Explaining the prescribed nature of eating an odd number of dates before going to the prayer of 'Id al-Fitr.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct. Well done. It is a recommended practice (sunnah) on 'Id al-Fitr, which is for a person to eat an odd number of dates before coming to the mosque. How many? Three. Not one, not one, because Anas ibn Malik says: And "dates" is a plural, and the minimum is three, especially when it is said to be an odd number, so three is necessary. So the minimum is three, and if he increases to five, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen, or twenty-one, that is fine. Yes, the important thing is that he stops at an odd number. Now, does a person have to stop at an odd number every time he eats dates on other occasions? Meaning, do we ask every person who eats dates to stop at an odd number? No. Should a person stop at an odd number for everything? Meaning, if he eats food, do we say eat three bites? No, that is not prescribed. Some people now put perfume on your hand, they put it on you once, then once, and you say, "I will make it an odd number." Who said that this is a recommended practice? But it is desirable for him to add more perfume, so he says, "I will make it an odd number," but this has no basis. I do not know that a person is required to make things an odd number in such matters. As for the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): This is not to be taken in its generality, but He, the Exalted, is an odd number, ruling by oddness in legislation or in divine decree. For example, prayer, what is it? Odd or not? Yes, odd. At night, we conclude voluntary prayer with witr. In the day, we conclude with the odd number of Maghrib. The days of the week are an odd number. The heavens are an odd number and the earth is an odd number. So Allah, the Exalted, creates what He wills in an odd number and rules with what He wills in an odd number. And the meaning of the hadith is not that every odd number is beloved to Allah, the Exalted, otherwise we would say, count your steps from your house to the mosque to make them an odd number. Count the dates you eat to make them an odd number. Count the tea you drink to make it an odd number. And we would make everything an odd number. I do not know that this is prescribed. Now, this is also from the recommended practices (sunnah) that are done specifically on 'Id al-Fitr, which is not to come to the mosque until one has eaten an odd number of dates.