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تقبل الله منا ومنكم

Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum

Eid greeting: May Allah accept (the fast and worship) from us and from you

The day of Eid al-Fitr will depend on the sighting of the new moon. Muslims across the globe will be looking for the new moon of Shawwal on Thursday 20th April 2023 around Maghrib time.

If the new moon is spotted on Thursday, Friday 21st would be Eid. If the moon is not sighted on Thursday, Eid will be on Saturday 22nd. Due to cloud coverage making local visibility difficult, many Muslim communities follow sightings from further East to the UK. The Coordination Committee of Major Islamic Centres and Mosques of London typically follow Saudi Arabia, and many Reading masajid do the same. Some masajid will follow local sightings or sightings from other countries further East, and sometimes declare the start of the new month for the following day.

Maghrib time in Makkah, Saudi Arabia on Thursday is at 18:42 (GMT+3) which is 16:42 British Summer Time (BST). We expect to start receiving news of whether Eid al-Fitr 1444 AH will fall on Friday or Saturday after 5pm on Thursday. We will update this page as we receive new information.

UPDATE: the new moon has been sighted in Saudi Arabia. The majority of local masajid have confirmed that they are celebrating Eid on Friday 21st April, and some will be celebrating on Saturday 22nd April.

CANCELLED: Eid Jama’ah at Palmer Park has been cancelled due to weather, and moved to 3 Jama’at at Cumberland Road Masjid.

Masajid celebrating Eid al-Fitr on Friday 21st April 2023

• Abu Bakr Masjid, Oxford Road (website)
  • Brothers & sisters for all 3 Jama’at
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 7:30am
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 8:30am
  • 3rd Eid Jama’ah: 9:30am
• Aisha Masjid & Islamic Centre, London Road (website)
  • Parking: free minibus shuttle service from TVP Park & Ride Car Park for Jumu’ah on 21st April and Eid prayers
  • Brothers & sisters for all 4 Jama’at
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 7am – Qari Huzaifa (Urdu)
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 8am – Qari Yasir (Urdu)
  • 3rd Eid Jama’ah: 9:30am – Imam Yahia (English)
  • 4th Eid Jama’ah: 11am – Imam Javed (English)
• Central Jamme Masjid, Reading, Waylen Street (website)
  • Brothers & sisters for all 3 Jama’at
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 8am – Khutbah by Qari Sheikh Said Fayoud & Jama’ah by Mufti Abdul Aziz
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 9am – Mawlana Mahbub Ahmed
  • 3rd Eid Jama’ah: 10am – Imam Abdul Hannan
• Cumberland Road Masjid (website)
  • CANCELLED: Eid Jama’ah in Palmer Park due to weather, moved to Masjid
  • Brothers & sisters for all 3 Jama’at
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 7:15
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 8:30
  • 3rd Eid Jama’ah: 9:30
  • Parking: if you’re unable to walk, park at Thames Valley Park & Ride. Allow 20 minutes to walk (no bus service running).
• Jamia Khulafa-e-Rashidin & Haq Char-yar Islamic Centre, Valencia Road
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 9am
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 10am
• Jamme Masjid Reading, Alexandra Road (website)
  • Eid Jama’ah: 9am – Qari Ayub (Urdu)
• Markaz Salafi, Lydford Road (website)
  • Eid Jama’ah: 7am in Palmer Park Football Courts (brothers & sisters)
• Reading (University) Islamic Society, Queen’s Drive (website)
  • Eid Jama’at: 7:30am
  • Brothers in the marquee
  • Sisters in the centre
  • Please come with wudhu and your own prayer mat
• Shah Jalal Masjid, Stanley Street (website)
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 8:30am
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 9:30am

Masajid celebrating Eid al-Fitr on Saturday 22nd April 2023

• Al-Majid Centre, Northumberland Avenue
  • Unfortunately there are no facilities for sisters in any of the 3 Jama’at
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 8:30am – Hafiz Muhammad Akhtar (Urdu)
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 9:30am – Hafiz Muhammad Nouman Siddiqee (English)
  • 3rd Eid Jama’ah: 10:30am – Ustadh Tasawar Hussain (English)
• Reading Islamic Centre, Amity Road (website)
  • Unfortunately there are no facilities for sisters in any of the 3 Jama’at
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 8am – Imam Mohammad Asif (Urdu)
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 9am – Shaykh Sajid Abbasi (English/Urdu)
  • 3rd Eid Jama’ah: 10am – Imam Abdul Rahman (Urdu)
• Reading Islamic Centre, South Street (website)
  • Unfortunately there are no facilities for sisters in any of the 3 Jama’at
  • 1st Eid Jama’ah: 8:30am – Shaykh Rizwan Afzal (English)
  • 2nd Eid Jama’ah: 9:30am – Shaykh Khalid Jamal (English)
  • 3rd Eid Jama’ah: 10:30am – Imam Haroon Abbasi (Urdu)
• Southcote Community Hub, Coronation Square
  • Eid Jama’ah: 9:15am – Mufti Numan Miah
  • Please attend with a prayer mat and wudhu

If you have updates or corrections, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. Jazak Allah khair.

Zakat/Sadaqah al-Fitr

Zakat al-Fitr (also known as Sadaqah al-Fitr) is charity given to the poor by the end of the fasting in the month of Ramadan, separate from the normal annual Zakat. The word Fitr means the same as Iftar, breaking a fast and it comes from the same root word as Futur which means breakfast. It is a duty which is Wajib (required) of every Muslim, whether male or female, minor or adult as long as he/she has the means to do so, which the head of the household may pay for the other members. This year, the cost of Zakat al-Fitr is £5 per person, to be collected before the Eid prayer.

Sunnah acts on the day of Eid al-Fitr

1. Make du’a (supplication) the night before Eid
2. Wake up early in the morning
3. Clean one’s teeth with a miswak or brush
4. Make Ghusl (take a bath/shower)
5. Put on one’s best available clothes
6. Put on Attar (perfume)
7. Eat an odd number of dates before the Eid prayer (differs from Eid al-Adha, when it is Sunnah to not eat before the Eid prayer)
8. Recite Takbir al-Tashreeq in a soft voice while going to the Eid prayer
9. Congratulating each other
   • On Eid day, we often congratulate each other with greetings such as ‘Eid Mubarak’. However, a better way to greet each other is with: ‘Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minka’, which means ‘May Allah accept (the fast and worship) from us and from you’.
10. Take different routes to/from Eid salah
11. Perform Eid salah
12. There are no Nafl (voluntary) prayers offered before or after the Eid prayer

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْد

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar. Allahu akbar wa lillahil hamd

Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. There is no god besides Allah and Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.

Takbir al-Tashreeq (Arabic: تكبير التشريق)

The Eid Prayer

The Eid prayer has two Rak’at (plural of Rak’ah: a single iteration of prayer movements) performed in the normal way, with the addition of 6 extra Takbirs (magnification of God) according to the Hanafi School of Thought, or 12 extra Takbirs for other Schools of Thought. In the Hanafi School, 3 are in the beginning of the first Rak’ah, and 3 just before Ruku’ (belt-low bowing) in the second Rak’ah. In the Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali Schools, 7 are in the first Rak’ah, and 5 in the second. You should follow what the Imam does regardless of your School of Thought. The detailed way of performing the Eid prayer is as follows:

The Imam will begin the prayer without Adhan or Iqamah. He will begin the prayer by reciting Takbir al-Tahrimah (Allahu Akbar). You should raise your hands up to the ears, and after reciting the Takbir, you should set your hands according to your School of Thought. The Imam and you should recite Thana’ (Subhanak Allah humma…). After the completion of Thana’, the Imam will recite Takbir 3 (or 7) times. At the first calls of Takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and after reciting Takbir in a low voice, should let your hands drop. After the 3rd (or 7th) Takbir, you should set them according to your School of Thought. After these three Takbirs, the Imam will complete the first Rak’ah in the normal way like for Jumu’ah prayer, starting with Surah Fatihah.

After rising for the second Rak’ah, the Imam will begin the recitations of Surah Fatihah and another Surah as normal. When the Imam finishes his recitation, he will recite 3 (or 5) Takbirs just before bowing down for Ruku’. At each Takbir you should again raise your hands up to the ears, and after saying Takbir, let them drop. After these 3 (or 5) Takbirs have been called and completed, the Imam will say another Takbir for bowing down into the Ruku’ position. The Imam will complete the rest of the prayer in the normal way like for Jumu’ah prayer.

Immediately after the prayer, the Imam will deliver the Khutbah. It is Wajib (required) to listen to the Khutbah of Eid prayer and must be listened to in perfect peace and silence.

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