“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to command his daughters and his women to go out for the two ʿEid prayers.”
Narrated by Ahmad (no. 2054), with the wording being his; Ibn Mājah (no. 1309); and Ibn Abī Shaybah (no. 5784), from the hadīth of Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both).
Authenticated in Sahīh al-Jāmiʿ (no. 4888) and in Silsilat al-Ahādīth al-Sahīhah (no. 2115).
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
The ʿEid prayer is one of the manifest symbols of Islam. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to honor it greatly and encourage attending it, because it is an occasion of gathering, remembrance, and blessing whose benefit extends to both men and women. For this reason, he urged everyone to go out to it — even the members of his own household. Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to command his daughters and his women to go out for the two ʿEid prayers,” meaning: to the prayer ground on the day of ʿEid al-Fiṭr and ʿEid al-Aḍḥā, so that they might witness the goodness and the supplication of the Muslims.
This indicates the legitimacy of women going out to attend the two ʿEid prayers, and that the ruling is general for young women and others. Rather, even women who are menstruating were instructed to go out in order to witness the goodness, while staying away from the actual place of prayer. As mentioned in the hadith of Umm ʿAṭiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her): “…as for the menstruating women, they should keep away from the prayer, but they should witness the goodness and the supplication of the Muslims.” This is on the condition that their going out be in modest, ordinary clothing — not wearing perfume, nor displaying adornment — and with safety from temptation, both from them and toward them. This fulfills the objective of the Islamic law in combining attendance at a gathering of goodness with the preservation of modesty and moral conduct.