Islamic Festivals

A festival is a day of shared happiness. It is an essential need for individuals and society. That’s why, in every era and culture, festivals have always existed in some form or other.

Similarly, in today’s world, a person often lives under mental stress for one reason or another. Even if someone has all comforts and peace, after a while, he still experiences a mental state called boredom. This general situation has made festivals a natural need for every nation and every society, so that people can come together, forget their worries, and refresh their minds by meeting people.

Festivals are typically celebrated on specific national or historical dates. Every nation observes its own festivals on occasions of particular cultural or historical significance. As a result, there is scarcely a day in the year when some community, somewhere in the world, is not celebrating a festival. (For a full list, see Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, Vol. 24, pp. 73–75)

These festivals are typically marked by revelry and entertainment. Recreational programmes are organised, and people often celebrate by stepping beyond traditional social boundaries. Individuals from all sections of society participate in them—whether political, religious, or secular.

For Muslims, two such festivals have been prescribed: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. These are two annual days of joy from a religious perspective. Eid al-Fitr falls on the first of Shawwal, and Eid al-Adha on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah.

During the Makkah period, an organised Islamic society had not yet been established. That is why the system of Eid was also not initiated during that time. After the migration to Madinah, the Islamic society began to take organised shape. Just as other systems were put in place, the tradition of Eids was also started.

At that time, the people of Madinah had two tribal festivals. On these days, they held sports competitions, arranged poetry gatherings, and celebrated their historical pride. Overall, these festivals could be called national fairs.

When the Prophet of God migrated from Makkah to Madinah and saw these festivals, he replaced them with two new festivals—the Eids. One Companion, Aans bin Malik, says that when the Prophet arrived in Madinah, the people had two yearly days of celebration and fun. The Prophet asked: What are these two days? They replied: These are old traditions. On these days, we play and enjoy ourselves. The Prophet said: God has given you two better days instead—a day of Eid right after Ramadan and a day of Sacrifice Eid. (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 1134)

The Eids are, in fact, the Islamization of traditional, non-Islamic festivals. The real purpose of any festival is shared happiness. That purpose is fully preserved in the Eids, but casual and careless fun was reduced, and polite joy and meaningful celebration were added.

Different Hadiths about Eid have been compiled in Mishkat al-Masabih—particularly in the section Salat al-Eidayn, (The Prayer of the Two Eids: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) and in other parts as well.

The first thing to note is that the Eid festival is connected to the lunar calendar, based on the sighting of the moon. In this way, the appearance of the new moon becomes a heavenly announcement of the festival. But this joy is directed toward higher human values. So, in a Hadith it is narrated that when the Prophet saw the new moon, he said this prayer:

Allahumma ahillahu alayna bil amni wal imaan was salaamati wal islaam Rabbi wa rabbuka Allah  (Musnad Al-Darmi, Hadith No. 1730)

That is: O God, let this moon come to us with peace and faith, safety and submission to You. My Lord and your Lord is God.

This prayer shows the kind of thoughts and feelings a person should have when seeing the Eid moon. It should create a desire in us that the coming days be filled with peace for all of humanity. That all people receive the blessings of health and safety. Seeing the moon participating in human joy, a person should feel that the entire universe is one big family of God—from humans to the stars in the sky—all are one, because their Creator is One.

Then, on the morning of Eid, everyone—young and old, men and women—takes a bath and wears clean clothes. They eat their favourite foods and thank God. After that, they walk to an open field or mosque and offer two rakats of prayer in gratitude. This is a public declaration that the joy they are celebrating belongs to the One who deserves to be thanked—God. After the prayer, the Imam delivers a khutbah, offering advice and reminding the people that happiness is the right of all, but it must be enjoyed within the limits of responsibility.

After this, people greet one another, give gifts, and exchange words of peace and congratulations. They celebrate joy—but in a way that their happiness does not cause discomfort to anyone. They celebrate, but without making noise. They celebrate, but cleanly, without littering the streets. Their joy does not create problems for their neighbours. They celebrate—but with full awareness of the purpose behind the celebration.

One of the main acts emphasized during Islamic festivals is giving charity—either in the form of food or its monetary equivalent that Muslims give before the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer. This practice helps share personal joy with others in society. The goal is for everyone to have the means to celebrate. No one should be excluded from happiness.

According to one narration, Abu Bakr visited the Prophet’s house on the day of Eid. At that time, two young girls were sitting with Aisha, playing the duff and singing traditional Arabic songs. Abu Bakr rebuked them, saying, “Are you engaging in such frivolous activities in the house of the Messenger of God?” The Prophet was lying down, covered with a cloth. He uncovered his face and said, “O Abu Bakr, allow them. Every nation has its own Eid, and today is our Eid.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 952; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 892)

Islam teaches that joy should remain within the limits of good manners and humanity. But joy, by nature, does not always stay confined to rules. In the excitement, sometimes people may go a little beyond. That’s why, along with setting boundaries, Islam also understands and respects human emotions. This means that if someone, in a moment of joy, expresses simple and harmless fun, the elders of the community should overlook it. They should not suppress innocent happiness.

A wise saying reminds us: Eid is not for those who wear something new; it is for those whose mindfulness of God increases. (Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, p. 611)

This saying captures the true spirit of an Islamic festival: a celebration where joy is combined with gratitude to God; where enjoyment is tempered by moderation; where informality remains respectful; where food and drinks are savoured without excess; where human emotions are valued but guided by God’s commands; and where entertainment is balanced with a meaningful and purposeful intention.

This is Eid—and this is the Islamization of festivals.

All India Radio, New Delhi, 21 February 1996.