There are only two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic law:
Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha ("Eid" or "Id" means festival).
Eid ul Fitr (1 Shawwal)
This marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and is a festival of great celebration. In Islamic countries it is a public holiday. The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) with his friends and relatives.
Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking Allah for the help and strength that he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control.
The festival begins when the first sight of the new moon is seen in the sky.
Muslims in most countries rely on news of an official sighting, rather than looking at the sky themselves.
Eid ul Fitr is very much a community festival and people go out into the streets to exchange greetings, and visit friends and relatives.
The celebratory atmosphere is increased by everyone wearing best or new clothes, and decorating their homes. There are special services out of doors and in Mosques, processions through the streets, and of course, a special celebratory meal—eaten during daytime, the first daytime meal Muslims will have had in a month.
Eid ul Adha (10 Dhul-Hijja)
The Festival of sacrifice which marks the end of the Hajj or holy pilgrimage, which is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, however it is celebrated by all Muslims, not just those who are on the pilgrimage.
The festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to. God appeared in a dream to Ibrahim and told him to sacrifice his son Isma’il. Ibrahim and Isma’il set off to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to persuade Ibrahim to disobey God and not to sacrifice his beloved son. Ibrahim drove the devil away. As Ibrahim prepared to kill his son God stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead. Ibrahim’s complete submission to the will of God is celebrated by Muslims each year.
Each Muslim, as they celebrate, reminds themselves of their own submission to God, and their own willingness to sacrifice anything to God’s wishes.
Further Explactions of Two festivals.
There are two great festivals in Islam, 'Idul-Fitr, which falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic year, and 'Idul-Adha, which falls on the tenth day of Thul-Hijjah and coincides with the Yauman-Nahr, "Day of the Sacrifices" in the Hajj Pilgrimage as we have seen.
The first festival, Eid-ul-Fitr (the "Festival of the Breaking of the Fast"), occurs as soon as the new moon is sighted at the end of the month of fasting, namely Ramadan.
On this festival the people, having previously distributed the alms which are called the Sadaqatu'l-Fitr, assemble in the vast assembly outside the city in the Igdah, and, being led by the Imam, recite two rak'ahs of prayer. After prayers the Imam ascends the mimbar, or pulpit, and delivers the khutbah, or oration. (Hughes, A Dictionary of Islam, p. 194).
The igdah is a large place especially set aside for the large congregations who will attend the special Eid prayer early in the morning and can be an open field or flat piece of ground. It is only used as such on festival days for congregational prayers, the proper place always being the mosque on other occasions. We have already mentioned the Sadaqatul-Fitr charity in another chapter but some idea of its importance and practice is found in this quote:
On the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month, comes the Ramazan ki'Id, or Ramazan celebration, when every one who fasts before going to the place of prayer (igdah) should make the customary fast offering (roza ki fitrat), which consists in distributing among a few Faqirs some 5 lb. of wheat or other grain, dates and fruit. For until a man has distributed these gifts or the equivalent in money, the Almighty will keep his fasting suspended between Heaven and Earth. (Herklots, Islam in India, p. 113).
The Eid prayer is not only said at an unusual place but is also conducted without the usual azaan, the call to prayer.
This practice of omitting the azaan was allegedly practised by Muhammad himself and is founded on this hadith:
Jabir bin Abdullah said, "The Prophet went out on the Day of 'Id-ul-Fitr and offered the prayer before delivering the Khutba". Ata told me that during the early days of Ibn-Az-Zubair, Ibn Abbas had sent a message to him telling him that the Adhan for the 'Id Prayer was never pronounced (in the lifetime of Allah's Apostle) and the Khutba used to be delivered after the prayer. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, p. 41).
The festival is intended to be a festive and joyous occasion. Special foods and delicacies are prepared for the day and are distributed to neighbours and friends. Despite its importance it is considered inferior to the Eid-ul-Adha and is known as the "little feast".
Eid-ul-Adha (the "Feast of Sacrifice") is the great festival of Islam. It is also known as Baqri-Eid (the "Cow Festival") because its most important feature is the sacrifice of an animal (cow, goat, sheep, or other appropriate beast) in commemoration of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in place of his son. In Muhammad's time a camel was usually the animal sacrificed. The command to perform sacrifices is given in Surah 22.36 and although no specific day is fixed in the Qur'an the sacrificing of animals was already practiced on the last day of the pilgrimage by the pre-Islamic Arabs and the institution was duly retained. A special prayer, similar to the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer, is also offered on this day before the animals are sacrificed.
Narrated Al-Bara: I heard the Prophet delivering a Khutba saying, "The first thing to be done on this day (the first day of 'Id-ul-Adha) is to pray; and after returning from the prayer we slaughter our sacrifices (in the name of Allah), and whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (traditions) " (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, p. 37).
Every Muslim home is obliged to offer a sacrifice on this day. The meat may be eaten by the family but a distribution of a generous share to the poor should also be made. As the two Eids are festive occasions, it is unlawful to fast on these days. Fasting on Eid-ul-Adha would, in fact, defeat the whole object of the festival for food is to be eaten on this day with a cheerful heart in remembrance of God's bounty and provision for mankind. Umar once said:
The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) prohibited fasting on these two days. As regards Id al-Adha, you eat the meat of your sacrificial animals. As for Id al-Fitr, you break (i.e. end) your fast. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Vol. 2, p. 663).
The name commonly given to the Eid sacrifice, qurbani, seems to have similar origins to the Jewish "Corban", meaning something set apart for God (Mark 7.11), and is probably derived from the Jewish word. Both Eids can last for two or three days but the prescribed rituals and prayers must be performed on the first day of each festival.
There are also several other special days which Muslims celebrate.
Al-Hijra (1 Muharram)
The Islamic New Year’s Day.
This festival commemorates the Hijra (or Hegira) in 622 CE when the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) moved from Mecca to Medina.
This was the beginning of the growth of Islam into a world faith. The Muslim calendar counts dates from the Hijra, which is why Muslim dates have the suffix A.H. (After Hijra).
There is no specific religious ritual required on this day, but Muslims will think about the general meaning of Hijra, and regard this as a good time for "New Year Resolutions".
The Qur’an uses the word Hijra to mean moving from a bad place or state of affairs to a good one - and so Muslims may think about how their faith helps them leave behind bad ways of living and achieve a better life.
Ashura (10 Muharram)
This is a holiday for Shi’a Muslims in particular, and commemorates the martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet (pbuh) in 680 CE.
Mawlid an Nabi (12 Rabi')
The birthday of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh).
At this time Muslims think about Mohammed (pbuh), and the events of his life. Muslim parents will tell stories of the Prophet’s (pbuh) life to their children.
Some Muslims disapprove of celebrating the birthday, on the grounds that it is an innovation, and innovations in religious matters are forbidden. Why? Because if changes were made in religious matters it would imply that Islam was not complete when it was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), or that the Prophet (pbuh) did not tell Muslims everything that was revealed to him. This would be seen as highly sacrilegious by many Muslims.
Lailat al Miraj (27 Rajab)
The night journey and ascent of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), and the revelation of Salat.
The festival is celebrated by telling the story of how the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was visited by two archangels while he was asleep, who purified his heart and filled him with knowledge and faith. The Prophet (pbuh) travelled from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night on a strange winged creature called Buraq. From Jerusalem he ascended into heaven, where he met the earlier prophets, and eventually God. During his time in heaven Mohammed (pbuh) was told of the duty of Muslims to recite Salat (ritual prayer) 5 times a day.
Lailat al Qadr (27 Ramadan)
The festival of The Night of Power marks the night in which the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) by Allah. Muslims regard this as the most important event in history, and the Qur'an says that this night is better than a thousand months (97:3), and that on this night the angels descend to earth. This is a festival that Muslims spend in study and prayer. Some will spend the whole night in prayer or in reciting the Qur’an. Lailat al Qadr is a good time to ask for forgiveness. Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2: 34). The date of 27 Ramadan is a traditional date, as the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) did not tell us when the Night of Power would be, although he suggested it was in the last 10 days of the month. Because of this, many Muslims will treat the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan as a particularly good time for prayer and reading the Qur’an.
SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSLIMS’ ‘EIDS (Festivals):
‘Aayshah reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
"For every people there is a feast and this is our feast." [Sahih Al-Bukhari: (vol. 5, no. 268).]
"Our feast" has a great meaning to Muslims because it tells us that our feasts are our own and derived from our Sharee‘ah alone. Holidays are usually based on religious traditions. It is very important that we demonstrate our celebrations with great joy and gathering, and observe them in such a way that distinguishes us from the Mushrikeen. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam has ordered us in numerous speeches to defy the Mushrikeen, and these ‘Eids are among what the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam wanted us to take special care of. That is why he has said, after seeing that the people of Madeenah had two holidays which they celebrated from before Islaam, which is reported by Anas ibn Maalik that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said,
"Allâh has given you better than those feasts: the ‘Eid-ul-Adh-haa (Feast of Sacrificing), and ‘Eid-ul-Fitr (feast of Breaking the fast)." [Sunan An-Nasaaee: English translation: (vol. 2, p.333, no. 1559), Sunan Abu Dauwud: English translation: (vol. 1, p.293, no. 1130). It is authenticated by Shaykh Al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Aboo Daawood: vol. 1, p. 210, no.1004.]
Due to these clear facts, Muslim scholars put great emphasis on the concept of being different from the Mushrikeen in our ceremonies. This is because ceremonies have great effects over the human mind and behavior. Being different in our ceremonies means too that we must not participate in the Mushrikeen’s ceremonies on their holidays. It is mentioned in Sunan Al-Bayhaqee the statement of ‘Umar that, he said, "Do not learn the language of the Mushrikeen without a necessity nor enter the churches of Mushrikeen on their festivals because the anger of Allâh dissends on them then". Muslims should not celebrate their festivals instead they should oppose them. Muslims can fast on the Mushrikeen’s holidays.
Umm Salamah said the Prophet used to fast on Saturdays and Sundays, and when asked he said: "They are two days of Mushrikeen’s holidays so I like to oppose them in their ceremonies." [Musnad Imaam Ahmad.]
The above hadeeth is inauthentic in the view of some scholars of hadeeth like Al-Albaanee in Irwaaul Ghaleel: vol. 4, p. 125 and authentic in the view of Imaam Al-Haakim and Imaam Ath-Thahabee. Fasting on Friday or Saturday is haraam (prohibited) in Islaam when a man chooses these days as particular days for fasting and does not fast the day before or after because it is in the hadeeth narrated by Imaam At-Tirmithee which is authenticated by Al-Albaanee in Irwaaul-Ghaleel: vol. 4, p.118, no. 960. by prohibition of fasting on Saturday it is meant to oppose the Jews who keep fast on Saturday. But if someone wants to fast Saturday then he must fast Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday, two days together. Only that person is allowed to fast who has missed his fast of Ramadaan so that he can fast that day. Also the one who has vowed to fast then he can fast or fast as an atonement, and for expiation on Saturday.
Eid ul Fitr (1 Shawwal)
This marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and is a festival of great celebration. In Islamic countries it is a public holiday. The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) with his friends and relatives.
Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking Allah for the help and strength that he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control.
The festival begins when the first sight of the new moon is seen in the sky.
Muslims in most countries rely on news of an official sighting, rather than looking at the sky themselves.
Eid ul Fitr is very much a community festival and people go out into the streets to exchange greetings, and visit friends and relatives.
The celebratory atmosphere is increased by everyone wearing best or new clothes, and decorating their homes. There are special services out of doors and in Mosques, processions through the streets, and of course, a special celebratory meal—eaten during daytime, the first daytime meal Muslims will have had in a month.
Eid ul Adha (10 Dhul-Hijja)
The Festival of sacrifice which marks the end of the Hajj or holy pilgrimage, which is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, however it is celebrated by all Muslims, not just those who are on the pilgrimage.
The festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to. God appeared in a dream to Ibrahim and told him to sacrifice his son Isma’il. Ibrahim and Isma’il set off to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to persuade Ibrahim to disobey God and not to sacrifice his beloved son. Ibrahim drove the devil away. As Ibrahim prepared to kill his son God stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead. Ibrahim’s complete submission to the will of God is celebrated by Muslims each year.
Each Muslim, as they celebrate, reminds themselves of their own submission to God, and their own willingness to sacrifice anything to God’s wishes.
Further Explactions of Two festivals.
There are two great festivals in Islam, 'Idul-Fitr, which falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic year, and 'Idul-Adha, which falls on the tenth day of Thul-Hijjah and coincides with the Yauman-Nahr, "Day of the Sacrifices" in the Hajj Pilgrimage as we have seen.
The first festival, Eid-ul-Fitr (the "Festival of the Breaking of the Fast"), occurs as soon as the new moon is sighted at the end of the month of fasting, namely Ramadan.
On this festival the people, having previously distributed the alms which are called the Sadaqatu'l-Fitr, assemble in the vast assembly outside the city in the Igdah, and, being led by the Imam, recite two rak'ahs of prayer. After prayers the Imam ascends the mimbar, or pulpit, and delivers the khutbah, or oration. (Hughes, A Dictionary of Islam, p. 194).
The igdah is a large place especially set aside for the large congregations who will attend the special Eid prayer early in the morning and can be an open field or flat piece of ground. It is only used as such on festival days for congregational prayers, the proper place always being the mosque on other occasions. We have already mentioned the Sadaqatul-Fitr charity in another chapter but some idea of its importance and practice is found in this quote:
On the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month, comes the Ramazan ki'Id, or Ramazan celebration, when every one who fasts before going to the place of prayer (igdah) should make the customary fast offering (roza ki fitrat), which consists in distributing among a few Faqirs some 5 lb. of wheat or other grain, dates and fruit. For until a man has distributed these gifts or the equivalent in money, the Almighty will keep his fasting suspended between Heaven and Earth. (Herklots, Islam in India, p. 113).
The Eid prayer is not only said at an unusual place but is also conducted without the usual azaan, the call to prayer.
This practice of omitting the azaan was allegedly practised by Muhammad himself and is founded on this hadith:
Jabir bin Abdullah said, "The Prophet went out on the Day of 'Id-ul-Fitr and offered the prayer before delivering the Khutba". Ata told me that during the early days of Ibn-Az-Zubair, Ibn Abbas had sent a message to him telling him that the Adhan for the 'Id Prayer was never pronounced (in the lifetime of Allah's Apostle) and the Khutba used to be delivered after the prayer. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, p. 41).
The festival is intended to be a festive and joyous occasion. Special foods and delicacies are prepared for the day and are distributed to neighbours and friends. Despite its importance it is considered inferior to the Eid-ul-Adha and is known as the "little feast".
Eid-ul-Adha (the "Feast of Sacrifice") is the great festival of Islam. It is also known as Baqri-Eid (the "Cow Festival") because its most important feature is the sacrifice of an animal (cow, goat, sheep, or other appropriate beast) in commemoration of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in place of his son. In Muhammad's time a camel was usually the animal sacrificed. The command to perform sacrifices is given in Surah 22.36 and although no specific day is fixed in the Qur'an the sacrificing of animals was already practiced on the last day of the pilgrimage by the pre-Islamic Arabs and the institution was duly retained. A special prayer, similar to the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer, is also offered on this day before the animals are sacrificed.
Narrated Al-Bara: I heard the Prophet delivering a Khutba saying, "The first thing to be done on this day (the first day of 'Id-ul-Adha) is to pray; and after returning from the prayer we slaughter our sacrifices (in the name of Allah), and whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (traditions) " (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, p. 37).
Every Muslim home is obliged to offer a sacrifice on this day. The meat may be eaten by the family but a distribution of a generous share to the poor should also be made. As the two Eids are festive occasions, it is unlawful to fast on these days. Fasting on Eid-ul-Adha would, in fact, defeat the whole object of the festival for food is to be eaten on this day with a cheerful heart in remembrance of God's bounty and provision for mankind. Umar once said:
The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) prohibited fasting on these two days. As regards Id al-Adha, you eat the meat of your sacrificial animals. As for Id al-Fitr, you break (i.e. end) your fast. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Vol. 2, p. 663).
The name commonly given to the Eid sacrifice, qurbani, seems to have similar origins to the Jewish "Corban", meaning something set apart for God (Mark 7.11), and is probably derived from the Jewish word. Both Eids can last for two or three days but the prescribed rituals and prayers must be performed on the first day of each festival.
There are also several other special days which Muslims celebrate.
Al-Hijra (1 Muharram)
The Islamic New Year’s Day.
This festival commemorates the Hijra (or Hegira) in 622 CE when the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) moved from Mecca to Medina.
This was the beginning of the growth of Islam into a world faith. The Muslim calendar counts dates from the Hijra, which is why Muslim dates have the suffix A.H. (After Hijra).
There is no specific religious ritual required on this day, but Muslims will think about the general meaning of Hijra, and regard this as a good time for "New Year Resolutions".
The Qur’an uses the word Hijra to mean moving from a bad place or state of affairs to a good one - and so Muslims may think about how their faith helps them leave behind bad ways of living and achieve a better life.
Ashura (10 Muharram)
This is a holiday for Shi’a Muslims in particular, and commemorates the martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet (pbuh) in 680 CE.
Mawlid an Nabi (12 Rabi')
The birthday of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh).
At this time Muslims think about Mohammed (pbuh), and the events of his life. Muslim parents will tell stories of the Prophet’s (pbuh) life to their children.
Some Muslims disapprove of celebrating the birthday, on the grounds that it is an innovation, and innovations in religious matters are forbidden. Why? Because if changes were made in religious matters it would imply that Islam was not complete when it was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), or that the Prophet (pbuh) did not tell Muslims everything that was revealed to him. This would be seen as highly sacrilegious by many Muslims.
Lailat al Miraj (27 Rajab)
The night journey and ascent of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), and the revelation of Salat.
The festival is celebrated by telling the story of how the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was visited by two archangels while he was asleep, who purified his heart and filled him with knowledge and faith. The Prophet (pbuh) travelled from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night on a strange winged creature called Buraq. From Jerusalem he ascended into heaven, where he met the earlier prophets, and eventually God. During his time in heaven Mohammed (pbuh) was told of the duty of Muslims to recite Salat (ritual prayer) 5 times a day.
Lailat al Qadr (27 Ramadan)
The festival of The Night of Power marks the night in which the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) by Allah. Muslims regard this as the most important event in history, and the Qur'an says that this night is better than a thousand months (97:3), and that on this night the angels descend to earth. This is a festival that Muslims spend in study and prayer. Some will spend the whole night in prayer or in reciting the Qur’an. Lailat al Qadr is a good time to ask for forgiveness. Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2: 34). The date of 27 Ramadan is a traditional date, as the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) did not tell us when the Night of Power would be, although he suggested it was in the last 10 days of the month. Because of this, many Muslims will treat the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan as a particularly good time for prayer and reading the Qur’an.
SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSLIMS’ ‘EIDS (Festivals):
‘Aayshah reported that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
"For every people there is a feast and this is our feast." [Sahih Al-Bukhari: (vol. 5, no. 268).]
"Our feast" has a great meaning to Muslims because it tells us that our feasts are our own and derived from our Sharee‘ah alone. Holidays are usually based on religious traditions. It is very important that we demonstrate our celebrations with great joy and gathering, and observe them in such a way that distinguishes us from the Mushrikeen. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam has ordered us in numerous speeches to defy the Mushrikeen, and these ‘Eids are among what the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam wanted us to take special care of. That is why he has said, after seeing that the people of Madeenah had two holidays which they celebrated from before Islaam, which is reported by Anas ibn Maalik that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said,
"Allâh has given you better than those feasts: the ‘Eid-ul-Adh-haa (Feast of Sacrificing), and ‘Eid-ul-Fitr (feast of Breaking the fast)." [Sunan An-Nasaaee: English translation: (vol. 2, p.333, no. 1559), Sunan Abu Dauwud: English translation: (vol. 1, p.293, no. 1130). It is authenticated by Shaykh Al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Aboo Daawood: vol. 1, p. 210, no.1004.]
Due to these clear facts, Muslim scholars put great emphasis on the concept of being different from the Mushrikeen in our ceremonies. This is because ceremonies have great effects over the human mind and behavior. Being different in our ceremonies means too that we must not participate in the Mushrikeen’s ceremonies on their holidays. It is mentioned in Sunan Al-Bayhaqee the statement of ‘Umar that, he said, "Do not learn the language of the Mushrikeen without a necessity nor enter the churches of Mushrikeen on their festivals because the anger of Allâh dissends on them then". Muslims should not celebrate their festivals instead they should oppose them. Muslims can fast on the Mushrikeen’s holidays.
Umm Salamah said the Prophet used to fast on Saturdays and Sundays, and when asked he said: "They are two days of Mushrikeen’s holidays so I like to oppose them in their ceremonies." [Musnad Imaam Ahmad.]
The above hadeeth is inauthentic in the view of some scholars of hadeeth like Al-Albaanee in Irwaaul Ghaleel: vol. 4, p. 125 and authentic in the view of Imaam Al-Haakim and Imaam Ath-Thahabee. Fasting on Friday or Saturday is haraam (prohibited) in Islaam when a man chooses these days as particular days for fasting and does not fast the day before or after because it is in the hadeeth narrated by Imaam At-Tirmithee which is authenticated by Al-Albaanee in Irwaaul-Ghaleel: vol. 4, p.118, no. 960. by prohibition of fasting on Saturday it is meant to oppose the Jews who keep fast on Saturday. But if someone wants to fast Saturday then he must fast Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday, two days together. Only that person is allowed to fast who has missed his fast of Ramadaan so that he can fast that day. Also the one who has vowed to fast then he can fast or fast as an atonement, and for expiation on Saturday.
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