Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Offering Eid namaz and listening Khutba is sunnath or waajib? One of my friend told that it is sunnath according to Shaafi Madhab and waajib according to Hanifi Madhab.

Jazak Allah Khair

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Eid prayer fard kifaayah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.147

The prayers of the two Eids was prescribed in the first year after the migration. The Messenger of Allah (saws) ordered the (believing) men and women to go out to attend them.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.148a

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided women and children to go out and attend the two Eid prayers. This includes married, single, young, old, or menstruating women.

Umm 'Atiyah reports: "We were ordered to go out with the single and menstruating women to the two Eids in order to witness the good and the supplications of the Muslims. The menstruating women would be separate from the others."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

The scholars of all the schools of thought in Islam are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that attending the prayer and sermon of the two Eids (Fitr and Adha) are ‘fard’ or obligatory for the believers.

The ‘fard’ or obligatory duties can be divided into two broad categories in Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence):

1. Fard-Ayn: Obligatory duties which each individual must do so oneself (prayer, fasting, being dutiful to one’s parents, etc.)….no person can fulfill these obligatory duties for another.
2. Fard-Kifaayah: Duties which are obligatory, but each individual is not required to do so oneself….if a section of the believing Ummah fulfill this obligatory duty, it would suffice for the Ummah; but if no one in the Ummah fulfills this obligation, the whole Ummah will bear the sin. Examples of ‘Fard-Kifaayah’ would be the burial of a believer, the gaining of worldly knowledge, optional ‘Jihaad’ in the Cause of Allah, etc.

The prayers of the two Eids are considered ‘Fard-Kifaayah’ in Islamic Jurisprudence….if a section of the believing community or Ummah perform these prayers, it would suffice for the whole community; but if none amongst the believers perform these prayers, the whole community would share in the sin.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan