Since the day of Ghadeer is the day on which Almighty Allah perfected
religion and completed the bounty; because He selected our Master, Ameerul
Momineen (a.s.) for Imamate and appointed him as the standard of guidance, so
that he may save them from the falling into the ravine of destruction and from
deviation, that is why day of proclamation of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)
was a day when wide divine mercy was spread out.
You will not find a day greater than the day of Ghadeer. A branch having a
sacred root, to grant firmness to the bases of that divine call.
It is obligatory on every person in the religious society to, in order to give
thanks to this bounty, and to seek proximity to Allah, the Mighty and the High,
take steps through every lawful mean, for performance of prayer, fast, doing a
good turn, kindness to relatives, having feasts and celebrations appropriate to that
day.
Rituals for Ghadeer Day
Report of fasting on the day of Ghadeer
Hafiz Abu Bakr Khatib Baghdadi (d. 463 A.H.), in the book of his Tarikh1,
has narrated from Abu Huraira that whoever fasts on the 18th of Zilhajj, reward of
fasting for sixty months will be recorded for him and that is the day of Ghadeer,
the day when the Prophet raised the hand of Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.) and said: “Am I not the guardian of the believers?”
All said: “Why not, O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)?”
He said: “Of whomsoever I am the master, Ali is (also) his master.”
At this point, Umar said: “Congratulations, O son of Abu Talib, this day you
have become my master and the master of all believing men and women.”
After that Almighty Allah revealed the verse of:
….الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ
“This day have I perfected for you your religion…”1
One, who fasts on the twenty-seventh Rajab, the reward of fasting for sixty
months will be recorded for him and the twenty-seventh Rajab is the day when
Jibraeel came to Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) and declared his prophethood.
Also: All narrators of this tradition are reliable and their reliability is absolutely clear that no kind of doubt remains, because in books of narrators of traditions they are mentioned as reliable.
In his Tarikh,2 Ibne Kathir has denied this tradition and supported his stance
through doubts saying: “In this traditional report the fast of the day of Ghadeer is
mentioned to carry the reward of fasting for sixty months; and if it were true, it
would necessitate that a recommended thing would become more meritorious
than an obligatory thing, because regarding fasting on the days of the month of
Ramadhan is mentioned to be equal to fasting for ten months; thus this traditional
report is invalid and unacceptable.”
As for the rejection of this imaginative opinion: This objection is replied
through text as well as logic:
As for the contraventional (Naqzi) reply
There are a large numbers of traditions, which refute this statement, but to
mention all of them here is not possible3, therefore some are presented below:
1 – Tradition: One, who fasts during the month of Ramadhan and joins them with the fasts of the six days of the month of Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted for all the days of the year.
Muslim in his Saheeh and Abu Dawood in his Sunan4 have narrated this tradition through multiple channels.
2 – The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) commanded fasting on the days of Bayz5 – 13, 14 and 15 Rajab – and said that it is equal to fasting the whole life6 .
Ibne Majah and Darami have mentioned this traditional report in their Sunans7 .
3 – Fasting three days in every month is equal to fasting and breaking the fast of all days. Ahmad has narrated this tradition in his Musnad. 8
4 – Fast of the day of Arafah is equal to fasting for a thousand days as is mentioned in Jamius Saghir9 this traditional reports is narrated by Ibne Habban from Ayesha.
5 – In is mentioned in Taurat: “One, who fasts on the day of Ashura it is as if he has fasted on all days.” Safoori has mentioned this traditional report in the book of Nuzha10.