How to Pray the Eid al-Adha Prayer, Step by Step
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The Eid al-Adha prayer is two rak’ahs prayed in congregation in the morning, with extra takbeers: three in each rak’ah in the Hanafi method, or seven and five in the Shafi’i method. There is no adhan or iqamah, and a khutbah follows the prayer. Qurbani can only be done after it. In 2027 the prayer is expected on Sunday, May 16 (Monday, May 17 in much of South Asia).
We pray Salatul Eid only twice a year, so it’s normal to forget exactly when to raise your hands.
What is the Eid al-Adha prayer?
Salatul Eid al-Adha is a congregational prayer on the morning of 10 Dhul Hijjah. It is wajib in the Hanafi school, a confirmed Sunnah for Malikis and Shafi’is, and a communal obligation for Hanbalis. The Prophet ﷺ never missed it, and he told everyone to come, even women who weren’t praying, so they could share in the good and the dua (Sahih al-Bukhari 324).
When is it prayed?
The time starts about 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise and ends just before midday (zawal). The Sunnah is to pray Eid al-Adha early, earlier than Eid al-Fitr, so people have time for their Qurbani. Most mosques hold it between 7 and 9 am, and many hold several prayers one after another.
How to pray: the Hanafi method
First rak’ah
- Make the intention in your heart to pray two rak’ahs of Eid al-Adha behind the imam.
- Say Allahu Akbar with the imam, raising your hands, then fold them.
- Read the opening dua (thana) quietly.
- The imam says three extra takbeers. With each, raise your hands to your ears. After the first and second, let your hands drop to your sides. After the third, fold them.
- The imam recites Al-Fatiha and a surah aloud. Listen.
- Ruku and sujud as normal.
Second rak’ah
- The imam recites Al-Fatiha and a surah.
- Before ruku, he says three extra takbeers. Raise your hands with each and let them drop.
- On the fourth Allahu Akbar, go straight into ruku without raising your hands.
- Finish the prayer as normal, with tashahhud and salam.
The Shafi’i method
In the first rak’ah, after the opening takbeer and opening dua, the imam says seven takbeers before Al-Fatiha. In the second rak’ah, after standing up, he says five takbeers before the recitation. Raise your hands with each one. Between the takbeers you may quietly say SubhanAllah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar.
If you are praying behind an imam who follows a different method, simply follow him.
| Hanafi | Shafi’i | |
|---|---|---|
| Extra takbeers, 1st rak’ah | 3, after the opening dua | 7, after the opening dua |
| Extra takbeers, 2nd rak’ah | 3, after the recitation | 5, before the recitation |
| Status of the prayer | Wajib | Confirmed Sunnah |
The khutbah
In the Eid prayer the khutbah comes after the prayer, not before as at Jumu’ah. Stay seated and listen. Leaving straight after the salam is a common mistake. On Eid al-Adha the imam usually explains the rules of Qurbani.
Sunnahs of the morning
- Take a ghusl.
- Wear your best clothes. Men should also put on perfume.
- Don’t eat before the prayer. On Eid al-Adha the Prophet ﷺ didn’t eat until he had prayed (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 542). If you can, make your first food of the day from your Qurbani.
- Say the takbeer aloud on the way to the prayer.
- Walk if you can, and go home by a different route (Sahih al-Bukhari 986).
The takbeer of Tashreeq is also said after each fard prayer from Fajr on the Day of Arafah until Asr on the 13th. The words, with the Arabic and meaning, are in our Eid takbeer and dua guide.
After the prayer: Qurbani
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The first thing we do on this day of ours is pray, then we go back and sacrifice. Whoever does that has followed our Sunnah” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5545). An animal slaughtered before the prayer doesn’t count, and must be replaced.
If your Qurbani is being done abroad, what matters is the prayer where the animal is slaughtered. In our case that is rural Bangladesh, where the prayer is usually a day later than in the US. Our team waits for the local Eid prayer, then slaughters by hand, without stunning. We let you know once your animal has been sacrificed. The Qurbani rules cover everything else about the sacrifice.
Quick questions
What if I join late and miss some takbeers? Join the imam in whatever position he is in. In the Hanafi school, if he is still standing you say the missed takbeers yourself straight away. If you are unsure, ask your local imam how to make up the rest.
Can women pray Eid at the mosque? Yes. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged women to come out for Eid.
What if I miss the Eid prayer? It can’t be made up in congregation. Some scholars allow you to pray two or four rak’ahs on your own.
Is there a Sunnah prayer before Eid? No. There is no Sunnah prayer before or after the Eid prayer at the prayer ground.
For the meaning of the day itself, see what is Eid ul Adha? To arrange your sacrifice, see how our Qurbani donation works or reserve your Qurbani.
Give your Qurbani with us
We buy healthy animals of the right age in rural Bangladesh and slaughter them by hand after the Eid prayer, with no stunning. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families, and you get photos and video of your animal.
Reserve from $170 How our Qurbani donation worksDates are estimates based on astronomical calculations and the Umm al-Qura calendar, and depend on the moon sighting. Hadith references include the collection and number so you can check them. Where a narration is graded weak, we say so. Scholars differ on some details, so ask a local scholar about your own situation.
