It is narrated from Hazrat Nafi that I offered the Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr prayers with Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), and in the first rak'ah he said seven takbirs before the recitation, and in the second rak'ah he said five takbirs before the recitation.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is the ruling according to us.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If a person reaches the Eid ground and sees that the people have finished the Eid prayer, then he should not perform the Eid prayer, neither at the Eid ground nor at his home. However, if he does perform it, whether at the Eid ground or at his home, there is no harm in it. But in the first rak'ah, he should say seven takbirs before the recitation, and in the second rak'ah, five before the recitation. And according to Sufyan Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, and Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, if one performs the Eid prayer alone, he should perform four rak'ahs, because Sa'id bin Mansur narrated that whoever misses the Eid prayer with the Imam should perform four rak'ahs. According to Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, the Eid prayer is obligatory, and according to Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, and the majority of scholars, it is Sunnah, and this is the correct view.