How to Cleanse for Eid Prayer

Homemade Egyptian cookies, Eid decorations, Eid prayer, Adeyya (Eid money), and family—that pretty much summed up my Eid Al-Fitr holiday as I was growing up in the Midwest. Now however, it’s a tad bit different because us “kids” are each living in different states (brother isin  NYC, I’m in South Carolina, sister is in Michigan, and little brother and parents are in Ohio). When we are blessed enough to all go home to Ohio for the holidays, it is an even more exciting Eid! Here are some tips and recommendations and the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) practices, or sunnah, to celebrate the first day of Eid:

Sunnah on the 1st Day of Eid

• Eid is a time to celebrate our commitment and obedience to Allah after fasting Ramadan. It is a time to be happy, smile a lot and buy new clothes and toys for your children.
• Make sure you wake up early enough to pray Fajr. You can sleep for an hour or two after, or better yet make a nice Eid breakfast and eat with your family before you go to prayer. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to eat dates before going to prayer. Note: it is also haram to fast on the first day of Eid.
• Make ghusl (bath). ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar used to take a bath on the day of al-Fitr before coming to the prayer-place. (al-Muwatta’ 428)

Ghusl

It is recommended that a Muslim remove any unwanted hair from the body (underarms, private areas, etc) before making ghusl.  There are different ways to making ghusl but one must remember that the whole body must be washed. Here is one way to make ghusl:

• make the intention of ghusl and say bismillah in your head. 
• wash your hands up until your wrists
• wash your private areas
• make wudu
• wash your head and hair
• pour water on your right of your body and then left side of your body

Hadith about ghusl: When Allah’s messenger  made ghusl, he first washed his hands; he then poured water with his right hand on his left hand and washed his private parts. He then performed wudu as is done for prayer. He then took some water and ran his fingers in the roots of his hair. And when he found that it had been properly moistened, he poured three handfuls on his head and then poured water over his body and subsequently washed his feet.

More Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet (may Allah’s peace & blessings be upon him)

• You should dress up and put on your nicest clothes for Eid. They don’t have to be brand new clothes or ostentatious- just something special.
• Make sure you pay zakat-al-fitr (almsgiving)  before Eid prayer.On your way to Eid prayer recite the following Takbir: “Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber. La ila-ha ill-lal-lah. Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber. Wa-lilahill hamd. (Allah is greater. Allah is greater. There is no god but Allah. Allah is greater. Allah is greater. And all praises are for Allah).” This is mentioned in the Quran (interpretation): “… (He [Allaah] wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allaah (say Takbeer – ‘Allaahu akbar’) for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” [al-Baqarah 2:185]
• Take a different route when going to the Eid prayer location (whether it be a Masjid or rented hall) than when going back home from the location.
• Eid prayer is  wajib (strongly recommended) for every Muslim, man, woman, young and old. Hafsah said: “We used to prevent prepubescent girls from attending Eid prayers. Then a woman came and stayed at the fort of Banu Khalaf, and told us about her sister. Her sister’s husband had taken part in twelve campaigns with the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and [she said], ‘my sister was with him on six of them. She said, “We used to treat the wounded and take care of the sick. My sister asked the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whether there was anything wrong with her not going out [on Eid] if she did not have a jilbaab. He said, ‘Let her friend give her one of her jilbaabs so that she may witness the blessings of Eid and see the Muslims gathering.’”’ When Um ‘Atiyah came, I asked her, ‘Did you hear the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [say this]?’ She said, ‘May my father be sacrificed for him’ – and she never mentioned him without saying ‘may my father be sacrificed for him’ – ‘I heard him saying that we should bring out the young girls and those who were secluded, or the young girls who were secluded, and the menstruating women, so that they could witness the blessings of Eid and see the gathering of the believers, but those who were menstruating were to keep away from the prayer-place itself.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 324)
• Greet everyone who is celebrating Eid with saying “Eid Kareem” or “Happy Eid.” Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: “At the time of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when people met one another on the day of Eid, they would say, ‘Taqabbal Allaahu minnaa wa minka (May Allaah accept from us and from you).’” (Ibn Hajar. Its isnaad is hasan. Fath, 2/446).

 

What are your favorite practices to do on the first day of Eid? How do you celebrate the first day of Eid?

Similar Posts:

• Major Misconceptions of How, What and When to Pay Zakat al-Fitr
• Sunnah of Zakat al-Fitr
• Making The Most of Eid
• Why Debate When We Have the Qur’an and Sunnah to Lead Us?
• The Sadaqah of a Smile with a Salaam Can Go a Long Way

Tags: cleansing, Eid, ghusl, Sunnah

Category: Islam