The Night of Eid and Sunnahs of Eid al-Fitr
Allah says that He wants you to finish the prescribed period and to glorify Him for the fact that He has guided you, perhaps you shall be grateful (2:185).
“Finishing the prescribed period” means completing the fast of Ramadan. One of the means of “glorifying Him” is in making takbir, which is an expression of our gratitude to Allah for His guidance and enabling grace (tawfiq). We should fill the night before Eid with takbir from Maghrib up until the Eid prayer in the morning. The takbir is not limited to a specific time or place but rather it should be made at all times in our houses and mosques and in the streets (without causing disturbance). The Prophet said ﷺ: “Beautify your Eid days with the takbir.” We should read it with our hearts filled with the greatness of Allah so that we are not merely repeating words without experiencing their meaning.
Giving Life to the Night of Eid
It is a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ to give life to the night before Eid, meaning spending whatever time we are able to during that night in worship and remembrance such that the night comes alive. The least we should do is to pray Maghrib, Isha and Fajr in congregation and then devote whatever time we are able to Allah. The mosques of Tarim fill in the the second half of the night with people reading the Qur’an in groups, praying and making takbir together at intervals. At the end of the night everyone comes together for a khatam and dua.
It has been narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There are five nights on which du`a is not rejected: the first night of Rajab, the fifteenth night of Sha`ban, Thursday night, the night before Eid al-Fitr and the night before Eid al-Nahr (al-Adha).” Sayyiduna `Ali, may Allah be well pleased with him, used to spend four nights in worship: the first night of Rajab, the nights before the two Eids, and the 15th night of Sha`ban.
It is mentioned in the hadith that whoever gives life to the nights before the two Eids, Allah will give life to his heart on the day when hearts die. What is primarily meant is safety on the Day of Judgement, but even in this life the majority of people’s hearts are dead, starved of the remembrance of Allah and heedless of the return to Him. Remembering Allah on nights such as these, however, when most people are busy with other things, will give life and tranquility to our hearts.
Eid then will be a true celebration, an expression of our gratitude to Allah for the ability to worship and remember Him in the previous days and nights.
There are different forms of the takbir. Here is one of them:
اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبر، لا إله إلا الله، الله أكبر الله أكبر ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد
اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبر، لا إله إلا الله، الله أكبر الله أكبر ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد
اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبرُ اللهُ أَكبر، لا إله إلا الله، الله أكبر الله أكبر ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد
الله أكبرُ كَبيرا والحمدُ لله كثيرا وسُبْحانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وأَصيلاَ
لا إله إلا الله لا نَعْبُدُ إلا إِيَّاهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الكافِرون
لا إله إلا الله وَحْدَه صَدَقَ وَعْدَه ونَصَرَ عَبْدَه وأَعَزَّ جُنْدَه وهَزَمَ الأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَه
لا إله إلا الله واللهُ أكبرْ ولِلَّهِ الحَمْد
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar la ilaha ill’Allah. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar wa lillahi’l-hamd
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar la ilaha ill’Allah. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar wa lillahi’l-hamd
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar la ilaha ill’Allah. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar wa lillahi’l-hamd
Allahu akbar kabira w’al-hamdulillahi kathira wa subhanallahi bukratan wa asila
La ilaha ill’Allahu la na`budu illa iyyahu mukhlisina lahu’ddina wa law kariha’l-kafirun
La ilaha ill’Allahu wahdahu sadaqa wa`dahu wa nasara `abdahu wa a`zza jundahu wa hazam al-ahzaba wahdah
La ilaha ill’Allahu w’Allahu akbar wa lillahi’l-hamd
“Allah is most great. There is no deity save Him, all praise belongs to Him.
There is no deity save Him and we worship none but Him in complete sincerity even if the disbelievers dislike it.
There is no deity save Him alone. He fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His slave, made mighty His forces and He alone destroyed the Confederates. Allah is most great, there is no deity save Him, all praise belongs to Him.”
The scholars say that whenever it is recommended to remember Allah it is also recommended to mention His Messenger ﷺ . Had it not been for him, there would be no Ramadan or Eid or takbir. For this reason we should add, in honour of our Messenger, his Companions, wives and progeny:
اللهُمَّ صلِّ على سَيِّدِنا محمد
وعلى أَصْحابِ سَيِّدِنا محمد
وعلى أَنْصَارِ سَيِّدِنا محمد
وعلى أَزْواجِ سَيِّدِنا محمد
وعلى ذُرِّيِّةِ سَيِّدِنا محمد
Allahumma salli `ala sayyidina Muhammad
Wa `ala ali sayyidina Muhammad
Wa `ala ashabi sayyidina Muhammad
Wa `ala ansari sayyidina Muhammad
Wa `ala azwaji sayyidina Muhammad
Wa `ala dhurriyati sayyidina Muhammad
Wa sallim tasliman kathiran
We should do what we are able to implement the other sunnahs of Eid al-Fitr.
Taking a bath whether or not you are attending the Eid prayer
Wearing your best clothes and best perfume – the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had special garments that he would only wear on Eid.
Eating an odd number of dates before the Eid prayer
Walking to the prayer, taking a longer route on the way there and returning by a different shorter route.
Shaking hands with your brethren, congratulating them on the Eid and asking that their actions be accepted by Allah.
Being especially generous to your family, displaying your happiness on the occasion and trying to visit your relatives and friends.
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