Eid Prayers and the Takbirs of Tashriq

Read the bilingual lesson for Eid Prayers and the Takbirs of Tashriq and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Legal Status of Eid Prayers

صَلَاةُ الْعِيدِ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَى مَنْ تَجُبُّ عَلَيْهِ الْجُمُعَةُ بِشَرَائِطِهَا سِوَى الْخُطْبَةِ
• Legal Status: Performing the two Eid prayers (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) is classified as Wajib (obligatory/necessary).
• Upon Whom: Eid prayer is obligatory strictly upon those individuals upon whom the Friday prayer is obligatory.
• Difference from Friday Prayer:
◦ The Friday sermon is a prerequisite condition (shart) for the validity of Friday prayer, and must be delivered before the prayer.
◦ The Eid sermon is a Sunnah practice, and is delivered after the prayer is completed (delivering it before Eid prayer is disliked).

2. Structural Method: First Rak'ah Extra Takbirs

وَكَيْفِيَّةُ صَلَاتِهِمَا: أَنْ يَنْوِيَ صَلَاةَ الْعِيدِ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرَ لِلتَّحْرِيمَةِ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرَ تَكْبِيرَاتِ الزَّوَائِدِ ثَلَاثًا...
• First Rak'ah Sequence: The Eid prayer consists of two units with a total of six extra Takbirs (Takbirat al-Zawa'id):
◦ Intention & Opening Takbir: Form the intention, say Allahu Akbar, clasp the hands below the navel, and recite the opening supplication (Thana').
◦ Three Extra Takbirs: The Imam will call three extra Takbirs aloud:
◦ On the first and second Takbirs, raise the hands to the ears and release them at the sides.
◦ On the third Takbir, raise the hands and clasp them below the navel.
◦ Recitation: The Imam then recites the Ta'awwudh, Tasmiyah, Surah al-Fatihah, and an appended Surah, followed by the normal bowing and prostration.

3. Structural Method: Second Rak'ah Extra Takbirs

ثُمَّ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ يَبْتَدِئُ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ ثَلَاثًا لِلزَّوَائِدِ، ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ الرَّابِعَةَ لِلرُّكُوعِ
• Second Rak'ah Sequence: Upon standing up for the second unit:
◦ Recitation First: The Imam immediately commences the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah and the appended Surah without raising the hands.
◦ Three Extra Takbirs: After completing the recitation and before bowing, the Imam calls three extra Takbirs:
◦ On all three extra Takbirs, raise the hands to the ears and release them at the sides.
◦ The Fourth Takbir: The Imam then calls the fourth Takbir, on which worshippers proceed directly into bowing (Ruku') without raising their hands.
• This is the prescribed Hanafi sequence for the extra Takbirs of the Eid prayer.

4. The Takbirs of Tashriq Part 1

وَيَجُوبُ تَكْبِيرُ التَّشْرِيقِ مِنْ بَعْدِ فَجْرِ عَرَفَةَ إِلَى عَصْرِ يَوْمِ النَّحْرِ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ...
• Concept: The Takbirs of Tashriq (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar...) are Wajib to recite aloud once immediately after performing the obligatory (Fard) prayers.
• The View of Imam Abu Hanifah:
◦ These Takbirs are obligatory starting from the Fajr prayer of the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah (Day of Arafah) until the Asr prayer of the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah (Day of Sacrifice).
◦ This spans a total of eight (8) prayers.
• The View of the Two Companions (and the Fatwa):
◦ Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad held that these Takbirs are obligatory starting from the Fajr of the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah until the Asr prayer of the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah (the final day of Tashriq).
◦ This spans a total of twenty-three (23) prayers, and this remains the authoritative fatwa of the Hanafi school.

5. The Takbirs of Tashriq Part 2: Phrasing and Conditions

وَهُوَ: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ
• Abu Hanifa's attribution: Takbir al-Tashriq has the restricted conditions stated in the source.
• Sahibayn and operative fatwa: It applies after every Fard to one who prayed, including an individual, traveler, or villager, through Asr of the stated final day.

Practice questions

Question 1

What is the legal status of the two Eid prayers (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) in Hanafi Fiqh?

Fard 'Ayn
Wajib (Obligatory/Necessary)
Sunnah Mu'akkadah
Mandub (Recommended)

Question 2

Unlike the Friday prayer, the Eid sermon (Khutbah) is delivered after the prayer units are completed.

True
False

Question 3

How many extra Takbirs (Takbirat al-Zawa'id) are performed in total during the two units of Eid prayer?

Three (3) extra Takbirs.
Six (6) extra Takbirs (three in the first rak'ah, three in the second).
Twelve (12) extra Takbirs.
Exactly nine (9) extra Takbirs.

Question 4

During the second rak'ah of the Eid prayer, the extra Takbirs are performed before commencing the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah.

True
False

Question 5

According to the authoritative fatwa of the Hanafi school, what is the duration for reciting the Wajib Takbirs of Tashriq?

Only eight (8) prayers, ending with Asr on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah.
Twenty-three (23) prayers, from Fajr on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah through Asr on the 13th.
Five (5) prayers of the Eid day only.
Throughout the entire month of Dhul-Hijjah.

Question 6

If a worshipper engages in worldly conversation immediately after the Fard prayer's Salaam, they can still validly recite the Takbirs of Tashriq.

True
False

Question 7

Match the Eid prayer units with the correct chronological placement of their extra Takbirs:

Question 8

Which of the following represents the correct and authorized wording of the Wajib Takbir of Tashriq?

"Subhanallahi wal-Hamdulillahi wa La ilaha illallahu Wallahu Akbar."
"Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar La ilaha illallahu Wallahu Akbar Allahu Akbar wa lillahil-Hamd."
"La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu lahul-mulku."
"Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar."

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