Millions of Muslims across the World Mark Eid al-Ghadir

Local Editor

Millions of Shia Muslims across the world are celebrating the Eid al-Ghadir, which marks the appointment of the first Shia Imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib [PBUH], by Islam's most revered figure, Prophet Muhammad [PBUH], as his successor.

In Iran, people from various walks of life are celebrating the auspicious occasion, which annually falls on the 18th of Dhul-Hijja on the Islamic lunar calendar, with various ceremonies and rituals in different cities.

People are coming to streets and extending greetings and felicitations to each other, especially to the families who are descendants of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] through his grandsons, Hassan ibn Ali [PBUH] and Hussein ibn Ali [PBUH], the sons of the Prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra [PBUH] and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib [PBUH].

Many young Iranian couples choose the auspicious event as their wedding date in the hope that their marriage is blessed with the memory of Imam Ali [PBUH].

Yemenis like many other Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Ghadir.

The occasion was celebrated across different places of the capital where security measures had been tightened to prevent any terrorist act.

To the Yemenis, by celebrating this day, they are showing their commitment to true Islam.

While in Iraq, more than 100 Iraqi parliamentarians had signed a motion for making Eid al-Ghadir a public holiday, according to Sawt al-Iraq website.

Muhammad al-Lakash, one of the MPs who signed the motion, underlined that the occasion has great importance to the majority of Iraqi people.

He noted that Eid al-Ghadir is a public holiday in some provinces of Iraq but a working day in others, which creates confusion and, thus, the issues needs to be addressed.

Eid al-Ghadeer is also referred to as Eid al-Akbar [the Greatest Eid] in Islamic narrations, since Muslims are of the opinion that the mission of all the previous messengers of Allah became accomplished on this day.

On March 10, 632 CE, in the tenth year of Hijra, Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] received a revelation from God, ordering him to halt his last Hajj pilgrimage known as the Hajjat-ul-Wida [the Farewell Pilgrimage] at a pond called Khum, near Mecca, and to designate Imam Ali [PBUH] as his successor in guiding and ruling Muslims. The event took place a few months before the demise of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH].

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team