Eid al-Ghadir (Arabic: عید الغدیر, romanized: ʿīd al-ghadīr, lit. 'feast of the pond') is a commemorative holiday, and is considered to be among the most significant holidays of Shi'ite Muslims and almost all Sufi sects.[2] The Eid is held on 18 Dhul-Hijjah at the time when the Islamic prophet Muhammad—according to interpretation in Shia—appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor. According to Shia hadiths, this Eid has been named "Eid-e Bozorg-e Elāhi" (Persian: عید بزرگ الهی; i.e. the greatest divine Eid),[3] "Eid Ahl al-Bayt Muhammad",[4][5] "Yom Al-Wilayah (يوم الولاية) Day of the Guardianship "[6] and Ashraf al-A'yaad (i.e. the supreme Eid).[7][8]
| Eid al-Ghadir | |
|---|---|
| Also called | Eid Al-Ghadeer; Yawm al-mithaq (Day of the Covenant) |
| Observed by | Shia Muslims |
| Type | Shia Islam |
| Significance | Appointment of Ali as the successor of Muhammad. |
| Observances | Prayers, gift-giving, festive meals, as well as reciting the Du'a Nudba, |
| Date | 18 Dhu al-Hijjah |
| 2024 date | 25 June (Iran)[1] |
Religious background
editTen years after the migration (Hijrah), the Islamic prophet Muhammad ordered his followers to call upon people everywhere to join him in his first and last pilgrimage. Islamic scholars believe more than seventy thousand people followed Muhammad on his way to Mecca, where, on the fourth day of the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah, there were more than one hundred thousand Muslims present for his entry into the city.[9][10] While returning from this pilgrimage, on 18 Dhu'l-Hijjah 10 AH (March 632 CE) at an area known as Ghadir Khumm, Muhammad delivered a well-known sermon during which he called up his cousin, brother, and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib and declared, "to whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is also their Mawla". The meaning of the word Mawla can be interpreted as "master", and thus many see the sermon as being the official designation of Ali as Muhammad's successor.[11] As a result, the date of the sermon is considered to be one of the foundational events of Shia Islam, with the anniversary becoming one of its most important annual celebrations as "Eid al-Ghadir".[12][13] To be more precise, Muhammad declared "Do I have more authority over you than you do yourselves?" They responded with "Yes oh prophet of Allah" He continued with " Then, to whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is also their Mawla". While the meaning of the word Mawla can be interpreted as "friend" (as it has many meanings), the question asked set the context for it to be interpreted as "master" and in turn suggested “leader”.
Celebration
editShia Muslims throughout the world celebrate this event annually with diverse customs.[14][15] It is held in different countries, including Iran,[16][17][18] India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan,[19] Iraq,[20][21] UAE, Yemen, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Turkey,[22] Bahrain, and Syria. Shia Muslims also celebrate Eid Ghadir in Europe and the Americas, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France.[23][24][25][26]
In 2022, a 10-km long festival was held in Tehran marking the Ghadir ceremony with hundreds of thousands of the people pouring out into Valiasr Street and the nearby streets.[27]
In 2024, a massive celebration was held in multiple Yemeni Provinces where fireworks , bands , and speeches were held. In recent years Eid Al-Ghadir (known in Yemen as Yom Al-Wilaya) has been celebrated more ever since the Zaydi Shia Government took over Yemen.[28][29] Also in the same Year the Iraqi Parliament declared Eid al-Ghadir to be an official public holiday with the encouragement of the Sadrist Leader , Muqtada al-Sadr.[30]
According to the narrations, Hassan ibn Ali used to hold ceremonies in Kufa on the day of Ghadir. Ali ibn Abi Talib used to participate the ceremony accompanied by a group of his followers. After the ceremony, Hassan ibn Ali would give people gifts. Greeting, hand shaking, wearing new clothes, using perfume, making donations, helping others, saying prayers, feeding others, making others happy and giving gifts to others are among the suggested customs reported in narrations.[31]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Is Eid-e-Ghadir a Public Holiday?". timeanddate.
- ^ "Gadir-i Hum Bayramı'na geri sayım başladı - Antakya Gazetesi" (in Turkish). 22 June 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Al-Hurr al-Aamili, Wasā'il al-Shīʿa, V.8, P.89
- ^ The celebration of Ghaidr mashreghnews.ir Retrieved 15 September 2018
- ^ Sayyed Ibn Tawus, Iqbal al-A'mal, V.2, P.261
- ^ "مأرب.. فعالية لحرائر مديرية صرواح بذكرى يوم الولاية". www.saba.ye (in Arabic). 29 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Eid Ghadir (Ghadeer) yjc.ir
- ^ Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni, Kitab al-Kafi, V.4, P.148
- ^ Ghadir Khum Archived 15 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine al-islam.org
- ^ Event of Ghadir Khumm Irfan.ir
- ^ Vaglieri, Laura Veccia (2012). "G̲h̲adīr K̲h̲umm". Encyclopædia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill Online. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ Lindsay, James E. (1957). Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World. Greenwood Press. p. 163. ISBN 9780313322709.
- ^ Campo, Juan Eduardo (2009). Encyclopedia of Islam. Infobase Publishing. pp. 257–58. ISBN 9781438126968.
- ^ The celebration of the event of Ghadir Khum irna.ir
- ^ Eid (feast) Ghadir-Khum afkarnews.com
- ^ Ghadir Khum (Eid)[permanent dead link] farsnews.com
- ^ Ghadir celebration, Ahwaz, Iran aparat.com
- ^ Ghadir celebration Archived 29 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine irinn.ir Retrieved 22 September 2018
- ^ Islamic countries, Eid Ghadir Khum hawzah.net
- ^ Iraq, Eid Ghadir-Khum alalam.ir Retrieved 22 September 2018
- ^ Eid Ghadir Khum, Iraq shia-news.com Retrieved 22 September 2018
- ^ "Gadir Hum Bayramı kutlanıyor (Gadir Hum Bayramı nedir? Gadiri Hum Bayramı'nı kimler, ne zaman kutlar?)".
- ^ Ghadir Khum, celebration Archived 26 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine alkawthartv.com
- ^ Eid Ghadir-Khum, in Georgia iribnews.ir
- ^ The celebration of Ghadir, in Saudi Arabia shia-news.com
- ^ Ghadir celebration in various countries of the world iqna.ir
- ^ "3 million Tehraners attend 10-km long Ghadir festival". Mehr News Agency. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ "Revolution Leader extends his congratulations to Yemeni people & all Muslims on "Wilayah " Guardianship Day anniversary". www.saba.ye. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Event for Al-Sabeen, Al-Wahda & Al-Safia districts' people in capital secretariat on Guardianship Day anniversary". www.saba.ye. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Iraqi parliament approves controversial official holidays law, forwards to president". Shafaq News. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "The customs and traditions of Eid al-Ghadir". Hawzah information center. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
External links
edit