Muslims, as well as adherents of other religions, have many of their holidays, which are an integral part of Islamic spirituality and culture. The Arabic name for such a solemn date is id, which means something like this: "return to a certain time." What characterizes the main holidays of Islam and how do the faithful followers of the religion of the Prophet Muhammad celebrate them?
General principles
During any of the holidays of the Muslim calendar, believers, of course, pray. In addition, they remember their loved ones and pray for those of them who have departed to another world. As prescribed by Islam, holidays should be held in the community so that everyone can feel their involvement in the Ummah.
Unlike Christianity, where there are thirteen major holidays, Muslims have only two such significant solemn dates: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The first holiday is dedicated to the end of the fast, and the second is dedicated to sacrifice. It is celebrated during the Hajj, that is, a pilgrimage to Mecca. In contrast to Fitra, which is called the Small Holiday, Adha is called the Big, or Great.
Both of these holidays, as well as all other religious holidays of Islam are celebrated in accordance with the lunar calendar according to the tradition adopted in the Middle East. The account of Islamic chronology begins on July 15, 622 g. e. On this day, the Prophet Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina, which is called the Day of Hijra. Muslim lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar one. This leads to the fact that Islamic holidays are not confined to the dates of the Gregorian calendar, according to which they are annually shifted in their celebration for eleven days. To balance this rhythm, every third year is considered a leap year.
Hijra
Hijra is, in principle, the first of the holidays, which was established in the Muslim community. Organized festivities on this day were first initiated by Caliph Omar. And at its core, it represents the Islamic New Year, opening the month of Muhara. This holiday comes after the previous new moon.
The New Year implies for every Muslim a symbolic transition from Mecca to Medina. This means that you need to leave behind all sins, failures and old habits and enter into a new life in accordance with the will of Allah.
Hussein's memory
Ten days after the New Year, the memory of Imam Hussein, the former grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is celebrated. He died in the 61st year of the Hijra in a battle with the troops of the Caliph Yazid. This is a specifically Shiite day, it is not included in the main holidays of Islam, the list of which is the same for all intra-Islamic movements and faiths. On this day, Shiites mourn, hold solemn processions, stage the events of the death of Hussein, etc.
Eid Al Fitr
Fitr serves as an answer to the question of which holidays in Islam are most loved. It marks the end of the great Islamic fast of Ramadan. In folk tradition, it is also called the feast of sweets. As already noted above, this day is one of the two most important celebrations that Islam has. These holidays are called Small and Large, of which Fitr is Small. It is called so only because its duration is three days, while the time for celebrating the Great Feast of Adha is four days.
They carefully prepare for the celebrations of Fitra. Traditionally at this time go to visit. Therefore, Islamic families prepare a lot of refreshments and decorate their homes. Like Christians at Easter, adherents of Islam give each other presents and greeting cards.
Another obligatory feature of this holiday is charity. Without fail, a donation is collected for poor and poor families so that the holiday does not pass them by.
When the time comes to end the fast, believers are called to prayer. In Islamic countries, they hit the drums, make announcements on radio and television, shoot rifles at the sky, and the fun begins immediately. First of all, a modest meal of dates, juice or milk interrupts fasting. The meal ends with a ritual prayer called the Maghrib. For the next three days, no one works, does not study. Everyone is just having fun, giving gifts, making visits to friends and visiting relatives. The main fun begins on the first day at noon with a festive dinner. After this, a visit to cemeteries and a prayer for the dead are provided, after which general joy and triumphs continue for all three days.
Eid al adha
Adha is a great triumph, a kind of calling card that embodies Islam. Muslim holidays are largely confined to the recollections of certain events of the sacred history. So Eid al-Adha marks not only the end of the Hajj, but also is a memorable celebration dedicated to the sacrifice of Issak by the Prophet Abraham. The idea of sacrifice is key in this event, so Muslims slaughter sacrificial animals in memory of him. It can be a goat, a cow and even a camel. But most often sheep play this role.
Muhammad's birthday
The main holidays of Islam, of course, cannot do without celebrating the founder’s birthday, which is called in Arabic Milad al-Nabi. Traditionally, this day is considered the 12th day of the Arab lunar month, Rabia Aval. The date of birth on the solar calendar (August 20) is not taken into account. He began to celebrate immediately, but only during the reign of the Abbasids. The sacramental significance of this day is to remember and honor the prophet, express his love, devotion to him and learn useful lessons from his life story.
Ascension Night
According to Muslim legend, one night the Prophet Muhammad transferred the mysterious power of Allah to Jerusalem. The accompanying archangel Gabriel (Gabriel) also showed him hell and paradise, and after that the prophet appeared before Allah himself in the seventh heaven. The result of this revelation was the establishment of namaz - a ritual of prayer that every faithful Muslim should perform five times a day. This event is celebrated on the 27th of the month of Rajab. Unlike many other solemn dates that Islam has, birthday parties and ascension nights do not provide much fun. During them, the Surahs from the Koran are mainly recited and prayers are said. The Arabic name for this holiday is Leylat al-Miraj.
Night of power
Leilat al-Qadr is a festive night that recalls the very first revelation of the Prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated in the holy month of Ramadan on the 27th. But in fact, this date is conditional, as the exact information about when this event took place was not preserved. Therefore, in case of need, it can be noted on any of the nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. As a rule, celebration is reduced to visiting a mosque and reading prayers throughout the night.
Blessing night
This is another special night that Islam invites to celebrate. Holidays, the traditions of which are based on honoring the memory of stories from the life of the prophet, include this night as a special time for prayer for the departed. It is celebrated on the full moon before the beginning of Ramadan, on the eve of 15 shaaban. The historical basis of this holiday is the time that the Prophet Muhammad spent in prayers, preparing for the fasting that he kept in seclusion every year. Adherents of Islam believe that on this night, called in Arabic Leylat al-Baraat, Allah gives orders to all living people: who is to die, and who is to live, who is forgiven of sins, and who will be cursed, etc. This at night a special ritual meal is prepared and candles are lit.
Other holidays
The above holidays are essential for the Islamic world. They are celebrated by almost all believers at the same time. But there are also events that each family experiences separately. These days include mainly the birth of a child, the spelling of a name, etc. Briefly touch on them.
Birth of a child
When a baby is born, it is a great joy for the whole family. In the Muslim world, this event has a bright religious coloring. Firstly, the child is considered to be a gift of Allah, and secondly, he is immediately ordained into the Islamic religion as follows: first, the so-called azan is whispered into the baby’s right ear, that is, a prayer call that starts with the formula “Allahu akbar”, and then the left ear is whispered by ikama, that is, the command to stand in prayer. Thus, the newborn child has the first word in his life the word "God", which is very important. This is the first consecration to faith. In the future, he will have a number of initiations.
Sacrifice and other holidays
After the birth of a child, it is required to bring a sacrificial animal to Allah, one for a girl and two for a boy. The meat of animals is distributed to the needy and the poor.
Islam is a religion whose holidays in honor of the newborn are numerous. Among other of them it is worth noting Takhnik - anointing the lips of a baby with juice with a wish for health; Akiku - the ritual shaving of the baby on the seventh day after birth; name Chitan - male circumcision; Bismillah - pronouncing a special spelling formula from the Qur'an over a child.
There are other festive, religiously painted days in private family life. But their scale is not so large as to dwell on them in this article.