ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the religious festivals of Islam and to attempt to answer the special questions they raise. Although Islamic religious culture as a whole is very rich and its rites most variegated, its festival culture is rather meagre. There are few festivals in Islam, and Muslim festivals seem to lack colour or meaning. One fact emerges clearly from these stories: the Prophet realized the need for joy and for festivals inspiring joy, while some of his associates abhorred celebrations dating from pre-Islamic days, which were held mainly by strangers. However, the principal disputes between the Shīᒼa and the Sunna do not concern matters of ritual, and certainly not the festivals, but articles of faith originating in different attitudes towards the early history of Islam. The pure severe monotheism of Islam seems to have rejected any compromise in this respect.
