06/04/2025
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
There are four matters I would like to remind my dear brothers and sisters about the Islamic rulings concerning the upcoming blessed days:
First: Fasting on the Day of ʿArafah, which will be this coming Thursday. It is a virtuous day, in which many virtues have been reported. On this day, the pilgrims stand on Mount ʿArafah, supplicating to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best supplication is the supplication of the Day of ʿArafah. So increase in saying takbīr (Allāhu akbar), tahlīl (lā ilāha illa Allāh), and taḥmīd (al-ḥamdu lillāh). And the best thing I and the prophets before me have said is: Lā ilāha illa Allāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shay’in qadīr.”
Therefore, the Muslim should increase in duʿā’ and remembrance of Allah on that day, along with fasting.
Second: As Eid draws near, which will be this Friday, it is important to remember the Islamic etiquettes and established Sunnahs for this day. Among them are:
* Performing ghusl (ritual bath), and its time begins from midnight.
* Beautifying oneself with clean and nice clothes, applying perfume (for men), and wearing the best of garments. However, a Muslim woman is not permitted to wear perfume when going out, based on the Prophet’s ﷺ saying: “If one of you women goes to the masjid, let her not approach it with perfume.” And in another narration: “Any woman who perfumes herself and passes by people so that they smell her fragrance, she is an adulteress.” (Narrated by Abu Musa al-Ashʿari), and for the man to lower their gaze
* Going to the Eid prayer from one route and returning from a different one.
* Not eating before the Eid al-Adha prayer, unlike Eid al-Fitr where it is recommended to eat before going out.
* Widening provisions and bringing joy to one’s family and household on the day of Eid.
* Exchanging greetings and congratulations among Muslims. Jubayr ibn Nufayr reported: “The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, when they met each other on the day of Eid, would say: Taqabbala Allāhu minnā wa minkum (May Allah accept from us and from you).”
Third: The matter of Uḍḥiyah (sacrifice). It is a confirmed Sunnah that many people have unfortunately abandoned. It should be revived. Some scholars even held it to be obligatory. Among its rulings:
* The sacrifice is the act of slaughtering livestock for the sake of Allah—camels, cattle, sheep, or goats. It is not permitted to offer any other animal as a sacrifice.
* One should give away most or part of it in charity, and eat from it as well. It is not a condition that all of it be given to the poor—it is permissible to feed the wealthy too.
* Among its Sunnahs is to avoid cutting hair or nails from the start of Dhul-Ḥijjah until the sacrifice is done (for the one offering the sacrifice).
* It is preferred that the person slaughters it himself, or at least attends and witnesses the slaughtering. If unable, one may appoint someone else to do it.
* The time for Uḍḥiyah begins after the Eid prayer and lasts until the end of the Days of Tashrīq (the 13th of Dhul-Ḥijjah).
* As for the livestock: a camel or cow is sufficient for seven people with their families, while a sheep or goat suffices for one person and their family.
* The animal must be free from defects that would reduce the quality of its meat.
Fourth: Since Eid al-Aḍḥā this year will fall on a Friday, two Eids will coincide: the weekly Eid (Jumuʿah) and the annual Eid. The question arises: what is the ruling when Eid and Jumuʿah fall on the same day?
The answer is found in narrations from Abu Hurayrah, Muʿāwiyah, and others—that the Prophet ﷺ prayed the Eid prayer and granted a concession regarding Jumuʿah, meaning it was not obligatory upon everyone that day. It was narrated from Iyas ibn Abī Ramlah al-Shāmī:
"I witnessed Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān asking Zayd ibn Arqam: Did you witness with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when two Eids happened on the same day? He said: Yes. He asked: What did he do? He replied: He prayed the Eid, then granted a concession for the Jumuʿah, saying: “Whoever wishes to pray [Jumuʿah], let him do so.” So, whoever attended the Eid prayer with the Imam is permitted to leave off Jumuʿah, but it is better to attend, just as the Prophet ﷺ did. As for the one who takes the concession, he must pray Dhuhr instead—it is not waived entirely.
However, the mosques are still required to establish Jumuʿah prayer and should not cancel it.
These are some of the matters I wanted to remind you of. We ask Allah to grant us success, forgiveness, and freedom from the Hellfire during these blessed days.
