THE BID’AH OF THE “EID MUBAARAK” GREETING

Question: According to Shaikh Ibn Taimiyyah, Shaikh Uthaymeen and even Imaam Ahmad Hambal it is permissible to have special forms of greeting on the Day of Eid, e.g. ‘Eid Mubaarak’. According to them, the Sahaabah, when meeting one other on Eid would Taqabbalallaahu minna wa minka. So why does The Majlis say that it is bid’ah? And what is the status of musaafahah on the Day of Eid?

Answer: We say that it is bid’ah because in reality it is bid’ah notwithstanding what is said in the article you have sent.

Firstly, the argument does not pertain to the dua, Taqabbalallaahu……. The argument concerns the ingrained greeting of ‘Eid Mubaarak’ which has become a grounded custom which has perhaps greater importance on Eid Day than even the Masnoon Salaam.

There is no basis for the ‘Eid Mubaarak’ greeting. Why do they present as daleel the Taqabbalallaahu narration? Why don’t they rather say Taqabbalallaah…..’ ? Why abandon what they say is Masnoon for a greeting which is not Masnoon?

If the Taqabbalallaahu dua was of importance, the Fuqaha would have enumerated it in the Mustahabbaat of the Day of Eid. But whilst they list the Mustahab acts for the Day of Eid, absolutely no reference is made to the dua or greeting. None of our Akaabireen had practised any greeting/dua act on the Day of Eid.

Why did Imaam Ahmad (Rahmatullah alayh) not initiate the Dua although he would respond? He did not initiate it because it was not Sunnah to do so. We are under no obligation to follow Imaam Ahmad (Rahmatullah alayh) in responding to a greeting which we consider to be bid’ah.

“‘The views of Uthaymeen and Ibn Taimiyyah are of no significance. They are deviant Salafis who have abandoned the Math-habs of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah. When even a well-established Sunnat is accorded a status close to Wujoob (compulsion), then it becomes bid’ah. This principle will have greater application for an act which is not even Mustahab such as the Taqabbalallaahu…. dua. Ibn Taimiyyah’s argument is exceptionally weak, in fact baseless. It is sufficient for abstention that a practice is not Masnoon.

Our Akaabireen have always ruled that musaafahah on the day of Eid is bid’ah despite hand-shaking being Mustahab. This is because of the Wujoob factor.

30 Ramadhaan 1443 – 2 May 2022