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Iranians mark Eid al-Ghadir with mass celebrations

Monday, 18 July 2022 11:52 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 19 July 2022 9:03 AM ]

Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran

Everyone is invited to this party that stretches for 10 kilometers in Tehran. As Shia Muslims around the world are marking Eid al-Ghadir, Iranians have got together in this festival to share the happy mood with each other.

Eid al-Ghadir marks the beginning of Shia Islam some 14 centuries ago, when Prophet Mohammad appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shia Imam, as his successor and Muslims’ next leader.

Imam Ali was the cousin of Prophet Mohammad and is known as the first man to embrace the prophet's call for Islam. According to Islamic references, Imam Ali rooted out poverty and promoted an unprecedented justice system across the Muslim world during his short rule based in Iraq's city of Kufa.

Here, not only do Iranians celebrate Eid al-Ghadir, they get to teach their kids about who Imam Ali was.

In Shia Islam, there are 12 Imams or religious leaders, all believed to be preserving the legacy of the prophet and his teachings. Mahdi is the last Imam, who is believed to be the apocalyptic savior of the world and is currently living in occultation.

To Muslims, Eid al-Ghadir is a time when God perfected Islam as their religion by introducing Imam Ali as their next leader. That's why they celebrate it every year to honor Imam Ali as the father of Shia Islam and the symbol of Islamic justice.

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