Miss eid prayer

[Truthseeker]

Assalamu alaikum Sheikh,

A friend of mine will be on job on the day of eid as it may fall on week day any way. So is it obligatory to offer eid prayer ? In any case what should be done if one misses eid salah. like do we offer individually.

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

Wa alaikumusalaam wa rahmatullah

The Eid prayer is one of the Sha'air of Islam, a symbol of this religion and a pride of the Muslim community.  No Muslim - male or female - ought to miss the Eid prayer.  The Prophet (s) ordered all men and women - even the woman in her menses who cannot pray till bleeding is over - the Prophet even strongly urged them to come out to the Eid prayer venue to participate with others.

Therefore, Muslims even in Australia, should try to take a day off work on that day.  If they cannot afford that, at least they should try to pray the Eid prayer early in the morning and then rush off to work.  They can still be on time in most jobs.  No Muslim ought to miss the Eid prayer as long as it is possible.

As for the ruling (hukm) of Eid prayer in shariah, you can find the opinions of the scholars in the post below - ranging from it being Fard Kifayah, Fard Ayn to Sunnah. 

As for the one who missed the Eid prayer and arrived late at the place of prayer, it seems that the person does not need to do any Qada of any sort - neither individually nor collectively.  This is because the Shariah does not contain any evidence for a requirement for a missed Eid prayer - unlike for missed fasts for example.  [Some scholars felt it is better to offer two rak'ah qada or four rak'ah ... you can find details of these in some major books of fiqh].

So, I'd strongly urge your friend to NOT miss the Eid prayer.  The Prophet warned strongly to a person who misses jumu'ah; and urged everyone to be there for the Eid prayer, even the old or menstruating ones - so how could we even think of missing Eid prayer (unless if there was absolutely no way due to strong circumstances).  If he did end up missing it, then he does not need to do Qada and Allah knows best. 

I recommend you to read the details of this issue in the fatwa mentioned in the next post from Sheikh Munajjid of IslamQA - notice therein the other views on the ruling of Eid prayer which show the importance.

Wassalamu alaikum
 

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

What is the ruling on Eid prayers?.



Praise be to Allaah.   

The scholars differed concerning the ruling on Eid prayers. There are three scholarly points of view:

1 – that Eid prayer is Sunnah mu’akkadah (a confirmed Sunnah). This is the view of Imam Maalik and Imam al-Shaafa’i.

2 – that it is a communal obligation. This is the view of Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him).

3 – that it is a duty for each Muslim and is obligatory for men; those who do not do it with no excuse are sinning thereby. This is the view of Imam Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have mercy on him), and was also narrated from Imam Ahmad. Among those who favoured this view were Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and al-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on them).

See al-Majmoo’, 5/5; al-Mughni, 3/253; al-Insaaf, 5/316; al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 82.

Those who held the third view quoted several texts as evidence, including the following:

1 – The verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)”

[al-Kawthar 108:2]

Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni: The well-known view is that what is meant by this is the Eid prayer.

Some of the scholars were of the view that what is meant in this verse is prayer in general, not just Eid prayer, so what the verse means is that we are commanded to devote our prayer and sacrifice to Allaah Alone, so it is like the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)’”

[al-An’aam 6:162]

This view concerning this meaning of the verse was shared by Ibn Jareer (12/724) and Ibn Katheer (8/502).

2 – The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded the people to go out to it (the Eid prayer) and even commanded the women to go out too.

Al-Bukhaari (324) and Muslim (890) narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to bring them (women) out on (Eid) al-Fitr and (Eid) al-Adha, and to bring out adolescent girls, menstruating women and virgins, but the menstruating women were to stay away from the prayer, but were to witness goodness and the gathering of the Muslims. I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what if one of us does not have a jilbaab?” He said: “Let her sister lend her a jilbab.” 

The evidence of this hadeeth that the Eid prayer is obligatory is stronger than the evidence of the verse quoted above.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/214):

What I think is that the Eid prayer is fard ‘ayn (an individual obligation), and that it is not permissible for men to miss it, rather they have to attend, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that. He even commanded the women – including virgins and those who usually stayed in seclusion – to come out to the Eid prayer, and he commanded menstruating women to come out to the Eid prayer, but told them to keep away from the prayer-place itself. This indicates that it is confirmed.

He also said (16/217):

What seems more likely to be correct in my view, based on the evidence, is that it is fard ‘ayn (an individual obligation), and that it is obligatory for every male to attend the Eid prayer apart from those who have an excuse.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 13/7 concerning the view that it is fard ‘ayn:

This view is more likely to be correct, based on the evidence.

[Taken from www.IslamQA.com from the following URL: http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/48983