Shia Days Of Remembrance
The following page lists various days of Shia days of remembrance, celebration, and mourning.
Twelvers
The following is a list of days of celebration, mourning, and remembrance as observed by Twelver Shia Muslims:
List of celebration, mourning, and remembrance as observed by Twelver Shi’a Muslims | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Type | Event | Remark/Notes | |
Muharram | ||||
1 | M | Mourning of Muharram starts | continues for 2 months and 8 days until the 8th of Rabi-al-awwal | |
2 | M | Arrival of Husayn ibn Ali in Karbalā, 61 AH | ||
3 | M | Water supply to the camp of Husayn ibn Ali was stopped | ||
7 | M | Stored water in the tents of the camp of Husayn ibn Ali runs out | ||
9 | M | Eve of Ashura | Called “Tāsūʿā” in Arabic | |
10 | M | Day of Ashura | Martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali & his companions in 61 AH | |
M | Night of ʿĀshūrāʾ | Called “Shaam-e-Ghariba” in Persian and Urdu | ||
12 | M | Burial of the martyrs of Karbala by Bani Asad | Aided by Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin according to mystic belief | |
17 | R | Abraha attacked the Kaʿbah in the Year of the Elephant | ||
18 | R | Changing of the Qibla | From Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Kaʿbah, 2 AH | |
20 | M | 10th day after ʿĀshūrāʾ | ||
25 | M | Martyrdom of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, 95 AH | ||
30 | M | 20th day after ʿĀshūrāʾ | ||
Safar | ||||
1 | R | Battle of Siffin, 37 AH | ||
M | Prisoners of Karbalā reach Yazid’s palace in Syria | |||
7 | R | Birth of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, 128 AH | Due to the mourning of Karbala it is not celebrated | |
10 | M | Martyrdom of Ruqayyah bint Husayn, youngest daughter of Husayn ibn Ali and a prisoner of Karbalā | 13 Safar is most authentic | |
M | 30th day after ʿĀshūrāʾ | |||
R | Victory to Ali in the Battle of Nahrawan | |||
12 | R | Birth of Salman the Persian | ||
17 | M | Martyrdom of Ali ar-Ridha, 203 AH | According to some scholars 29 Safar or 23rd Dhu al-Qi’dah | |
20 | M | Ar’baeen / Chehlum | 40th day after ʿĀshūrāʾ | |
28 | M | Martyrdom of Muhammad, 11 AH | ||
M | Martyrdom of Hasan ibn Ali, 50 AH | |||
Rabi’ al-Awwal | ||||
1 | R | Hijrah | The migration of Muhammad | |
4 | M | Martyrdom of Fatimah bint Musa | ||
8 | M | Martyrdom of Hasan al-Askari, 260 AH | ||
9 | C | Eid-e-Zahra | ||
14 | C | Death of Yazid | ||
15 | R | First mosque (Quba Mosque) was established, 1 AH | ||
17 | C | Birth of Muhammad, 53 BH Mawlid | ||
C | Birth of Ja’far al-Sadiq, 83 AH | 6th Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | ||
18 | C | Birth of Umm Kulthum bint Ali | ||
Rabi’ al-Thani | ||||
8 | C | Birth of Hasan al-Askari, 232 AH | 11th Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
Jumada al-Awwal | ||||
10 | R | Battle of the Camel | ||
13 | M | Martyrdom of Fatimah bint Muhammad, 11 AH | According to some scholars on the 3rd of Jamadi al-Thani | |
15 | C | Birth of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, 37 AH | Popular opinion is 5th of Shaʿbān | |
Jumada al-Thani | ||||
3 | M | Martyrdom of Fatimah bint Muhammad, 11 AH | According to some scholars on the 13th of Jumada al-Awwal | |
13 | M | Death of Umm ul-Banin (mother of Abbas ibn Ali) | ||
20 | C | Birth of Fatimah bint Muhammad, 8 BH | ||
26 | M | Martyrdom of Ali al-Hadi | According to some scholars on 3rd of Rajab | |
Rajab | ||||
1 | C | Birth of Muhammad al-Baqir, 57 AH | 5th Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
7 | C | Birth of Abbas ibn Ali, 36 AH | Popular opinion is 4th of Shaʿbān | |
10 | C | Birth of Muhammad al-Taqi, 195 AH | 9th Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
13 | C | Birth of Ali ibn Abi Talib, 23 BH | 1st Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
15 | M | Martyrdom of Ja’far al-Sadiq | ||
18 | R | Death of Abraham | According to one narration | |
20 | C | Birth of Sukaynah bint Husayn | Teenage daughter of Husayn ibn Ali who was present at the Battle of Karbala | |
22 | C | Koo’nda (table cloth dinner) | Cultural Indo-Pak and Iranian day of feasting based on one narration of Ja’far al-Sadiq | |
24 | C | Birth of Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn | ||
25 | M | Martyrdom of Musa al-Kadhim | ||
26 | M | Martyrdom of Abu Talib | ||
27 | C | Miʻrāj & day of Mabʻath | ||
28 | M | Believed to be the day that Husayn ibn ‘Alī started his journey to Karbalā from Madinah in 60 AH | ||
Shaʿbān | ||||
1 | C | Birth of Zaynab bint Ali, 6 A.H. | ||
3 | C | Birth of Husayn ibn Ali, 4 A.H. | 3rd Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
4 | C | Birth of Abbas ibn Ali | ||
5 | C | Birth of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin | 4th Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
11 | C | Birth of Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn | ||
14 | C | Birth of Qasim ibn Hasan | ||
14 | R | Laylat al Bara’at | ||
17 | C | Birth of Ruqayyah bint Husayn | Infant daughter of Husayn ibn Ali who was present at the Battle of Karbala | |
Ramadhan | ||||
4 | R | Descending of the Torah (according to one narration) | The Torah (Tawrat) was bestowed on Moses (Musa) | |
10 | M | Death of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid | First wife of Muhammad | |
12 | R | Descending of the Gospel (according to one narration) | The Gospel (Injil) was bestowed on Jesus (Isa) | |
14 | M | Martyrdom of Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd Al-Thaqafi | ||
15 | C | Birth of Hasan ibn Ali | 2nd Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
17 | R | Battle of Badr | ||
18 | R | Descending of the Psalms (according to one narration) | The Psalms (Zabur) were bestowed on David (Dawood) | |
19 | M | Laylat al-Qadr & “Day of Striking” | Ali ibn Abi Talib was struck on the head by a sword and fatally wounded, 40 AH | |
20 | R | Victorious Conquest of Mecca | ||
21 | M | Laylat al-Qadr & Martyrdom of Ali, 40 AH | Ali ibn Abi Talib dies due to injuries sustained by the sword | |
23 | R | Laylat al-Qadr | ||
xx | R | Last Friday of Ramadhan | ||
Shawwal | ||||
1 | C | Eid ul-Fitr | ||
2 | R | Battle of the Trench | ||
8 | M | Day of Sorrow | destruction of Janat-ul-Baqi by Ibn Saud | |
9 | R | Marriage of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid to Muhammad | ||
10 | R | Major Occultation of Muhammad al-Mahdi begins | ||
15 | R | Martyrdom of Hamzah in the Battle of Uhud, 3 AH | According to Mafatih Al-Jinan & Allama Syed Zeeshan Haider Jawadi | |
29 | R | Birth of Abu Talib | ||
Dhu al-Qi’dah | ||||
1 | R | Birth of Fatimah bint Musa | ||
6 | R | Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was executed, 6 AH | ||
11 | C | Birth of Ali ar-Ridha, 148 AH | 8th Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims | |
25 | R | “Dahwul Ardh” | “Spreading of the Earth”, also believed to be the day that the Ka’bah was established, and that Ibrahim and Isa were born according to some narrations | |
29 | M | Martyrdom of Muhammad al-Taqī, 220 AH | ||
Dhu al-Hijjah | ||||
1 | R | Marriage of Fatimah bint Muhammad to Ali, 2 BH | ||
3 | R | Renunciation of Adam accepted | ||
7 | M | Martyrdom of Muhammad al-Baqir, 114 AH | ||
8 | M | Husayn ibn Ali leaves Makkah for Karbala, 60 AH | ||
9 | R | Day of Arafah | It is also a day of supererogatory fasting. | |
M | Martyrdom of Muslim ibn Aqeel & Hani ibn Urwa in Kufa, 60 AH | |||
10 | C | Eid al-Adha | ||
15 | C | Birth of Ali al-Hadi, 212 AH | 10th Imam of Twelver Shia Muslims. According to some scholars on 2nd Rajab or 5th Rajab | |
16 | M | Martyrdom of Zaynab bint Ali | ||
18 | C | Eid al-Ghadeer | ||
19 | R | Fatimah went to Ali’s house after their marriage | ||
23 | R | Martyrdom of the children of Muslim ibn Aqeel, 60 AH | Buried in Musayyib, Iraq | |
24 | C | Eid al-Mubahila | ||
27 | R | Martyrdom of Maytham al-Tammar, 60 AH | ||
Type symbols: C = Celebration, M = Mourning, R = Remembrance; Source: Jaffery Welfare Trust: 2009 Islamic calendar & various other calendars and almanacs. |

This painting by Yousef Abdinejad is entitled “Martyrdom of Imam Ali”. It depicts Ali being assassinated by Ibn Muljam. There are also angels prohibiting Ibn Muljam from hitting Ali by sword.
Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia