Essays On Ghadir

8- Ghadir As a Feast and Ceremonies (in History, Literature, Jurisprudence)

The ceremonies of The Ghadir feast.

Imam Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) says: "When the prophets of BaniEsraeel wanted to make firm the executor’s hips and leadership for their successors, and their desire was accomplished, they acknowledged that day as a feast.

And certainly the Ghadir feast is a day that the holy prophet (p. b. u. h) introduced Imam Ali (p. b. u. h) as the leader of the people; a divine verse has been inspired about it; the Islam religion was perfected in that day, and the bounty was completed for the believers. "

On the 18th day of zil-Hajje 10 A.H., the most important event in the Islam history happened.

On that day, the holy prophet (S.A) was ordered by the exalted God, to appoint Ali-Ibn-Abitaleb as his successor and the leader of the Islamic community. When the holy prophet was returning from the pilgrim of Hajj across the way Medina, he ordered the caravan to stop, and gather beside a pool, which was named Ghadir-e-khum. Upon this order, all the Muslims, whose numbers were about one hundred and twenty thousands, formed a gathering.

After the prayer and an eloquent lecture, the holy prophet raised Imam Ali's hand and said:

"Whoever I am his master and guardian, Ali is master and guardian too. 0' God, love whoever loves him, and hate whoever hates him.' Then the verse of Ekmal (completion) was send from the God."

Then the holy prophet said: "praise to God that completed the religion, and perfected the gift, and satisfied with my prophecy and the succession and leadership of Ali-Ibn-abitaleb." (Iqbal-ol-Amal, vol 2, p. 248).

This important event was celebrated on that day. The Muslims went, group by group to Imam Ali's presence, for saying congratulations. It is interesting that Omar-Ibn-khattab was one of first people who came forward and said, "0 Ali-Ibn-Abitaleb', praise to you! You became my master and the master of every pious Muslim". (Manaqib ofIbn, Maqazeli, p. 19)

Hesan-Ibn-Sabet read his poem about Imam Ali (p.b.u.h.). He attended the audience, 0' the noble of Ghoraish; listen to my speech in the presence of the messenger of God. Then he recited a long poem.

So, the day of Ghadir, was considered as an important day. The holy prophet mentioned it, as the important feast of the people. He recommended to Imam Ali to hold that day as a feast. So all the Muslims shall celebrate this fateful day every year, and fulfill its acts and ceremonies.

In this article some of the ceremonies of the Ghadir -feast has been gathered by using the Islamic reliable sources. Imam Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) said: "The practice of the day of Ghadir, - the 18th day of zil-hajjeh- is equal to the acts in eighty years. "

We hope, with the guardianship of Ali- Ibn -Abitaleb, avoidance from his enemies, and performing his orders, we receive the benevolence of the prophet.

TO CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER

Imam Reza (p.b.u.h.) said:

'The day of Ghadir, is the day of congratulation. We shall congratulate to each other on this occasion. So if a person met his believer bother, he shall say: "praise to God, Who put us among those who hold the leadership of the commander of the faithful people (Imam Ali) and the holy Imams. "

TO SHAKE HANDS

Imam Ali said: "When you meet each other in the Ghadir day, shake hands with greeting".

TO SMILE AND SHOWING YOUR HAPPINESS

Imam Reza said:

"The Ghadir day, is the day of smile to the believers. Whoever smiles to his believer brother on the day of Ghadir, God will look at him with mercy in the Last Day, and will accomplish one thousand of his needs, and will build for him a palace from the white pearl in the paradise, and will make his face beautiful. "

Imam Ali said:

"Eveal your joy when you meet each other and show your gladness between yourselves."

TO WEAR COSTY DRESSES AND MAKE DECORATION (MAKE UP)

Imam Reza (p.b.u.h.) said:

"The Ghadir day is the day of wearing costly dress, and take off the dress of sadness ... and that day is the day of decoration (make up), whoever decorates himself on that day, God forgives all his sins, and sends angels toward him to write his good acts, and they increase his spiritual step until the next Ghadir feast. And if he dies, he would be a martyr, and if he remains alive, he would live with the prosperity. "

TO FEED PEOPLE

Imam Reza said:

"Whoever feeds a muslim on the Ghadir day is like a person who has fed all the prophets and truthful and faithful people. "

TO VISIT EACH OTHER

Imam Reza said:

"Whoever visits areligious man on the Ghadir day, God will enter seventy lights in to his grave -when he diedand will widen his grave. Seventy thousand Angels go to pilgrim his grave every day, and they would give him good news of the paradise. "

TO EXPAND

Imam Reza said:

"One who worships on the Ghadir day, and cares his family and his Islamic brothers, God will increase his wealth and property. "

TO PRESENT A GIFT

Fayaz -Ibn -Mohammad - Ibn - Omar - Tousi said:

"1 saw Ali - Ibn - Mo usa, Imam Reza (p.b.u.h.) had invited some of his friends to sup on the Ghadir day. He had also sent food, gifts, and dresses - even ring and shoes - to their houses, and he had imporoved their wearing and appearances. On that day, they entertained the guests by new facilities, and imam Reza expressed importance, and ancient records of the Ghadir day. " TO PRESENT FOOD TO BREAK ONE'S FAST

"...And the ghadir day is the day of giving food to persons who are on fast. Whoever gives food to a pious man, who has been on fast, is like a person who has fed ten "Feam ". Then Imam asked, 'Do you know what Feam is'?No, The narrator said.

Imam added: It means one hundred thousand persons. " TO HELP

Imam Ali (p.b.u.h.) said:

"Whoever helps his brother without his request for help, and benefit to him with an open face on the ghadir day, his reward would be like a person who has observed the fast on that day, and has worshiped the whole night. "

TO BENEFIT OTHER PEOPLE

Imam Ali (p.b.u.h.) said:

"Be helpful to each other, until God makes firm the friendship between you ... the beneficence on the Ghadir day, increases wealth and life time. "

TO PRAISE GOD

"The holy prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: "one of the practices is that the pious man says this sentence one hundred times on the Ghadir day: "all praises to God, who set the perfection of the religion and the completion of his bounty in the guardianship of Imam Ali - Ibn – Abitaleb (A..S) "

PRAY and greetings to the holy prophet

"Hasan -Ibn -Rashed said, I asked Imam Sadiq (p.b.u.h.): Dear sir is there another feast to the Muslims except the two feasts of Fetr and Azha? Imam Sadiq replied: "yes! There is a greater and nobler feast than those two." I said, which is that feast? Imam said: "the day of appointment of Imam Ali to the leadership of the people." I said: Dear sir, which act is good to do on that day? Imam said: "Be on fast, and send many Pray and greetings to Mohammad, and his family, and keep away from the oppressors." Imam Reza said: "The Ghadir day is the day of saying many greeting to Mohammad and his family. "

**TO MAKE A SPIRITUAL CONTRACT OF BROTHERHOOD WITH EACH OTHER ** The great scholar, Mirza Hussein Nouri (1320 A.H.) narrates from the book ‘Zad 01 Ferdous’, “makes spiritual brotherhood with each other. Its procedure is like this; someone puts his right hand in the right hand of the other, and says, "I became your brother in the way of God. I have sincerity in brotherhood with you. I shake hand with you in the way of God. I conclude an agreement with God, His Angels and books, the prophets and messenger, and innocent Imams, that if I was from those who would go to Paradise, and get the right to request God to forgive some people (Shafaat). I will not go to the Paradise, unless you come with me. 'And the other one would say, "I accepted." Then they say to each other," I waive all my rights of brotherhood, except "intercession", "prayer" and visiting.'

THE PRAYER OF THE GHADIR DAY

According to the order of Imam Sadiq (p.b.u.h.), one who decides to celebrate the prayer of the Ghadir day may performs ablution half an hour before noon, and asks his needs from God, then pray two Rakat prayers. In each Rakat, reads after "Hamd", each of these Chapters 10 times: "Tawhid", "Ayat 01 Korsi (2:254.255)", and "Ghadr".

Imam Sadiq says, 'Whoever reads this prayer, God will grant him all of his needs in this world and the other world. "

TO GO ON FAST

Imam Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) said:

"The reward of fasting of the Ghadir day is equal to be on fast all the life of the world. If a person had the life of the world, and fasts all the time of his life, his reward is equal to one who fasts a Ghadir day. To the exalted God, the fasting of this day in every year is equal to one hundred accepted Hajj. This day is the greatest Divine feast. ' Imam Ali said:

"If a devoted person fasted the Ghadir day for God's sake, that day would be more valuableto him than any other day in the world. "

Imam Sadiq said:

'The prophets ordered their successors to fast that day in which their successors were appointed. And they put that day as a feast. Whoever fasts that day, his act would be higher than the pray of sixty years. "

PILGRIMAGE OF IMAM ALl (p.b.u.h.)

Sayed Ibn Tavous has narrated from Imam Sadiq in "Eghbal 01 Amal", If you were in the day of Ghadir in Najaf (the city in which the shrine of Imam Ali is located), pray, and then go near to his grave. If you were far from Najaf and his shrine, after praying, point to his grave and read Imam Ali's special prayer, from the distance.

Ali Akbar Talafi (Iran)