The day of Ghadir is the greatest feast (Eid) in Islam; particularly for the followers of the Prophet's household. It was the day the religion of Islam was perfected and approved and the blessing of Allah upon the Muslim community was completed with the appointment of Imam Ali son of Abu-Talib (peace be upon him) as the immediate successor after the Holy Prophet of God (Peace be upon him and his pure household).
The 18th of Dhul-Hijjah, year 10 A.H, was a day when Allah commanded the noble Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his household) to stop at the pond of Ghadir[1] (a pond between Mecca and Madina) and he was commanded to appoint Ali son of Abu-Talib (a.s) as his immediate successor. Consequently, with this appointment, the religion of Islam was perfected and approved by Allah and the divine favors were completed on this day[2].
Without any doubt, the day Islam was perfected and certified by Allah was a significant day in the history of Islam for all Muslims. It is a day to be reminded and celebrated annually by Muslims world-wide. And if according to the glorious Qur’an, the day the table (spread with food) was sent down to the children of Isra’īl (i.e. Banu Isrā’īl) deserved to be taken as a festival day (Eid)[3], then the day when the religion of Islam was perfected and the divine favors were completed upon the Muslim community is more worthy to be celebrated by the entire Muslims.
In his book “Iqbal al-‘Amāl” Ibn Ṭaus quoted the Prophet (PBUH) to have said: "The day of Ghadir is the best feast of my community. It was the day God, the Almighty, commanded me to appoint my brother; Ali son of Abu-Talib as a sign for my community, so that they may follow him after me. And that is the day when God perfected my religion. And He completed His blessing on my community and approved Islam as their religion[4]"
Similarly, there is another Hadith narrated by Abu-Hurayra in the Sunni sources on the significance of fasting on the day of Ghadir. He has been quoted to have said: “When the Messenger of God (PBUHH) held the hand of Ali (may God bless him) and said: "Whoever I am his Master (Mawla), then, Ali is his Master", the Almighty God revealed "Today, I have perfected your religion for you"[Qur’an 5: 3]. Thereafter Abu Hurayra said: That day was the day of Ghadir, and whoever fasts on that day (i.e. the eighteenth of Dhul al-Hijjah) will have the reward of fasting for sixty months recorded for him by Allah[5].
Footnotes:
[1]Refer to: Qur’an 5: 67.
[2]Refer to: Qur’an 5: 3.
[3]Refer to: Qur’an 5: 114.
[4]Ibn Ṭaus, Ali (1988), Iqbal al-‘Amāl, vol. 1, p. 466.
[5]Alūsī, Mahmūd (1994), Rūh al-Ma’ānī fī Tafsīr al-Qur’an al-Azīm, vol. 3, p. 361; Ibn Mardawiyah, Ahmad (2003), Manāqib ‘Ali ibn Abi-Ṭalib, p. 231.