Islamic Holidays and Festivals: Difference between revisions

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[[~~Useful Notes/Islam|~~Islam]] is something of a peculiar religion when it comes to festivals in two ways. One, it doesn't have a whole lot of them. Two, they are linked to the [[Alternative Calendar|Islamic calendar]], which is purely lunar: it is only 354 days long, or about 11 days shorter than the solar year. These two peculiarities are related: because of the length of the Islamic year, the months move through the seasons. Since so many festivals are linked to seasons and seasonal events (like planting or the harvest or the solstice), it would be very difficult to link them to the Islamic calendar. As a result, while seasonal festivals exist in many if not most Muslim countries, they tend to be culturally-based and linked to local solar or lunisolar calendars, many of which date from pre-Islamic times. For instance, the [[~~Useful Notes/~~Egypt|Egyptian]] spring festival, Sham el-Nessim, is linked to the Egyptian calendar, which is more or less the same as the old Roman Julian calendar (it falls on [[Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox]] Easter Monday for historical reasons). By the same token, the [[~~Useful Notes/~~Iran|Iranian]] spring festival, Nourouz, falls on the first day of the Iranian calendar, which is based on the Islamic calendar and the pre-Islamic Persian and Hindu ones.

[[Islam]] is something of a peculiar religion when it comes to festivals in two ways. One, it doesn't have a whole lot of them. Two, they are linked to the [[Alternative Calendar|Islamic calendar]], which is purely lunar: it is only 354 days long, or about 11 days shorter than the solar year. These two peculiarities are related: because of the length of the Islamic year, the months move through the seasons. Since so many festivals are linked to seasons and seasonal events (like planting or the harvest or the solstice), it would be very difficult to link them to the Islamic calendar. As a result, while seasonal festivals exist in many if not most Muslim countries, they tend to be culturally-based and linked to local solar or lunisolar calendars, many of which date from pre-Islamic times. For instance, the [[Egypt|Egyptian]] spring festival, Sham el-Nessim, is linked to the Egyptian calendar, which is more or less the same as the old Roman Julian calendar (it falls on [[Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox]] Easter Monday for historical reasons). By the same token, the [[Iran|Iranian]] spring festival, Nourouz, falls on the first day of the Iranian calendar, which is based on the Islamic calendar and the pre-Islamic Persian and Hindu ones.

As a result, Islamic holidays are fairly few and far between. However, there are several ones worth mentioning.

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=== The New Year (1 Muharram) ===

A fairly unimportant holiday, which often goes completely unnoticed today. There are only two interesting things about it.

* One, its name in Arabic is ''Ra's al-Sanah''. If that sounds like [[~~Useful Notes/~~Jewish Holidays|Rosh Hashanah]], it should; Arabic and Hebrew are closely related, and the phrase in both languages translates to "Head of the Year". The word today is also used in Arab countries to refer to the Gregorian New Year; in fact, it's more common to hear the term for 1 January than 1 Muharram.

* One, its name in Arabic is ''Ra's al-Sanah''. If that sounds like [[Jewish Holidays|Rosh Hashanah]], it should; Arabic and Hebrew are closely related, and the phrase in both languages translates to "Head of the Year". The word today is also used in Arab countries to refer to the Gregorian New Year; in fact, it's more common to hear the term for 1 January than 1 Muharram.

* Two, there's a story that Muhammad noticed that Jews fast for Yom Kippur in honor of Moses. To show that Muslims also honor Moses, he started fasting on the first two days of Muharram. Some people continue to observe the fast. That's about it.

=== Ashura (10 Muharram) ===

A pretty much strictly Shiite holiday, commemorating the defeat of [[The Prophet Muhammad]]'s grandson Husayn in the Battle of Karbala (in [[~~Useful Notes/Iraq|~~Iraq]]) in the

A pretty much strictly Shiite holiday, commemorating the defeat of [[The Prophet Muhammad]]'s grandson Husayn in the Battle of Karbala (in [[Iraq]]) in the

Hijri year 61 (680 CE). Since Shiites regard Husayn as having a right to be the Caliph, they understandably regard the day as one of mourning; salty foods (representing salty tears) are eaten, and self-flagellation and other forms of self-injury (including, famously, cutting the forehead with a sword) are common forms of remembrance. Also, prayer. Lots of prayer.

Sunnis tend to ignore the holiday, although some believe that the aforementioned tradition of fasting on 1 and 2 Muharram actually applies to the 9th and 10th or 10th and 11th of Muharram; since the custom is based on a report of something the Prophet did, it's not unexpected that there are conflicting reports. This corresponds more closely to the date of Yom Kippur (10 Tishrei); Muslim months always start on the same day or almost the same day as Jewish months, as the Jewish calendar is lunisolar. There is also a cultural custom in Egypt and Turkey to eat a certain kind of pudding with nuts and dried fruit, also called Ashura, on that day; what it has to do with anything is unclear.

Bizarrely, the festival has also spread to the English-speaking Caribbean, particularly [[~~Useful Notes/Trinidad and Tobago|~~Trinidad and Tobago]] and [[~~Useful Notes/Jamaica|~~Jamaica]], where it is known as Hosay (after Husain). It was brought by Shia indentured labourers from [[The Raj|British India]], and was adopted by Hindu Indian labourers as well, as a gesture of cultural solidarity. Eventually, the practice became much more widespread; it is celebrated with the construction of impromptu mosques out of paper and tinsel, along with a lot of balloons. The practice is by no means universal, but it has seen a revival in recent years.

Bizarrely, the festival has also spread to the English-speaking Caribbean, particularly [[Trinidad and Tobago]] and [[Jamaica]], where it is known as Hosay (after Husain). It was brought by Shia indentured labourers from [[The Raj|British India]], and was adopted by Hindu Indian labourers as well, as a gesture of cultural solidarity. Eventually, the practice became much more widespread; it is celebrated with the construction of impromptu mosques out of paper and tinsel, along with a lot of balloons. The practice is by no means universal, but it has seen a revival in recent years.

=== Arbaeen (20 Safar) ===

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=== Mawlid an-Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet) (12 or 17 Rabi` al-Awwal) ===

A holiday whose importance varies from place to place. In some countries, it's a big deal, a full day off with parades and special prayers and so on; in some other ones, like [[~~Useful Notes/Saudi Arabia|~~Saudi Arabia]], it is banned. There is a long and complicated theological debate about this, with ''ulema'' (religious scholars) having some pretty heated arguments about whether it is allowed or not. (There really should be a Muslim version of [[Jews Love to Argue]].) There is also a difference over the date; Sunnis and some small Shia sects recognize 12 Rabi` al-Awwal, while most Shia recognize 17 Rabi` al-Awwal.

A holiday whose importance varies from place to place. In some countries, it's a big deal, a full day off with parades and special prayers and so on; in some other ones, like [[Saudi Arabia]], it is banned. There is a long and complicated theological debate about this, with ''ulema'' (religious scholars) having some pretty heated arguments about whether it is allowed or not. (There really should be a Muslim version of [[Jews Love to Argue]].) There is also a difference over the date; Sunnis and some small Shia sects recognize 12 Rabi` al-Awwal, while most Shia recognize 17 Rabi` al-Awwal.

=== Isra' and Mi`raj (27 Rajab) ===