Since when did the celebration of ʿId al-Ghadir begin? And is there Qurʾanic evidence that it is one of the festivals?

In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

And blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the messengers, His Prophet Muhammad, and his good and pure Household.

There is no doubt that what is meant by the Day of al-Ghadir is a reference to that day on which the Greatest Messenger (s), after completing the Farewell Pilgrimage, proclaimed the wilāyah of the Commander of the Faithful (a) among the throngs of pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allah who were returning to their homelands; that was on the eighteenth of Dhu al-Hijja.

What is meant by its being a festival is that the anniversary of this event every year, on the eighteenth of Dhu al-Hijja, is a festival day.

To answer the questions, we mention these important points, through which the picture will become clear, Allah willing:

1 – The question about Qurʾanic evidence, which some repeat about every matter, small and great, is the result of heedlessness, after repeated explanation by the scholars—and as is clear—that the Noble Qurʾan was sent down from Allah together with one who explains it, namely the Prophet (s) and his Household (a); it contains the foundations of everything, without doubt. In addition there is the evidence of the Sunna and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), which are the equal counterpart of the Noble Qurʾan. So after this has been explained, the repeated questioning that restricts evidence to the Noble Qurʾan is heedlessness on the part of the questioner, or a justification for the claims.

This is in addition to the fact that agreement with the Noble Qurʾan takes place in multiple ways, among them direct mention, and among them the mention of the general rules or norms according to which the branches of ideas and rulings run.

2 – The basis of the Day of al-Ghadir is bringing the day of the wilayah of the Commander of the Faithful (a) to mind in the memory of the faithful throughout the ages, for the benefit hoped from this recollection. We find this insight in the words of Allah the Exalted: (“and remind them of Allah’s [holy] days. There are indeed signs in that for every patient and grateful [servant].” (Qurʾan 14:5)). Al-Ghadir is one of the witnessed divine days, before which the verse (“O Apostle! Communicate that which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, you will not have communicated His message” (Qurʾan 5:67)) was revealed; and after the Prophet (s) had communicated what had been sent down to him concerning the wilayah of ʿAli (a), the verse (“Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion” (Qurʾan 5:3)) was revealed. Hence this day—surrounded by great verses that engraved its importance in human faith, and without which faith is deficient and of no benefit—had to be a locus of constant remembrance and firm presence to reinforce this concept.

From Abu Jaʿfar (a), who said: Islam is built upon five: prayer, zakah, fasting, hajj and wilayah; and nothing was proclaimed as the wilayah was proclaimed on the Day of al-Ghadir. Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 21

As for the joy and happiness the believers display, and their considering it a festival: the believer determines his joy and happiness by what is accomplished of the truth on the ground. Whenever one of the sunan of Allah the Exalted is revived and an innovation is made to die, that is a cause for the believer’s joy. The realization of the truth and its accomplishment in reality is a divine victory, because victory consists in the manifestation and realization of the truth, and it has degrees and stations. The Book of Allah the Exalted said about the victory of the Romans: (“and on that day the faithful will rejoice at Allah’s help” (Qurʾan 30:4–5)), because in that there is the prevailing of a measure of faith in Allah over atheism and disbelief. As for al-Ghadir—the day of the wilayah by which religion was perfected and by which the blessing of the Lord, Majestic is His Majesty, was completed—it is the greatest victory for Allah the Exalted realized on the ground, and it is worthier than any other for joy, happiness, thanks and gratitude to be displayed at the renewal of its remembrance.

Because it is the day of the triumph of the Greatest Prophet (s) through the proclamation of the wilayah—which is the proof against the people of the world—and the believers rejoice in it, this day, in contrast, is a day of misery, sorrow and pain for Satan and for Satan’s helpers and followers; anyone in whom there is a breath of Satan, you see him almost bursting with rage at the mere mention of the Day of al-Ghadir. That is why it has been narrated from Imam Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad, from his father: (Iblis, the enemy of Allah, wailed four wails: the day he was cursed, the day he was sent down to the earth, the day the Prophet (s) was sent, and the Day of al-Ghadir). Qurb al-Isnad/9. That is also why it has been narrated that the overturning of this day was a day of happiness for Satan, as in the text of the narrations.

Thus the authenticity of joy, happiness and celebration on the Day of al-Ghadir stems from the insights of the Noble Qurʾan, without doubt.

3 – Among the erroneous results that some studies follow is dealing with historical research with a faulty method. Some take as a pretext that the manifest celebration of ʿId al-Ghadir was not a prevailing practice in the era of the Infallible Imams (a), and consequently the illusory conclusion one arrives at is that al-Ghadir is something new and incidental, introduced by some Shiʿi states to strengthen their authority. This is a method full of fallacies and gaps.

The Ahl al-Bayt (a) set out many rulings and spread the teachings of religion throughout their lives, but implementation and public manifestation may not have been possible for them; or it may have existed but not been manifest; or it may have been manifest but not have reached us—and so the possibilities follow one another, because of the difficult circumstances that surrounded the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (a). The most prominent example of this is the ziyārah (visitation) of Imam al-Husayn (a), whose necessity, and the necessity of performing it frequently, has been established with certainty because of the great reward it contains. Yet the reality of ziyarah, as an implementation of the narrations that were issued by the Ahl al-Bayt (a), was realized only relatively: there may pass over it times in which all the manifestations of ziyarah, with the accompanying rites it contains, recede, and there may pass times in which the opportunity is available and resolve in society grows strong, so that crowds of pilgrims appear, accompanied by the rites closely attached to it.

Thus the appearance of the celebrations of the Day of al-Ghadir at the hands of some Shiʿi states was not the founding of the practice of celebration; rather, it was a stage of implementation in a reality in which the political and social conditions came together. What some speak of regarding the commemoration of ʿId al-Ghadir in the Fatimid and Safavid states was only that the Day of al-Ghadir became, by official law of the ruling state, a festival day on which they permitted and encouraged the display of the ceremonies of joy and happiness and of all the kinds of commemoration transmitted from the Ahl al-Bayt (a) for this day.

4 – A group of narrations has come from the Household of Infallibility (a) concerning the Day of al-Ghadir: that it is a festival day, a day of joy and happiness, and a day on which the festive state ought to be displayed—among which is reviving the rite of ziyarah of the Commander of the Faithful (a), and among which are charitable giving, feeding people, and the remembrance and praise of Allah the Exalted.

In al-Khisal: From Abu ʿAbd Allah (a), who said: And the Day of al-Ghadir is the best of the festivals, and it is the eighteenth of Dhu al-Hijja. Vol. 2, p. 394.

In Tafsir Furat al-Kufi: From al-Sadiq, in a hadith of his about the Day of al-Ghadir: It is a day of worship, prayer, thanks, praise and happiness for the favor Allah has bestowed upon you of our wilayah, and I would love for you to fast it. p. 661

Indeed, it has been narrated of Imam ʿAli ibn Musa al-Rida (a) that he took care to commemorate ʿId al-Ghadir as a day of joy, happiness, thanks, giving and remembrance, such that he would change his own circumstances and those of the people around him so that they would appear happy and joyful.

Al-Tusi cited in al-Misbah: From al-Fayyad ibn Muhammad ibn ʿUmar al-Tarasusi, at Tus in the year two hundred and fifty-nine, when he had reached ninety, that he witnessed Abu al-Hasan ʿAli ibn Musa al-Rida (a) on the Day of al-Ghadir, with a group of his close associates in his presence whom he had kept for the breaking of the fast. He had sent to their homes food, gifts of kindness, presents and clothing, even rings and sandals; he had changed their circumstances and the circumstances of his entourage; and new furnishings were set out for him other than the furnishings that it had been customary to use before that day of his; and he was mentioning the merit of the day and its antiquity… Vol. 2, p. 752

Imam al-Rida (a) explained to one who denied the merit of the Day of al-Ghadir and the greatness of commemorating it with joy, happiness and veneration that its greatness in heaven is greater than its greatness on earth, so that he would know that the amount of happiness displayed on earth is only a small trifle that does not do justice to this great day.

It has come in al-Gharat: From Ahmad ibn Abi Nasr, who said: We were with al-Rida (a), and the gathering was crowded with its people. They began discussing the Day of al-Ghadir, and some people denied [it]. Al-Rida (a) said: My father narrated to me from his father (a), who said: The Day of al-Ghadir is more famous in heaven than on earth. Indeed, Allah has in the Highest Paradise (al-Firdaws al-Aʿla) a palace, one brick of it of silver and one brick of gold; in it are one hundred thousand domes of red jacinth and one hundred thousand tents of green jacinth; its soil is musk and ambergris; in it are four rivers: a river of wine, a river of water, a river of milk and a river of honey; around it are trees of all fruits, and upon it are birds whose bodies are of pearl and whose wings are of jacinth, singing with all kinds of voices. When it is the Day of al-Ghadir, the inhabitants of the heavens come to that palace glorifying Allah and proclaiming His oneness; those birds fly up, fall into the water and roll in that musk and ambergris; and when the angels have gathered, they fly and shake that off upon them. On that day they exchange as gifts the scattered offerings (nithar) of Fatimah (a). When it is the end of the day, it is called out to them: Return to your ranks, for you have been made secure from error and slip until the like of this day next year, in honor of Muhammad (s) and ʿAli.

Then he said: O Ibn Abi Nasr, wherever you are, be present on the Day of al-Ghadir with the Commander of the Faithful (a), for Allah forgives every believing man and believing woman, and every Muslim man and Muslim woman, the sins of sixty years, and frees from the Fire double what He freed in the month of Ramadan, the Night of Qadr and the night of al-Fitr. A dirham on it is equal to a thousand dirhams, for your brothers who have true recognition. Be generous to your brothers on this day, and gladden every believing man and believing woman on it.

Then he said: O people of Kufa, you have been given much good, and you are among those whose hearts Allah has tested for faith—humiliated, oppressed, tried—so that affliction is poured upon you in torrents, then the Reliever of the great distress removes it. By Allah, if people knew the merit of this day in its reality, the angels would shake hands with them ten times every day. Were it not for prolixity, I would mention concerning the merit of this day what cannot be counted. Al-Gharat, vol. 2, p. 858

5 – Because of the merit of the Day of al-Ghadir and its greatness in heaven and on earth, following the insights of the Qurʾan and the guidance of the Household of Prophethood and their fragrant conduct, the loyal Shiʿa began to seize opportunities to commemorate this day and to display joy and happiness, whether at the grave of the Commander of the Faithful (a) or wherever they were. Some history books have mentioned some of those manifestations, among them what al-Masʿudi, who died in 346 AH, mentioned in his book al-Tanbih wa al-Ishraf: (And on his return—that is, the Prophet (s)—from al-Hudaybiyya, he said concerning the Commander of the Faithful ʿAli ibn Abi Talib (r) at Ghadir Khumm: “Whoever I am his master (mawla), ʿAli is his master,” and that was on the eighteenth day of Dhu al-Hijja.

Ghadir Khumm is near the water known as al-Kharrar in the vicinity of al-Juhfa; and the descendants of ʿAli (r) and his Shiʿa venerate this day). Vol. 2, p. 221.

And praise be to Allah for the perfecting of religion, the completion of the blessing, and the approval of the Lord Almighty.

Sayed Mahmoud Al-Mosawi