Encyclopedia of Islam

feasting

---

The 

mawlid

 of the prophet m

Uhammad

, which 

commemorates the days of his birth and death, 

is observed in many Muslim countries with the 

enjoyment of nuts and sweets (especially in the 

Middle East) or cooked stews and milk and rice 

dishes (in i

ndia

). The anniversaries of the birth 

or death of other Muslim 

saint

s provide occa-

sions for feasting in many Muslim communi-

ties, especially for pilgrims who visit the saints’ 

shrines, where they often share food with each 

other, even if they are total strangers. At shrines 

in South Asia, such as that of Muin al-Din Chishti 

(d. 1236) in a

Jmer

, specially blessed food is 

cooked and distributed to pilgrims and the poor 

from community kitchens (langar khanas) affili-

ated with the shrines.

The Shia hold feasts in honor of the birth-

days of their i

mams

 and women descended from 

Muhammad, such as F

atima

 and her daughter 

z

aynab

 

bint

  a

li

 

ibn

  a

bi

  t

alib

. For many of the 

Shia, the most important feast day is that of g

ha

-

dir

  k

hUmm

 (observed shortly after Id al-Adha), 

which celebrates Muhammad’s designation of Ali 

as his successor in 630. Even with the a

shUra

rites of the month of m

Uharram

, a time of sad-

ness and fasting for the devoted, subdued feast-

ing occurs in Iraqi and Iranian homes, where 

people gather to hold readings of lamentations 

in honor of the martyrdom of h

Usayn

 

ibn

  a

li

and his followers at k

arbala

 in 680. For many 

South Asian Muslims, Shab-i Barat (the night of 

commission), which occurs in the middle of the 

month of Shaban, before Ramadan, is another 

important time of feasting. At that time, people 

share dishes consisting of stews, curries, and 

sweets with friends and relatives in remembrance 

of the dead.

Most Muslim feasts are set according to the 

Islamic lunar 

calendar

, which means that they 

do not coincide with the seasons of the solar year 

(spring, summer, fall, winter). For example, if Id 

al-Adha falls on June 25 one year, the next year 

it will come 11 days earlier, on June 14, and so 

on from one solar year to the next. Some Mus-

lim  mawlid celebrations, however, are observed 

according to the solar calendar. For example, 

that of a

hmad

 

al

-b

adaWi

 of Tanta, e

gypt

, occurs 

annually at the time of the fall harvest, when food 

is plentiful. Ancient spring fertility and first fruits 

feasts occur in many Muslim countries, although 

they are not usually recognized as Islamic holidays 

per se. n

avrUz

 is the spring holiday most widely 

observed by Iranians and others living in eastern 

Islamicate lands. In Egypt, the spring holiday is 

called Shamm al-Nasim (smelling the breeze). It 

occurs on the Monday after the Coptic Christian 

Easter and involves picnics in the countryside and 

city parks or family meals at home.

All Muslims engage in feasting at important 

moments in the human life cycle. These occur 

when a child is born, when a boy is circumcised, 

when a couple is engaged and married, and when 

a person dies. Such occasions are usually not 

restricted to the nuclear family but often involve 

many others—extended family, neighbors, and 

friends. Non-Muslims may also participate in these 

celebrations. Other feasts may be held when some-

one recovers from an illness or returns home safely 

from a long journey or pilgrimage to Mecca.

See also 

birth

 

rites

; 

circUmcision

; 

Food

 

and

drink

; 

FUnerary

 

ritUals

; s

hiism

.