Eid al-fitr

Eid al-Fitr is a day of celebration which takes place after the end of the Month of Ramadan. It thus occurs on the 1st day Shawwal. Shawwal is the 10th month of the Islamic calender. Ramadan is a month in which Muslims fast for the whole month and it is forbiden to fast on Eid al fitr.

Allah says concerning the month of Ramadan:

“(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbeer (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most Great)] for having guided you” [al-Baqarah 2:185]

Eid al-Fitr lasts for one day

A Muslim must give a charity called Zakaat al-Fitr to a poor person before the Eid al Fitr prayer.

Zakat al-fitr becomes obligatory when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan, and must be paid before the ‘Eid prayer . It is permissible to pay it two or three days before that, if need be. We can not simply put the money in a charity box but rather the food must be must be handed to a poor person. So if a person is not likely to be able to give the Zakaat al-Fitr food to a poor person themselves they should give money to a charity a few days in advance so that they can buy the food and then distribute it to the poor before the Eid prayer. Learn more about Zakaat Al-Fitr

The time to recite Takbir during the night of Eid from sunset on the last day of Ramadan until the Imam comes to lead the prayer. The format of the Takbir is as follows:

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha ill-Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa Lillahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is none worthy of worship except Allah, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, and all praise be to Allah).

Or you can say:

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha ill-Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa Lillahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is none worthy of worship except Allah, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great , Allah is Most Great, and all praise be to Allah).

Both are permissible.

Men should raise their voices reciting this Dhikr in the marketplaces, mosques and homes, but women should not raise their voices.

Eat an odd number of dates

You should eat an odd number of dates before leaving for the Eid al fitr prayer,

Anas ibn Maalik wh said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates… and he would eat an odd number.” (al-Bukhari, 953) ,

Perform Ghusl and Wear your Best cloths

You should wear your best clothes – this is for men. With regard to women they they should not wear beautiful clothes when they go out to the `Eid prayer-place, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Let them go out looking decent” i.e., in regular clothes that are not fancy. It is prohibited for them to go out wearing perfume and makeup. When they are inside their homes amongst women and mahrems they can obviously wear their best cloths and makeup.

A man asked ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) about bathing and he said: Bathe every day if you wish. He said: No, (I mean) bathing in the sense of ghusl (as an act of worship). He said: (Do ghusl) on Fridays, the day of ‘Arafah, the Day of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) and the day of al-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr). 

Narrated by ash-Shaafa‘i in his Musnad (p. 385); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (1/176). 

Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would vary his route, i.e., he would go via one route and come back via a different route.Al-Bukhaari (986)

Praying the Eid prayer

All Muslims both male and female should pray the Eid prayer. Women who can not pray due to menstration etc should go and watch their fellow Muslims praying the Eid prayer.

Hafsah said: “We used to prevent prepubescent girls from attending Eid prayers. Then a woman came and stayed at the fort of Banu Khalaf, and told us about her sister. Her sister’s husband had taken part in twelve campaigns with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and [she said], ‘my sister was with him on six of them. She said, “We used to treat the wounded and take care of the sick. My sister asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whether there was anything wrong with her not going out [on Eid] if she did not have a jilbaab. He said, ‘Let her friend give her one of her jilbaabs so that she may witness the blessings of Eid and see the Muslims gathering.’”’ When Um ‘Atiyah came, I asked her, ‘Did you hear the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [say this]?’ She said, ‘May my father be sacrificed for him’ – and she never mentioned him without saying ‘may my father be sacrificed for him’ – ‘I heard him saying that we should bring out the young girls and those who were secluded, or the young girls who were secluded, and the menstruating women, so that they could witness the blessings of Eid and see the gathering of the believers, but those who were menstruating were to keep away from the prayer-place itself.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari, 324).

• Eid Prayer
• women attending Eid prayer
• Etiquettes of Eid

Congratulating one another

This may be done in any permissible wording, the best of which is: “Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum (May Allah accept it from us and from you),” because this is what is narrated from the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them). 

It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: When the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) met one another on the day of Eid, they would say to one another: “Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum (May Allah accept it from us and from you).”

al-Haafiz classed its isnaad as hasan in Fath al-Baari (2/517). 

Maalik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it makrooh for a man to say to his brother, when he has completed the Eid prayer,“Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minka wa ghafar Allahu lana wa laka (May Allah accept it from us and from you; may Allah forgive us and you)” and for his brother to respond in like manner? He said: That is not makrooh. 

Al-Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta’ (1/322) 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to congratulating one another on the Day of Eid, saying to one another when they meet after the Eid prayer, “Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum (May Allah accept it from us and from you)” or “Ahaalahu Allahu ‘alayka (May Allah cause you to live to see another Eid)” and the like, it was narrated from a number of the Sahaabah that  they used to do that. The imams, such as Ahmad and others, granted concessions allowing that, but Ahmad said: I do not initiate such congratulations with anyone, but if someone congratulates me first, then I respond. That is because returning a greeting is obligatory.

As for initiating the greeting or congratulations (on Eid), that is not a Sunnah that is enjoined, but it is not something that is prohibited either. So whoever does that has a precedent and whoever refrains from doing that also has a precedent. 

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (24/253)