Eid al-Ghadir


Eid al-Ghadir is a Shia feast, and is considered to be among the "significant" feasts of Shia Islam. The Eid is held on 18 Dhu Al-Hijjah at the time when the Islamic prophet Muhammad was said to have appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor. According to hadiths, this Eid has been named "Eid-e Bozorg-e Elāhi" , "Eid Ahl al-Bayt Muhammad" and Ashraf al-A'yaad.

Religious background

Ten years after the migration, the Islamic prophet Muhammad ordered his followers to call upon people everywhere to join him in his 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. While returning from this pilgrimage, on 18 Dhu'l-Hijjah 10 AH at an area known as Ghadir Khumm, Muhammad delivered a well-known sermon during which he called up his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib and declared, "to whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is also their Mawla". While the meaning of the word Mawla can be interpreted in several ways, including as "friend" or "master", Shi'ites view it as being the latter and thus see the sermon as being the official designation of Ali as Muhammad's successor. 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".

Celebration

Shia Muslims throughout the world celebrate this event annually with diverse customs. It is held in different countries, including Iran, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, UAE, Yemen, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Syria. Shia Muslims also celebrate Eid Ghadir in Europe and the Americas, including the U.S., UK, Germany, France.