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March is the day of Naurooz - the first day of Persian calendar. It is
celebrated with reverence in many countries.
Where and how is Naurooz Celebrated?
The festival of Naurooz commemorates a
centuries-old, agrarian custom that over time was integrated into various
cultures and faith traditions. Today, Naurooz is celebrated in many parts of
the Middle East and Central and South Asia, particularly among peoples
influenced by Persian and Turkic civilisations. In countries such as Iran,
Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan,
Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, Naurooz is observed as a public holiday.
Celebrations are also organized by the Shia Muslims communities in Pakistan,
India and other places in the world where Shia Muslim communities exist.
People across the globe celebrate
Naurooz with the recital of devotional poetry in the form of qasidas, and
manqabas. Dried fruits, nuts and grains are distributed, symbolising blessings
of abundance and sustenance. Naurooz is also a time of family gatherings and
celebratory meals, thus strengthening family bonds and fraternal ties.
What do our scholars say about this day
and its importance?
Ayatullah al-Uzma Makarim Shirazi, in
his recent publication, Mafaatih al-Naveen (an updated version of Mafaatih
al-Jinaan of Shaykh Abbas Qummi), writes: “In regards to what Islam has to say
about Eid-e-Naurooz, we must state that amongst the scholars, this Eid is
debated. Some of the traditions point to the importance of this day as one in
which many nations were saved (from perils).”
He goes on to state that, “The Late
Allamah Majlisi writes in Zad al-Ma‘aad that, “From a reliable chain of
narrators from Mu‘alla ibne Janis it has been narrated that on the day of
Naurooz, he was blessed to be in the presence of Imam as-Sadiq (as). The Imam
asked, “Do you know the status of this day?” Mu‘alla replied, “May I be
sacrificed for your sake! This is the day which the Iranians took as a great
day. On this day, they send gifts to one another.” The Imam replied, “The act
of holding this day in esteem and greatness is due to certain historical events
which took place which I will now explain to you.” The Imam then mentioned the
following events:
1. Naurooz is the day when Allah, the
High, took the Oath of Allegiance from the souls of all human beings (before
their creation) to His oneness, that they would not associate partners with Him
and that they would accept and believe in His Prophets and Imams;
2. This is also the day when the flood
during the time of Prophet Nuh(as) subsided and the ark rested on the mountain
of Joodi;
3. Naurooz is also the day when the
Messenger of Allah destroyed the idols of the polytheists of the Quraish in the
city of Makkah.
4. This was also the day that Prophet
Ibrahim(as) destroyed the idols;
5. Also the day when the Messenger of
Allah ordered his companions to pledge allegiance to Ali as the Commander of
the Faithful (this is in reference to the Day of Ghadeer which took place on
the Eid-e-Naurooz);
6. it is also the day when the Qa’im
from Aale Muhammad (the 12th Imam) will make his advent…”
However, Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi
cautions that, “Since Mu‘alla ibne Janis is an individual whom the scholars
question (and thus this tradition as well falls under question), for this
reason, it is not possible to totally rely on this tradition.” None the less, He states that this day has Islamic
significance, which we need to ensure is marked in an Islamic fashion. He
concludes by stating that the Eid-e-Naurooz is an Eid of nature in the world of
creation; it is the day when winter ends and spring blossoms with its natural
life by the command of Allah. It is the time when the leaves of the trees begin
to sprout their buds and the flowers begin to bring forth their bulbs in preparation
of their blooming; it is a time when a movement towards life takes hold of all
of creation and thus we, the believers, should be in harmony with this event of
the creation as this is equivalent to being in sync with the tradition (Sunnat)
of Allah.
The believers need to ensure that they
remove all actions which are ‘cultural’ or ‘traditional’ – even if practiced by
Muslims, and to follow the dictates of the Prophet and the Imams. Thus, some of
the recommend actions which we should perform on this day include: a ghusl for
Eid; wearing clean clothes; applying perfume; fasting, praying the recommended
Salat after Salaatul Asr and the various supplications which should be read on
this day, some of which are found in Mafaatih al-Jinaan [The Prayer’s Almanac
in English by PET].
According to the Holy Prophet (sawaw)
and 6th Imam(as), the rain water of this month is very useful for curing many
ailments. It is also said that this water causes fertility in women. So if a
childless female drinks this water, she may give birth to a child. [Mafateehul
Jinaan - Pg 586].
Recommended Aamal of Naurooz
[As
per – Mafateehul-Jinaan, Zadul-Maa’ad & Almanac]
(1)
Have a bath - Ghusl
(2)
Put on new or clean clothes and apply perfume.
(3)
Keep fast.
(4)
Pray a 4 Rak-a't salaat, (In 2 rak'at cycle) after the Z'uhr and A'sr prayers,
as under:
In
the first Rak-a't after the recitation of Soorah Al Faatih'ah, recite Soorah Al
Qadr 10 times.
In
the second Rak-a't, after the recitation of Soorah Al Faatih'ah, recite Soorah
Al Kaafiroon 10 times.
In
the third Rak-a't, after the recitation of Soorah Al-Faatih'ah, recite Soorah
Al Ikhlaas 10 times.
In
the fourth Rak-a't, after the recitation of Soorah Al Faatih'ah, recite Soorah
Al Falaq 10 times, and Soorah Al Naas 10 times.
(5)
Pray other Duas mentioned in Mafati-ul-Jinan and other books.
(6)
Ask your hajats.
Source: www.ziaraat.com
