Islamic Holidays

[Razanir]

I’m helping reorganize holiday finals in KDE, a desktop environment for Linux. My self-appointed task is to separate all the religious holidays into their own files. (Gee, I feel like I just started a thread on this yesterday)

This time it’s Islam. If I understand correctly (mainly from Wikipedia), Sunnis only celebrate the two Eid days. What about Shiites? If I included separate files for the two branches, what extra holidays would Shiites want? And for that matter, is my understanding correct that Sunnis only celebrate the two?

 

[jakasaki]

Shia, celebrate the following annual holidays:

Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of fasting during the month of Ramadan

Eid al-Adha, which marks the end of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca

The following days are some of the most important holidays observed by Shia Muslims:

Eid al-Ghadeer, which is the anniversary of the Ghadir Khum, the occasion when Muhammad announced Ali’s Imamate before a multitude of Muslims.

Eid al-Ghadeer is held on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah.

The Mourning of Muharram and the Day of Ashura for Shia commemorates Husayn ibn Ali’s martyrdom. Husayn was a grandson of Muhammad who was killed by Yazid ibn Muawiyah. Ashurah is a day of deep mourning which occurs on the 10th of Muharram.

Arba’ein commemorates the suffering of the women and children of Husayn ibn Ali’s household. After Husayn was killed, they were marched over the desert, from Karbala (central Iraq) to Shaam (Damascus, Syria). Many children (some of whom were direct descendants of Muhammad) died of thirst and exposure along the route. Arbaein occurs on the 20th of Safar, 40 days after Ashurah.

Mawlid, Muhammad’s birth date. Unlike Sunni Muslims, who celebrate 12th of Rabi’ al-awwal as Muhammad’s birthday or deathday (because they said that birth & death both is in this week), Shia Muslims celebrate the 17th of the month, which also coincides with the birth date of the sixth imam, Ja’far al-Saadiq.[110] Note that, not all Sunni Muslims celebrate Muhammad’s birthday, stating it as a bid’ah.

Fatimah’s birthday on 20th of Jumada al-Thani. It’s also considered as the “Women and Mothers’ day”.

Ali’s birthday on 13th of Rajab. It’s also considered as the “Men and Fathers’ day”.

Mid-Sha’ban is the birth date of the 12th and final Twelver imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. It is celebrated by Shia Muslims on the 15th of Sha’aban.

Laylat al-Qadr, anniversary of the night of the revelation of the Quran.

Eid al-Mubahila celebrates a meeting between the Ahl al-Bayt (household of Muhammad) and a Christian deputation from Najran. Al-Mubahila is held on the 24th of Dhu al-Hijjah.

Hopefully members Famdigy & Peace at Last will add/delete from this list.

Eid Mubarak!!!

 

[peace_at_last]

Shia, celebrate the following annual holidays:

Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of fasting during the month of Ramadan

Eid al-Adha, which marks the end of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca

The following days are some of the most important holidays observed by Shia Muslims:

Eid al-Ghadeer, which is the anniversary of the Ghadir Khum, the occasion when Muhammad announced Ali’s Imamate before a multitude of Muslims.

Eid al-Ghadeer is held on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah.

The Mourning of Muharram and the Day of Ashura for Shia commemorates Husayn ibn Ali’s martyrdom. Husayn was a grandson of Muhammad who was killed by Yazid ibn Muawiyah. Ashurah is a day of deep mourning which occurs on the 10th of Muharram.

Arba’ein commemorates the suffering of the women and children of Husayn ibn Ali’s household. After Husayn was killed, they were marched over the desert, from Karbala (central Iraq) to Shaam (Damascus, Syria). Many children (some of whom were direct descendants of Muhammad) died of thirst and exposure along the route. Arbaein occurs on the 20th of Safar, 40 days after Ashurah.

Mawlid, Muhammad’s birth date. Unlike Sunni Muslims, who celebrate 12th of Rabi’ al-awwal as Muhammad’s birthday or deathday (because they said that birth & death both is in this week), Shia Muslims celebrate the 17th of the month, which also coincides with the birth date of the sixth imam, Ja’far al-Saadiq.[110] Note that, not all Sunni Muslims celebrate Muhammad’s birthday, stating it as a bid’ah.

Fatimah’s birthday on 20th of Jumada al-Thani. It’s also considered as the “Women and Mothers’ day”.

Ali’s birthday on 13th of Rajab. It’s also considered as the “Men and Fathers’ day”.

Mid-Sha’ban is the birth date of the 12th and final Twelver imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. It is celebrated by Shia Muslims on the 15th of Sha’aban.

Laylat al-Qadr, anniversary of the night of the revelation of the Quran.

Eid al-Mubahila celebrates a meeting between the Ahl al-Bayt (household of Muhammad) and a Christian deputation from Najran. Al-Mubahila is held on the 24th of Dhu al-Hijjah.

Hopefully members Famdigy & Peace at Last will add/delete from this list.

Eid Mubarak!!!

Those are more or less the most important ones. But we can’t set a fixed number or even what can be considered a holiday. I would add to the above list, the day of Fatima’s martyrdom, the day of Ali’s martyrdom, and the day of Prophet Muhammad’s proclamation of Prophethood.

 

[Razanir]

Those are more or less the most important ones. But we can’t set a fixed number or even what can be considered a holiday. I would add to the above list, the day of Fatima’s martyrdom, the day of Ali’s martyrdom, and the day of Prophet Muhammad’s proclamation of Prophethood.

Right, right. As I clarified on the Mormon thread, I mean the secular definition of “holiday”. If your computer offered you Muslim holidays (and commemorations), what would you expect to see? (And it’s entirely possible to have separate Sunni and Shia files)

 

[peace_at_last]

Right, right. As I clarified on the Mormon thread, I mean the secular definition of “holiday”. If your computer offered you Muslim holidays (and commemorations), what would you expect to see? (And it’s entirely possible to have separate Sunni and Shia files)

Got it. We might as well call them “Holy days” instead of “Holidays”.

I think you should definitely give two separate files one for Shia and another for Sunni.

This is the list we usually have in Shia calendars (in addition to what jakasaki posted):

5th of Jamad al-aula (Birthday of Sayyida Zaynab, Imam Husayn’s sister)

13th of Jamad al-aula (martyrdom of Fatima the Prophets daughter according to one narration])

2nd of Jamad al-thani (martyrdom of Fatima the Prophets daughter according to another narration]) (these are both mentioned in the calendar with the note)

13th of Jamad al-thani (anniversary of the passing of ‘Umm al-Banin’ who lost 4 sons in the Battle of Karbala)

1st of Rajab (Birthday of the fifth Imam, Imam al-Baqir)

3rd of Rajab (Martyrdom of the tenth Imam, Imam al-Hadi)

10th of Rajab (Birthday of the ninth Imam, Imam al-Jawad)

15th of Rajab (anniversary of the passing of Sayyida Zaynab, Imam Husayn’s sister)

25th of Rajab (Martyrdom of the seventh Imam, Imam al-Kadhim)

27th of Rajab (Anniversary of Prophet Muhammad’s proclamation)

3rd of Shaban (birthday of Imam Husayn)

4th of Shaban (birthday of Abu’l-Fazl)

5th of Shaban (birthday of the fourth Imam, Imam al-Sajjad)

11th of Shaban (birthday of Imam al-Husayn’s eldest son, Ali Akbar)

10th of Ramadan (birthday of Khadija, Prophet Muhammads first and most respected wife, mother of Fatima)

15th of Ramadan (birthday of the second Imam, Imam al-Hasan)

21st of Ramadan (Martyrdom of first Imam, Imam Ali)

25th of Shawwal (Martyrdom of the Sixth Imam, Imam al-Sadiq)

1st of Dhul qadah (Birthday of Fatima al-Masuma, the eighth Imams sister)

11th of Dhul qadah (Birthday of the eighth Imam, Imam al-rida)

30th of Dhul qadah (Martyrdom of the ninth Imam, Imam Jawad)

1st of Dhul-hijja (marriage anniversary of Fatima and Imam Ali)

9th of Dhul-hijja (Day of `Arafah)

15th of Dhul-hijja (Birthday of tenth Imam, Imam al-Hadi)

12th of Muharram (martyrdom of the fourth Imam, Imam al-Sajjad)

7th of Safar (Birthday of the seventh Imam, Imam al-Kadhim)

28th of Safar (Martyrdom of Prophet Muhamamd and also the second Imam, Imam al-Hasan)

30th of Safar (martyrdom of eighth Imam, Imam al-Rida).

8th of Rabi al-Awwal (Martyrdom of eleventh Imam, Imam Hasan al-Askari)

8th of Rabi al-Thani (Martyrdom of eleventh Imam, Imam Hasan al-Askari)

note for these two dates:
30th of Dhul qadah (Martyrdom of the ninth Imam, Imam al-Jawad)
30th of Safar (martyrdom of eighth Imam, Imam al-Rida).

if the lunar month lasts for 29 days, 29th is used instead of 30th.

Any further explanations can be provided. I can also double check the final file for you. And you better think of a standard transliteration because the spellings vary. If you think I can be of any help, just ask.
I appreciate what you are doing.