Question
In the presence of a Musalla (Eidgaah) in a community, what is the status of performing Eid Salah at a Masjid without a pressing need (like to cater for the elderly and handicapped)?
Answer
Eid Salaah at the Eid Gaah is Sunnatul-Muakkadah
To perform the Eid Salaah at the Eid Gaah is Sunnatul-Muakkadah (an emphasized Sunnah). Therefore, to perform Eid Salaah at the Masjid without any valid excuse is, in reality, abandoning the Sunnah. However, there is no harm if one of the Masjids of the locality is kept open for Eid Salaah for the benefit of the sick and other “mazoor” persons (people with valid Shar’i excuses, such as very old or weak people), who find it difficult to go to the Eid Gaah to perform their Eid Salaah.
In spite of the great reward of performing Salaah in Masjidun-Nabawi, Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam always performed the Eid Salaah at the Eid Gaah. There is a narration in Sunan Abi Dawood as well as in the Mustadrak of Imaam Haakim which shows that Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam performed Eid Salaah in the Masjid because of rainy weather but this narration is weak. The narrations of performing Salaah in the Eid Gaah are so many that the Ulama of Hadith consider them to be Mash-hoor (well established). For the sake of brevity, we will just suffice on a few.
Ahaadeeth establishing Sunniyah:
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي زَيْدٌ، عَنْ عِيَاضِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي سَرْحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَخْرُجُ يَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ وَالأَضْحَى إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى، فَأَوَّلُ شَىْءٍ يَبْدَأُ بِهِ الصَّلاَةُ ثُمَّ يَنْصَرِفُ، فَيَقُومُ مُقَابِلَ النَّاسِ، وَالنَّاسُ جُلُوسٌ عَلَى صُفُوفِهِمْ، فَيَعِظُهُمْ وَيُوصِيهِمْ وَيَأْمُرُهُمْ، فَإِنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَقْطَعَ بَعْثًا قَطَعَهُ، أَوْ يَأْمُرَ بِشَىْءٍ أَمَرَ بِهِ، ثُمَّ يَنْصَرِفُ.
(رواه البخاري : 1/131)
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam used to proceed to the Musalla (Eid Gaah) on the days of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha; the first thing that Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam began with was the Eid Salaah, after that he would stand in front of the people and the people would remain seated in their rows. Then He would give the Eid Sermon (Khutbah), advising them therein and commanding them. After that if he wished to send an army for an expedition, he would do so; or if he wanted to command something, he would do so, and then depart.
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنِي نَافِعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كَانَ يَغْدُو إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى فِي يَوْمِ الْعِيدِ وَالْعَنَزَةُ تُحْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْمُصَلَّى نُصِبَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَيُصَلِّي إِلَيْهَا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْمُصَلَّى كَانَ فَضَاءً لَيْسَ فِيهِ شَىْءٌ يُسْتَتَرُ بِهِ . (رواه ابن ماجه : 92ص)
It is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar Radhiyallahu Anhu that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam used to set out for the Musalla (Eid Gaah) in the morning of the day of ‘Eid, and a small spear would be carried before him. When Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam reached the Musalla, it would be grounded in front of him, then he would pray facing it, and that was because the Musalla was an open space in which there was nothing that could serve as a Sutrah*. [*Sutrah: a screen, a barrier of some type].
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ الإِيَامِيِّ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا نَبْدَأُ بِهِ فِي يَوْمِنَا هَذَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ ثُمَّ نَرْجِعَ فَنَنْحَرَ، مَنْ فَعَلَهُ فَقَدْ أَصَابَ سُنَّتَنَا، وَمَنْ ذَبَحَ قَبْلُ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ لَحْمٌ قَدَّمَهُ لأَهْلِهِ، لَيْسَ مِنَ النُّسُكِ فِي شَىْءٍ ”. .
(رواه البخاري: 1/133 )
Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said (on the day of Idul-Adha), “The first thing we will do on this day of ours, is to offer the Eid Salaah and then we will return to slaughter (our Qurbaani). Whoever does so, he has acted in accordance to our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) before the prayer, what he offered was just meat that he presented to his family, and that will not be considered as Nusuk (sacrifice).”
وأخبرنا أبو الحسين بن الفضل القطان ببغداد، أنبأ أبو الحسين أحمد بن عثمان بن جعفر المقرئ، ثنا محمد بن علي الوراق، ثنا أبو غسان، ومعاوية بن عمرو، واللفظ لأبي غسان، قال: حدثنا زهير، ثنا أبو إسحاق، عن الحارث الأعور، عن علي رضي الله عنه قال: ” من السنة أن يمشي الرجل إلى المصلى، قال: والخروج يوم العيدين من السنة، ولا يخرج إلى المسجد إلا ضعيف أو مريض “
(رواه البيهقي في سننه الكبرى 3/311)
Hadhrat Ali Radhiyallahu Anhu said, The Sunnah is that a person should walk to the Musalla (Eid Gaah)”, and he also said ” Going out (to the Eid Gaah) is Sunnah, none should go to the Masjid except the weak or ill”.
وقد وقعَ النِّزاعُ بين العلماءِ في عصرنا أنَّ الخروجَ إلى المصلَّى هل هو سُنَّة مؤكَّدةٌ أم مستحبَّة، فأفتى أكثرُهم بأنّه سنَّةٌ مؤكَّدة، وهذا هو القولُ المنصفُ الموافقُ لكتبِ الأصولِ والفروعِ المطابقِ لما عليه الجمهور، وقيل: إنّه مستحبَّة، وهو قولٌ باطلٌ لا وجهَ له، وأفرط بعضهم فقال: إنه واجب، وهو قولٌ مردودٌ لا عبرةَ به، وللتَّفصيلُ موضعٍ آخر
(شرح الوقاية)
Hadhrat Ali Radhiyallahu Anhu said, The Sunnah is that a person should walk to the Musalla (Eid Gaah)”, and he also said ” Going out (to the Eid Gaah) is Sunnah, none should go to the Masjid except the weak or ill”.
In the well- relied upon Kitaab of Hanafi jurisprudence, Ar-Raddul Muhtaar, it states,
في الدر: (وَالْخُرُوجُ إلَيْهَا) أَيْ الْجَبَّانَةِ لِصَلَاةِ الْعِيدِ (سُنَّةٌ وَإِنْ وَسِعَهُمْ الْمَسْجِدُ الْجَامِعُ) هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ
في الشامية: وَفِي الْخُلَاصَةِ وَالْخَانِيَّةِ السُّنَّةُ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ الْإِمَامُ إلَى الْجَبَّانَةِ، وَيَسْتَخْلِفَ غَيْرَهُ لِيُصَلِّيَ فِي الْمِصْرِ بِالضُّعَفَاءِ بِنَاءً عَلَى أَنَّ صَلَاةَ الْعِيدَيْنِ فِي مَوْضِعَيْنِ جَائِزَةٌ بِالِاتِّفَاقِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَخْلِفْ فَلَهُ ذَلِكَ
(رد المحتار 108/5) فرفور
Hadhrat Ali Radhiyallahu Anhu said, The Sunnah is that a person should walk to the Musalla (Eid Gaah)”, and he also said ” Going out (to the Eid Gaah) is Sunnah, none should go to the Masjid except the weak or ill”.
Moulana Abdul Hai Farangi Mahalli Rahmatullahi Alaih has stated that to perform the Eid Salaah at the Eid Gaah is Sunnah Muakkadah. [Majmooatul Fatawa, Urdu, vol 1 pg 294].
Mufti Azeezur Rahman Rahmatullahi Alaih has also affirmed that the correct view according to the Fuqaha (Jurists) is that the performance of the Eid Salaah in the Musalla/Eid Gaah is Sunnah Muakkaddah. In support of this, he has extensively quoted Moulana Abdul Hai Lawkhnawi Rahmatullahi Alaih. He writes:
“It is proven from the books of Ahaadith and Siyar (Biographies) that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam always performed the Eid Salaah in the “Sahra” (an open field on the outskirts, another name for the Musalla/Eid Gaah) except on the occasion when it rained despite the fact that the Masjid of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam is more virtuous than any other place. Similarly, the Khulafa-e-Raashideen Radhiyallahu Anhum also performed their Eid Salaah out in the open field. This practice was maintained neither due to any necessity nor merely as a habit, but rather as an act of Ibaadat. This was done so that the reward may be increased due to a large congregation as well as that the strength and grandeur of Islam may be displayed”. [Fatawa Darul Uloom, vol 5, pg 182].
Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi Rahmatullahi Alaih has given a similar Fatwa.
Likewise, Mufti Abdur Raheem Lajpuri Rahmatullahi Alaih is also of the opinion that it is Sunnah Muakkaddah to perform Eid Salaah at the Musalla. He writes:”It is Sunnah Muakaddah to perform Eid Salaah at the Musalla”.
The status of discarding and disregarding this emphasized sunnah.
مَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِي فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي (متفق عليه)
Whosoever turns away from my Sunnah(my way) he is not of me. (He is not on my path)
It is mentioned in Ad-Durrul Mukhtaar,
وَيَأْثَمُ بِارْتِكَابِهِ كَمَا يَأْثَمُ بِتَرْكِ الْوَاجِبِ، وَمِثْلُهُ السُّنَّةُ الْمُؤَكَّدَةُ
A person will be sinful for doing an act which is Makrooh Tahrimi, like how he will be sinful for leaving an act which is Waajib”. Similar is the case of Sunnah Muakkadah (to omit it without an excuse is a sin)
[Shaami, vol 5, pg 275].
Therefore, to perform Salaah in the Masjid without any valid excuse must be avoided.
The permissibility of performing Eid Salaah on sports grounds etc when a sunnah Musalla is at a far distance.
Mufti Rashid Ahmed Saheb Ludhianwi Rahmatullahi Alaih writes:
“Nevertheless, in very big cities it is very difficult to go to the outskirts, hence in such a situation Eid Salaah can be performed in some open field within the city”. [Ahsanul Fataawa, vol 2, pg 119].
Mufi Saeed Paalanpoori Rahmatullahi Alaih mentions the below in some of his Fataawa,
1 “Similarly, any sports field or a big ground will serve as a Musalla. It is better and more virtuous to perform the Eid Salaah collectively at such fields than performing it at various Masaajid”.
Where no Sunnat Musalla is available, it would be better to perform the Eid Salaah on any open field, rather than performing it in various Masajid”
2.”All Praise be to Allah and Peace and Salutations be upon his servant, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. In very big cities such as London, Johannesburg, and Durban, and the like thereof, any empty clean field will enjoy the same status as the `Sahra’ (an open field outside the city) for the purpose of the Eid Salaah. To perform the Eid Salaah collectively on any such field is better and more preferred than performing it in the Masaajid… Indeed, in very big cities, it would be difficult to go to the boundaries of the city. It is due to this difficulty that the Jumu’ah is permitted in more than one place in big cities. Based on this, the same leniency will be accorded to the Eid Salaah.
Mufti Nizaamuddeen Rahmatullahi Alaih of Deoband is also of the opinion that any open piece of land will suffice whether it lies within the built-up area or not.
Checked and Approved By:
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
References
Condensed (with omissions and alterations) from the kitaab, “Eidgah ki Sunniyat” of Hadhrat Shaykul Hadith Maulana Fadhlur Rahmaan Azmi Madda Zillahu.