What is the Eid prayer?

• A special congregational prayer led by the imam in an open space such as a park, g

• It is 2 rak‘ahs (for both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha)

• The Prophet ﷺ would start with the prayer first when he came out on Eid.

• 1) It was the Prophet’s ﷺ normal Sunnah

  • The Prophet ﷺ would go out to the prayer place on ‘Eid al-Fitr and ‘Eid al-Adha, and he would start with the prayer.
    (Hadith meaning is in Sahih al-Bukhari, e.g., Bukhari 956 — widely cited under this wording.)

  2) So the whole community can attend easily

  • An open area fits large numbers and allows men, women, and families to attend together.

  • Women were instructed to attend the ‘Eid gathering (including those not praying due to menses, who still witness the khutbah and the du‘ā).
    References: Sahih al-Bukhari (e.g., Bukhari 324) and Sahih Muslim (e.g., Muslim 890).

  3) To make the ‘Eid symbols public

  • ‘Eid is meant to be visible: communal takbīr, unity, and a public reminder of gratitude and worship—an open space supports that objective.

  4) Practical ease

  • It avoids overcrowding in mosques and makes it simpler to manage rows, khutbah, and people arriving/leaving.

  When is it not outside?

  • If there’s a valid reason (heavy rain, extreme cold, safety, space restrictions), scholars allow praying in the mosque—because the goal is the congregational ‘Eid prayer, and the open-ground practice is the preferred Sunnah, not a condition for validity.