Indeed, these congratulations were at the command of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and their giving allegiance, was accompanied with the joy of the Prophet; because they said: “Praise of God that He bestowed upon us excellence on the whole world.”
In addition to this, revelation of the noble verse on this day, which clarified the perfection of religion, completion of favor and approval of Almighty Allah at what had occurred.
Tariq bin Shahab, a scholar from the People of the Book, called out in the gathering of Umar bin Khattab that if this verse:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمْ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
“This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.”1
…had been revealed in our religion, we would have regarded that day as feast2 . In that gathering none of those, who were present denied it and Umar also acted as if he had accepted it.
All this definitely shows that this day is having a great position in faith in such a way that it was an occasion of celebration of the seal of the prophets, the Holy Imams (a.s.) and their followers; and we regard it as Eid for no other reason.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), in reports, which Furat bin Ibrahim Kufi has in the third century, narrated through his chains from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) through his father through his forefathers and had announced its exalted position, when he says:
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said: The day of Ghadeer Khum is the best of the festivals of my Ummah and it was the day when Allah, the Mighty and the High commanded me to appoint my brother, Ali (a.s.) as the leader of the community after me; so that after me, he may become a mode of guidance for them. And it is the day when Almighty Allah completed the religion and perfected His bounty on my Ummah; and chose for them Islam as a religion.3
After the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), emulating him, deemed this day as the day of Eid and in the year when Friday and Ghadeer occurred on the same day, he recited the sermon and in that sermon, said:
“O believers, on this day, Almighty Allah has gathered two Eids. Take this day as the day of Eid, may God have mercy on you. So you may disperse to provide for your families and do good to your brothers in faith and thank the Almighty Allah for what He has blessed you with and gather together so that the Almighty Allah may bestow unity upon you and do good towards each other so that your kindness may reach each other and strengthen. Gift bounties of Allah to each other just as Almighty has placed a great reward in it, rewards which are many times the rewards of the preceding and following Eids. Doing good on this day will increase your wealth and prolong your lives and doing a good to turn to each other will result in divine blessings and kindness. As much as you can, try to gain its merits by doing good to your brothers and family members; and make happiness apparent while meeting each other.”4
In the same way, all the Holy Imams (a.s.) have regarded it as Eid and ordered all Muslims that they should regard it as Eid and the excellence of this Eid and rewards of this day are announced to all.
In Tafseer of Furat bin Ibrahim Kufi,5 it is mentioned in Surah Maidah through Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that the narrator said: I asked: “May I be sacrificed on you, is there any Eid for Muslims, having more excellence than Eidul Fitr, Eid of sacrifice, Eid of Friday and Day of Arafah?”
The narrator says: The Imam replied: “Yes, the greatest and most excellent Eid in the view of Almighty Allah is the day when He completed the religion and revealed the verse of: “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion,” on the Prophet.”
The late Kulaini6 has narrated in Al-Kafi from Ali bin Ibrahim from his father from Qasim bin Yahya from his grandfather, Hasan bin Rashid that he said: I asked Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.):
“May I be sacrificed on you, are there other Eids for Muslim other than the two Eids (Fitr and Qurban)?”
He replied: “Yes, O Hasan, it is greatest of these.”
I asked: “What day is that?”
He replied: “The day of appointing of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) as the leader of the community.”I asked: “What is advisable for us to do on that day?
He replied: “Keep fast on that day and send excessive Salawat on the Prophet and his progeny; and declare to Allah immunity from those, who oppressed Ahle Bayt (a.s.), and know that the prophets – may Allah bless them – commanded their successors to celebrate as Eid, the day the appointed their successors.”
The narrator says: I asked: “What is the reward of fasting on that day?”
He replied: “Reward of fasting for sixty months.”7
In another report, through his chains from Husain bin Hasan Husaini from Muhammad bin Moosa Hamadani from Ali bin Hassan Wasti from Ali bin Husain Abdi8 it is narrated from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that:
“Fasting on the day of Ghadeer Khum every year in the view of Allah equals a hundred Hajjs and a hundred Umrahs, which are all performed with sincerity and accepted, and that day is the great Eid of the Almighty Allah.”