Events Calendar
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Tue. 3/2 | All day | Yom Ashura, Muharram 10 Celebrates Noah leaving the ark on Mount Ararat. |
| Mon. 3/8 | All day | Imamat Day, Muharram 16 Observed by Ismaili (Shiite) Moslems |
| Thu. 7/8 | All day | Taking of Constantinople, JumadaI 20 |
| Thu. 7/29 | All day | Ali's Birthday, Rajab 13 Observed by Shi'i communities. |
| Sat. 7/31 | All day | Day of Victory, Rajab 15 |
| Sun. 9/5 | All day | Exaltation of Mahomet, Rajab 20 |
| Sun. 9/12 | All day | Lailat al-Miraj, Rajab 27 Commemoration of Muhammed's ascent into Heaven. |
| Thu. 9/30 | All day | Imam Mahdi's Birthday, Shaban 15 The birthday of the last of the twelve imams. Observed by the Shi'i community |
| All day | Lailat al-Bara'ah, Shaban 15 The night of the full moon, when the Prophet entered Mecca. It is believed to be the night on which the destinies for the coming year are written. Also known as Borak's Night, or in Persian, Shab-i-Barat. | |
| Wed. 11/10 | All day | Laylat al-Qard, Ramadan Night of Power. The night when the Koran was first revealed to the Prophet |
| Sun. 11/14 | All day | Eid al-Fitr, Shawwal Feast of Fast Breaking. |
| Wed. 11/17 | All day | Jamat al-Vida, Shawwal 4 |
| Thu. 1/20 | All day | Yaum-Arafah (Yom Arafat) Yom Arafat falls on the ninth of Dhu Al-Hijja, when people on the Hajj are assembled for the "standing" at the plain of Arafat (in Mina near Makkah) during the Haj. Muslims around the world gather at the local mosque (masjid) for prayer in spiritual solidarity with those at Arafat. |
| Fri. 1/21 | All day | Eidul-Adha (Eid Al-Adha) Eid Al-Adha ("The Feast of the Sacrifice") commemorates Abraham's willingness and obedience to sacrifice his son Ishmael to God (and God's mercy in substituting a lamb for Ishmael). This feast is part of the Haj, and takes place on the tenth of Dhu Al-Hijja of the Islamic calendar. For those on the Hajj and for many others the day begins with the sacrifice of an animal in commemoration of the Angel Gabriel's substitution of a lamb as Abraliam's sacrificial obligation. One-third of the meat is given to the poor, with the remainder shared with neighbors and family members. This holiday is then celebrated in much the same way as Eid Al-Fitr - with good food, gifts for children and general merrymaking. |
| Thu. 2/10 | All day | Islamic New Year The First of Muharram marks the new year. The date fluctuates (in the Gregorian calendar) from year to year as it is based on the Islamic lunar calendar. |
| Sat. 2/19 | All day | Ashurah Ashura is celebrated on the ninth and tenth month of Muharram. The word ashura means "ten" and is a time of fasting, reflection and meditation. Jews of the city of Medina fasted on the tenth day in remembrance of their salvation from the Pharaoh, and the Prophet Muhammad pledged he would fast for two days instead of one in this same remembrance, but he died the following year and so never fasted as he had hoped. For many Muslims there is joy in commemorating all of the wonderful events traditions say occurred on this day, including: Noah's ark came to rest, the Prophet Abraham was born, the Kaaba was built. Among Shiite Muslims, it is a day of special sorrow commemorating the martyrdom of the Prophet's grandson Hussain and his followers at the battle of Kerbala in Islam's first century. It is commemorated in Shiite communities with reenactment of these events and is a time of mourning. |
| Fri. 4/8 | All day | solar eclipse (hybrid) |
| Thu. 4/21 | All day | Miladun-Me'raj |
| Sun. 4/24 | All day | lunar eclipse (penumbral) |
| Thu. 9/1 | All day | Isra Me'raj (Isra wa Al-Miraj) Laylat Al-Isra wa Al-Miraj ("the night journey and ascension") commemorates the journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem, his ascension into the seven heavens, and his return in the same night. These events acknowledge that all the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) have one and the same God as their source. In this night, Muslims believe, the Prophet was instructed to establish the five daily prayers in their current form. On this night, Muslims believe, Muhammad prayed together with Abraham, Moses and Jesus in the area of the Al-Aqsa mosque. The rock from which he is believed to have ascended to heaven to speak with God is the one seen inside the Dome of the Rock. Isra wa Al-Miraj as it is sometimes called is celebrated on the twenty-seventh of Rajab of the Islamic calendar. |