Answer
Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Islam encourages women to attend Eid prayers to experience the blessings of the congregation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed all women, including young, married, and menstruating women, to join the prayer gathering while maintaining modesty. Learn more about the rulings and significance of Eid prayer for women.
In his well-known book, Fiqh As-Sunnah, Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states:
The Origin of Eid Prayer and Its Importance
The prayers of the two Eids were prescribed in the first year after the migration. It is a confirmed Sunnah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) always performed these prayers and he ordered the men and women to go out to attend them.
Who Can Perform the Eid Prayer?
The Eid Prayer is valid for men, women, children, travelers, residents, people in congregation and people praying individually.
It is also valid if performed in a house, mosque, or a distant place designated for the prayer, and so on.
Should Women and Children Attend Eid Prayer?
The Shari`ah urges women and children to go out and attend the Eid prayer. This includes married, single, young, old, or menstruating women.
Umm Atiyyah reported: โWe were ordered to go out with the single and menstruating women to the two `Eids in order to witness the good and the supplications of the Muslims. The menstruating women would be separate from the others.โ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Ibn `Abbas said that the Prophet would take his wives and daughters to the two Eids. This is reported by Ibn-Majah and al-Bayhaqi.
Ibn Abbas further reported, โI went out with the Prophet on the day of breaking the fast or of the sacrifice, and he prayed and gave a khutbah (sermon), and then he went to the women and admonished them, reminded them of Allah, and ordered them to give charity.โ (Al-Bukhari)
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editorโs note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholarโs archive and was originally published at an earlier date.
