Is delivering the Eid khutbah from the minbar an innovation?
Question

                What is the ruling on delivering the khutbah from the minbar on Eid? I have heard some of my friends saying that this is clearly an innovation; is that true?
Praise be to Allah.
      Firstly: 

    The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah 
    be upon him) did not deliver the Eid khutbah to the people standing on the 
    minbar, according to the more correct opinion. 

    Al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) 
    said in his Saheeh (2/17):

    Chapter on going out to the prayer place 
    without a minbar. 

    Then he narrated (956) that Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri 
    said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used 
    to come out on the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha to the prayer place, and the 
    first thing he would do was to offer the prayer. Then when he finished the 
    prayer, he would stand facing the people, whilst the people were still 
    sitting in their rows, and he would exhort them, and advise them and 
    instruct them. If he wanted to send out a military detachment, he would do 
    so, or if he wanted to issue some instructions, he would do so, then he 
    would leave. Abu Sa‘eed said: The people continued to do that until I went 
    out with Marwan – when he was the governor of Madinah – for Eid prayer on 
    either Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha, and when we came to the prayer place, I 
    saw a minbar that had been built by Katheer ibn as-Salt, and Marwaan wanted 
    to ascend it before he prayed. I grabbed hold of his garment, and he pulled 
    away from me and ascended it, and he delivered the khutbah before the 
    prayer. I said to him: You have changed (the practice), by Allah. He said: 
    What you know has gone. I said: By Allah, what I know is better than that 
    which I do not know. He said: The people were not remaining seated for us 
    after the prayer, so I put the khutbah before the prayer. 

    Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on 
    him) said: 

    There was no minbar to be ascended by the 
    imam, and the minbar of Madinah was not taken out; rather (the imam) used to 
    address them standing on the ground. Jaabir said: I attended prayer on the 
    day of Eid with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
    him), and he started with the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan and 
    no iqaamah. Then he stood up, leaning on Bilal, and enjoined us to fear 
    Allah and encouraged us to obey Him. He exhorted the people and reminded 
    them. Then he went to the women and exhorted them and reminded them. Agreed 
    upon.

    End quote from Zaad al-Ma‘aad 
    (1/429) 

    Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) 
    said: 

    Most of his khutbahs were delivered on the 
    minbar in the mosque, except his khutbah on the two Eids, on the occasion of 
    Hajj, and so on.

    End quote from Fath al-Baari 
    (3/403) 

    See also the answer to question no.
    49020. 

    Secondly: 

    Such matters should not provoke dissent, 
    dispute or division among the Muslims, and we should not hasten unduly to 
    say that it is an innovation. If that had merely been an innovation, Abu 
    Sa‘eed (may Allah be pleased with him) would have denounced it as he 
    denounced Marwaan ibn al-Hakam for putting the khutbah before the prayer. 

    Although the established teaching from the 
    Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is not to take out the 
    minbar, hopefully the matter is broad in scope, especially if there is a 
    need to have a minbar in the prayer place for the khateeb. 

    Ibn Battaal (may Allah have mercy on him) 
    said in Sharh al-Bukhaari (2/554): 

    Ashhab said in al-Majmoo‘ah: Taking 
    out the minbar for the Eid prayers is a matter that is broad in scope; it 
    may or may not be taken out according to the imam’s wishes. End quote. 

    Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have 
    mercy on him) was asked: 

    Is it Sunnah for the imam to deliver the 
    khutbah from the minbar at the Eid prayer? 

    He replied: 

    Some scholars think that it is Sunnah, 
    because in the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) it says 
    that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed the 
    people, then it says that he “came down and went to the women.” They said: 
    “coming down” can only be from a higher place. And this is what people do. 

    Some of the scholars were of the view that 
    delivering the khutbah without using the minbar is preferable. 

    The matter is broad in scope, in sha 
    Allah. 

    End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa 
    Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (16/350) 

    And Allah knows best.