Celebrations in the Muslim World

 I am far from an expert in the Islamic faith. I was raised Anglican Catholic and my expertise in my own faith is lacking, let alone a faith I am only beginning to try to understand. I raised my children in the Anglican faith and now that they are adults, each has made their personal choice as to faith.

Surprisingly, to me anyhow, my eldest son converted to Islam about two years ago. This roused my here-to-for dormant interest in the Islamic faith. To further clarify, my interest in Islamic holidays was peaked when I realized that my son was not celebrating Christmas (understandable), New Years, birthdays, and other celebrations he had grown up with. This seemed to be with or without regard to their significance with respect to the Christian faith.

I don't know if you have ever read the Quran. It is relatively brief in comparison to the King James Version of the Bible. The Quran has 114 Surahs (chapters for lack of a better word). Many professing the Islamic faith have memorized it and I am given to understand that committing the Quran to memory is everyone's goal. But I digress! What, if anything, do the Islamic faithful celebrate?

My research revealed 2 great celebrations or festivals in the Islamic faith. They are 'Idul-Fitr and 'Idul-Adha. I will describe for you, to the best of my ability, the meaning and timing of each of these.

The first, 'Idul-Fitr, ("Festival of the Breaking of the Fast") occurs at the end of Ramadan. Ramadan, by way of explanation, is the 9th lunar month in the Arabic calendar, and this month was always known as Ramadan even before the existence of Islam. In the Islamic faith, this month is devoted to fasting from dawn to sunset each day. The fasting includes abstaining from food, water, and sexual relations. Additional elements of devotion are expected as well, such as reading the entire Quran, seeking forgiveness of past sins and performing good deeds, to name a few. The basis for Ramadan as a month of fasting and retrospection is Surah 2, verse 185, for those who might have an interest in further research. The celebration of 'Idul-Fitr has the following components:

• Donations to the poor
• Celebrants wear the best clothes (often new) that they have available
• Early morning communal prayers
• Feasting and visiting relatives and friends

The second, 'Idul-Adha, (Festival of Sacrifice) occurs on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month in the Arabic calendar. This festival acknowledges Abraham's (Ibrihim's) willingness to obey God's (Allah's) command to Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael, his only son. The celebration of 'Idul-Adha has the following components:

• Recite the Takbir ("God is Great") before prayer on the first day and after prayers on each of the succeeding three days of the festival
• Celebrants wear their best clothes
• Sacrifice an animal for food or donate money for the purchase of food and share with the poor so that no one goes hungry

These are the two principal celebrations in the Islamic faith and of course, there is significantly more to learn about them than I can possibly provide in the brief span of this article, but I hope I have succeeded in giving you some insight into these Islamic celebrations.