Understanding Hazrat Anas (R.A) Hadith: Eid Prayer in Villages & Lockdowns
Due to the lockdown situation in many countries, Muslims are facing considerable obstacles in performing acts of worship, especially Eid al-Fitr, which occurs once a year. This year, performing it in a communal form seems to be a difficult matter. Consequently, scholars are explaining how we can perform the Eid prayer under these circumstances based on the guidance of the Qur’an and Hadith.
One of the Hadiths from Sahih Bukhari, related to حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ, has become a point of discussion among people. In these discussions, I have observed that many people do not understand the correct meaning of this Hadith. It is evident that if the correct understanding of the Hadith is not clear to people, they will make mistakes in deriving conclusions from it. Therefore, I, acknowledging my limited knowledge, am trying to convey what I have understood.
Imam Bukhari (رحمہ اللہ) narrates a Hadith from حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ regarding the Eid prayer, where he instructs his servant, Abdullah ibn Abi Atbah, to pray the Eid prayer with his family and children in the same manner as the people of the city do. The narration is as follows:
“وامر انس بن مالك مولاهم ابن ابي عتبة بالزاوية فجمع اهله وبنيه وصلى كصلاة اهل المصر وتكبيرهم”
Translation: “حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ’s servant, Ibn Abi Atbah, lived in a village called Zawiya. He ordered him to gather his family and children and pray the Eid prayer in the same manner as the people of the city, and to say the Takbir like them.”
Imam Bukhari رحمہ اللہ has titled the chapter: “بَابُ إِذَا فَاتَهُ الْعِيدُ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ”, which translates to: “If someone misses the Eid prayer with the congregation, he should pray two rakats.”
I have read various statements and writings by scholars who, citing this Hadith, are suggesting that people should pray the Eid prayer at home. However, they often overlook the practical example set by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Their point has some validity in light of the current situation, but their reasoning and method of deduction are incorrect. I will elaborate on this later, but first, let us understand whether حضرت انس رضی اللہ عنہ and his family missed the Eid prayer, which led him to instruct his servant to lead the Eid prayer at home. The next question arises: where was the Eid prayer being performed when حضرت انس رضی اللہ عنہ intended to join, but missed it? Another question is whether Eid prayers were held at another place or in another house in the village of Zawiya, or is there some other explanation?
Upon reflecting on this Hadith and considering the words and the chapter titles in the books that mention it, it becomes clear that the situation is not what many people think. The actual matter is that حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ lived in a village called Zawiya, which was far from the city of Basra. He often visited the village, and since it was difficult for him to attend the Eid prayer in the city due to the distance, he used to perform the Eid prayer with his family in Zawiya in the same manner as the people of the city. It is also true that just as the Eid prayer is obligatory for the people of the city, it is equally obligatory for the people of the villages. Therefore, Muslims, whether in the city or the village, will gather at one place to perform the Eid prayer.
The mention of Zawiya (a village) in the Hadith, and the reference to performing the Eid prayer and reciting the Takbir in the same way as the people of the city, indicates this very fact. This is the reasoning of Imam Bukhari. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمہ اللہ) has mentioned in فتح الباری, quoting Hasan, Nakhai, Malik, Shafi’i, and Ahmad, that:
“وَانْسٌ لَمْ يَفْتِهِ فِي الْمُصَرِّ بَلْ كَانَ سَاكِنًا خَارِجًا مِنْهُ بَعِيدًا مِنْهُ فَهُوَ فِي حُكْمِ أَهْلِ الْقَرْيَةِ”
Translation: “حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ did not miss the congregation in the city, but he lived far away from the city. Hence, he was considered to be in the category of people of the village.”
This Hadith is also found in the book of Al-Bayhaqi, where there are two narrations:
- “عبیداللہ بن ابوبکر بن انس بن مالک خادم رسول اللہ سے مروی ہے کہ انہوں نے کہا: کان انس اذا فاتتہ صلاۃ العید مع الامام جمع اہلہ فصلی بھم مثل صلاۃ الامام فی العید”
Translation: “When حضرت انس رضی اللہ عنہ missed the Eid prayer with the Imam, he gathered his family and prayed with them in the same manner as the Imam does in Eid prayer.” - “ویذکرعن انس بن مالک انہ کان اذا کان بمنزلہ بالزاویۃ فلم یشہد العید بالبصرۃ جمع موالیہ وولدہ ثم یامر مولاہ عبداللہ بن ابی عتبۃ فیصلی بھم کصلاۃ اھل المصر رکعتین ویکبربھم کتکبیرھم”
Translation: “It is mentioned that when حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ was at his house in Zawiya and could not attend the Eid in Basra, he would gather his servants and children, then instruct his servant, Abdullah ibn Abi Atbah, to lead them in two rakats like the people of the city and to say the Takbir in the same way as they do.”
This is followed by the chapter titled: “باب صلاۃ العید ین سنۃ اهل الاسلام حیث کانوا”, which means: “Eid prayer is a Sunnah for Muslims wherever they are.”
Thus, Imam Al-Bayhaqi’s view is that Muslims, whether in cities, villages, or elsewhere, must perform the Eid prayer. As in the case of حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ in the village of Zawiya, he performed the Eid prayer with his family in the same manner as the people of the city.
Similarly, in the Musannaf of Abdul Razzaq, a chapter is titled “باب ھل یصلیھا اھل البادیۃ”, which translates to: “Do the people of the countryside pray the Eid prayer?”
This chapter further confirms that since حضرت انس بن مالک رضی اللہ عنہ lived in a village, he prayed the Eid prayer there with his family, just as the people of the city would. Hence, villagers are also required to perform the Eid prayer in a collective manner.
This same narration appears in Ibn Abi Shaiba, with the following words:
“أنَّ أنسًا كان رُبَّما جمعَ أهلَهُ وحشمَهُ يومَ العيدِ فصلَّى بهم عبدُ اللهِ بنُ أبي عُتبةَ ركعتينِ”
Translation: “حضرت انس رضی اللہ عنہ occasionally gathered his family and servants on the day of Eid and prayed two rakats with them, led by his servant Abdullah ibn Abi Atbah.”
This Hadith clearly indicates that the meaning of the Hadith of حضرت انس رضی اللہ عنہ in Sahih Bukhari is that he lived in a village away from the city, and the villagers’ obligation to pray the Eid prayer is the same as that of city dwellers. Therefore, he led his family and servants in Eid prayer in a collective manner in the village. This is why Imam Bukhari mentions the villagers and their obligation to pray Eid collectively.
In conclusion, the Hadith of حضرت انس رضی اللہ عنہ leads to two conclusions:
- People in villages should perform the Eid prayer in the same way as the people of the city.
- Wherever Muslims live—whether in cities or villages—they must perform the Eid prayer collectively.
Due to the current lockdown situation, it is advised that the maximum possible number of Muslims in any village gather at a place such as an Eidgah, mosque, or an open space to perform the Eid prayer together. Those who cannot join the congregation due to lockdowns or other valid reasons (such as rain or storms) should perform two rakats of Eid prayer individually or in small groups, and they will be excused for not attending the larger congregation.
Written by: Maqbool Ahmad Salafi
Islamic Dawah Center, Masrah (Taif)