Welcome to Horace Mann's Webpage on:
Festivals and Entertainment
Introduction: In
Islamic societies there were many festivals and celebrations. Some of
these were religious, while others were
secular (not religious). Many of the traditional festivals and kinds of
entertainment continued after the arrival of Islam. But it was the
religious celebrations and festivals that united the Muslim
people.
Part I: Religious Festivals, Pageants &
Celebrations
A. Ramadan
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the
Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and
the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present,
let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey,
(let him fast the same) number of days." - Sura 2:185 from the
Qur'an
Ramadan commemorates the month in which the
Prophet Muhammad first received the messages that became the Qur'an.
During this month, Muslims are required to
refrain from (to keep from, to
stop) eating,
smoking, drinking, and pleasures of the flesh from first light to
last light. Fasting is not required of Muslims if they are young
children, or nursing or pregnant women. Travelers and people who are
ill should fast the same number of days at a later time.
Observing Ramadan is the Third Pillar of Islam.
Ramadan is a month of the lunar calendar (based on the
moon's rotation around the earth), not
the solar calendar (based on the earth's journey around the sun) we use with 365 days in a year. Ramadan moves forward
every year about ten days. To find the dates for Ramadan for this
year, click here.
B. Celebration of Fast-Breaking -
(Eid al Fitr)
Eid al Fitr is known as the Celebration of Fast-Breaking which signals the end of Ramadan. It is a three day
celebration during which time family and friends gather together for
long meals, the sharing of gifts, and religious devotion.
Eid al-Fitr is an opportunity for the faithful to
celebrate their renewed commitment that they achieved through the
month long fast, and to thank God for having seen them through
it.
C. The Hajj (Pilgrimage to
Mecca)
The greatest pageant of all was the hajj, the
journey of a lifetime to Mecca.
Medieval travelers were committed to go on the
hajj, if at all possible. (This was one of the Five Pillars of
Islam.)
The trip was not an easy one. According to an
historian: "Some pilgrims invariably
(bound to happen; without varying from the
usual pattern) perished (died) along the way... from exposure [to the sun], thirst, flash
flood, epidemic (sickness), or even attack by local
nomads, who seldom hesitated to disrupt the Sacred Journey for what
it might bring them in plunder
(money and goods taken by
robbers). In 1361, 100 Syrian pilgrims died of
extreme winter cold; in 1430, 3000 Egyptians perished of heat and
thirst." [Dunn, p. 67: Adventures of Ibn Battuta]
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The black stone is believed to be part of the original
Kaaba built by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son
Ishmael.
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The Pilgrims performed the rituals within Mecca
dressed in the simple white "ihram" cloth. The fourteen century
traveler Ibn Battuta described his own first hajj in 1326. First they
went to the Kaaba, the holy shrine shaped like a huge cube ... "like
a bride who is displayed upon the bridal-chair of majesty, and walks
with proud steps in the mantles of beauty... We made around it
the seven-fold circuit (circling around it seven times)
of arrival and kissed the holy Stone; we
performed a prayer of two bowings at the Maqam Ibrahim [a shrine
which houses the footprints of Abraham] and clung to the curtains of
the Kaaba ... where prayer is answered; we drank the water of
Zamzam...; then having run between al-Safa and al-Marwa, we took up
our lodging there in a house near the Gate of Ibrahim."
[Travels of Ibn Battuta, Gibb, p. 188.]
On the hajj all believers are equal before God and
material differences should be irrelevant. Therefore, during hajj,
all pilgrims in Mecca are equal, whether they be young or old or from
different backgrounds, because they are all on the same
journey.
Persian miniature, c. 1432 (UCB Arch.
library)
. . 
More than 2 million Muslims travel to Mecca each year.
(ARAMCO World Photo)
D. Celebration of the Hajj or of Sacrifice -
(Eid al Adha)
Eid al Adha is a four day celebration when Muslims
from all over the world offer a sacrifice by slaughtering a sheep,
cow, or goat following the traditional Islamic customs. It is also
called the Festival of Sacrifice. The meat from the sacrifice is
shared by friends, neighbors, relatives, and also distributed to the
poor and needy. Eid al Adha ends in the Pilgrimage called Hajj of the
Muslim faithful in the Holy places of Mecca and Medina.
For those who had made the Pilgrimage, more is
required. When the meal of sacrifice was over, pilgrims shaved their
heads or cut off a lock of hair. After washing and putting on clean
clothes, they returned to Mecca and completed the hajj by circling
the Kaaba. When they finished they knew they had successfully done
the will of God and completed the Fifth Pillar of Islam.
E. The Birthday of the Prophet
Muhammad
In many Muslim countries, the Birthday of the
Prophet Muhammad was and still is celebrated. The celebration
probably started in Egypt in the 13th century, a time when Christian
crusaders were trying to take over the Holy Land which came under the
rule of King Saladin.
Today the birthday is still celebrated in the
month of Shahr al-Mawhid (the Month of Birth) of the Prophet
Muhammad. The precise (exact) date of his birth is disputed
(argued about)
among the historians.
Here is a description of the festivities which
first started in Egypt in the 13th century:
"A tower made of wood for
the Amir (prince, or military governor)
was erected (built) in the courtyard of the palace. People attending the
festival were entertained by groups of musicians and singers of
various kinds. Week after week during the month ... streets of Cairo
were overcrowded by people who celebrated the occasion. On the eve of
[the birthday] after prayer, people under the command of the Amir
paraded on the street of Cairo starting from the Citadel proceeding
to the Palace. In their hands were torches. On the Prophet's Birthday
all citizens assembled in the courtyard of the Palace where a tower
made of wood had been erected. Beside the tower stands a pulpit for
the speakers who would sermon the audience and narrate (tell) the story of the Prophet's
birthday. The Amir was not only able to see the whole audience from
the tower but also watched the troops who parade on one corner of the
courtyard. Guests of honor were received by the Amir on the tower and
were given [robes] of honor. In the evening the Amir and officers of
the state celebrated ... [with religious leaders]."
"From Egypt the tradition of celebrating the
Prophet's birthday was spread to Mecca .... From the Holy City where
Muslim peoples of different nationals assembled during the hajj
season each year, the tradition was spread to [the rest of the Muslim
world]." [From
"The
Prophet Muhammad's Birthday Celebration".]
Today on this day, special prayers are said in
honor of Muhammad, his name is praised in public sermons (speeches), and in larger cities and towns lights and banners
decorate the streets. People eat sweets, meet with friends and
family, play games, and just relax.
F. Shi'a Muslims' Reenactment of
the Death of Hussein - Ashura Drama (Passion Play)
The followers of Hussein were in a civil war
against the Umayyad Dynasty. They believed that only the descendants
of Muhammad could rightfully be leaders of Islam. So they opposed the
rule of Yazid (son of Muawiya of the Umayyad Dynasty). They were in
favor of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of Ali
and Fatimah (the beloved daughter of Muhammad) because he was a
spiritual leader of their community. This led to a war in which
Hussein was killed in October, 680 AD. His head was cut off and
brought back to Yazid as a war trophy. The treatment of Hussein and
the family of the Prophet shocked most Muslims.
The Battle at Kerbala in Iraq and the Death of
Hussein are still reenacted every year by the Shi'a Muslims. In
Pakistan boys and men beat themselves on their backs to commemorate
and share in the suffering of Hussein.
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- Photo courtesy of S. Kiasatpour, U.C.
Riverside, trip of 1995.
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Photo courtesy of Ayse and Jan's
Travelspot: On the Road in Pakistan, 1993
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Above, the annual drama of Ashura
reenacts the death of Hussein (son of Ali and grandson of
the Prophet Muhammad) in 680 AD. It tells of the battle
between the army of Yazid (of the Umayyad dynasty) and
Hussein's forces.
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Part of the Ashura ceremony in Pakistan
involves beating oneself on the back with a whip with nails
or blades. This sacrifice commemorates the suffering and
death of Hussein. The plays and pageants of Ashura reinforce
the Shi'a Muslims' beliefs about their history, give them
fresh insights into their religious experiences, and
strengthen their religious commitments.
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Learn more about Asura.
This is Page One: Religious Festivals &
Celebrations
Go to Page Two: Secular Festivals
Go to Page Three: Rites of Passage: Growing Up
Muslim
Go to Page Four: Folk
Entertainment - (Drama, Puppets,
Singing and Dancing, Storytelling, Poetry and more)