I add: On ʿEid al-Fiṭr one should eat before the prayer, whereas on ʿEid al-Aḍḥā he refrains until afterward. He proceeds to the place of prayer on foot, calmly and dignified, and for anyone other than the imam supererogatory prayer beforehand is not disliked. Allah knows best.

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It is recommended to begin the takbīr at sunset on both eids, raising one’s voice with it in homes, streets, mosques, and marketplaces. The stronger view is that it continues until the imam pronounces the opening takbīr of the eid prayer. A pilgrim, however, does not recite the takbīr on the night of ʿEid al-Aḍḥā; instead he remains in talbiyah. On the night of ʿEid al-Fiṭr, reciting takbīr after the obligatory prayers is, according to the soundest opinion, not sunnah.

The pilgrim commences the takbīr from the Ẓuhr of the Day of Sacrifice and concludes with the Fajr of the last day of Tashrīq; for those not on pilgrimage, the ruling is the same according to the preferred view. Another opinion starts it from the Maghrib preceding the Day of Sacrifice, and yet another from the Fajr of the Day of ʿArafah, ending with the ʿAṣr of the last day of Tashrīq—and this latter practice is what the community follows. The sounder position is that the takbīr is said during these days after missed prayers, the regular sunnah prayers, and other voluntary prayers as well.

The favoured wording is: “Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar; lā ilāha illā Allah; wa-Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, wa lillāh al-ḥamd.” It is also recommended to add: “kabīran, wa al-ḥamdu lillāhi kathīran, wa subḥāna Allāhi bukratan wa aṣīlā.”

If credible witnesses testify on the thirtieth day, before the sun passes its zenith, that the new crescent was sighted the previous night, we break the fast and perform the eid prayer. Should the testimony come after sunset, it is not accepted. If it is given between noon and sunset, we break the fast but the prayer has lapsed. According to the preferred view the prayer may be made up at any later time, though another opinion holds that it is offered the next day as though performed on time.