{{Short description|Holidays in Islam}}
{{Short description|Holidays in Islam}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
[[File:Sholakia_Eidgah_Maidan_08.jpg|thumb|right|Eid celebration in [[Sholakia]], [[Bangladesh]]. The largest [[Eid prayers|Eid congregation]].]]
[[File:Sholakia_Eidgah_Maidan_08.jpg|thumb|right|Eid celebration in [[Sholakia]], [[Bangladesh]]. The largest [[Eid prayers|Eid congregation]].]]
{{Islam |religion}}
{{Islam |religion}}
[[File:Fanous Ramadan.jpg|thumb|The [[Fanoos]], a lantern used in homes, mosques and streets during Ramadan]]
[[File:Fanous Ramadan.jpg|thumb|The [[Fanoos]], a lantern used in homes, mosques and streets during Ramadan]]
{{Main|Ramadan}}
{{Main|Ramadan}}
Muslims celebrate when they believe the [[Quran]] was first revealed to Muhammed by fasting from dawn to sunset during [[Ramadan (calendar month)|Ramadan]], the ninth month of the [[Islamic calendar]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=No god but God : the origins and evolution of Islam|last=Reza|first=Aslan|date=2011|publisher=Delacorte Press|isbn=9780385739757|edition=1st|location=New York|pages=118–119|oclc=614990718}}</ref> Fasting is considered a purifying experience so that Muslims can gain compassion and deepen their faith in [[God in Islam|God]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ramadan0000aloi|title=Ramadan|last=Molly.|first=Aloian|date=2009|publisher=Crabtree|isbn=978-0778742852|location=New York|oclc=227911610|url-access=registration}}</ref> Those with certain health conditions such as diabetes, and children are exempt from fasting. Travelers, and women who are menstruating or nursing a baby, are exempt from fasting but are required to fast later.{{cn|date=October 2023}}
Muslims celebrate when they believe the [[Quran]] was first revealed to Muhammed by fasting from dawn to sunset during [[Ramadan (calendar month)|Ramadan]], the ninth month of the [[Islamic calendar]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=No god but God : the origins and evolution of Islam|last=Reza|first=Aslan|date=2011|publisher=Delacorte Press|isbn=9780385739757|edition=1st|location=New York|pages=118–119|oclc=614990718}}</ref> Fasting is considered a purifying experience so that Muslims can gain compassion and deepen their faith in [[God in Islam|God]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ramadan0000aloi|title=Ramadan|last=Molly.|first=Aloian|date=2009|publisher=Crabtree|isbn=978-0778742852|location=New York|oclc=227911610|url-access=registration}}</ref> Those with certain health conditions such as diabetes, and children are exempt from fasting. Travelers, and women who are menstruating or nursing a baby, are exempt from fasting but are required to fast later.{{|date= }}
===Pilgrimage===
===Pilgrimage===
==Dates of holidays and other days of note==
==Dates of holidays and other days of note==
The Islamic calendar is based on the [[orbital period|synodic period]] of the [[Lunar phase|Moon’s revolution]] around the Earth, approximately 29{{1/2}} days. The Islamic calendar alternates months of 29 and 30 days (which begin with the new moon). Twelve of these months make up an Islamic year, which is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Some Gregorian dates may vary slightly from those given, and may also vary by country. See [[Islamic calendar#Astronomical considerations|Islamic calendar]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Islamic Calendar|url=http://islamicfinder.org/islamic-calendar/|website=IslamicFinder|access-date=12 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Special Islamic Days|url=http://islamicfinder.org/special-islamic-days/|website=IslamicFinder|access-date=12 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Important Islamic Dates in 2026|url=https://duatravels.co.uk/important-islamic-dates-in-2026/|website=Dua Travels|access-date=16 July 2025}}</ref>
The Islamic calendar is based on the [[orbital period|synodic period]] of the [[Lunar phase|Moon’s revolution]] around the Earth, approximately 29{{1/2}} days. The Islamic calendar alternates months of 29 and 30 days (which begin with the new moon). Twelve of these months make up an Islamic year, which is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Some Gregorian dates may vary slightly from those given, and may also vary by country. See [[Islamic calendar#Astronomical considerations|Islamic calendar]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Islamic Calendar|url=http://islamicfinder.org/islamic-calendar/|website=IslamicFinder|access-date=12 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Special Islamic Days|url=http://islamicfinder.org/special-islamic-days/|website=IslamicFinder|access-date=12 September 2020}}</ref>
{| class=”wikitable” style=”text-align:center”
{| class=”wikitable” style=”text-align:center”
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Islamic New Year]] || align=”left” | 1 Muḥarram
| align=”left” | [[Islamic New Year]] || align=”left” | 1 Muḥarram
|26th June 2025
| June 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Tasu’a]]{{efn|name=Shia|Primarily observed by Shias.}} || align=”left” | 9 Muharram
| align=”left” | [[Tasu’a]]{{efn|name=Shia|Primarily observed by Shias.}} || align=”left” | 9 Muharram
|4th July 2025
| July 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Ashura]] || align=”left” | 10 Muḥarram
| align=”left” | [[Ashura]] || align=”left” | 10 Muḥarram
|5th July 2025
| July 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Arbaʽeen]]{{efn|name=Shia|Primarily observed by Shias.}} || align=”left” | 20 or 21 Ṣafar{{efn|Observed 40 days after Ashura.}}
| align=”left” | [[Arbaʽeen]]{{efn|name=Shia|Primarily observed by Shias.}} || align=”left” | 20 or 21 Ṣafar{{efn|Observed 40 days after Ashura.}}
|14th or 15th August 2025
| or August 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Akhiri Chahar Shambah]]{{efn|Primarily observed by Muslims in Iran and Indian subcontinent.}} || align=”left” | Last Wednesday of Ṣafar
| align=”left” | [[Akhiri Chahar Shambah]]{{efn|Primarily observed by Muslims in Iran and Indian subcontinent.}} || align=”left” | Last Wednesday of Ṣafar
|20th August 2025
| August 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Eid-e-Shuja’]] (Eid-e-Zahra){{efn|name=Twelver|Primarily observed by [[Twelver|Twelver Shias]].}} || align=”left” | 9 Rabī‘ al-Awwal
| align=”left” | [[Eid-e-Shuja’]] (Eid-e-Zahra){{efn|name=Twelver|Primarily observed by [[Twelver|Twelver Shias]].}} || align=”left” | 9 Rabī‘ al-Awwal
|1st September 2025
| September 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Mawlid|Mawlid an-Nabī]]<br />(Birthday of [[Muhammad]]){{efn|Not observed by Wahhabis, Deobandis and Ahl-i-Hadith}}|| align=”left” | 12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal
| align=”left” | [[Mawlid|Mawlid an-Nabī]]<br />(Birthday of [[Muhammad]]){{efn|Not observed by Wahhabis, Deobandis and Ahl-i-Hadith}}|| align=”left” | 12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal
|-
|-
| align=”left” | Baptism of Muhammad{{efn|Mostly observed in the [[Sahel]]}} || align=”left” | 19 Rabī‘ al-Awwal
| align=”left” | Baptism of Muhammad{{efn|Mostly observed in the [[Sahel]]}} || align=”left” | 19 Rabī‘ al-Awwal
|11th September 2025
| September 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | Beginning the Three Holy Months || align=”left” | 1 Rajab
| align=”left” | Beginning the Three Holy Months || align=”left” | 1 Rajab
|21st December 2025
| December 2025
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Laylat al-Raghaib]] || align=”left” | 2 Rajab
| align=”left” | [[Laylat al-Raghaib]] || align=”left” | 2 Rajab
|22nd December 2026
| December 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | Birthday of [[Ali|‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib]]{{efn|name=Shia}} || align=”left” | [[13 Rajab]]
| align=”left” | Birthday of [[Ali|‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib]]{{efn|name=Shia}} || align=”left” | [[13 Rajab]]
|2nd January 2026
| January 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Isra and Mi’raj|Laylat al-Mi’raj]] || align=”left” | 26 Rajab or 27 Rajab{{efn|There is some disagreement about this date; see [[Isra and Mi’raj#Modern Muslim observance|Isra and Mi’raj]].}}
| align=”left” | [[Isra and Mi’raj|Laylat al-Mi’raj]] || align=”left” | 26 Rajab or 27 Rajab{{efn|There is some disagreement about this date; see [[Isra and Mi’raj#Modern Muslim observance|Isra and Mi’raj]].}}
|15th or 16th January 2026
| or January 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Mid-Sha’ban|Laylat al-Bara’at]] || align=”left” | 15 Sha‘bān
| align=”left” | [[Mid-Sha’ban|Laylat al-Bara’at]] || align=”left” | 15 Sha‘bān
|3rd February 2026
| February 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | Birthday of [[Hujjat-Allah imam al-Mahdi|Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdī]]{{efn|name=Twelver|Primarily observed by [[Twelver|Twelver Shias]].}} || align=”left” | 15 Sha‘bān
| align=”left” | Birthday of [[Hujjat-Allah imam al-Mahdi|Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdī]]{{efn|name=Twelver|Primarily observed by [[Twelver|Twelver Shias]].}} || align=”left” | 15 Sha‘bān
|3rd February 2026
| February 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | First day of [[Ramadan|Ramaḍān]] || align=”left” | 1 Ramaḍān
| align=”left” | First day of [[Ramadan|Ramaḍān]] || align=”left” | 1 Ramaḍān
|18th February 2026
| February 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Qadr Night|Laylat al-Qadr]] || align=”left” | 21, 23, 25, 27, or 29 Ramaḍān{{efn|Most often observed on 23 Ramaḍān by Shias and 27 Ramaḍān by Sunnis; see [[Qadr Night#Date|Laylat al-Qadr]].}}
| align=”left” | [[Qadr Night|Laylat al-Qadr]] || align=”left” | 21, 23, 25, 27, or 29 Ramaḍān{{efn|Most often observed on 23 Ramaḍān by Shias and 27 Ramaḍān by Sunnis; see [[Qadr Night#Date|Laylat al-Qadr]].}}
|10th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 18th March 2026
|10th, 12th, , and March 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Jumu’atul-Wida]]|| align=”left” | Last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Eid al-Fitr
| align=”left” | [[Jumu’atul-Wida]]|| align=”left” | Last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Eid al-Fitr
|13th March 2026
| March 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Chaand Raat]]{{efn|Primarily observed in [[South Asia]].}} || align=”left” | 29 or 30 Ramaḍān{{efn|Observed on the last evening of Ramaḍān; see [[Chaand Raat#Background|Chaand Raat]].}}
| align=”left” | [[Chaand Raat]]{{efn|Primarily observed in [[South Asia]].}} || align=”left” | 29 or 30 Ramaḍān{{efn|Observed on the last evening of Ramaḍān; see [[Chaand Raat#Background|Chaand Raat]].}}
|18th or 19th March 2026
| or March 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Eid al-Fitr]] || align=”left” | 1 Shawwāl
| align=”left” | [[Eid al-Fitr]] || align=”left” | 1 Shawwāl
|20th March 2026
| March 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Hajj]] || align=”left” | 8–13 Dhū al-Ḥijja
| align=”left” | [[Hajj]] || align=”left” | 8–13 Dhū al-Ḥijja
|25th – 30th May 2026
| – May 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Day of Arafah]] || align=”left” | 9 Dhū al-Ḥijja
| align=”left” | [[Day of Arafah]] || align=”left” | 9 Dhū al-Ḥijja
|26th May 2026
| May 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Eid al-Adha]] || align=”left” | 10 Dhū al-Ḥijja
| align=”left” | [[Eid al-Adha]] || align=”left” | 10 Dhū al-Ḥijja
|27th May 2026
| May 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Event of Ghadir Khumm|Eid al-Ghadeer]]{{efn|name=Shia}} || align=”left” | 18 Dhū al-Ḥijja
| align=”left” | [[Eid al-]]{{efn|name=Shia}} || align=”left” | 18 Dhū al-Ḥijja
|4th June 2026
| June 2026
|-
|-
| align=”left” | [[Event of Mubahala|Eid al-Mubahalah]]{{efn|name=Shia}} || align=”left” | 24 Dhū al-Ḥijja
| align=”left” | [[Event of Mubahala|Eid al-Mubahalah]]{{efn|name=Shia}} || align=”left” | 24 Dhū al-Ḥijja
|10th June 2026
| June 2026
|}
|}
===Notes to table===
==Notes==
{{Notelist|45em}}
{{Notelist}}
==References==
==References==
Holidays in Islam
There are two main holidays in Islam that are celebrated by Muslims worldwide: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The timing of both holidays are set by the lunar Islamic calendar, which is based upon the cycle of the moon, and so is different from the more common, European, solar-based Gregorian calendar. Every year, the Gregorian dates of the Islamic holidays change.
Both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow a period of 10 holy days or nights: the last 10 nights of Ramadan for Eid al-Fitr, and the first 10 days of Dhu al-Hijjah for Eid al-Adha. The Night of Power (Arabic: لیلة القدر, romanized: Laylat al-Qadr), one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, is the holiest night of the year.[citation needed] Conversely, the Day of Arafah, the day before Eid al-Adha, is the holiest day of the Islamic year.[citation needed]
There are a number of other days of note as well as festivals, some common to all Muslims, others specific to Shia Islam or branches thereof.
Additionally, Friday is considered the holiest day of the week, and, in Islamic tradition, is considered a celebration in itself. Friday prayers (Juma) are congregational prayers held in mosques, and Muslims are encouraged to wear clean and refined clothes, perfume, and bathe. It is customary to eat special meals with family on this day.
Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims may perform acts of zakat (charity) on the occasion, which begins after the new moon is sighted for the beginning of the month of Shawwal. Celebration begins with prayers on the morning of 1 Shawwal, followed by breakfast, and often celebratory meals throughout the day.
Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, when the Hajj pilgrimage takes place which lasts for four days. Muslims may perform an act of zakat and friendship by slaughtering a sheep or cow and distributing the meat to family, friends, and the poor. Muslims are also encouraged to be especially friendly and reach out to one another during this period.[1]
Religious practices
[edit]
Muslims celebrate when they believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammed by fasting from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.[2] Fasting is considered a purifying experience so that Muslims can gain compassion and deepen their faith in God.[3] Those with certain health conditions such as diabetes, and children are exempt from fasting.[4] Travelers, and women who are menstruating or nursing a baby, are exempt from fasting but are required to fast later.[5]
Dates of holidays and other days of note
[edit]
The Islamic calendar is based on the synodic period of the Moon’s revolution around the Earth, approximately 291⁄2 days. The Islamic calendar alternates months of 29 and 30 days (which begin with the new moon). Twelve of these months make up an Islamic year, which is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Some Gregorian dates may vary slightly from those given, and may also vary by country. See Islamic calendar.[6][7]
- ^ a b c d e Primarily observed by Shias.
- ^ Observed 40 days after Ashura.
- ^ Primarily observed by Muslims in Iran and Indian subcontinent.
- ^ a b Primarily observed by Twelver Shias.
- ^ Not observed by Wahhabis, Deobandis and Ahl-i-Hadith
- ^ Mostly observed in the Sahel
- ^ There is some disagreement about this date; see Isra and Mi’raj.
- ^ Most often observed on 23 Ramaḍān by Shias and 27 Ramaḍān by Sunnis; see Laylat al-Qadr.
- ^ Primarily observed in South Asia.
- ^ Observed on the last evening of Ramaḍān; see Chaand Raat.
- Leaman, Oliver, “Festivals of Love”, in Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God (2 vols.), Edited by C. Fitzpatrick and A. Walker, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2014, Vol I, pp. 197–199.
