Category: Q n A

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to proceed to the Musalla on the days of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha; the first thing to
begin with was the prayer and after that he would stand in front of the people and the people would
keep sitting in their rows. Then he would preach to them, advise them and give them orders, (i.e.
Khutba). And after that if he wished to send an army for an expedition, he would do so; or if he
wanted to give and order, he would do so, and then depart. The people followed this tradition till I
went out with Marwan, the Governor of Medina, for the prayer of Id-ul-Adha or Id-ul-Fitr.
When we reached the Musalla, there was a pulpit made by Kathir bin As-Salt. Marwan wanted to get
up on that pulpit before the prayer. I got hold of his clothes but he pulled them and ascended the pulpit
and delivered the Khutba before the prayer. I said to him, “By Allah, you have changed (the Prophet’s
tradition).” He replied, “O Abu Sa`id! Gone is that which you know.” I said, “By Allah! What I know
is better than what I do not know.” Marwan said, “People do not sit to listen to our Khutba after the
prayer, so I delivered the Khutba before the prayer.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to proceed to the Musalla and an ‘Anaza used to be carried before him and planted
in the Musalla in front of him and he would pray facing it (as a Sutra).

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to offer the prayer of `Id-ul-Adha and `Id-ul-Fitr and then deliver the Khutba
after the prayer.

Um ‘Atiyya said: “Our Prophet ordered us to come out (on `Id day) with the mature girls and the
virgins staying in seclusion.” Hafsa narrated the above mentioned Hadith and added, “The mature girls
or virgins staying in seclusion but the menstruating women had to keep away from the Musalla.”

`Ata’ said, “Jabir bin `Abdullah said, ‘The Prophet (ﷺ) went out on the Day of `Id-ul-Fitr and offered the
prayer before delivering the Khutba, Ata told me that during the early days of Ibn Az-Zubair, Ibn
`Abbas had sent a message to him telling him that the Adhan for the `Id Prayer was never pronounced
(in the life time of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)) and the Khutba used to be delivered after the prayer. Ata told me
that Ibn `Abbas and Jabir bin `Abdullah, had said, “There was no Adhan for the prayer of `Id-ul-Fitr
and `Id-ul-Aqha.” `Ata’ said, “I heard Jabir bin `Abdullah saying, ‘The Prophet (ﷺ) stood up and started
with the prayer, and after it he delivered the Khutba. When the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah (p.b.u.h) finished (the
Khutba), he went to the women and preached to them, while he was leaning on Bilal’s hand. Bilal was
spreading his garment and the ladies were putting alms in it.’ ” I said to Ata, “Do you think it
incumbent upon an Imam to go to the women and preach to them after finishing the prayer and
Khutba?” `Ata’ said, “No doubt it is incumbent on Imams to do so, and why should they not do so?”

I (in my boyhood) went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) on the day of `Id ul Fitr or Id-ul-Adha. The Prophet (ﷺ)
prayed and then delivered the Khutba and then went towards the women, preached and advised them
and ordered them to give alms.

`Ata’ said, “Jabir bin `Abdullah said, ‘The Prophet (ﷺ) went out on the Day of `Id-ul-Fitr and offered the
prayer before delivering the Khutba, Ata told me that during the early days of Ibn Az-Zubair, Ibn
`Abbas had sent a message to him telling him that the Adhan for the `Id Prayer was never pronounced
(in the life time of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)) and the Khutba used to be delivered after the prayer. Ata told me
that Ibn `Abbas and Jabir bin `Abdullah, had said, “There was no Adhan for the prayer of `Id-ul-Fitr
and `Id-ul-Aqha.” `Ata’ said, “I heard Jabir bin `Abdullah saying, ‘The Prophet (ﷺ) stood up and started
with the prayer, and after it he delivered the Khutba. When the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah (p.b.u.h) finished (the
Khutba), he went to the women and preached to them, while he was leaning on Bilal’s hand. Bilal was
spreading his garment and the ladies were putting alms in it.’ ” I said to Ata, “Do you think it
incumbent upon an Imam to go to the women and preach to them after finishing the prayer and
Khutba?” `Ata’ said, “No doubt it is incumbent on Imams to do so, and why should they not do so?”

The Prophet (ﷺ) went towards Al-Baqi (the graveyard at Medina) on the day of Id-ul-Adha and offered a
two-rak`at prayer (of `Id-ul-Adha) and then faced us and said, “On this day of ours, our first act of
worship is the offering of prayer and then we will return and slaughter the sacrifice, and whoever does
this concords with our Sunna; and whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before that (i.e. before the prayer)
then that was a thing which he prepared earlier for his family and it would not be considered as a
Nusuk (sacrifice.)” A man stood up and said, “O, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! I slaughtered (the animal before the
prayer) but I have a young she-goat which is better than an older sheep.” The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said to
him, “Slaughter it. But a similar sacrifice will not be sufficient for anybody else after you.”

`Ata’ said, “Jabir bin `Abdullah said, ‘The Prophet (ﷺ) went out on the Day of `Id-ul-Fitr and offered the
prayer before delivering the Khutba, Ata told me that during the early days of Ibn Az-Zubair, Ibn
`Abbas had sent a message to him telling him that the Adhan for the `Id Prayer was never pronounced
(in the life time of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)) and the Khutba used to be delivered after the prayer. Ata told me
that Ibn `Abbas and Jabir bin `Abdullah, had said, “There was no Adhan for the prayer of `Id-ul-Fitr
and `Id-ul-Aqha.” `Ata’ said, “I heard Jabir bin `Abdullah saying, ‘The Prophet (ﷺ) stood up and started
with the prayer, and after it he delivered the Khutba. When the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah (p.b.u.h) finished (the
Khutba), he went to the women and preached to them, while he was leaning on Bilal’s hand. Bilal was
spreading his garment and the ladies were putting alms in it.’ ” I said to Ata, “Do you think it
incumbent upon an Imam to go to the women and preach to them after finishing the prayer and
Khutba?” `Ata’ said, “No doubt it is incumbent on Imams to do so, and why should they not do so?”

I offered the `Id prayer with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman and all of them offered
the prayer before delivering the Khutba.