Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (24/253)

He was also asked—may Allah Most High have mercy on him:

“Do greetings exchanged on Eid, including common expressions such as ‘May your Eid be blessed’ and the like, have any basis in Islamic law? If so, what should be said? Please give us a ruling, and may you be rewarded.”

He replied:

As for exchanging greetings on the day of Eid, saying to one another upon meeting after the Eid prayer, “May Allah accept from us and from you,” “May Allah bring this occasion around again for you,” and similar expressions, it has been reported that a number of the Companions used to do this. The imams, including Ahmad and others, permitted it.

However, Ahmad said: “I do not initiate such greetings with anyone, but if someone greets me first, I respond.”

This is because returning a greeting is obligatory. Initiating Eid greetings, however, is neither a Sunnah that one is instructed to observe nor something forbidden. Whoever does so has a precedent to follow, and whoever refrains likewise has a precedent to follow. And Allah knows best.

وَسُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -: هَلْ التَّهْنِئَةُ فِي الْعِيدِ وَمَا يَجْرِي عَلَى أَلْسِنَةِ النَّاسِ: " عِيدُك مُبَارَكٌ " وَمَا أَشْبَهَهُ هَلْ لَهُ أَصْلٌ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ؟ أَمْ لَا؟ وَإِذَا كَانَ لَهُ أَصْلٌ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ فَمَا الَّذِي يُقَالُ؟ أَفْتُونَا مَأْجُورِينَ. فَأَجَابَ: أَمَّا التَّهْنِئَةُ يَوْمَ الْعِيدِ يَقُولُ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ إذَا لَقِيَهُ بَعْدَ صَلَاةِ الْعِيدِ: تَقَبَّلَ اللَّهُ مِنَّا وَمِنْكُمْ وَأَحَالَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك وَنَحْوُ ذَلِكَ فَهَذَا قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَهُ وَرَخَّصَ فِيهِ الْأَئِمَّةُ كَأَحْمَدَ وَغَيْرِهِ. لَكِنْ قَالَ أَحْمَد: أَنَا لَا أَبْتَدِئُ أَحَدًا فَإِنْ ابْتَدَأَنِي أَحَدٌ أَجَبْته وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ جَوَابَ التَّحِيَّةِ وَاجِبٌ وَأَمَّا الِابْتِدَاءُ بِالتَّهْنِئَةِ فَلَيْسَ سُنَّةً مَأْمُورًا بِهَا وَلَا هُوَ أَيْضًا مِمَّا نُهِيَ عَنْهُ فَمَنْ فَعَلَهُ فَلَهُ قُدْوَةٌ وَمَنْ تَرَكَهُ فَلَهُ قُدْوَةٌ. وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.