Performing the Eid prayer for fear that outsiders will seize an old Eidgah

Question

The village of Dhalaparh, whose population is approximately 773, has two brick-built mosques and also an Eidgah (open ground for the Eid prayer) built long ago, in which the people of Dhalaparh and men from other villages round about pray the prayer of the two Eids. But about a year ago a certain respected Mawlana said: “Do not pray the prayer of the two Eids here,” and now the people have stopped praying it.

Answer

In so small a village the prayer of the two Eids is not permissible according to the Hanafis, and on account of the benefit (maslaha) described in the question the prayer of the two Eids cannot become valid there under the Shari‘a either. For the protection of the Eidgah everyone should together adopt some other measure.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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