Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 986
sahih

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:

On the Day of `Id the Prophet (ﷺ) used to return (after offering the `Id prayer) through a way different from that by which he went.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو تُمَيْلَةَ، يَحْيَى بْنُ وَاضِحٍ عَنْ فُلَيْحِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ عِيدٍ خَالَفَ الطَّرِيقَ‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ يُونُسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ فُلَيْحٍ‏.‏ وَحَدِيثُ جَابِرٍ أَصَحُّ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 13, Hadith 35
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 2, Book 15, Hadith 102 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Prophet ﷺtaught us the requisites of ‘Eid, along with its recommended actions and etiquettes. One of these [pertinent topics] is how to go to the site where the ‘Eid prayer is held and returning to one’s [home afterwards]. In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ʿAbdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) states that it was the habit of the Prophet ﷺafter leaving from the ‘Eid prayer and his deliverance of the sermon, to return to his abode from another way other than the route which he took to the Musallaa. It is said that the wisdom of this practise was so that he ﷺ may spread happiness to all his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them); or so they can benefit from it in fulfilling their needs concerning: knowing the rulings, or [that they may] learn [something] and then carry it out, or give charity, or greet them, and the like. It is also possible that he ﷺ used to do it in order to visit his kin who were not on his first route, or to lessen the crowd amongst him ﷺ, or so that the two paths [that he treaded] may testify for him, or to make the rites of Islam apparent and established, or to vex the hypocrites and Jews, or to alarm them by the multitude of people who were with him, or to be optimistic about [a] transformation of [their] state[s] towards forgiveness and contentment, or that he intended to multiply the reward by increasing the [number of steps] of the two paths in going to the Musallaa and returning from it. All of these aspects are possible, by the permission of Allah, Exalted be He..