RS27: Islamic Festivals

☪️ Islamic Festivals

📋 Id-ul-Adha

• Celebrates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son at Allah's command
• Takes place during Hajj on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah
• Muslims sacrifice an animal (sheep, goat, cow) — the meat is shared: one-third for family, one-third for friends, one-third for the poor
• Muslims who are not on Hajj attend the mosque for special Id prayers
• It emphasises obedience to Allah, sharing with the poor, and the importance of faith

📋 Id-ul-Fitr

• Celebrates the end of Ramadan and the completion of fasting
• Muslims attend the mosque for special Id prayers in the morning
• Families celebrate with special food, new clothes and gifts
• Before the Id prayer, Muslims must pay Zakah al-Fitr — a special charity to ensure the poor can also celebrate
• It is a joyful occasion thanking Allah for the strength to complete the fast

📋 Ashura (Shi'a Islam)

• Observed on the 10th of Muharram
• Commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (Muhammad's grandson) at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE
• Shi'a Muslims mourn with processions, recitations and sometimes self-flagellation
• It represents the struggle against injustice and oppression
• Sunni Muslims observe Ashura as a day of optional fasting, remembering Musa's deliverance from Pharaoh

❓ Practice Questions

✅ Answers

1. 1) Id-ul-Adha — the Festival of Sacrifice, celebrated during Hajj. Muslims sacrifice an animal to remember Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son at Allah's command. The meat is shared between family, friends and the poor. It teaches obedience to Allah and generosity. 2) Id-ul-Fitr — the Festival of Fast-Breaking, marking the end of Ramadan. Muslims attend special prayers, celebrate with food and gifts, and pay Zakah al-Fitr so the poor can also celebrate. It is a joyful thanksgiving for the strength to complete the fast.

🎯 Exam Tips

• Always refer to specific sources of authority (scripture, sacred texts, religious leaders)
• Explain contrasting beliefs — different views within and between traditions
• Use key terminology precisely (e.g. tawhid, atonement, sanctity of life)
• For 12-mark evaluation questions, consider both sides before reaching a justified conclusion
• Link beliefs to their impact on individuals, communities and society
• Acknowledge diversity — no religious tradition has a single, uniform view

📝 Exam Technique

⚠️ Common Errors

✍️ Model Answer

📊 AO Deep Dive

📖 Detailed Notes: Islamic Festivals

💡 Id-ul-Fitr: The Festival of Fast-Breaking

Id-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is one of the two main Islamic festivals (the other being Id-ul-Adha). It is a joyous celebration that begins with a special congregational prayer (Id prayer) at the mosque or an open space, followed by feasting, gift-giving and visiting family and friends. Before the Id prayer, Muslims are required to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr — a special charity to ensure that the poor can also celebrate. The Prophet Muhammad emphasised the communal nature of Id: “Let the people rejoice, for the people are rejoicing” (Hadith). In the UK, Id-ul-Fitr is celebrated by approximately 3.9 million Muslims, with mosques hosting large prayers, community events and celebrations. Many British Muslims take the day off work or school, and some local authorities now recognise Id as a legitimate reason for absence.

The significance of Id-ul-Fitr goes beyond celebration. It marks the completion of a month of spiritual discipline — fasting, prayer, charity and self-restraint — and the hope that these efforts have been accepted by Allah. The festival reinforces community bonds, as Muslims visit family and friends, exchange gifts (especially giving money to children, known as Idi), and share meals. In the UK, British Muslims often invite non-Muslim neighbours and colleagues to share in Id celebrations, building bridges between communities. The Mayor of London’s annual Id festival in Trafalgar Square attracts thousands of visitors and showcases Muslim culture, food and traditions to the wider public.

🔍 Id-ul-Adha: The Festival of Sacrifice

Id-ul-Adha commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isma’il at Allah’s command — an act of supreme obedience that was rewarded when Allah provided a ram to sacrifice instead (Surah 37:102–107). It takes place on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, during the Hajj, and lasts for three days. The central ritual is the sacrifice (qurbani) of an animal (usually a sheep, goat, cow or camel), with the meat divided into three parts: one-third for the family, one-third for friends and neighbours, and one-third for the poor. This distribution ensures that everyone, including those who cannot afford meat, can share in the celebration. The Qur’an emphasises that it is the spirit of sacrifice that matters: “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him” (Surah 22:37).

For British Muslims, Id-ul-Adha presents the practical challenge of performing qurbani in compliance with UK animal welfare laws. British Muslims typically arrange qurbani through Islamic charities such as Islamic Relief, which organise sacrifices in countries where the meat is most needed, or through licensed halal butchers in the UK. The RSPCA and Muslim scholars have worked together to ensure that qurbani in the UK complies with both Islamic law (sharia) and UK animal welfare regulations. Id-ul-Adha is also an occasion for community gathering, with mosques hosting special prayers and many families sharing meals with neighbours and the poor. The festival reinforces the Islamic values of obedience to Allah, sacrifice and generosity.

⚖️ Ashura and Other Shi’a Observances

Ashura (the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar) is observed differently by Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura commemorates the day when Musa (Moses) and the Israelites were saved from Pharaoh by parting the Red Sea. The Prophet Muhammad encouraged fasting on this day as a sign of gratitude to Allah. For Shi’a Muslims, Ashura has a much deeper and more painful significance: it commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (the Prophet’s grandson) at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Husayn was killed along with 72 companions by the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid, an event that Shi’a Muslims regard as the greatest tragedy in Islamic history. Ashura is observed with mourning processions, recitations of the tragedy of Karbala (marsiyas) and, in some traditions, expressions of grief such as chest-beating (latmiya).

In the UK, Shi’a communities observe Ashura with processions through city streets, particularly in London, Birmingham and Manchester. These processions are peaceful and are policed by the local authorities, with the Muslim community providing stewards. The Ashura procession in London, organised by the Arbaeen Cultural Centre, typically attracts several thousand participants. For many British Shi’a Muslims, Ashura is a deeply emotional occasion that reinforces their identity and their commitment to the values of justice, sacrifice and standing against oppression that Imam Husayn represented. In recent years, some Sunni and Shi’a communities in the UK have used Ashura as an opportunity for dialogue and mutual understanding, recognising that Husayn’s stand against tyranny has universal significance.

📊 Major Islamic Festivals Compared

❓ Additional Practice Questions

✅ Additional Answers

1. Id-ul-Adha commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isma’il at Allah’s command, demonstrating supreme obedience. When Allah provided a ram instead, it showed that Allah rewards faithfulness. The key practice is qurbani (animal sacrifice), with meat divided between family, friends and the poor. In Britain, Muslims arrange qurbani through Islamic charities or licensed halal butchers, ensuring compliance with UK animal welfare laws. Mosques host special Id prayers, and families share meals with neighbours and the poor. The festival reinforces Islamic values of obedience, sacrifice and generosity, and provides an opportunity for British Muslims to share their traditions with the wider community.
2. On one hand, Islamic festivals are crucial for maintaining Muslim identity in Britain: they provide regular opportunities for communal worship, family gathering and religious expression; they reinforce Islamic values and traditions; and they create visible public expressions of Muslim faith (e.g. Id prayers in parks, Ashura processions). The Mayor of London’s Id festival and increasing media coverage of Ramadan show that Islamic festivals are becoming part of British public life. On the other hand, some argue that festivals alone cannot sustain identity — daily prayer, family religious practice and mosque attendance are more important. Additionally, the commercialisation of Id (cards, gifts, decorations) may dilute its religious significance. A balanced view is that festivals play an important but not exclusive role in maintaining Muslim identity, and that their public celebration in Britain actually strengthens both Muslim identity and wider community understanding.

📝 Exam Questions by Topic

• AQA Past Papers - Topic Questions -- AQA
• Edexcel Past Papers - Topic Questions -- Edexcel
• OCR Past Papers - Topic Questions -- OCR
• Eduqas Past Papers - Topic Questions -- Eduqas
• CCEA Past Papers - Topic Questions -- CCEA

🎬 Video Resources

• BBC Bitesize - Islam
• Religious Studies YouTube

Comparison Table