Islamic holidays
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There are two official[
Both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow a period of 10 holy days or nights: the last 10 nights of
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
Religious practices
Fasting
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 291⁄2 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]
Holiday name | Hijri date | 1445 AH | 1446 AH |
---|---|---|---|
Islamic New Year | 1 Muḥarram | 19 July 2023 | 7 July 2024 |
Ashura | 10 Muḥarram | 28 July 2023 | 17 July 2024 |
Arbaʽeen[a] |
20 or 21 Ṣafar[b] | 6 Sep. 2023 | 26 Aug. 2024 |
Eid-e-Shuja' (Eid-e-Zahra)[c] |
9 Rabī‘ al-Awwal | 24 Sep. 2023 | |
Mawlid an-Nabī (Birthday of Muhammad)[d] |
12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal | 27 Sep. 2023 | 15 Sep. 2024 |
Baptism of Muhammad[e] | 19 Rabī‘ al-Awwal | 4 Oct. 2023 | 22 Sep. 2024 |
Beginning the Three Holy Months | 1 Rajab | 13 January 2024 | |
Laylat al-Raghaib | 2 Rajab | 14 January 2024 | |
Birthday of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib[a] | 13 Rajab | 25 Jan. 2024 | |
Laylat al-Mi'raj |
26 Rajab or 27 Rajab[f] | 7-8 Feb. 2024 | |
Laylat al-Bara'at | 15 Sha‘bān | 25 Feb. 2024 | |
Birthday of Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdī[c] | 15 Sha‘bān | 25 Feb. 2024 | |
First day of Ramaḍān | 1 Ramaḍān | 11 Mar. 2024 | |
Laylat al-Qadr |
21, 23, 25, 27, or 29 Ramaḍān[g] | between 29 Mar. & 8 Apr. 2024 |
|
Chaand Raat[h] | 29 or 30 Ramaḍān[i] | 9 Apr. 2024 | |
Eid al-Fitr | 1 Shawwāl | 10 Apr. 2024 | 30 March 2025 |
Hajj | 8–13 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 14–19 June 2024 | |
Day of Arafah | 9 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 15 June 2024 | 5 June 2025 |
Eid al-Adha | 10 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 16 June 2024 | 6 June 2025 |
Eid al-Ghadeer[a] |
18 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 24 June 2024 | |
Eid al-Mubahalah[a] |
24 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 30 June 2024 |
Notes to table
- ^ a b c d Primarily observed by Shias.
- ^ Observed 40 days after Ashura.
- ^ Twelver Shias.
- ^ Not observed by Wahhabis, Deobandis and Ahl-i-Hadith
- ^ Mostly observed in the Sahel
- Isra and Mi'raj.
- Laylat al-Qadr.
- ^ Primarily observed in South Asia.
- ^ Observed on the last evening of Ramaḍān; see Chaand Raat.
References
- ISBN 978-9948-499-99-2.
- OCLC 614990718.
- OCLC 227911610.
- ^ "Islamic Calendar". IslamicFinder. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Special Islamic Days". IslamicFinder. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
Further reading
- Leaman, Oliver, "Festivals of Love", in Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God (2 vols.), Edited by C. Fitzpatrick and A. Walker, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2014, Vol I, pp. 197–199.
External links
- The Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia (with date converter valid from 1937 to 2077)