Short answer
No. Working on Eid is allowed: Eid is not a Sabbath, and nothing in the Quran or Sunnah forbids work on it. What matters is that men do not miss the Eid prayer, which is wajib in the Hanafi school, and that you keep the day's joy, family ties and gratitude where you can.
Work on the day of Eid is permissible. For men on whom Jumu'ah is obligatory, the Eid prayer is wajib, so missing it for work without a valid excuse is a sin: ask for the morning off or pray at an early congregation. Fasting on Eid is haram; working is not.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- The Eid prayer is a confirmed sunnah, so missing it for work is disliked rather than sinful.
- Maliki
- The Eid prayer is a confirmed sunnah, so missing it for work is disliked rather than sinful.
- Hanbali
- The Eid prayer is a communal obligation (fard kifayah) that is fulfilled when enough people attend.
Explanation
Some people assume Eid is a day of rest on which work is disliked, like the Jewish Sabbath. There is no such rule in Islam. Even on Friday, Allah tells the believers to leave trade for the prayer and then "disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah" (62:10). The same applies to Eid.
Eid is still special. When Abu Bakr objected to girls singing in the Prophet's house on Eid, the Prophet ﷺ said, "Every people has its festival, and this is our festival." Eid is a day of joy, eating, family visits and remembering Allah, and fasting on it is forbidden.
Practical advice:
- Do not miss the Eid prayer. For men it is wajib in the Hanafi school. Most masjids hold early prayers, often several, so you can pray and still reach work. See Is Eid prayer wajib? and How to pray Eid salah.
- Ask for the day off in advance. Many employers in the US, UK and Canada grant religious holidays when asked early.
- On Eid al-Adha, make sure your qurbani is arranged, even if someone else performs it for you.
- Keep some of the day for family, greeting parents and relatives and giving the children their Eid.
Shift workers, doctors, nurses and others whose work cannot stop earn reward for serving people on Eid. For more on the day itself, see Eid.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Jumu'a 62:10
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿١٠﴾
And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.
Work is allowed on blessed days once the prayer is done.
Sahih al-Bukhari 952
Sahih... إن لكل قوم عيدا وهذا عيدنا ...
"Every people has its festival, and this is our festival."
Eid is a day of joy, not a day on which work is banned.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Bab al-'Idayn (chapter on the two Eids). The Eid prayer is wajib on those for whom Jumu'ah is obligatory.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, Bab Salat al-'Idayn. The ruling and timing of the Eid prayer.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.