Muslim Holidays, There are two authorized holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha. Both holidays follow on dates in the stellar Islamic calendar, which is different from the solar-based Gregorian calendar, so they are observed on different Gregorian dates every year.
What are Islamic Holidays?
As I have told you, Islamic holidays are the main Islamic events in history and in the Islamic calendar. Some of the examples are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow a retro of 10 holy days or nights: the last 10 nights of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr), and the first 10 days of Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Adha).
The Night of Power, one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, is the blessed night of the year. Equally, the Day of Arafah, the day before Eid al-Adha, is the blessed day of the Islamic year and calendar.
Moreover, Friday is deliberated as the holiest day of the week, and in Islamic belief, is considered a celebration in itself. Friday Prayers (Juma) are congregational prayers held in mosques, and Muslims are cheered to wear clean clothes, perfume, and bathe, most of those clothes include Kameez/Kurta Shalwar. It’s usual to eat special meals with family on this day.
Here is a list of Islamic Holidays:
Al-Hijra — Islamic New Year. Marks the end of Mohammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina.
Eid ul-Adha — Festival of Sacrifice. This is a four-day holiday marking the sacrifice of Abraham. It also highlights the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, called Hajj. Prayer is held at the mosque followed by an evening feast.
Eid ul-Fitr — End of Muslim Month of Fasting (Ramadan). A celebratory meal on the evening of this day. It is a three-day celebration and many will attend early morning prayers, affecting attendance.
Prophet’s Birthday – Celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. Celebrations, communal meals, and discussions on Islam usually take place on this day.
Ramadan — Muslim Month of Fasting. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset with the last ten days reserved for possible all-night prayer vigils. Attendance should not be affected.
Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr is renowned at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims may carry out acts of zakat (charity) on the occurrence, which begins after the new moon is sighted for the beginning of the month of Shawwal. The celebration begins with prayers on the morning of 1 Shawwal, followed by breakfast, and often commemorative meals all over the day.
The holiday is all about the breaking of the dawn-to-dusk fast and is renowned on the first day of Shawwal (the 10th month). It falls around 11 days earlier than the one the earlier year when following the Gregorian (solar) calendar.
Though some Muslims detect other special days all over the year, including the beginning of the new year according to the Islamic calendar and the day the Prophet Muhammad was born, the two Eids are the only holidays notable by the entire Muslim community international. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the fast of Ramadan, while Eid al-Adha (“Festival of Sacrifice”) occurs at the end of the yearly pilgrimage season.
The Islamic calendar/ chart is a lunar calendar, in which dates are planned based on the lunar stages, and each new month begins when the waxing crescent moon appears in the sky. Because the 12-month lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar Gregorian calendar (the 365-day calendar used in the Western world), Islamic months and holidays fall in numerous seasons liable on the year.
Importance of Eid al-Fitr
After a month of prayer, dedication, and self-control, Muslims celebrate the success of their sacred duties during Ramadan with the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast. The festival is a nationwide holiday in many countries with large Muslim populations like Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudia Arabia, and many more.
Celebrations of Eid al-Fitr normally last for three days, one day less than those of Eid al-Adha. For this reason, Eid al-Fitr is often called “Lesser” or “Smaller Eid.” Eid al-Adha, known as “Greater Eid,” is seen as the more significant holiday of the two.
During Eid al-Fitr, Muslims participate in exceptional morning prayers, greet each other with proper hugs and offer each other greetings of “Eid Mubarak,” or “Have a blessed Eid.” They gather with family and friends, give games and gifts to children and organize and eat special supper, containing sweet dishes like baklava or Turkish delight in Turkey, date-filled pastries and cookies in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and binte al Sahn (honey cake) in Yemen.
Giving addition to the five pillars of Islam is Zakat or giving money to those in need. Muslims often get ready for Eid al-Fitr by giving money to charity and handouts so that less privileged families can enjoy the merriments and joys as well. In addition to charity, Muslims are also fortified to give and pursue forgiveness during Eid al-Fitr and look forward to the chance to fast again during Ramadan the following year.
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha is renowned on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah when the Hajj pilgrimage/journey takes place and lasts for four days. Muslims may perform a deed of zakat and friendship by slaughtering a sheep and distributing the meat to family, to friends, and to the poor.
Muslims are also heartened to be particularly friendly and reach out to one another during this retro. Although Eid-ul-Adha has no straight relation to the Hajj Pilgrimage, it is but a day after the conclusion of Hajj and therefore has importance in time.
The time/ day of Eid-ul-Adha falls on the tenth day in the final (twelfth) month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar, Dhu-al-Hijjah. The day that festivities fall on is reliant on a sincere sighting of the moon, following the conclusion of the annual Holy Pilgrimage of Hajj, which is a responsibility for all Muslims who fit exact principles, one of the vital of Five Pillars of Islam.
The celebration of Eid-ul-Adha is to memorialize Prophet Ibrahim’s dedication to Allah SWT and his willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail. At the very point of sacrifice, Allah SWT replaced Ismail with a ram (goat), which was to be slaughtered in replacement of his son. This command from Allah SWT was a test of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness and pledge to obey his Lord’s command, without question. Therefore, Eid-ul-Adha means the centenary of sacrifice.
Liable on the country, the celebrations of Eid-ul-Adha can be carried anywhere between two and four days. The act of Qurbani (sacrifice) is carried out following the Eid Salaah (Eid Prayers), which are performed in congregation at the nearby Mosque on the morning of Eid.
The act of Qurbani comprises of slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice to mark this juncture in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice for Allah SWT. This is also known as Udhiya. The days of animal slaughter total three days, from the 10th to the 12th of Dhu-al-Hijjah.
The animal which is going to be sacrificed must be a sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull, or a camel, the sheep, lamb or goat contain one Qurbani share, whereas a bull, cow, or camel consists of seven shares per animal. The animal must be in good health and over a certain age in order to be slaughtered, in a “halal” friendly, Islamic approach.
The Qurbani meat can then be separated into three equal lots per share, one-third is for you and your family, one-third is for your friends and other relatives, and the final third is to be bestowed to those in need.
Differences between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha
The second most important holiday in the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha, befalls at the end of the Hajj, the yearly pilgrimage made by millions of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Agreeing to the Quran, the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) was keen to sacrifice his son to God (Allah), but God accepted the sacrifice of an animal in its place. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, celebrates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God.
Celebrations of the holiday usually last for four days, and are similar to those of Eid al-Fitr, except that Muslims celebrating Eid al-Adha conventionally admit the occasion by slaughtering an animal for meat. The meat is then shared with family and friends, with a large share given away to the less fortunate.
Here are some Key Differences between Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha.
1. Dates
Eid ul Adha starts on the 10th day of the 12th and last month which is called Dhul Hijjah, whereas Eid ul Fitr initiates on the first day of the 10th month which is called Shawwal. Both events, like all else in the Islamic calendar, are on diverse dates each year.
This is because the lunar year (12 moon cycles) is 354 days, less than the 365 days of the sun-based Gregorian calendar used by most of the world. As a result, Islamic dates change back by 10 or 11 days a year.
2. Names
Both start with the word Eid, which means a festival or a holiday, feast or holiday in Arabic. But they are else quite different. In the case of Eid ul Adha, the paraphrase is Festival of the Sacrifice, whereas Eid ul Fitr incomes Festival of Breaking the Fast.
3. Origin and significance
Eid ul Adha is a festival in which worshippers establish their religious faith, a ritual that started when Ibrahim (the same as the Abraham of Christian and Jewish texts) agreed to sacrifice his own son when ordered to do so by Allah (God). Though Satan tried to disturb him from the task, Ibrahim drove the devil away by tossing stones on him, an act that has been well-kept as a ritual during the Hajj.
God then saw the forte of Ibrahim’s dedication and showed him a ram (goat) to slaughter in its place.
This has been conserved as the idea of a being showing their dedication and obedience to God by being prepared to sacrifice what they love and like most. These days, families carry out or dispose of the slaughter of an animal and share the meat three ways, among family, relatives and friends, and the poor and needy.
In comparison, Eid ul Fitr is a festival that rejoices the end of the fasting in the preceding month of Ramadan, which involves people going without food, drink, and any inappropriate activity during sunshine hours every day, so that they focus on their religiousness instead.
4. Required activities
Both occasions usually include prayers, meals, and the giving of gifts. Charity and funding are also involved, but in, unlike ways. All through Ramadan and just before Eid ul Fitr, a mandatory contribution called Zakat ul Fitr (typically it is around £5 or less) is made by all Muslims, except children and the underprivileged adults, and used by charitable organizations to buy food so that people in deficiency around the world can also take part in the Eid celebrations.
At the time of Eid ul Adha, the religious and spiritual sacrifice called Qurbani is made, when the meat of a slaughtered animal is shared relatively and equally with the poor. Muslims can choose to do this through a Qurbani donation and contribution, which is used to pay for the slaughter of an animal to feed people in inferior parts of the world.
Amounts going from £25 to £1,750 are donated to charities and relief organizations so that people living in deficiency and poverty can enjoy a feast at Eid ul Adha too.
5. Connections to other events
Eid ul Adha arrives on the third day of the Hajj, the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca that must be assumed by all healthy adult Muslims at least once in their life. Hajj initiates on the 8th day of Dhul Hijjah and is implemented in five days, or sometimes six. Eid ul Fitr has no linking to the Hajj and falls at the start of the month of Shawwal.
6. Big or small?
Eid ul Adha is occasionally known as Greater Eid or Big Eid, while Eid ul Fitr can also be known as Lesser or Smaller Eid. That’s because Eid ul Adha is measured as the bigger and more substantial Eid celebration. Yet, it is the Eid ul Fitr public gatherings and congregations in Birmingham that lean towards the attraction and the main reason for larger crowds.
Here is a brief explanation of all the remaining Festivals
1. Muharram
Muharram is distinguished as the beginning of the Islamic New Year by participating Muslims around the world. It is regarded as a religious and important festival by the community. It is one of the four holy months of the year for Muslims. The Islamic New Year is the initial day of the Muslim calendar. Mutton is often obliged as the main course for this holiday meal. There is no favorite weight for this holiday, though animals should seem healthy.
According to usual customs, Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and measured to be highly religious, only coming next to Ramadan. Muharram, in itself, means “forbidden” and since it is measured to be holy, many Muslims use it as a time period of prayer and reflection. It is a standard for people in the community to fast during the holy Muharram retro.
Muharram also highlights the anniversary of the battle of Karbala, where the Islamic prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s grandson Imam Hussain Ibn Ali was martyred. They recall the massacre on the 10th day, Ashura, with some selecting too fast. The Islamic New Year will be renowned by the Muslim community on August 19, 2021, which recalls on Thursday. It will also smudge the first day in the year 1440 agreeing to the Hijri or Islamic calendar.
This day is widely pleased by Shia Muslims across the world. It was also during this period that Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina, which is known as Hijrah, and so Muharram highlights this important occasion as well. As celebrating Muslims demolish the festival with utmost joy and highlight it with high levels of dedication
Here are some exciting facts to know about the centenary.
1. Agreeing to Prophet Muhammad’s sayings, fasting on the day of Ashura will kill away all the sins of the previous year. And so, many Muslim followers indicate to fast on the ninth and tenth days of this month.
2. Shia Muslim cults often practice chest-beating, which is referred to as Latyma, and some also self-flagellate. Sunni Muslims ruminate Ashura as a day of respect for the Prophet Moses but do not take part in the ceremony.
3. During this firm time of Muharram, detecting Muslims desist from taking part in joyous and cheerful events.
4. It is usual to read and recite Ziarat e Ashura, a book containing greetings to the martyrs of Karbala, on the Day of Ashura
5. Muslims make merry to the new year by visiting the mosque, praying to Allah for happiness, and by spending time with their family and near and dear ones on the day off/ holiday. People also like to prepare something sweet like sweet rice and share it with their family and circle of friends to eat when breaking their fast.
2. Mawlid al-Nabi
Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif, also known as Eid Milad un Nabi 1 is the compliance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which is honored in Rabi’ al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar.12th Rabi’ al-awwal is the accepted date among most of the Sunni scholars and scholars, while most Shia scholars regard 17th Rabi’ al-awwal as the accepted date, though not all Shias reflect it to be this date. Also called Maouloud in West Africa.
The past of this festival goes back to the early days of Islam when some of the Tabi‘un began to hold conferences in which poetry and religious naats are collected to honor Muhammad were recited to the crowds. It has been said that the first Muslim ruler to formally celebrate the birth of Muhammad in a remarkable ceremony was Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri.
The Ottomans acknowledged it as an official holiday in 1588, known as Mevlid Kandil. The word Mawlid is also used in some parts of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints.
Most values of Islam approve of the memorial of Muhammad’s birthday, however, with the appearance of Wahhabism-Salafism, Deobandism, and Ahl-i Hadith, many Muslims began to criticize its honor and remembrance, considering it an illegal religious innovation. Mawlid is familiar as a national holiday in most of the Muslim-majority countries of the world the excluding Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Some non-Muslim mainstream countries with large Muslim populations such as India also identify it as a public holiday.
Date and History
Agreeing to the mainstream of Sunni Muslims and some Shi’as, Muhammad was born on the 12th of Rabi’ al-awwal. Many Twelver Shia Muslims on the other hand declare that Muhammad was born on the 17th of Rabi’ al-awwal. It stands as a material of Khalaf or dissimilarity since some Shiite scholars such as Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni, Ibn Babawayh, and Zayn al-Din al-Juba’i al’Amili have affirmed the date of the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal.
Nevertheless, others struggle that the date of Muhammad’s birth is indefinite and is not finally recorded in the Islamic traditions. The issue of the precise date of the Mawlid is recorded by Ibn Khallikan as establishing the first proven difference concerning the celebration
In the initial days of Islam, the opinion of Muhammad’s birth as a holy day was usually arranged privately, and later was an increased number of people to the Mawlid house that was open for the whole day precisely for this celebration. The early celebrations, included elements of Sufic influence, with animal sacrifices and torchlight marches along with public readings and a feast.
The celebrations occurred during the day, in dissimilarity to modern-day compliances, with the ruler playing a key role in the ceremonies. Importance was given to the Ahl al-Bayt with the presentation of readings and recitations of the Qur’an
The exact origins of the Mawlid are difficult to hint at. Agreeing to Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God, the implication of the event was recognized when Muhammad fasted on Monday, quoting the reason for this was his birth on that day, and when Umar took into thought Muhammad’s birth as a possible starting time for the Islamic calendar.
According to Festivals in World Religions, the Mawlid was first presented by the Abbasids in Baghdad. It has been suggested that the Mawlid was first formalized by Al-Khayzuran of the Abbasids. Ibn Jubayr, in 1183, writes that Muhammad’s birthday was celebrated every Monday of Rabi’ al-awwal at his birthplace, which had been adapted into a place of devotion under the Abbasids.
3. Ramadan
Ramadan also implied Ramazan, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims universally as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. A memorial of Muhammad’s first revelation, the yearly compliance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting and detection of the crescent moon.
Fasting from dawn to sunset is fard or farz (obligatory) for all adult Muslims who are not extremely or chronically ill, traveling, elderly, diabetic, or menstruating. The predawn meal is stated as suhur (sehri), and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar.
Although fatwas have been distributed stating that Muslims who live in regions with midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable and schedule of Mecca. It is common practice to follow the timetable and schedule of the closest country in which night can be illustrious from the day.
The divine rewards (thawab) of fasting are supposed to be multiplied and grow more during Ramadan. Therefore, Muslims abstain not only from food and drink, but also tobacco products, and sinful behavior, offering themselves instead to salat (prayer) and recitation of the Quran.
Date and History
The first and last dates of Ramadan are firm by the lunar Islamic calendar. The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed, guidance and direction for all mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the standard (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey or a trip, a number of other days.
Allah desires for you comfort, He desires not hardship and adversity for you, and that you should complete the period. And that you should heighten Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful and glad.
Muslims embrace that all scripture was revealed during Ramadan, the scrolls of Abraham, Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and Quran having been handed down on the first, sixth, twelfth, thirteenth, and twenty-fourth Ramadans, in that order. Muhammed is said to have received his first Quranic revelation on Laylat al-Qadr, one of five odd-numbered nights that fall all through the last ten days of Ramadan.
Although Muslims were first ordered to fast in the second year of Hijra (624 CE), they believe that the practice and ritual of fasting is not in fact a revolution of monotheism but rather has always been necessary for believers to achieve taqwa (the fear of God).
They point to the fact that the pre-Islamic pagans of Mecca fasted on the tenth day of Muharram to compensate for sin and avoid lack. Philip Jenkins argues that the observance of Ramadan fasting grew out of “the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian Churches,” a statement verified by other scholars, including theologian Paul-Gordon Chandler, but was unclear and disputed by some Muslim academics
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some FAQs about Muslim Holidays.
1) What are Muslim holidays 2021?
| DAY | DATE | HOLIDAY |
|---|---|---|
| Thu | May 13, 2021May 13 | Eid-al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
| Mon | Jul 19, 2021Jul 19 | Waqf al Arafa - Hajj |
| Tue | Jul 20, 2021Jul 20 | Eid-al-Adha |
| Mon | Aug 09, 2021Aug 09 | Hijra - Islamic New Year |
2) What are Muslims’ main holidays?
There are two authorized holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha. Both holidays happen on dates in the lunar Islamic calendar, which is dissimilar from the solar-based Gregorian calendar, so they are detected on different Gregorian dates every year.
3) Do Muslims celebrate birthdays?
Muslims don’t even celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Birthdays are a cultural or a social tradition/ ritual. Muslims do not celebrate or condemn Christmas like Christians. Other Muslims may not celebrate birthdays for social reasons because it does not say in the Quran or ineffective hadith that we can not celebrate birthdays.
4) Are there two Eids?
There are two Eids celebrated each year in the Islamic calendar. In May 2021 initial on the evening of May 12 and conclusion on the evening of May 13, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which is also known as the festival of breaking fast.
5) Can you say happy Eid?
If you want to wish somebody “Happy Eid” this year, the customary way would be to greet them with “Eid Mubarak”. This is the Arabic expression used by Muslims during both Eid al-Adha and the Eid al-Fitr celebrations earlier in the year.
6) Can Muslims have dogs?
It is an important tenet of Islam that everything is acceptable, except those things that have been clearly banned. Based on this, most Muslims would agree that it is acceptable to have a dog for the purpose of security, hunting, farming, or service to the disabled.
7) Why don’t Muslims celebrate Christmas?
As we know, Christmas is a religious matter celebrating the birth of Christ, whom Christians believe to be the son of God and a part of God Himself. Not like our Christian brethren, Muslims don’t assign to this belief. Muslims believe as the Qur’an states, that “The Majesty of our Lord is exalted“.
8) Can Muslims have tattoos?
For those who aren’t alert, tattoos are deliberated haram (forbidden) in Islam. There is no specific Islamic verse outlining this point but many people believe wudu (the purification ritual) cannot be completed if you have a tattoo on your body. Therefore, you can never pray.
9) Why do Muslims not eat pork?
Qur’an mentioned that Allah forbids eating the meat of swine because it is a SIN and an IMPIETY (Rijss).
10) What is the oldest religion?
Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many general practitioners mention their religion as Sanatana Dharma
Conclusion
As you know, Islam is one of the Largest religions in Population, it does have many Islamic holidays. There are two authorized holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha. Both holidays follow on dates in the stellar Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is renowned at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims may carry out acts of zakat (charity) on the occurrence, which begins after the new moon is sighted for the beginning of the month of Shawwal. Eid al-Adha is renowned on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah when the Hajj pilgrimage/journey takes place and lasts for four days. Muslims may perform a deed of zakat and friendship by slaughtering a sheep and distributing the meat to family, to friends, and to the poor.
Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif, also known as Eid Milad un Nabi 1 is the compliance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which is honored in Rabi’ al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. Ramadan also implied Ramazan, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims universally as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.
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