Fatwā regarding Ṣalāt al-Eid in light of COVID-19 lockdown
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and salutations be upon the Prophet ﷺ.
In light of the masāsjid being shut down due to the COVID-19 crisis and the upcoming Eid prayers, the Fiqh Council encourages that Muslims pray Ṣalāt al-Eid in their homes with their own families (or individually in case one is living by onself), and there is no need for a khuṭbah.
The Eid prayer is not the same as the Friday prayer, as Friday has different conditions and rulings. Scholars have differed over whether attending the Eid is obligatory upon the individual or whether it is a communal obligation. The Fiqh Council follows the view that it is a communal obligation in normal circumstances but that one is strongly encouraged to pray Eid. While the general rule is that Eid ṣalat should be prayed in a large congregation, it is permissible even in regular circumstances for the one who missed Eid to make it up at home. Anas b. Mālik (RA ) once missed the Eid prayer in Basrah, so he gathered his family and had one of his household lead them in two rak’ats. And Aṭāʿ b. Abī Rabāḥ (d. 114 AH) said regarding one who missed the Eid prayer, “Let him pray two rak’ats and say the takbīrs”; as well Hammād b. Abī Sulayman (d. 120 AH), the famous scholar of Kufa and teacher of Imam Abu Ḥanīfa, said when asked the same question, “He should pray as they prayed, and do the takbīrat as they did.” [Muṣannaf of Ibn Abī Shaybah, 2/4-5]. All of these reports are regarding those who missed Eid for any reason.
Given our current situation, we advise families to observe all of the Sunnahs of Eid (of taking a ghusl, eating a breakfast, wearing one’s best garments, saying the general takbīrat after Fajr, etc.) and then praying a congregational prayer at home with their own families, with the special takbīrat of Eid. (The takbirāt of the Eid prayer vary between the legal schools – each family may follow their own school preferred school.)
All our four schools of law state that attending the khuṭbah of Eid is not obligatory, nor is the khuṭbah a requirement of the Eid prayer, it is not required to give Khutbah in every home. The Fiqh Council encourages masjids to live broadcast Eid khuṭbahs, and all families pray their individual congregational prayers at a given time, and then, after they finish their own Eid prayers, they can listen to the live khutbah as a general reminder.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah accept our ibaadaat and accept our fasting. Amiyn
