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# In the Radiance of the Resplendent Eid –
## Eid al‑Ghadir in Islam
## [The Origin of Eid al‑Ghadir]
### The Second Point
The history of this Eid extends back to a continuous and ancient origin reaching the Prophetic era itself. Its beginning was on the Day of Ghadir during the Farewell Pilgrimage, when the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) openly declared the foundation of the great succession and clarified before the religious community the seat of authority—both religious and worldly. He defined for them the lofty standard of his religion.
It was a witnessed and celebrated day, one that brought joy to every adherent of Islam, for on that day the path of the Shariah was made clear and the source of its guiding light was identified—so that desires would not sway people to the right or left, nor ignorance drag them into error.
What day could be greater than one in which:
– The clear path was illuminated,
– The road was made manifest,
– The religion was perfected,
– The blessing was completed,
– And the Qur’an itself proclaimed this completion?
If it is customary among nations to celebrate as a festival the day on which a king ascends the throne—marking it with joy, illumination, gatherings, speeches, poetry, and banquets—then surely the day on which Islamic sovereignty and supreme religious guardianship were established by explicit declaration from the Messenger of God (who does not speak from desire, but from revelation) is far more worthy of being celebrated with honor and reverence.
And since it is a religious festival, it is fitting that acts drawing one nearer to God be added to the celebration—such as fasting, prayer, supplication, and other righteous deeds.
For all these reasons, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded those present—including the two Shaykhs, the elders of Quraysh, the leaders of the Ansar, and even the Mothers of the Believers—to enter upon Amir al‑Mu’minin (peace be upon him) and congratulate him on this great station, as he assumed the position of guardianship and authority in the religion of God.
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# The Hadith of Congratulations
Imam al‑Tabari (Muhammad ibn Jarir) narrated in his book *al‑Wilayah*—through Zayd ibn Arqam—part of the famous Ghadir narration. In its concluding portion, the Prophet said:
> “O people! Say: We give you our pledge and covenant from ourselves, with our tongues and with the handshake of our hands, to convey it to our children and our families. We seek no substitute for it. You are a witness over us, and God suffices as Witness. Say what I have said to you, and greet ʿAli with the title of *Amir al‑Mu’minin*. Say:
> *‘Praise be to God who guided us to this, and we would not have been guided had God not guided us.’*
> For God knows every voice and what every soul conceals.
> *‘Whoever breaks his covenant only breaks it against himself, and whoever fulfills what he has pledged to God—He will grant him a great reward.’*
> Say what pleases God regarding you, for *if you disbelieve, God is independent of you.*”
Zayd ibn Arqam said:
> The people then hastened to say: “Yes, we have heard and obeyed the command of God and His Messenger with our hearts.”
> The first to shake hands with the Prophet and with ʿAli were Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthman, Talhah, al‑Zubayr, and the rest of the Muhajirun and Ansar.
> The pledging and handshaking continued until the noon and afternoon prayers were performed together, and likewise the sunset and night prayers were combined. They continued the pledge three times.
It is reported that each time a group completed their pledge, the Messenger of God would say:
> “Praise be to God who has favored us over all the worlds.”
The practice of handshaking (musafahah) became established from that day—even adopted later by those who had no rightful claim to it.
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# Reports of ʿUmar’s Congratulation
Numerous scholars of hadith, tafsir, and history among Sunni authorities transmitted the specific wording of ʿUmar’s congratulation, through authentic chains from companions such as:
– Ibn ʿAbbas
– Abu Hurayrah
– al‑Bara’ ibn ʿAzib
– Zayd ibn Arqam
Among those who narrated it:
– Ibn Abi Shaybah (d. 235 AH)
– Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH)
– al‑Tabari (d. 310 AH)
– al‑Daraqutni (d. 385 AH)
– al‑Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH)
– al‑Khateeb al‑Baghdadi (d. 463 AH)
– al‑Ghazali (d. 505 AH)
– al‑Shahrastani (d. 548 AH)
– al‑Khwarazmi (d. 568 AH)
– and many others
The wording commonly reported is:
> ʿUmar met him and said:
> **“Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib! You have become the mawla of every believing man and woman.”**
> Or:
> **“Blessings upon you, O Abu al‑Hasan! You have become my mawla and the mawla of every believer.”**
Al‑Ghazali wrote in *Sirr al‑ʿAlamin*:
> “The masses unanimously agreed upon the text of the sermon at Ghadir Khumm wherein the Prophet said: ‘Whoever I am his mawla, ʿAli is his mawla.’ ʿUmar said: ‘Bravo, O Abu al‑Hasan! You have become my mawla and the mawla of every believing man and woman.’”
Al‑Shahrastani similarly stated that the companions understood from the declaration what the Imamiyyah understand—that it signified a formal appointment—citing ʿUmar’s congratulatory words as evidence.
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# The Institutionalization of the Festival
Historical works also record that:
– The Prophet sat in a tent and instructed people to congratulate ʿAli.
– ʿAli sat in a separate tent receiving congratulations.
– The Mothers of the Believers were ordered to congratulate him.
– The day became known for pledge‑giving and celebration.
Thus, the celebration of Eid al‑Ghadir traces directly back to the Prophetic declaration itself. It was not a later innovation, but a day marked by:
– Public proclamation
– Formal pledge
– Mutual congratulations
– Expressions of joy
– Praise to God
And from that moment onward, it was regarded by many scholars and narrators as a day of religious significance—commemorating what was understood as the establishment of guardianship and leadership following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
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