How to Have a Prophetic Eid al-Adha in 7 easy steps
The 10th – 13th of Dhul Hijjah are the days of Eid-al Adha and many of us will be partaking in joyous festivities with family and friends.
Below is a helpful guide for you to mirror your celebrations with the Sunnah practices of our beloved Prophet (saw).
1. Make lots of Dua
Eid al-Adha is part of the first ten nights of Dhul Hijjah. Allah swears by these ten nights in the Qur’an [89:2] - He loves to be worshipped in them and they hold a great status with Him.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, ‘…and one night of them is equal to Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Power)’. [Ibn Majah]
Don’t miss out on making du’a the night before Eid al-Adha. It is also advised to recite the Quran and engage in Thikr on this night. Remember, even calling up your family and friends and wishing them Eid Mubarak is worship if your intention is to please Allah!
2. Dress your best
Ali narrates that the Messenger (saw) would command his followers to wear their best clothes on Eid day, to put on their best perfumes, and to slaughter the best animal they can. [Hakim]
Jabir narrates that the Messenger of Allah had a (specific) cloak he would wear (only) on the two Eids and on the day of Jumu’ah. [Ibn Khuzaymah]
3. Recite the Takbir
Remember, Allah loves to be worshipped in the days of Dhul Hijjah, so remember Him as much as possible! The Eid takbir is easy to learn and will beautify your days.
Why not find the Eid takbir audio online and play it in your homes? This way, you can constantly listen to it as you go about your Eid preparations.
4. Attend Eid prayer
The Eid prayer is a very important part of this beautiful day!
The Prophet (saw) said, ‘The first thing we will do on this day of ours, is to offer the (Eid) prayer and then return to make the sacrifice. Whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunnah…’ [Bukhari]
We know the Eid prayer can be slightly confusing - we only pray it once a year and we always need our memory refreshed. You can find our step-by-step guide on how to pray Eid salah at the bottom of this blog post.
5. Make your Qurbani sacrifice (or two)
Straight after the Eid prayer, the Prophet (saw) sacrificed two animals - one for himself and one on behalf the Muslims who could not afford to do so. You can revive this forgotten Sunnah by giving an extra, Prophetic Qurbani yourself!
At Muslim Hands, we start sacrificing animals straight after the Eid prayer in each location, so you should order your Qurbani before the Eid salah . That way, you won’t forget to give it!
Don’t worry if you forget, as we continue taking Qurbani orders after the Eid prayer. Our teams will be sacrificing animals and distributing meat over all three days of Eid al-Adha in several locations
6. Enjoy Eid breakfast
That’s right - breakfast is not step one: it’s step six on the day of Eid al-Adha!
The Messenger of Allah (saw) would not leave for Eid al-Fitr until he ate, and he would not eat on Eid al-Adha until he would return and eat from the animal he sacrificed. [Ahmad]
If you have given your Qurbani abroad, you won’t be able to eat your Qurbani meat for breakfast like the Prophet (saw) did. However, you should still delay breakfast until after the Eid prayer to follow the Sunnah.
7. Give a meaningful Eid gift
Finally, Eid is a day of celebration - and nothing says ‘celebration’ like some awesome gifts!
Our Great Charity Gifts lets everyone benefit - you can change the life of a needy person while giving a meaningful gift to your loved one and both of you can gain the rewards of Sadaqah Jariyah too.
You can find the link to our gift selection at the bottom of this blog post. We will even arrange for a certificate, personalized with your recipients’ name, and a decorative greeting card so you still have a nice gift to give.
And that’s how to have a Prophetic Eid in seven simple steps! From everyone at Muslim Hands, we wish you and your loved ones a most blessed Eid.
Here are a few links that you might find helpful:
Qurbani FAQs: https://muslimhands.org.za/latest/2020/07/qurbani-faqs
How to pray Eid Salah: https://muslimhands.org.za/latest/2017/06/how-to-pray-eid-salah
Great Charity Gifts: https://muslimhands.org.za/appeals/great-charity-gifts
