Festivals and Jihad
Islamic Festivals: Celebration and Commemoration
Islamic festivals mark pivotal moments in the history of Islam and the lives of the prophets. They serve both to celebrate Allah’s blessings and to deepen a Muslim’s understanding of their faith. Some festivals are observed by all Muslims; others are particular to Shi’a practice. The calendar is lunar, so festival dates move earlier each year relative to the Western calendar.
Eid-ul-Adha: The Festival of Sacrifice
Eid-ul-Adha is one of the two major festivals celebrated by all Muslims, both Sunni and Shi’a. It falls on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, at the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. The festival commemorates the story of the Prophet Ibrahim, who was commanded by Allah to sacrifice his son Isma’il. Just as Ibrahim was about to obey, Allah intervened and provided a ram to sacrifice in Isma’il’s place — a sign of divine mercy and a reward for absolute obedience.
Muslims worldwide mark Eid-ul-Adha by performing a communal prayer in the mosque or an open space, followed by the sacrifice (qurbani) of an animal — typically a sheep, goat, cow or camel. The meat is divided into three portions: one third for the family, one third for friends and neighbours, and one third given to those in need. This act of sharing reflects the Islamic values of generosity, gratitude and care for the community. For Muslims not on Hajj, it is still a major celebration of Ibrahim’s faith.
Eid-ul-Fitr: Ending the Fast
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the month of Shawwal, immediately after Ramadan. It is a joyful occasion that marks the successful completion of a month of fasting, prayer and reflection. Muslims begin the day with a communal prayer, wear new or best clothes, give gifts — especially to children — and share meals with family and friends. Before the Eid prayer, Muslims are required to pay Zakat al-Fitr, a special form of charitable giving to ensure that even the poorest members of the community can share in the celebration. Eid-ul-Fitr lasts for one day (though in some cultures celebrations continue over several days).
Eid-ul-Adha (end of Hajj) commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice Isma’il; animal sacrifice and sharing of meat are central. Eid-ul-Fitr (end of Ramadan) celebrates the completion of fasting; communal prayer, Zakat al-Fitr and family celebration are key features. Both are observed by Sunni and Shi’a Muslims worldwide.
Eid-ul-Ghadeer and Ashura: Shi’a Festivals
Two further festivals are observed primarily by Shi’a Muslims. Eid-ul-Ghadeer is celebrated on 18 Dhul Hijjah, three days after Eid-ul-Adha. It commemorates the event at the pool of Ghadir Khumm, where Shi’a Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad publicly designated his cousin and son-in-law Ali as his rightful successor and leader of the Muslim community (the Imam). Sunni Muslims do not observe this festival, as they do not share the Shi’a belief about Ali’s designated leadership.
Ashura is observed on the 10th of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar) and is the most solemn Shi’a commemoration. It marks the martyrdom of Hussayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third Shi’a Imam, who was killed along with his family and companions at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Hussayn refused to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad Caliph Yazid, whom Shi’a Muslims regard as illegitimate. His death is seen as an act of principled martyrdom in defence of justice and Islam.
For Shi’a Muslims, Ashura is the most important date of the year — a day of intense mourning, public processions, lamentation poetry (marthiya), communal prayers, and plays re-enacting the events at Karbala (ta’ziyeh). Many Shi’a communities in Iraq, Iran and beyond hold large-scale commemorations. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura has a different significance — it marks the day Moses and the Israelites were saved from Pharaoh, and many Sunni Muslims observe an optional fast on this day, following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad. This contrast — grief and lamentation for Shi’a, a quieter fast for Sunni — illustrates how the same date can carry very different meanings across the Muslim world.
Jihad: Greater and Lesser
The word Jihad means ‘striving’ or ‘struggle’ in the way of Allah. It is widely misunderstood — it does not simply mean ‘holy war’. Islamic tradition divides Jihad into two distinct categories: Greater (al-jihad al-akbar) and Lesser (al-jihad al-asghar).
The Greater Jihad is the inner, personal struggle against one’s own ego, desires, selfishness, anger and moral failings — striving to live according to “the straight path” (as-sirat al-mustaqim). This is considered the more difficult and more important form of Jihad. A widely-cited saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad after a military campaign describes him as saying they had returned from the lesser struggle to the greater struggle — the struggle against the self. Though its chain of transmission is disputed by many hadith scholars (classical authorities including Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and al-Albani classify it as weak), the theological concept it expresses has shaped Islamic spiritual understanding across the centuries. The concepts of Ma’ruf (what is right and good) and Munkar (what is wrong and evil) are central to Greater Jihad: striving for the straight path means actively promoting Ma’ruf and resisting Munkar in oneself and society.
Greater Jihad (al-jihad al-akbar) is the spiritual struggle against the lower self (nafs) — the most important form. Lesser Jihad (al-jihad al-asghar) is the outward, defensive struggle. Islamic tradition is explicit that Greater Jihad takes precedence over Lesser Jihad.
Lesser Jihad and Its Conditions
The Lesser Jihad refers to outward struggle, which in classical Islamic jurisprudence is strictly defensive — it may be waged only when the Muslim community is under attack, when innocent people are being oppressed, or when evil cannot be removed by other means. The Qur’an sets boundaries: “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors” (Surah 2:190, al-Baqarah). The Qur’an also commands that if an enemy seeks peace, Muslims must accept it: “But if they incline to peace, then incline to it also and put your trust in Allah” (Surah 8:61, al-Anfal).
The mainstream Islamic scholarly tradition (including bodies such as Al-Azhar University) holds that armed Jihad is only ever defensive and subject to strict conditions: it must be declared by legitimate authority, it must be the last resort, civilians and non-combatants must be protected, and it must cease when the enemy seeks peace. A minority of extremist groups have argued that offensive Jihad is justified to spread Islam — a view that is rejected by the vast majority of Muslim scholars and communities worldwide as a distortion of Islamic teaching. A strong answer presents both the mainstream position and divergent views, without endorsing any form of political violence.