Ruling 1498*

The Eid al-Fiṭr and Eid al-Aḍḥā prayer consists of two rakʿahs and is performed as follows: after saying takbīrat al‑iḥrām at the start of the prayer and reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah in each rakʿah, one must say a number of takbīrs and perform a qunūt between each takbīr. Based on obligatory precaution, the number of takbīrs and qunūts in each rakʿah is three takbīrs and two qunūts. After the third takbīr, based on obligatory precaution, one must say another takbīr before going into rukūʿ. Therefore, there will be a total of four takbīrs in each rakʿah. However, it is better that in the first rakʿah one says five takbīrs with four qunūts between them, and in the second rakʿah four takbīrs and three qunūts between them. Here also, based on obligatory precaution, one must say another takbīr before going into rukūʿ. The rest of the prayer must then be performed in the same way one would perform other two rakʿah prayers, i.e. with two sajdahs, tashahhud, and salām.⁶⁰

⁶⁰ Compared with the previous edition of Islamic Laws, only the wording has changed in this ruling, not the actual method of performing Eid Prayers. According to the majority of the marājiʿ, five qunūts are performed in the first rakʿah and four qunūts are performed in the second rakʿah. According to al-Sayyid al-Sistani, however, four qunūts are performed in the first rakʿah and three qunūts are performed in the second rakʿah. He also says that based on obligatory precaution, one must say another takbīr before going into rukūʿ in each rakʿah.
His Eminence also allows a shorter method in which only three takbīrs are said in each rakʿah with two qunūts between the takbīrs, but he says the method with the four and three qunūts in each rakʿah is better.

• Commentary

  This ruling changed in March 2022. The previous version of the ruling was as follows:

  “The Eid al-Fiṭr and Eid al-Aḍḥā prayer consists of two rakʿahs, and in each rakʿah after reciting Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah, one says three takbīrs, although it is better that he says five takbīrs in the first rakʿah. Between every two takbīrs he should perform one qunūt [and so there will be a total of four qunūts in the first rakʿah]; and after the fifth takbīr he should say another takbīr, go into rukūʿ, perform two sajdahs, and then stand up. In the second rakʿah, he should say four takbīrs, and between every two takbīrs he should perform one qunūt [and so there will be a total of three qunūts in the second rakʿah]; and after the fourth takbīr he should say another takbīr, go into rukūʿ, perform two sajdahs, and then say tashahhud and the salām of the prayer.”