Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha is the Festival of Sacrifice, falling on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah. It is the greater of the two Eids and marks the end of Hajj. The day opens with the Eid prayer in congregation, and the sacrifice is made afterwards, not before.
HAF carries out the sacrifice on your behalf through its Qurbani appeal.
What the Name Means
Eid comes from a root meaning to return. A festival that comes back round, year after year.
Adha relates to the sacrificial animals and to the early part of the morning, which is when the sacrifice is made. Put together, the name is the Festival of the Sacrifice.
You will hear other names for it. Eid al-Kabir, the Greater Eid, across much of the Arab world. Bakra Eid in South Asia, from the Urdu for goat. Eid-ul-Azha where Persian pronunciation has shaped the spelling. All the same day.
When It Falls, and Why
The tenth of Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic year.
That date is not arbitrary. Pilgrims performing Hajj stand at Arafah on the ninth. On the tenth they move to Mina, cast stones, and offer their sacrifice. Eid al-Adha is that day, and the rest of the Muslim world marks it alongside them.
You do not have to be on Hajj to keep it. Most Muslims never perform Hajj and still observe this Eid every year. What the timing does is tie everyone to the same moment, wherever they are.
Because the Islamic calendar follows the moon, the date moves through the Gregorian year, and communities may differ by a day depending on moon sighting.
The Eid Prayer
This is the part of the day that is specific to Eid, and it is not quite like other prayers.
It is prayed in congregation after sunrise and before midday. There is no call to prayer and no iqamah; people simply gather. Two units are prayed, with extra takbirs added-the number differs between the schools, so follow whoever is leading.
The sermon comes after the prayer rather than before it, which is the reverse of Friday. Leaving before it is best avoided.
Praying in open ground was the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ practice, which is why many British mosques hire parks and halls rather than use the prayer hall. Where weather or space makes that impractical, the mosque is fine.
The schools differ on how binding the prayer is. Hanafi scholars treat it as wajib, close to required. Others treat it as a strongly emphasised sunnah. Either way, it should not be casually skipped.
The Sunnahs of the Day
Small things, and most take no effort.
Wash and wear your best clothes. Perfume, for men. Go to the prayer by one route and come back by another, as the Prophet ﷺ did. Say the takbir aloud on the way.
One sunnah is specific to this Eid and surprises people. On Eid al-Fitr you eat something before leaving for the prayer. On Eid al-Adha you do not. The Prophet ﷺ would wait until after the prayer and eat from his own sacrifice. If you are not sacrificing yourself, there is no harm in eating, but the delay is the practice.
The Takbir, and the Days That Follow
From the Fajr prayer on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah until the Asr prayer on the thirteenth, Muslims say the takbir after each obligatory prayer. This is called Takbir al-Tashriq. Scholars differ over whether it is required or strongly encouraged, and over the exact wording, so follow what your local mosque does.
Eid does not stop at sunset on the tenth. The eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth are the Days of Tashriq, and they belong to the festival. The Prophet ﷺ described them as days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah (reported in Sahih Muslim).
Which leads to a rule people often do not know: fasting is not permitted on Eid al-Adha or on the three days after it. Someone intending to fast voluntarily should not do so on these days. They are meant for eating.
The Sacrifice
The sacrifice is made after the Eid prayer, never before, and may be carried out over the days of Eid. Sheep and goats count as one, cattle and camels as seven shares. The meat is traditionally divided between the household, relatives and people in need.
That is the short version. The rules on who must give, which animals qualify, how long the window stays open and what happens to the meat are all set out on the Qurbani page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Several reasons are given. It falls in Dhul Hijjah alongside Hajj, one of the five pillars. It runs over more days than Eid al-Fitr. And it carries an act of worship — the sacrifice — that the other Eid does not. The name is a description rather than a ranking of reward, and nothing suggests Eid al-Fitr is a lesser occasion.
If you are not on Hajj, yes-it is a well-known and strongly encouraged fast, and the Prophet ﷺ said it expiates the year before and the year after (reported in Sahih Muslim). Pilgrims at Arafah do not fast, as the day demands their strength. Note that the fast is on the ninth, and ends at sunset on the eve of Eid.
Scholars differ. Some hold it can be prayed later in the morning, alone or with family who also missed it. Others hold that a congregational prayer missed is simply missed, and that nothing is owed. Nobody treats it as a sin to be made up like a missed obligatory prayer. If it happens, the rest of the day is still yours.
Yes, and it was the practice in the Prophet's ﷺ time for women to go out for it, including those who could not pray that day and attended for the gathering and the sermon. Some communities have drifted away from this. Mosques in Britain increasingly make proper provision, and women attending is the stronger position.
Eid Mubarak is the one everyone uses, and it is perfectly good. The greeting reported from the Companions is Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum -may Allah accept it from us and from you. Both are fine, and there is no obligation either way.
The Sunnahs of the Day
Small things, and most take no effort.
Wash and wear your best clothes. Perfume, for men. Go to the prayer by one route and come back by another, as the Prophet ﷺ did. Say the takbir aloud on the way.
One sunnah is specific to this Eid and surprises people. On Eid al-Fitr you eat something before leaving for the prayer. On Eid al-Adha you do not. The Prophet ﷺ would wait until after the prayer and eat from his own sacrifice. If you are not sacrificing yourself, there is no harm in eating, but the delay is the practice.
From the Fajr prayer on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah until the Asr prayer on the thirteenth, Muslims say the takbir after each obligatory prayer. This is called Takbir al-Tashriq. Scholars differ over whether it is required or strongly encouraged, and over the exact wording, so follow what your local mosque does.
Eid does not stop at sunset on the tenth. The eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth are the Days of Tashriq, and they belong to the festival. The Prophet ﷺ described them as days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah (reported in Sahih Muslim).
Which leads to a rule people often do not know: fasting is not permitted on Eid al-Adha or on the three days after it. Someone intending to fast voluntarily should not do so on these days. They are meant for eating.
The sacrifice is made after the Eid prayer, never before, and may be carried out over the days of Eid. Sheep and goats count as one, cattle and camels as seven shares. The meat is traditionally divided between the household, relatives and people in need.
That is the short version. The rules on who must give, which animals qualify, how long the window stays open and what happens to the meat are all set out on the Qurbani page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Several reasons are given. It falls in Dhul Hijjah alongside Hajj, one of the five pillars. It runs over more days than Eid al-Fitr. And it carries an act of worship — the sacrifice — that the other Eid does not. The name is a description rather than a ranking of reward, and nothing suggests Eid al-Fitr is a lesser occasion.
If you are not on Hajj, yes-it is a well-known and strongly encouraged fast, and the Prophet ﷺ said it expiates the year before and the year after (reported in Sahih Muslim). Pilgrims at Arafah do not fast, as the day demands their strength. Note that the fast is on the ninth, and ends at sunset on the eve of Eid.
Scholars differ. Some hold it can be prayed later in the morning, alone or with family who also missed it. Others hold that a congregational prayer missed is simply missed, and that nothing is owed. Nobody treats it as a sin to be made up like a missed obligatory prayer. If it happens, the rest of the day is still yours.
Yes, and it was the practice in the Prophet's ﷺ time for women to go out for it, including those who could not pray that day and attended for the gathering and the sermon. Some communities have drifted away from this. Mosques in Britain increasingly make proper provision, and women attending is the stronger position.
Eid Mubarak is the one everyone uses, and it is perfectly good. The greeting reported from the Companions is Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum -may Allah accept it from us and from you. Both are fine, and there is no obligation either way.