How to Pray Eid al Adha: Extra Takbirs, Udhiyah, and Tashreeq
Eid prayer is two rak'ah after the sun has risen, khutbah after, and you eat after this prayer, not before. A four-school takbir table, then a split: behind an imam, or at home with your family.
Eid al Adha prayer is two rak'ah after the sun has risen a spear's length, and before zawal. No adhan. No iqamah. The khutbah is after the prayer, not before. You eat after this prayer, not before. That is the inverse of Fitr. Buraida (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ would not go out on the day of Fitr until he had eaten, and he would not eat on the day of Adha until he had prayed (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 542. Abu Isa: gharib. Darussalam: hasan). Bukhari 953 confirms eating on Fitr before going out. Put the Adha table after the two rak'ah.
Expected dates for 1448 are on the Dhul Hijjah 2027 desk. The minute is announced by your masjid.
Eid does not lift Fajr. The person who missed the jama'ah still has a door at home. We name the schools. We do not issue a fatwa.
Before you stand
Make ghusl. Wear your best. Say the takbir on the road. On Adha it is said more loudly than on Fitr. If you can go by one path and return by another, do. Women and children come if the place is dignified. A menstruating woman attends the dhikr and the khutbah where that is allowed, and she does not pray until she is pure. The prayer itself needs tahara like every prayer.
The window: after the sun has risen a spear's length, until zawal. Wider than Fajr, tighter than waiting all morning. The masjid announces seven or eight. We will not invent a time for your city.
Extra takbirs, four schools
This is orientation, not a quarrel in the row. The count is an old disagreement. The imam in front of you outranks the table in your pocket.
| School | Extra in rak'ah 1 | Extra in rak'ah 2 | Is the opening takbir counted in the first total? | Hands with the extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanafi | 3 at the start of the standing | 3 after the recitation, before ruku | No (six extras) | Raised with each extra |
| Maliki | 6 after the opening takbir | 5 before the recitation | Yes if ihram and the standing takbir are counted (7 then 6) | Opening takbir only, on the Mudawwanah |
| Shafi'i | 7 besides ihram | 5 besides the standing takbir | No | Raised with each extra |
| Hanbali | 6 after ihram, with the Malikis | 5 | Same as Maliki | Raised with each extra |
Between extras: Hanafis a short silence. Shafi'is and Hanbalis praise, tahlil, and salah on the Prophet. Malikis silence.
Ruling of the prayer itself: wajib on men for Hanafis. Sunnah mu'akkadah for Malikis and Shafi'is. Fard kifayah on the well-known Hanbali view.
Behind an imam
Enter the row. Open with him. Add when he adds. Stay when he stays. If he says seven and you are Hanafi, say seven. The prayer is one, and the row is too narrow to carry two schools at once. If you miss an extra takbir, do not make it up after he has bowed. Finish with him. Hear the khutbah. Then leave.
Do not leave before the khutbah except for an excuse. The khutbah is a mark of the day even if many do not treat it as a condition for the two rak'ah to be valid.
At home, or if you missed the jama'ah
Many people pray with family in a room, or miss the musalla. This is where the table earns its keep. "Follow the imam" does not cover this reader.
Hanafi. Someone who missed it with the imam does not make it up alone, on the relied-upon view (al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Ibn Abidin 2/175). Pray Duha if you wish. Do not start an Eid congregation at home on this view.
Maliki. Making it up is recommended. Whether that is in a group or separately, there are two opinions. If the household prays, two rak'ah with six extras then five, no adhan.
Shafi'i. Valid at home, even alone (al-Muzani from al-Shafi'i). Seven then five besides ihram and the standing takbir. Recite out loud. No required khutbah at home.
Hanbali. Valid alone or in congregation (Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni). Six after ihram, then five. If you lead your household, that is a door.
Women of the house pray if they want, with one of them leading, the woman behind or on her own. We do not shame the person who prayed at home, or the person who went out early to the musalla.
Udhiyah, in brief
This is not a butcher's page.
- The majority: sunnah mu'akkadah. Abu Hanifa: obligatory on the resident who can afford it. One report from Ahmad also makes it obligatory.
- Not udhiyah before the Eid prayer for a non-traveller (al-Bara' ibn Azib, Sahih al-Bukhari 5545 and Sahih Muslim 1961). Whoever slaughters before the prayer has only meat for his family. He repeats if he wants the Sunnah or the obligation.
- End of the window: sunset of the second tashreeq day according to some, sunset of the 13th according to others. Write "until the last tashreeq day your school counts" until we open those furu' books. We will not crown the 13th without a manual we have actually opened.
- A sheep for a person or a household in the known capacity. A cow or a camel for seven.
- It is recommended to divide in thirds: household, gifts, the poor.
- An agent in another country: slaughter on the agent's clock (Permanent Committee).
- Your country's law may require an approved slaughterhouse. Obey it. No slaughter on a balcony.
If you intend to sacrifice, hold the hair from the start of the ten as in the first ten days.
The days of tashreeq
Nubaysha al-Hudhali reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: the days of tashreeq are days of eating and drinking. In another wording: and remembrance of Allah (Sahih Muslim 1141). The 11th, 12th, and 13th. Say the takbir after the fard. Slaughter is still in the window your school counts.
"And remember Allah during numbered days." (Qur'an 2:203)
The numbered days, for most mufassirun, are tashreeq.
Do not fast these days
| Day | Ruling |
|---|---|
| 10, the day of Eid | No fast |
| 11 | No fast |
| 12 | No fast |
| 13 | No fast |
Aisha and Ibn Umar: it was not licensed to fast the days of tashreeq except for the one who cannot find a hady (Sahih al-Bukhari 1997 and 1998). That exception is a pilgrim who did tamattu' or qiran and could not find a sacrificial animal, so he fasts tashreeq. It is not a license for a nafl faster in an apartment. If you are not that pilgrim, do not move the ninth onto the tenth "to complete the ten."
Fajr on Eid morning
New clothes do not delay Fajr. The Fajr most often left in the year is this morning: a late night, a guest, an alarm that was killed. Pray it before you dress. If the phone eats the minutes between the adhan and the rug, Deeny can hold the noisy apps until you have prayed. The tally stays on the device. One sentence, not between an ayah and its explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many rak'ah is the Eid prayer?
Two rak'ah, out loud, no adhan, no iqamah. Extra takbirs come before the recitation. Hanafis: three in each rak'ah. Malikis and Hanbalis: six then five. Shafi'is: seven then five besides ihram. The khutbah is after the salam. The window is after sunrise a spear's length, until zawal. The masjid's minute wins.
The imam's takbir count is not my school's. Do I follow him?
Yes, even if he adds or drops relative to your school. The row is one prayer. The extras table is for when you lead at home, or make it up on a view that allows that. Behind the neighborhood imam you do not correct him from the second row, and you do not repeat the prayer after people have gone.
I missed the Eid prayer. Do I pray it at home?
Hanafis: no makeup, on the relied-upon view. Malikis: makeup is recommended. Shafi'is: valid alone at home. Hanbalis: alone or in a group. Name all four. Then do what your household or teacher is on, not what we pick in one line.
Do I eat before the Adha prayer?
No. Adha is the inverse of Fitr. Eat after the two rak'ah, and from the sacrifice if you slaughtered. Tirmidhi 542, from Buraida: he would not eat on Adha until he prayed. Darussalam: hasan. Fitr is a date before you leave. Do not mix the two Eids on the table.
When do I slaughter?
After the Eid prayer, not before (Bukhari 5545, Muslim 1961). Whoever slaughters before has only meat for his family, and repeats if he wants the Sunnah. Slaughter continues through tashreeq, with a disagreement on the last day. An agent slaughters on that country's clock. Local slaughterhouse law binds.
Do women pray Eid?
Yes if they want, in the musalla if the place is dignified, or at home. A menstruating woman attends the dhikr where that is allowed, and does not pray until she is pure. Do not shame the one who went out early, or the one who prayed two rak'ah in a room.
What are the days of tashreeq?
The 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah. Days of eating, drinking, and remembrance (Muslim 1141). Say the takbir after the fard. Do not fast them except a pilgrim who could not find a hady (Bukhari 1997). They are not an extension of the nafl ten-day fast.
Does Eid cancel Fajr?
No. Fajr is in Fajr's time, before the new clothes. Eid is a confirmed Sunnah, or wajib for Hanafis. Fajr is fard ayn. Extra Eid takbirs do not repay a slept Fajr. This morning is the Fajr most often left. Pray it, then dress, then walk.
Sources
Last verified: 23 August 2026.
Hadith collections (accessed 22 August 2026):
- Jami' at-Tirmidhi 542. Sahih al-Bukhari 953, 5545, 1997, 1998. Sahih Muslim 1961, 1141.
French and Belgian legal texts (opened 23 August 2026):
- Code rural R. 214-73: LEGIARTI000006587913. Code rural L. 237-2: LEGIARTI000045405574. Décret n° 2011-2006 du 28 décembre 2011. EU 1099/2009.
- Flemish Animal Welfare Code of 17 May 2024, arts. 36 §2 and 39 §3, as quoted in Belgian Constitutional Court arrêt 47/2026 of 16 April 2026.
Say the takbir on the road. Pray the extras that reach you. Eat after the two rak'ah. Leave the tenth's fast in the hand of the pilgrim who could not find a hady. Fajr is not on holiday.
The steps
- Pray Fajr on time. Eid does not lift Fajr. Finish the two rak'ah before you put on the new clothes.
- Make ghusl and wear your best. Ghusl is the morning Sunnah. Say the takbir out loud on the way for Adha.
- Wait until the sun has risen a spear's length. After that, and before zawal. The masjid announces the minute. No adhan, no iqamah.
- Pray two rak'ah with extra takbirs. Behind an imam: follow him even if the count is not your school's. At home: the extras in the table below, then Fatiha.
- Sit for the khutbah, then eat. The khutbah is after the prayer. Then eat. Adha is the inverse of Fitr: the table does not go first.
- Do not fast the 10th or tashreeq. Days of eating, drinking, and remembrance. The only exception is a pilgrim who cannot find a hady, in a quiet note at the bottom.
