou akbar to mark his entry into prayer. Then he repeated the same formula six or seven times according to the hadith of Aîcha which says: the takbirs in the prayers of Fitr and al Adha are repeated seven times. In the second rak’aa, he repeated the formula five times + the two takbir of genuflection. (Reported by Abu Dawood and deemed authentic by al-Albani).
- Now that the takbirs are over, the Imam will recite surah al-Fatihah followed by another surah.
- The rest of the rakaa will be prayed in the same way as your normal obligatory prayers. If you are a beginner, please see our article on how to perform Salat.
The second rak’ah of the Eid Al Fitr prayer
- In the second rak’ah, the Imam will recite Surah al-Fatihah followed by another Surah.
- After this recitation of the Quran, the Imam will recite several takbirs again! Remember, for each takbir, raise your hands to your ears/shoulders and drop them to your side. A Hanafi Imam will recite three takbirs, but other Imams will be different, so be careful.
- When the takbirs are finished, descend into a bowed position (roukou).
- The rest of the rak’ah will be the same as your normal obligatory prayers.
- After the prayer, the Imam will address the faithful in a khoutbah (sermon). This can last around 10 to 30 minutes, during which the imam will address important Islamic issues. It is essential that you listen to the sermon.
- After finishing the prayer of Eid Al-Fitr
One more thing – take a different route home after praying. The two routes you take will testify that you attended this prayer on the Day of Judgment. Abu Huraira narrates that when the Messenger (saw) would go for Eid (prayer), he would return by taking a different path from the one he used to come. [Ibn Majah]
Additional remarks
There are just a few other things you need to know for every Eid prayer.
Here are some things to note about Salt Aid al-Fitr:
- It is Sunnah to eat something before prayer, usually something sweet like dates. ‘The Messenger (saw) would not leave for Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten…’ [Ahmad]
- You must pay your Zakat al-Fitr before the prayer, so that the poor can be fed on the day of Eid.
Prayer aid el fitr obligatory?
The salat of the feast of breaking the fast, called in Arabic Eid al fitr, is indeed a practice falling under the strongly recommended sunnah (muakada) and must be performed by all those required to perform the salat on Friday.
How to pray aid al fitr at home?
Although this prayer is usually done in congregation under the direction of an imam, Muslim scholars have deemed it permissible to perform the Eid prayer at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Offering Eid prayer at home is exactly the same as offering Eid prayer at the mosque. However, the only difference is that at home there will be no Eid sermon (khutbah).
Here are some clear and simple instructions on how to perform the Eid prayer at home this year.
To start your Eid prayer
First you need to set your intentions for the two rakats and all your takbirs, the recitation of “Allahu Akbar”, which make up the Eid prayer. Then you can enter the first rakaa.
For the first rakaa
You should start it by reciting the takbir with your hands raised and then continue to recite your takbir six more times, raising your hands each time you say “Allahu Akbar”. The next part of the first rakaa is to recite surah al-Fatiha aloud and with passion, followed by another surah of your choice. To complete this rakaa, you must say takbir once more while entering the rukou and completing your prayer as you normally would.
For the second rakaa
Begin by reciting the takbir again, then continue reciting the takbir five more times after that. Once you have completed your takbirs, you can then start reciting surah al-Fatiha and follow that with another surah, a good one to continue is surah al-Qaf or al-Qamar! To complete the second raka, say takbir in roukou and finish your Eid prayer.
There you have it, your Eid prayer! You can now go to Eid with confidence knowing how to perform the Eid prayer at home, showing your appreciation for Allah by performing this prayer meticulously.
Finally, we hope that you have found this little guide on the prayer of Aid El Fitr useful. You can read more about the blessed day of Eid al-Adha in our site.