because of it. Furthermore, a person might perform an act for a certain reason, and it remains a sunnah for others even after that reason has ceased, such as al-raml (brisk walking) and al-idtiba' (exposing the right shoulder) during the Tawaf of arrival; he and his companions performed it to demonstrate strength to the disbelievers, and it remained a sunnah after they were gone (3). For this reason, it is narrated from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "Why should we perform al-raml now, and to whom should we show our shoulders, when Allah has banished the polytheists?" Yet he said thereafter: "We shall not abandon anything we used to do with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him" (4).

311 - Issue: He said: (And whoever misses the Eid prayer should pray four rak'ahs, like the supererogatory prayer, and if he wishes, he may separate them by a taslim after every two rak'ahs.)

The sum of this is that whoever misses the Eid prayer is not required to perform a qada' (make-up) for it because it is a fard kifayah (communal obligation) that has already been fulfilled by those whose participation sufficed. If he wishes to make it up, he is free to choose; if he wishes, he may pray it as four rak'ahs, either with one taslim or two. This is narrated from Ibn Mas'ud, and it is the view of al-Thawri, based on what was narrated from (2) Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who said: "Whoever misses the Eid [prayer] should pray four, and whoever misses the Jumu'ah should pray four." It is also narrated from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "If I were to order a man to lead the weak among the people in prayer, I would order him to pray four." Sa'id narrated both of them (3). Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "This is strengthened by the hadith of Ali, that he ordered a man to lead the weak among the people in prayer as four [rak'ahs], without delivering a khutbah" (4). And because it is a qada' of an Eid prayer, it is four [rak'ahs] like the prayer of