The Festival Prayer and the Explanation That the Festival Prayer on the Day of 'Id al-Fitr Is Recommended to Be Delayed, and the Opposite Is the Case for the Prayer of 'Id al-Adha, Along with a Discussion of Some of the Rulings of Zakah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : It is recommended (mustahabb) to delay the Festival Prayer on the Day of 'Id al-Fitr. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to delay the Festival Prayer on the Day of 'Id al-Fitr to allow more time for those who wished to go out to pay zakat al-fitr. In the case of 'Id al-Adha, he would hasten to perform the Festival Prayer to allow more time for those who sacrifice. Through this, we recognize the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) consideration for the circumstances of people. In the situation where people need the prayer to be delayed, he would delay it. I say he would delay it. In the situation where people need the prayer to be advanced, he would advance it. I say he would advance it. And what do you say?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And what do you say, my brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : I mean, I am not making a mistake. I am making an error. So, in the situation where people need the Festival Prayer to be delayed, does he advance the Festival Prayer? Is that an error or correct?
The student: An error.
The Shaykh : Good. What is the correct ruling? In the situation where people need the Festival Prayer to be delayed, he delays the Festival Prayer. The teacher may make a mistake and the student may be correct, and there is no harm in that. The imam in prayer may make a mistake and the one praying behind him may be correct. So, the Sunnah for the Festival Prayer of 'Id al-Fitr is to delay the prayer, and in the case of 'Id al-Adha, it is to advance the prayer to allow more time for the sacrifice and to hasten the slaughter of the udhiyah on the Day of 'Id al-Adha so that people may eat and enjoy...
Good. Is there a time other than this time? I mean, between the Fajr prayer and the Festival Prayer on the Day of 'Id, is this the best time? Is there another time? Yes, the night of 'Id is a time for paying zakat al-fitr. The night of 'Id is a time for paying zakat al-fitr, because this zakah is called "sadaqat al-fitr" (the charity of breaking the fast) by way of attributing the thing to its time and its cause. Pay attention. Accordingly, from the setting of the sun on the night of 'Id, it is permissible to pay zakat al-fitr. Is it permissible before that? The Companions used to pay zakat al-fitr one or two days before 'Id. In that case, you have two days before 'Id and the morning of 'Id for paying zakat al-fitr. If you pay it before those two days, it is a voluntary charity, and you must pay it again in its proper time. If you delay it until after the Festival Prayer, it is a voluntary charity that does not benefit you as zakah, and your obligation is not discharged by it, unless there is an excuse, such as if a person appointed someone to pay his zakah and the agent forgot, and it was not paid until after the prayer, then it is sufficient. Likewise, if a person forgot to pay it, or relied on his family to pay it but they did not, and he remembered after the Festival Prayer, he pays it and it is sufficient for him. What is the evidence? The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):. Likewise, if a person forgets to pay sadaqat al-fitr in its proper time, he should pay it when he remembers it, by clear analogy to prayer, because if prayer is made up when forgotten, then other acts are all the more so when forgotten. Good.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And what do you say, my brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : I mean, I am not making a mistake. I am making an error. So, in the situation where people need the Festival Prayer to be delayed, does he advance the Festival Prayer? Is that an error or correct?
The student: An error.
The Shaykh : Good. What is the correct ruling? In the situation where people need the Festival Prayer to be delayed, he delays the Festival Prayer. The teacher may make a mistake and the student may be correct, and there is no harm in that. The imam in prayer may make a mistake and the one praying behind him may be correct. So, the Sunnah for the Festival Prayer of 'Id al-Fitr is to delay the prayer, and in the case of 'Id al-Adha, it is to advance the prayer to allow more time for the sacrifice and to hasten the slaughter of the udhiyah on the Day of 'Id al-Adha so that people may eat and enjoy...
Good. Is there a time other than this time? I mean, between the Fajr prayer and the Festival Prayer on the Day of 'Id, is this the best time? Is there another time? Yes, the night of 'Id is a time for paying zakat al-fitr. The night of 'Id is a time for paying zakat al-fitr, because this zakah is called "sadaqat al-fitr" (the charity of breaking the fast) by way of attributing the thing to its time and its cause. Pay attention. Accordingly, from the setting of the sun on the night of 'Id, it is permissible to pay zakat al-fitr. Is it permissible before that? The Companions used to pay zakat al-fitr one or two days before 'Id. In that case, you have two days before 'Id and the morning of 'Id for paying zakat al-fitr. If you pay it before those two days, it is a voluntary charity, and you must pay it again in its proper time. If you delay it until after the Festival Prayer, it is a voluntary charity that does not benefit you as zakah, and your obligation is not discharged by it, unless there is an excuse, such as if a person appointed someone to pay his zakah and the agent forgot, and it was not paid until after the prayer, then it is sufficient. Likewise, if a person forgot to pay it, or relied on his family to pay it but they did not, and he remembered after the Festival Prayer, he pays it and it is sufficient for him. What is the evidence? The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):