1 – It is recommended to recite takbeer during the night of Eid from sunset on the last day of Ramadan (after sunset) until the imam comes to lead the prayer. The format of the takbeer is as follows:
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no god except Allah, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, and all praise be to Allah).
Or you can say Allahu akbar three times, so you say:
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no god except Allah, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great , Allah is Most Great, and all praise be to Allah).
Both are permissible.
2 – You should eat an odd number of dates before leaving for the Eid prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not set out on the day of Eid until he had eaten an odd number of dates. He should stick to an odd number as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did.
3 – You should wear your best clothes – this is for men. With regard to women, they should not wear beautiful clothes (or overtly attractive clothes) when they go out to the Eid prayer-place, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Let them go out looking decent” i.e., in regular clothes that are not overtly fancy or attention-drawing.
4 – Some of the scholars regarded it as recommended to do ghusl (ritual shower) for the Eid prayer, because it is narrated that some of the first generation Muslims did this. Doing ghusl (ritual shower) for Eid prayer is recommended, just as it is prescribed for Friday because one is going to meet people. So if one does ghusl (ritual shower), that is good.
5 – The Eid prayer. The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the Eid prayer is prescribed in Islam.
In the first rak’ah the imam (leader of the prayer) should recite Sabbih isma rabbika al-A‘ala (Surat al-A’la, chapter 87) and in the second rak’ah he should recite Hal ataaka hadeeth ul-ghaashiyah (Surat al-Ghaashiyah, chapter 88). Or he may recite Surat Qaaf (Chapter 50) in the first and Surat al-Qamar (Chapter 54) in the second. Both options are narrated in authentic hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
The Eid Prayer is a bit different than the regular prayer. The following video shows a Eid Prayer. In the beginning, they are reciting the takbeer (listed in point number 1). If you fast forward to 2:50, that is when they start the prayer:
Notice that the imam (leader fo the prayer) says "Allahu Akbar" 7 times extra in the first ra'kah (a total of 8 "Allahu Akbar") than what is normally said in prayer, before starting his recitation. During the second ra'kah, 5 extra "Allahu Akbar" (a total of 6) is said before starting the recitation.
6 – One of the rulings on the day of Eid – Eid al-Fitr – is that Zakaat al-Fitr (almsgiving on the day of breaking the fast) is due on this day. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined that it should be paid before the Eid prayer. It is permissible to pay it one or two days before that, because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) which was narrated by al-Bukhari: “They used to give it one or two days before (Eid) al-Fitr.” If it is paid after the Eid prayer, it does not count as Sadaqat al-Fitr, because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbas: “Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is Zakaat al-Fitr, and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity.” It is haram (forbidden) to delay Zakaat al-Fitr until after the Eid prayer. If one delays it with no excuse then it is not acceptable zakaah, but if there is an excuse – such as if a person is traveling and does not have anything to give or anyone to give it to, or he is expecting his family to pay it and they are expecting him to pay it, then in this case he should pay it when it is easy for him to do so, even if that is after the prayer, and there is no sin on him because he has an excuse.
7 – People should greet one another, offer congratulations and exchange good wishes, no matter what the wording is, such as saying to one another Taqabbala Allaah minna wa minkum (May Allaah accept (good deeds) from us and from you” or “Eid mubarak” (May you have a blessed Eid) and other permissible expressions of congratulations.
It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: When the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) met one another on the day of Eid, they would say to one another, “May Allaah accept (good deeds) from us and from you.” Al-Fath, 2/446.
8 – It is prescribed for the one who goes out to the Eid prayer to go by one route and return by another, following the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This Sunnah does not apply to other prayers, Jumu’ah or anything else, it only applies to Eid.It was said that the reason for that was so that the two routes would testify for him on the Day of Resurrection, for the earth will speak on the Day of Resurrection and say what was done on it, both good and bad.
So Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim brothers and sisters celebrating it!
Courtesy of Islam Q&A
