Guidance of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) regarding Eid prayers

I would like to know the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) regarding Eid prayers.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to offer
the Eid prayers in the prayer-place (musalla). There is no report of
his offering the Eid prayer in his mosque.
Al-Shaafa'i said in al-Umm: It was narrated that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on
the two Eids to the prayer-place in Madeenah, as did those (caliphs)
who came afterhim, unless there was anexcuse such as rain etc. The
people of other lands did likewise, apart from the people of Makkah.
He used to wear his mostbeautiful garments to goout to pray. He had a
suit(hullah) which he would wear for Eid and Jumu'ah (Friday prayer).
A hullah is a two-piece suit of the same kind of fabric.
He used to eat dates before going out on Eid al-Fitr, and he would eat
an odd number of them.
Al-Bukhaari (953) narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messengerof Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) did not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten
some dates, and he would eat an odd number.
Ibn Qudaamah said: We do not know of any differing opinion concerning
the fact that it is mustahabb to eat early on the day of Eid al-Fitr.
The reason for eating before the prayer is so that no one will think
that it is essential to fast until the prayer has been offered.
And it was said that this was in order to hasten to obey the command
of Allaah Who enjoined breaking the fast after He enjoined fasting.
If no dates are available, he should have something else for
breakfast, even if it is only water, so that he can fulfil the Sunnah
in principle, which is to have something for breakfast before
prayingon Eid al-Fitr.
With regard to Eid al-Adha, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used not to eat anythinguntil he came back from the
prayer-place, then he would eat some of the meat of his sacrifice.
It was narrated that he used to do ghusl for both Eids. Ibn al-Qayyim
said: Two weak (da'eef) hadeeths have been narrated concerning this…
but it was proven from Ibn 'Umar, who was very keen to follow the
Sunnah, that he usedto do ghusl before goingout on the day of Eid.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to
the Eid prayer walking, and come back walking.
Ibn Maajah (1295) narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to
the Eid (prayer) walking and come back walking. Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
Al-Tirmidhi (530) narrated that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib said: It is Sunnah
to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking. Classedas hasan by al-Albaani
inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Tirmidhi said: Most of the scholars followed this hadeeth and said
that it is mustahabb for a man to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking.
It ismustahabb for him not to ride unless he has an excuse.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reached
the prayer-place, he would begin the prayer with no adhaan or iqaamah,
andwithout saying "Al-salaatu jaami'ah (prayer is about to begin)."
The Sunnah is not to do any of these things.
And he did not offer any prayer in the prayer-place before or after
the Eid prayer.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would start
with the prayer, before the khutbah. He prayed two rak'ahs, with seven
consecutive takbeers in the first rak'ah, including takbeerat
al-ihraam (the takbeer with which the prayer begins), and a brief
pause between each two takbeers. There is no report of him saying any
particular dhikr between the takbeers, but it was narrated that Ibn
Mas'ood would praise Allaah and send blessings upon the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
But Ibn 'Umar, who was always keen to follow the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), used to raise his hands with each
takbeer.
When he had completed the takbeers, he would start to recite. He would
recite al-Faatihah then recite Qaf wa'l-Qur'aan il-majeed (Soorah Qaaf
50) in the first rak'ah and Aqtarabat il-saa'ah wa anshaqqa al-qamar
(Soorat al-Qamar 54) in the other. Sometimes he recited Sabbih isma
rabbika al-A'la (Soorat al-A'laa 87) and Hal ataaka hadeeth
al-ghaashiyah (Soorat al-Ghaashiyah 88). Both were narrated in
saheehreports, but no other soorahs are mentioned in saheeh reports.
When he had finished reciting he would say takbeer and bow. When he
had finished bowing and prostrating and had stood up again, he would
say five takbeers. When he had completed the takbeers he would start
to recite again. The takbeer was the first thing that he would do in
each rak'ah and his recitation was followed by rukoo' (bowing).
Al-Timridhi narrated from the hadeeth of Katheer ibn 'Abd-Allaah ibn
'Amr ibn 'Awf, from his father, from his grandfather, that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
recited takbeer in the Eid (prayer), seven times in the first rak'ah
before reciting Qur'aan and fivetimes in the second rak'ah before
reciting Qur'aan. Al-Tirmidhi said:I asked Muhammad – i.e.,al-Bukhaari
– about this hadeeth and he said: There is nothing more sound than
this concerning this topic. And I say likewise.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had
finished the prayer, he would move away and stand facing the people,
with the people sitting in their rows, and he would address them,
preaching and exhorting, with commands and prohibitions. If he wanted
to dispatch anyone on a mission he would do so, and if he wanted to
enjoin anything he would do that.
There was no minbar on which he would stand, and the minbar of
Madeenah was not brought out. Rather he would address them standing on
the ground. Jaabir said: I attended Eid prayer with the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He started with
the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan and no iqaamah, then he
stood, leaning on Bilaal, and enjoined us to fear and obey Allaah. He
preached to the people and reminded them, then he went over to
thewomen and preached tothem and reminded them. Agreed upon.
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on
the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha to the prayer place. He would start
with the prayer, then he would go and stand facing the people, with
the people sitting in their rows… This hadeeth was narrated by Muslim.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) started all
his khutbahs with praise of Allaah. It is not narrated even in one
hadeeth that he started the khutbah of Eid with takbeer. Rather Ibn
Maajah narrated in his Sunan (1287) that Sa'd al-Qaraz, the muezzin of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say the
takbeer between thetwo sermons and he used to say takbeer a great deal
throughout the khutbah of Eid. This was classed as da'eef by
al-Albaani in Da'eef Ibn Maajah. Although the hadeeth is da'eef, it
doesnot indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to beginhis khutbah with takbeer.
It says in Tamaam al-Mannah: Although it does not indicate that it is
prescribed to begin the Eid khutbah with takbeer, its isnaad is da'eef
and includes one man who is da'eef (weak) and another whois majhool
(unknown), so it is not permissible toquote it as evidence thatit is
Sunnah to say takbeer during the khutbah.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
People differed as to how the khutbah on Eid and on the occasion of
prayers for rain (istisqa')should begin. It was saidthat they should
begin with takbeer and it was said that the khutbah of istisqa' should
begin with prayers for forgiveness, and it was said that they should
begin with praise. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: this is
thecorrect view. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to beginall his khutbahs with praise of Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted a
concession allowing those who attended the Eid prayers either to sit
and listen to the khutbah, or to leave.
Abu Dawood (1155) narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa'ib said: I
attended Eid (prayer) with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), andwhen he had finished the prayer
he said: "We are going to deliver the khutbah, so whoever wants to sit
and listen to the khutbah, let him do so, and whoever wants to leave,
let him go." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to vary
his route on the day of Eid. He would go by one route and come back by
another.
Al-Bukhaari narrated (986) that Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah said: On the
day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
would vary his route.