03/06/2026
Eid al-Ghadir in the Light of History and Traditions
In order to gain comprehensive knowledge about any subject, it is essential to understand some of its key aspects. For this reason, today I will briefly but clearly present a detailed explanation of Ghadir in simple language, so that especially our youth can benefit from this knowledge and safeguard their beliefs properly.
To understand the event of Ghadir, we will look at the following aspects:
1. What is the literal meaning of Ghadir Khumm?
2. When and where did this event take place?
3. What are the details of this event?
4. How has this event been recorded in written history?
5. How has it been recognized in traditional history?
6. How has this event been celebrated in the form of an Eid?
Literal Meaning of Ghadir Khumm:
In Arabic, Ghadir refers to a pond or water pool, and Khumm is the name of that particular pond—hence the Pond of Khumm. This place is located between Mecca and Medina and is now known as al-Juhfa. Ghadir Khumm is located there.
When Did the Event Occur?
This event occurred on the 18th of Dhul Hijjah, in the 10th year of Hijra (16 March 632 CE), after the Prophet’s final pilgrimage, known as Hajjat al-Wada‘, during his return journey to Medina.
Preliminary Note:
Before delving into the details of this event, it is important to note that it has been written in great detail in Sunni historical sources. According to Sunni views, the Prophet declared the spiritual and religious leadership (wilayah) of Imam Ali at this event, but not his political leadership. Three notable Sunni books that extensively cover this event are:
1. Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal al-Dhuhli (written around 200 AH)
2. Tarikh Madinat Dimashq (Vol. 42, pp. 187–238) by Ibn Asakir (written around 550 AH)
3. al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya (Vol. 5, pp. 150–163) by Ibn Kathir (written before 770 AH)
Details of the Event:
During the Mi‘raj (Ascension), Allah commanded the Prophet to announce the wilayah (leadership) of Imam Ali, which was one of the purposes of the Mi‘raj itself. The Prophet delayed announcing it because some members of the community might reject this declaration. However, on his return from the final pilgrimage, when he reached the location of Ghadir Khumm, Allah revealed the following verse:
> “O Messenger! Convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Surely Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (Qur'an, 5:67)
Two rulings become clear from this verse:
1. Wilayah is a critical part of the Divine religion, without which the religion is incomplete.
2. Whoever rejects this command is considered among the disbelievers.
Now, all those present during the Prophet’s return from the pilgrimage were Muslims, but a Muslim’s faith is rendered void if they deny the Wilayah of Ali.
After this command, the Prophet gathered everyone and declared:
> “Whoever I am a master (Mawla) of, then Ali is a master of him. O Allah! Befriend whoever befriends Ali and be the enemy of whoever is hostile to Ali.”
According to the Prophet’s statement, whoever accepts Ali’s Wilayah is indeed a friend of Allah, and whoever opposes Ali is an enemy of Allah.
Following this proclamation, the Qur’an was concluded with the revelation of this final verse:
> “Today I have perfected for you your religion, and completed My favor upon you, and have approved for you Islam as your religion.” (Qur'an, 5:3)
Allah declared the fulfillment of this command to be the completion of the religion, and executing this command was counted as a Divine blessing upon the Prophet.
Shi‘i Perspective:
According to Shi‘a interpretation, these two Qur’anic verses specifically refer to the event of Ghadir Khumm. This is why in the four earliest Shi‘a commentaries on the Qur’an, the event of Ghadir is presented as the background of these two verses. These early commentaries are:
1. Tafsir Furat
2. Tafsir Qummi
3. Tafsir ‘Ayyashi
4. Tafsir Nu‘mani
All of these were written during the lifetimes of the Imams, and the details of Ghadir Khumm in them are narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as).
Shi‘i Sources:
The first written form of the Ghadir event appears in poetry, found in a qasida by the Prophet’s poet Hassan ibn Thabit. This poetry is found in the book Hashimiyyat (p. 152), authored by Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi, written around 101 AH, during the era of Imam al-Baqir.
The event is also recorded in full detail in Kitab Sulaym ibn Qays (Vol. 2, p. 828). Sulaym ibn Qays was a companion of Imam Hasan and passed away during the time of Imam al-Baqir.
Development of the Concept of “Nass” in Shi‘ism:
After the event of Ghadir, the concept of Nass (Divine designation) became central in Shi‘i doctrine. The fundamental principle is that divine positions are granted through Divine appointment (nass), not through inheritance. Religious offices like Prophethood, Imamate, and Wilayah are divinely appointed; they are not inherited merely by being offspring of previous officeholders.
This concept became vital in Twelver Shi‘ism, especially as a response to early sectarian splits within Shi‘ism:
The followers of Zayd ibn Ali (Zaydi sect) considered Zayd an Imam.
The followers of Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far al-Sadiq (Isma‘ili sect) held him to be the Imam.
During the Minor Occultation, a group emerged that claimed Ja‘far ibn Ali al-Naqi to be an Imam.
In all these cases, the Twelver Shi‘i scholars used the doctrine of Nass to establish that religious leadership is not determined by lineage alone but by explicit divine designation. No matter how many sons an Imam may have, only one is the appointed Imam, not all of them by virtue of birth.
Its proof is the very event of Ghadir itself. When the Messenger of Allah appointed Mawla Ali as the Wali (master), many other close relatives were present at that time. Foremost among them was the Prophet’s uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib. Secondly, his son and the Prophet’s cousin, Abdullah ibn Abbas. Thirdly, Aqeel ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and Ali’s brother. All of them had the same familial relationship to the Prophet as Ali did — they were all cousins. Yet, only Imam Ali was chosen, and none of the others were granted this position.
Here is another argument: those other relatives did not object to Ali’s appointment and accepted his Wilayah (authority). Because in accepting it, they were in fact obeying the Prophet. Had they objected, it would have amounted to rejecting the Prophet himself.
It is precisely on such evidence that the belief of the Twelver Shia is established: that this position (of leadership) is designated for only one chosen individual, and the rest of the relatives are to follow that appointed one. And if they do not, they are in fact stepping outside the belief in Wilayah and Imamah.
The earliest written documentation of this doctrine of nass (explicit appointment) with supporting traditions of the Imams is found in Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni’s work Al-Kafi (compiled during the Minor Occultation). In the first volume of this book, there is a complete chapter dedicated to these narrations, titled Bab al-Tansis (Volume 1, pages 289 to 291), which not only mentions the Wilayah of Imam Ali but also the appointment of all the Imams. Apart from this, Sharif al-Murtada wrote about nass in his work Al-Shafi fi al-Imamah (Vol. 2, pages 258–325), and Muhammad ibn Ali al-Karajaki also discussed it in his Kanz al-Fawa’id (Vol. 2, pages 84–98). Afterwards, Shaykh al-Saduq addressed it in his Al-Amali (pages 2, 3, 109, 111, 514), and then Shaykh al-Tusi clearly elaborated upon the same subject in his writings.
This completes the history and details of the Ghadir event itself. Now, let us turn towards its aspect as an Eid (festival), which falls into the category of traditional history.
If we look at Ghadir solely from the perspective of its content, it is a Hadith of the Prophet. So why did it become an Eid? After all, the Prophet gave many other proclamations. For example, “I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate,” or “Husayn is from me, and I am from Husayn.” Why, then, did these other occasions not become Eid days?
The answer is this: all those other sayings were in praise of or recognition of the status of the Imams. For instance, the first hadith declares Ali’s knowledge to be a manifestation of divine knowledge. The second reveals Imam Husayn’s intimate spiritual bond with the Prophet. Meaning, all those other narrations reflect the virtues of the Imams themselves. But the declaration of Ghadir was not merely a proclamation of Ali’s rank; it was a command made incumbent upon the entire Muslim community. And this command is the cause of the completion of religion. That is why this Eid became the greatest Eid, which elevated the Messenger’s Prophethood to its pinnacle and became the reason for the perfection of divine blessings. This Eid is, in fact, the Eid of the Messenger himself.
Other Eids, like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, were prescribed by Allah upon the Muslim community as obligatory celebrations in return for specific acts of worship — fasting or sacrifice. But Eid al-Ghadir became an Eid because it preserved the Messenger’s mission and safeguarded Allah’s religion.
Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by those who fasted and gave Fitrana (charity). Eid al-Adha is observed by those who performed Hajj or sacrificed animals. Both these celebrations require wealth or physical health. But Eid al-Ghadir is celebrated by the one who has loyalty to the Messenger and has perfected their faith. For this, neither wealth nor good health is required; only the soundness of one’s faith and the wealth of Wilayah are needed.
When did the 18th of Dhul Hijjah formally become celebrated as an Eid? The significance of this day is evident, and during the times of the Imams, their followers commemorated this day with joy. But when did the general public begin to observe it as a festival? For that, we turn to historical writings.
Around 352 AH (22 years after the end of the Minor Occultation), when the Buyid dynasty came to power in Iraq, the first ruler of Baghdad, Ahmad ibn Buwayh (titled al-Mu’izz al-Dawla), officially declared the 18th of Dhul Hijjah as a public holiday, instructing that the entire city celebrate it as a festival. Before this, there is no historical record of any such official declaration. Reliable historians have documented this Eid. Ibn al-Jawzi in Al-Muntazam fi al-Tarikh (Vol. 14, p. 151, written in 597 AH), Ibn al-Athir in 630 AH, and Ibn Kathir in Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya (Vol. 11, p. 259) have described in detail how “on the 18th of Dhul Hijjah, al-Mu’izz al-Dawla ordered all of Baghdad to be decorated, the buildings of the judiciary and police to be illuminated, markets to remain open throughout the night, drums and trumpets to be sounded in the streets, and the day to be celebrated with great joy.” (Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 8, p. 549).
Another historian, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Hamdani (d. 521 AH), wrote in his book that on this day, fireworks were displayed, shops remained open throughout the night, and in the morning, especially the Imamiyyah, would go to the Quraysh Cemetery (in modern Kadhimayn) to perform the special Eid al-Ghadir prayers. Ibn al-Jawzi further added that on this day, sacrifices of camels were also made.
It should be remembered that this was still during the Abbasid Caliphate, and Baghdad was their capital. Yet al-Mu’izz al-Dawla, despite the Sunni majority in the city, issued these orders upon taking control of Baghdad. And it is worth noting that in that very same year, he also declared Ashura a public holiday. Interestingly, during his 22-year rule in Baghdad, he issued these orders in his 18th year of governance.
That was Iraq’s account. Now, in Iran at that time, most of the region was under the Ghaznavid rule. The renowned historian Abu Rayhan al-Biruni (d. 442 AH) in his Al-Athar al-Baqiyah ‘an al-Qurun al-Khaliyah wrote that although there was no official holiday from the state, the people celebrated the day with joy and by offering sacrifices. After that, during the Seljuk and Mongol periods, celebrations of this day faced obstacles, but when the Safavids took power in Iran in 1501 CE, Eid al-Ghadir once again reached its peak. The French historian J. Calamard, in his book Shia Rituals and Power, recorded that feasts and sacrifices were common everywhere on this occasion. During the Qajar period, Ghadir celebrations sometimes extended up to a week.
The point of this exposition is that Eid al-Ghadir is neither a modern innovation nor was it only celebrated by the Shia community. Historical evidence clearly shows that even when there was no Shia government, nor were Shias in the majority, this day’s importance was recognized across the broader Muslim world.
It is hoped that you are now well-informed about the religious, traditional, and historical background of Ghadir, and that this knowledge will assist you in responding to others on the matter.
M Agha.
