March 17, 2024
Sunan of Eid Al-Adha
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Eid Al-Adha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice”, is the last of the two Eids that are celebrated annually. It commemorates the resilience and faith of Ibrahim AS during his trial of sacrificing his own son Ismail AS for the sake of Allah, in which Allah swapped Ismail AS with a ram.
This Eid is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah and marks the end of Hajj. It is a time of festivities, joy, sacrifice, and gratitude. To properly celebrate this day with maximum rewards, the Prophet ﷺ taught us to follow these Sunnah practices —
- Taking a Ghusl: It’s sunnah to take a bath before heading to Eid prayer.
- Wearing Best Clothes: Since it’s a special day, we are encouraged to wear our finest clothes for the occasion.
- Applying Perfume: The Prophet ﷺ loved perfume and loved to apply it on various occasions such as Jummah and Eid.
- Reciting Takbir: From the night of Eid Al-Adha until the last day of Tashreeq (the 13th of Dhul Hijjah), all Muslims recite the Takbir— “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallahu Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Walillahil Hamd.”
- Eating Before Eid Prayer: On Eid Al-Fitr, the Sunnah is to eat dates before the Eid prayer. On Eid Al-Adha, it is Sunnah to delay eating until after the sacrifice has been performed after the Eid Salah.
- Attending the Eid Prayer: The Eid prayer is a highly stressed Sunnah. It can be prayed in open fields or mosques and consists of two Rak’ahs followed by a Khutbah.
- Using Different Routes: It is Sunnah to take a different route when coming home from Eid prayer, as opposed to the route taken to get there.
- Giving Charity: One of the core principles of Eid ul-Adha is to ensure that no one is left out of the celebrations.
- Spending Time with Family and Friends: Communal harmony was stressed heavily by our Prophet ﷺ . There’s no better time to come together with others than on this special day.
- Expressing Gratitude: Both Eids are to be celebrated with gratitude. We should be grateful for the blessings we have, the ability to experience this occasion, and for being honored with faith.