Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al-Kusuf

Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al-Kusuf (From the Rulings of the Two Eids and the Eclipse) is a concise legal treatise on the jurisprudence of the two festival prayers (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) and the eclipse prayer (Salat al-Kusuf) Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…+1.

Rulings of the Two Eids

The work begins by establishing that the celebration of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha is legislated by the Quran, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus as a replacement for pre-Islamic festivities, noting that introducing additional religious festivals or memorial days constitutes an impermissible innovation Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ first performed the Eid prayer on Eid al-Fitr in the second year of the Hijrah (2 AH) and maintained it consistently throughout his life; because it is an overt symbol of Islam, if the inhabitants of a town abandon it, the ruler is to fight them Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al….

According to the treatise, the Eid prayer is ideally held in an open space outside the town rather than inside mosques, except in Mecca, where it is prayed in al-Masjid al-Haram Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. Permanent residence (istitan) is treated as a condition for its obligation, mirroring the requirements of Friday prayer Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. Its time begins when the sun rises to the height of a spear and lasts until the zenith (zawal); if confirmation of the new moon occurs only after the zenith, the prayer is made up on the following day Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. It is recommended to hasten the Eid al-Adha prayer to provide ample time for slaughtering sacrifices, and to delay the Eid al-Fitr prayer to allow sufficient time for distributing Zakat al-Fitr Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al….

The text outlines several recommended practices (sunan), including:

• Consuming dates prior to leaving for the Eid al-Fitr prayer, and abstaining from food on Eid al-Adha until after the prayer is completed Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al….
• Arriving early at the prayer grounds and dressing in one's finest attire Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al….
• Performing the prayer without an Adhan or Iqamah, consisting of two units (rak'ahs) before the sermon (khutbah) Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…+1.
• Pronouncing six additional takbirs in the first rak'ah and five in the second, raising the hands with each takbir, followed by reciting Surah al-A'la and Surah al-Ghashiyah, or Surah Qaf and Surah al-Qamar Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…+1.
• Delivering two sermons after the prayer, addressing relevant legal topics such as Zakat al-Fitr or the rules of animal sacrifice, and including a dedicated admonition for women attendees Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…+1.

The author notes that performing voluntary prayers at the open prayer ground before or after the Eid prayer is disliked, though one may perform two rak'ahs upon returning home Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. Anyone missing all or part of the prayer may make it up in its full form, individually or in a congregation Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. The text differentiates between unrestricted takbir (al-takbir al-mutlaq)—raised aloud during the nights of both Eids and the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah—and restricted takbir (al-takbir al-muqayyad), recited after obligatory prayers from the Dawn prayer of the Day of Arafah until the Afternoon prayer of the last of the Days of Tashriq (or from the Noon prayer of the Day of Sacrifice for pilgrims) Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…+1. It also records the permissibility of exchanging greetings such as "May Allah accept [it] from us and from you" (taqabbal Allahu minna wa-mink) Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al….

The Eclipse Prayer

The treatise discusses celestial eclipses as divine signs meant to instill awe and fear in worshippers, citing the verse: وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًا ("And We send not the signs except as a warning") Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. It classifies the eclipse prayer as an emphasized Sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah) by scholarly consensus Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al…. The text highlights that when an eclipse occurs, Muslims are instructed to hasten to the mosque to perform the prayer and engage in supplication, seeking forgiveness, giving alms, and manumitting slaves until the eclipse passes Min Ahkam al-Eidayn wa al….