Islamic holidays

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Eid celebration in Sholakia. The largest Eid congregation. Sholakia Eidgah Maidan 08.jpg
Eid celebration in Sholakia. The largest Eid congregation.

There are two main holidays in Islam that are celebrated by Muslims worldwide: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The timing of both holidays are set by the lunar Islamic calendar, which is based upon the cycle of the moon, and so is different from the more common, European, solar-based Gregorian calendar. Every year, the Gregorian dates of the Islamic holidays change.

Contents

Both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow a period of 10 holy days or nights: the last 10 nights of Ramadan for Eid al-Fitr, and the first 10 days of Dhu al-Hijjah for Eid al-Adha. The Night of Power (Arabic: لیلة القدر, romanized : Laylat al-Qadr), one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, is the holiest night of the year.[ citation needed ] Conversely, the Day of Arafah, the day before Eid al-Adha, is the holiest day of the Islamic year.[ citation needed ]

There are a number of other days of note as well as festivals, some common to all Muslims, others specific to Shia Islam or branches thereof.

Additionally, Friday is considered the holiest day of the week, and in Islamic tradition, is considered a celebration in itself. Friday Prayers (Juma) are congregational prayers held in mosques, and Muslims are encouraged to wear clean and refined clothes, perfume, and bathe. It is customary to eat special meals with family on this day.

Holidays

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims may perform acts of zakat (charity) on the occasion, which begins after the new moon is sighted for the beginning of the month of Shawwal. Celebration begins with prayers on the morning of 1 Shawwal, followed by breakfast, and often celebratory meals throughout the day.

Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, when the Hajj pilgrimage takes place which lasts for four days. Muslims may perform an act of zakat and friendship by slaughtering a sheep or cow and distributing the meat to family, friends, and the poor. Muslims are also encouraged to be especially friendly and reach out to one another during this period. [1]

Religious practices

Fasting

The Fanoos, a lantern used in homes, mosques and streets during Ramadan Fanous Ramadan.jpg
The Fanoos, a lantern used in homes, mosques and streets during Ramadan

Muslims celebrate when they believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammed by fasting from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. [2] Fasting is considered a purifying experience so that Muslims can gain compassion and deepen their faith in God. [3] Those with certain health conditions such as diabetes, and children are exempt from fasting. Travelers, and women who are menstruating or nursing a baby, are exempt from fasting but are required to fast later.[ citation needed ]

Pilgrimage

Hajj

Umrah

Eid

Dates of holidays and other days of note

The Islamic calendar is based on the synodic period of the Moon's revolution around the Earth, approximately 2912 days. The Islamic calendar alternates months of 29 and 30 days (which begin with the new moon). Twelve of these months make up an Islamic year, which is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Some Gregorian dates may vary slightly from those given, and may also vary by country. See Islamic calendar. [4] [5] [6]

Holiday nameHijri date1445 AH1446 AH
Islamic New Year 1 Muḥarram19 July 20237 July 2024
Ashura 10 Muḥarram28 July 202317 July 2024
Arbaʽeen [lower-alpha 1] 20 or 21 Ṣafar [lower-alpha 2] 6 Sep. 202326 Aug. 2024
Akhiri Chahar Shambah [lower-alpha 3] Last Wednesday of Ṣafar
Eid-e-Shuja' (Eid-e-Zahra) [lower-alpha 4] 9 Rabī‘ al-Awwal24 Sep. 2023
Mawlid an-Nabī
(Birthday of Muhammad) [lower-alpha 5]
12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal27 Sep. 202315 Sep. 2024
Baptism of Muhammad [lower-alpha 6] 19 Rabī‘ al-Awwal4 Oct. 202322 Sep. 2024
Beginning the Three Holy Months1 Rajab13 January 2024
Laylat al-Raghaib 2 Rajab14 January 2024
Birthday of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib [lower-alpha 1] 13 Rajab 25 Jan. 2024
Laylat al-Mi'raj 26 Rajab or 27 Rajab [lower-alpha 7] 7-8 Feb. 2024
Laylat al-Bara'at 15 Sha‘bān25 Feb. 2024
Birthday of Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdī [lower-alpha 4] 15 Sha‘bān25 Feb. 2024
First day of Ramaḍān 1 Ramaḍān11 Mar. 2024
Laylat al-Qadr 21, 23, 25, 27, or 29 Ramaḍān [lower-alpha 8] between
29 Mar. & 8 Apr. 2024
Chaand Raat [lower-alpha 9] 29 or 30 Ramaḍān [lower-alpha 10] 9 Apr. 2024
Eid al-Fitr 1 Shawwāl10 Apr. 202430 March 2025
Hajj 8–13 Dhū al-Ḥijja14–19 June 2024
Day of Arafah 9 Dhū al-Ḥijja15 June 20245 June 2025
Eid al-Adha 10 Dhū al-Ḥijja16 June 20246 June 2025
Eid al-Ghadeer [lower-alpha 1] 18 Dhū al-Ḥijja24 June 2024
Eid al-Mubahalah [lower-alpha 1] 24 Dhū al-Ḥijja30 June 2024

Notes to table

  1. 1 2 3 4 Primarily observed by Shias.
  2. Observed 40 days after Ashura.
  3. Primarily observed by Muslims in Iran and Indian subcontinent.
  4. 1 2 Primarily observed by Twelver Shias.
  5. Not observed by Wahhabis, Deobandis and Ahl-i-Hadith
  6. Mostly observed in the Sahel
  7. There is some disagreement about this date; see Isra and Mi'raj.
  8. Most often observed on 23 Ramaḍān by Shias and 27 Ramaḍān by Sunnis; see Laylat al-Qadr.
  9. Primarily observed in South Asia.
  10. Observed on the last evening of Ramaḍān; see Chaand Raat.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic calendar</span> Lunar calendar used by Muslims

The Hijri calendar, or Arabic calendar also known in English as the Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the annual fasting and the annual season for the great pilgrimage. In almost all countries where the predominant religion is Islam, the civil calendar is the Gregorian calendar, with Syriac month-names used in the Levant and Mesopotamia but the religious calendar is the Hijri one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eid al-Fitr</span> Islamic holiday at the end of Ramadan, first day of Shawwal

Eid al-Fitr is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-dusk fasting of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar; this does not always fall on the same Gregorian day, as the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities. The holiday is known under various other names in different languages and countries around the world. The day is also known as the First Eid or as the Lesser Eid by some Muslim communities.

Eid as a name may refer to:

Eid al-Adha is the second of the two main holidays in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the three following days, known as the Tashreeq days.

Bangladesh has numerous public holidays, including national memorial, religious and secular holidays of Bengali origin. The Bengali traditional calendar, known as Baṅgābda is the national and official calendar in Bangladesh. The holidays are celebrated according to Bengali, Islamic or Gregorian calendars for religious and civil purposes, respectively. Religious festivals like Eid are celebrated according to the Islamic calendar, whereas other national holidays are celebrated according to the Bengali and Gregorian calendar. While, the Islamic calendar is based on the movement of the moon, it loses synchronization with the seasons, through seasonal drift. Therefore, some public holidays are subject to change every year based on the lunar calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night of Power</span> Date in the Islamic calendar

The Night of Power, is, in Islamic belief, the night when Muslims believe the Quran was first sent down from heaven to the world, and also the night when its first verses were revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad; it is described as better than a thousand months of worshipping. According to various hadiths, its exact date is uncertain but was one of the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Since that time, Muslims have regarded the last ten nights of Ramadan as being especially blessed. Muslims believe the Night comes again every year, with blessings and mercy of God in abundance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawwal</span> Tenth month of the Islamic calendar

Shawwal is the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. It comes after Ramadan and before Dhu al-Qa'da.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Sha'ban</span> Islamic holiday

Mid-Sha'ban is a Muslim holiday observed by Shia and Sunni Muslim communities on the eve of 15th of Sha'ban — the same night as Shab-e-barat or Laylat al-Bara’ah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhu al-Hijjah</span> Twelfth month of the Islamic calendar

Dhu al-Hijjah is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. Being one of the four sacred months during which war is forbidden, it is the month in which the Ḥajj takes place as well as Eid al-Adha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramadan (month)</span> Ninth month of the Islamic calendar

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran is believed to be revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eid prayers</span> Special prayers for Islamic holidays

Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid, are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with family and the larger Muslim community to celebrate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumu'atul-Wida</span> Last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Eid-al-Fitr

Jumu'atul-Wida is the last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Eid al-Fitr. This is a holy day for Muslims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayram (Turkey)</span> Nationally-celebrated festival or holiday

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Day of Arafah</span> Day 9 of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar

The Day of Arafah is an Islamic holiday that falls on the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic Calendar. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and is followed by the holiday of Eid al-Adha. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims will make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafat and the Plain of Arafat. It was from this site that the Islamic prophet Muhammad gave one of his last sermons in the final year of his life. Some Muslims hold that part of the Quranic verse announcing that the religion of Islam had been perfected was revealed on this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Qatar</span>

Qatar is a Muslim-majority country with Islam as the state religion. Salafi version of Islam is the state sponsored brand of Sunni Islam in the country, making Qatar one of the two Salafi states in the Muslim world, along with Saudi Arabia.

Sri Lanka, having a history as long as many ancient civilizations, positioned at the crossroads of the East and the West, and being a multicultural society, celebrates a wide variety of festivals, ceremonies and events.

Lists of holidays by various categorizations.

Laylat al-Jaiza or Night of Rewards is the night preceding the Eid al-Fitr. It has particular significance with the month of Ramadan and is to earn rewards for all the fasts and good deeds in this month. It is considered as a blessed night for Muslims. Muslims believe that on this night, the gates of heaven are open and the blessings of God are abundant. As such, they engage in various acts of worship such as performing additional voluntary prayers, reciting the Quran, seeking forgiveness from God, and making supplications for blessings and mercy.

References

  1. الشحيمي, محمد (2014). العيد فرحة وآداب. دبي، الامارات العربية المتحدة: دائرة الشؤون الإسلامية والعمل الخيري. ISBN   978-9948-499-99-2.
  2. Reza, Aslan (2011). No god but God : the origins and evolution of Islam (1st ed.). New York: Delacorte Press. pp. 118–119. ISBN   9780385739757. OCLC   614990718.
  3. Molly., Aloian (2009). Ramadan . New York: Crabtree. ISBN   978-0778742852. OCLC   227911610.
  4. "Islamic Calendar". IslamicFinder. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  5. "Special Islamic Days". IslamicFinder. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  6. "Umrah Packages 2025". Hajar Travels. Retrieved 26 June 2024.

Further reading