Muslim Holy Days (Islamic Special Holidays)
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There are certain special days which Muslims world-wide celebrate or consider holy. Other days are specific to Sunni or Shi’ah Muslims depending on beliefs and location.
Here is a detailed list of the holy days for Muslims:
Muharram (Islamic New Year) (10 Jan, 2008)
Ashura (celebrating Moses exodus day and for Shi’ah Muslims, commemorates the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn Ali) 20 Jan, 2008)
Mawlid al-Nabi (Muhammad’s Birthday) (20 March, 2008 or 25 March for Shi’ah Muslims)
Ramadan begins (the holy month of fasting) (01 September 2008)
Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan ends) (02 October 2008)
Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca (06-09 December, 2008)
Arafat Day (9th day of month Dhu’l-Hijjah or Hajj, unity day at Arafat mountain) (07 Dec. 2008)
Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) (08 Dec. 2008)
Other Special Days
Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) (usually the 27th day of the month Ramadan)
Laylat ul Isra and Miraj - the Night of the Journey and Ascension". It is on 27 of Rajab. It is the night when Muhammad was, according to Hadiths, taken to "the furthest mosque" (generally understood to be Jerusalem) on a Buraq (a beast resembling horse with wings; some people consider it a cherub) and ascended to the highest level of the heavens. It is said that he negotiated with God about the number of prayers, which started at fifty a day, but on his way down he met Moses who asked him to ask for a reduction in the number because the requirement was difficult for Muhammad’s people. Muhammad returned to God and several times asked for and was granted a reduction of five prayers, until the number was reduced to five in total, with the blessing that if they were properly performed, the performers would be credited with fifty prayers instead of five.
Laylat ul Bara’ah - Laylat ul Bara’ah is Arabic for "the Night of Freedom from Fire." It occurs on the night between the 14th and 15th of Sha’ban. It is considered a night when Muslims are graced with Divine Mercy and blessings. The night is spent in the recitation of the Qur’an and special prayers.
Jumu’ah-tul-Wida (last Friday in the month of Ramadan) - Muslims regard this jumu’ah as the second holiest day of the month of Ramadan and one of the most important days of the year. Some Muslims spend a large part of their day on Jumu’ah-tul-Wida doing special worship called ibadah.
Shab-e-Br’aat (15th of Shabaan) - Shias believe that Muhammad al-Mahdi was born. Shias believe him to be the twelfth, final and current Shia Imam and also the Mahdi, a very important Islamic figure who is believed by all Muslims to bring absolute justice to the world by establishing Islam as the global religion.
* Some Sunni groups believe that Mid-Sha’ban is a night of worship and salvation and it is commonly believed that during this night, Allah prepares the destiny for all people on Earth for the coming year. For this reason it is sometimes called Night of Emancipation.
Eid al-Ghadeer (for Shi’a Muslims) - celebrated as the day Muhammad annouced Ali as his follower (see our article on the four Caliphs .)
The Islamic / Muslim / Hijri Calendar
Names of the Islamic months
The Islamic Calendar months are named as follows:
1. Muharram محرّم (long form: Muḥarram ul Ḥaram)
2. Safar صفر (long form: Ṣafar ul Muzaffar)
3. Rabi’ al-awwal (Rabī’ I) ربيع الأول
4. Rabi’ al-thani (or Rabī’ al Thānī, or Rabī’ al-Akhir) (Rabī’ II) ربيع الآخر أو ربيع الثاني
5. Jumada al-awwal (Jumādā I) جمادى الأول
6. Jumada al-thani (or Jumādā al-akhir) (Jumādā II) جمادى الآخر أو جمادى الثاني
7. Rajab رجب (long form: Rajab al Murajab)
8. Sha’aban شعبان (long form: Sha’abān ul Moazam)
9. Ramadan رمضان (or Ramzān, long form: Ramaḍān ul Mubarak)
10. Shawwal شوّال (long form: Shawwal ul Mukarram)
11. Dhu al-Qi’dah ذو القعدة
12. Dhu al-Hijjah or Hajj ذو الحجة
Names of the days of the week
See our article on the Islamic Week and roots here .
1. yaum al-ahad يوم الأحد (first day - Sunday)
2. yaum al-ithnayn يوم الإثنين (second day - Monday)
3. yaum ath-thulaathaa’ يوم الثُّلَاثاء (third day - Tuesday)
4. yaum al-arbia`aa’ يوم الأَرْبِعاء (fourth day - Wednesday)
5. yaum al-khamis يوم الخَمِيس (fifth day - Thursday)
6. yaum al-jumu`a يوم الجُمُعَة (gathering day - Friday)
7. yaum as-sabt يوم السَّبْت (sabbath day - Saturday)
Note: The Islamic dates are based on the Lunar Calendar. A lunar calendar is a calendar oriented at the moon phase.
Since there are about twelve lunations (synodic months) in a solar year, this period (354.37 days) is sometimes referred to as lunar year, corresponding to thirteen sidereal months (355.18 days).
For some lunar calendars, such as the Chinese calendar, the first day of the month is determined by the day during which the moment of new moon arrives, according to a particular time zone. Many other lunar calendars are based on first sighting of the lunar crescent. Thus, different lunar calendars differ in which day is considered the first day of the month. The average length of the synodic month is 29.530589 days. This means the length of a month is alternately 29 and 30 days (termed respectively hollow and full).
Because observations are subject to uncertainty and weather conditions, and astronomical methods are highly complex and differ from place to place.
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Filed under: Basics of Islam by TDI
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June 9th, 2007 at 11:42
[Trackback] The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle. The month of Ramadan is the ninth month and begins with a combination of the sighting of the new moon and astronomical calculations. The exact time of Ramadan sometimes varies from place to place as some rely heavily on the moon sightings while others depend on science. An Imam (Muslim holy man) will declare the exact time of Ramadan just prior to its commencement. The fasting period ends upon the sighting of the next new moon, which occurs after 29 or 30 days. (See our Islamic Calendar article for details.) [...]
June 9th, 2007 at 11:46
[Trackback] Muslim Holy Days (Islamic Special Holidays) The Night of Power [...]
September 12th, 2007 at 3:11
Ramadan 1428 / 2007
To our Muslim brothers and sisters everywhere:
All praise and thanks be to the one God whom we all worship, who has called you to worship Him after the manner of al-Islam, and us to worship Him according to the gospel of Jesus, whom both faith traditions hail as the Messiah: it is our deep wish that God strengthen you in your devotion to God, your love of God, and your trust in God during this month of Ramadan, and that everything that you do for His sake may be pleasing to Him.
We have joined you in keeping the fast of Ramadan this year, as a freewill offering to God accompanying our prayer for peace, justice, and a spirit of love to grow among the peoples of the Abrahamic religions. It is our desire that all over the world, if God so wills, Muslim, Jew and Christian can learn to stand together in brotherhood in the sight of their Creator, and encourage one another in faithfulness and good deeds. But we are mourning many of the deeds of our government and our people, as they continue to involve themselves in the affairs of Islamic peoples, and the lives of Muslim detainees held at United States facilities, without sufficiently caring or understanding what they are doing to the people whose lives they affect. To our sorrow, we see many American Christians trusting, supporting, and following policy-makers whose guiding principle seems to be “let us do evil, that good may come of it,” as if they did not know that our own scripture explicitly condemns it (Romans 3:8). In repenting our own complicity in this, we hope to lead our brother and sister Christians into repentance.
Our power to make the world’s leaders humble themselves, question their own behavior, and let their hearts be turned, seems very small. And yet we draw hope from our certainty that we are listened to by the true Ruler of this world, the Turner of Hearts, who sees everything and holds all power. This month we curb our natural appetites during daylight hours to be more mindful of the One to whom we must return, the Highest, our Helper. We perceive, sadly, that many American Christians lack understanding of what it means to be a Muslim. How better to change that than for some of us to join the Muslim world in its Ramadan fast? We also hope that such self-restraint as we gain from the fast might help restore a spirit of self-restraint to the worldly culture of the industrialized nations, in however small a way, for on our learning self-restraint now seems to depend the saving of the world from ruin.
Advised by Jesus himself to fast privately and without open display (Matthew 6:16-18), we make ourselves available for responses to this communication but without identifying ourselves individually by name. May God comfort you, sustain you in hope, and bestow on you every blessing.
Ramadan Fasters of Christ
christsfasters
September 13th, 2007 at 11:13
For once i see a Christian who has a true heart.
ur absolutely right christsfasters.
Allahu Akbar.
God is the Greatest.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:14
Amen
nice article, may God bless you for putting everything so well
September 24th, 2007 at 6:06
My son is fasting for Ramadan. Your prayers would be appreciated. My son was dedicated to the Lord as an infant, and he organised his own baptism when he was 10. He rededicated his life to Christ when he was about 14. He converted to Islam recently at 16 (he met a Muslim girl and is probably trying to annoy me at the same time!). Thank you for praying for him.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:14
Just the love of you to this yung girl could make a diference, and see the great oportunity to let her know that the love of God is beyond all humans thoughs, the Lord has a porpuse in this, my prayer is that you can see that Crist die for her too, and believe in your heart that your soon belong to God and He will make him turn back. May the Lord give you wisdom in this .
October 8th, 2007 at 9:16
[Trackback] Elvi: Just the love of you to this yung girl could make a diference, and see the great oportunity to let [...]