mosque MawaqitGo

Guide

Salat al-Eid: The Two Festival Prayers

Salat al-Eid is the congregational prayer offered on the mornings of the two Islamic festivals — Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, during the days of Hajj. It is a joyful, communal prayer, prayed once a year on each occasion, and it differs in several ways from the five daily prayers.

When it is prayed

The Eid prayer's window opens shortly after sunrise — once the sun has risen the height of a spear and the sunrise moment has passed, the same point the Duha window begins — and closes just before Dhuhr at midday. Eid al-Adha is prayed slightly earlier in that window and Eid al-Fitr slightly later, by custom.

How it differs from the daily prayers

Eid is two units prayed in congregation, with extra takbirat (declarations of "God is greatest") added in each unit before the recitation. Crucially, the sermon comes after the prayer rather than before it — the reverse of Jumu'ah — and there is no adhan or iqama.

Its status and setting

Most schools regard the Eid prayer as a strongly emphasised Sunnah; the Hanafi school considers it wajib. It is traditionally prayed in a large open space or mosque, and it is recommended to bathe, wear one's best clothes, and — for Eid al-Fitr — eat something before setting out.

If you miss it

Because Eid is not one of the five obligatory prayers, someone who misses the congregation is not required to make it up, though some scholars recommend praying two units individually. The daily prayers continue as normal on Eid day.

Related guides

Jumu'ah: The Friday Congregational PrayerJumu'ah replaces the Friday midday prayer with a sermon and a two-unit congregational prayer. Here is who it is due upon, its time, and how it is performed.Duha: The Forenoon PrayerDuha is the voluntary mid-morning prayer offered after the sun has risen. Here is its time window, how many units, and its place among the voluntary prayers.Suhoor, Imsak and Iftar: Ramadan Fasting Times ExplainedHow the fasting day works in Ramadan — when Suhoor ends, what Imsak means, and exactly when Iftar begins — and how to read them from a prayer timetable.