Friday | 19 April 2024 | 10 Shawaal 1445

Fatwa Answer

Question ID: 1076 Category: Worship
Question about validity of Salat ul Eid

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah
Dear respected scholars of Shariah Board,

I would like to ask a question about the Eid Prayer (Eid Namaz). To my understanding, the Eid Prayer is considered Sunnat Al Muakadah by all Schools of Jurisprudence in Islam with the exception of Hanafi. Therefore, for Hanbali, Maliki, and Shafa'ii followers, not only can they pray the Salat ul Eid at home if the Eid Gah is not reachable or if the Jama'ah is missed, they may even do so individually instead of with Jama'ah.

In connection with this, my question as three parts, as follows:

1. Does the Hanafi school of thought, considering that Salat ul Eid has the weight of a Waajib Salat, make it a binding pre-condition to pray the Eid prayer in Eid Gah, with the wider community as a congregation, for it to be VALID in the Hanafi Maslak? Meaning that if the condition is not fulfilled, observing Eid Namaz would be invalid and futile, the same as if a person intended to pray Zuhr on a normal day but without making Wudu or facing the Qiblah.

2. If the answer to 1. above is in the affirmative, is the implication that Hanafi followers may NOT pray Salat al Eid at home? This is with the assumption that all Masaajid are still closed on the Day of Eid, thus Eid Gah would not be accessible.

3. If both 1. and 2. above are answered in the affirmative, is it recommendable that each person or each family within their home do an alternative 'Ibaadah to commemorate the Eid day? E.g. praying 2 Raka'ah Nafl and making Du'aa

Jazak Allah Khairan for your consideration.

الجواب وباللہ التوفیق

  1. We suggest you consult religious scholars of other schools of jurisprudence regarding their specific rulings.
  2. Eid prayer is “wajib” according to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.
  3. Praying Eid in an “Eid Gah” is “sunnah”. However, being observant of the conditions, the Eid salat can be performed in a mosque or at other suitable places.
  4. Due to the constraints of lockdown, it is allowed for a group of people to pray Eid at home but also with an open invitation for others to pray Eid at your place.
  5. There is no “Qadha” for a missed Eid prayer, however two or four “rakaats” of “Chasht” can be prayed instead.

واما الخطبۃ فلیست بشرط لانہا تودی بعد الصلاۃ وشرط الشیء یکون سابقا علیہ او مقارنا لہ ،والدلیل علی انہا تودیٰ بعد الصلاۃ ما روی عن ابن عمر صلیت خلف رسول اللہ وخلف ابی بکر و عمر وکانوا یبدون بالصلاۃ قبل الخطبۃ ،۔۔۔(بدائع :۱/ ۶۱۶

ویشترط للعید ما یشترط للجمعۃ الا الخطبۃ فانہا سنۃ بعد الصلاۃ وتجوز الصلاۃ بدونہا (ہندیہ : ۱/ ۱۵۰ 

فقط واللہ اعلم بالصواب