✅ Answer:

Nowruz is a Persian word meaning 'new day.' Since before Islam, among the Persians, there were two days that were considered their holidays: one was Mehregan, the autumnal equinox, and the other was Nowruz, which, according to some, marks the spring equinox. The equinox means the day when night and day are equal. The one in autumn is called Mehregan, and the one in spring is called Nowruz.

✅ This day has three well-known names: 1- Eid 2- Nowruz 3- The first day of the year or the new year.

✅ Briefly, we will review what these names refer to from the perspective of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them):

1- Eid:

✅ Mufaddal said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), 'How many Eids do Muslims have?' He replied: 'They have four Eids.' I said: 'I know Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Friday (which is Eid). Which is the fourth?' He replied: 'The greatest and most noble of them is the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Ghadir).'

📚 Khasa'il, Volume 1, Page 264

✅ Numerous narrations mention these four days as Eids. There is also a general definition for Eid: Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: 'Any day in which disobedience to Allah does not occur, that day is an Eid.'

📚 Nahj al-Balagha

✅ According to the narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), the day of Nowruz is not considered a holiday. Calling this day an Eid is a clear innovation and has no Islamic foundation.

✅ 2- The second name of this day is Nowruz.

This phrase in Arabic means 'Yawm Jadid,' which means a new and fresh day. Let’s see what day the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) refer to as Nowruz or a new day:

✅ Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

There is no day that passes over the son of Adam except that it says to him: 'O son of Adam, I am a new day, and I bear witness for you. So speak good words and perform good deeds in me, so I may testify for you on the Day of Judgment.'

📚 Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 523

✅ In confirmation of the above narration and to clarify that Nowruz and the 'new day' in the belief of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) refers to every day, not just the first of Farvardin, consider the following narration:

✅ It is narrated that Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: 'Our Nowruz is every day.'

📚 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Volume 3, Page 300

✅ It is clear that the name Nowruz is not specifically for the first of Farvardin of the Persians; rather, all days are considered Nowruz from the perspective of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).

✅ 3- Another name for this day is the first day of the year or the new year. Referring to the narrations, it is clear that Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) have identified two different times as the beginning of the year:

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

The head and beginning of the year is Laylat al-Qadr, when what will happen from this year to the next is written down.

📚 Tahdhib, Volume 4, Page 332

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

👈 Laylat al-Qadr is both the beginning of the year and also the end of the previous year.

📚 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Volume 2, Page 156

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) said: 'In the month of Ramadan, which is the beginning of the year, recite this prayer...'

📚 Al-Kafi, Volume 4, Page 72

✅ Imam Reza (peace be upon him) narrated from his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would perform two rak'ahs of prayer on the first of Muharram and then raise his hands and recite this prayer three times:

اللهم أنت الإله القدیم و هذه سنه جدیده...

O Allah, You are the eternal God, and this is a new year...

📚 Iqbal, Volume 2, Page 554

This means that the first of Muharram is the first day of the new year.

✅ Based on the above narrations, the beginning of the year is either the first day of Muharram or the night of Laylat al-Qadr or the month of Ramadan, and Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) did not designate the first of Farvardin as the beginning of the year or the New Year.

✅ With the brief explanations above, it is clear that Nowruz, the New Year, and the holiday that the Persians call the first of Farvardin, differ in the view of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). These divine proofs have designated these names for other occasions. However, pay attention to the following narration:

✅ The accursed Mansur Dawaniki sent for Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) to come and sit so that they could greet him for Nowruz and receive the gifts and offerings of the holiday.

👈 Imam said: 'I have searched through all the traditions of my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), but I did not find any hadith or narration about this holiday. Indeed, this Nowruz is the tradition of the Persians (Iranians), and Islam has erased and abolished it. I seek refuge with Allah from reviving that which Islam has abolished.' 👉

Mansur Dawaniki said: 'We do this for the sake of the army's policy (since his army was Iranian, and he wanted to please them by reviving this day so they would obey him better).' Imam (out of necessity) sat down...

📚 Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashub, Volume 4, Page 318

👇👇👇

From the above, it is clear that the first of Farvardin is not considered a holiday or the beginning of the Islamic year in Islam. The Nowruz of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) is every day, not specifically the first of Farvardin, and no hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) confirms this holiday.

In fact, a hadith contrary to it has been narrated. In contrast, several scattered and unverified narrations from Ma'ali ibn Khunays in some books discuss the importance of this day, the most important of which is from the book Misbah of Sheikh Tusi. It is now clear that this narration was not part of the original text of Misbah and was likely added later, and from then on, it appeared in some books like Wasail al-Shi'a, mistakenly thought to be a narration by Sheikh Tusi.

These narrations, particularly in some astronomical books, are detailed in a way that lacks legal validity. Several narrations from Ma'ali require reliable witnesses to confirm their authenticity, but these witnesses do not exist. In fact, numerous narrations contrary to them can be found, some of which have been mentioned.

✅ It should be noted that one of the earliest sources that mentions this day as a holiday is the book 'Majmu' al-A'yad' by Tabrani in the 4th century.

He was a 'severe extremist' from the 'extremists of the Nusayriyyah,' and in a narration in his book, he introduces ten holidays, one of which is the day Abul Khattab was introduced as the gatekeeper of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), and one of them is Nowruz. The falsehood in this narration is evident because the author of this book was an 'extremist,' indicating that in addition to the Persian tradition, promoting Nowruz has roots in the beliefs of the cursed Nusayriyyah extremists.

✅ Many aspects of this day, such as Chaharshanbe Suri and the 13-day holiday, also conflict openly with the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Even if you think or are informed that the occurrence of this (appearance of Imam al-Zamana) will happen tomorrow, never leave seeking sustenance.'

📚 Al-Kafi, Volume 5, Page 79

✅ Many good deeds during this time, such as house cleaning, visiting, gifting, and so on, done in respect for Nowruz, are not specifically related to this day in the traditions of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). It is very easy to prove this, as the indifference of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) to this day is very clear.

Although these actions are generally good deeds, because they are done out of respect for Nowruz, they are not considered commendable.

✅ Unfortunately, many corruptions, innovations, and sins occur regarding this ancient holiday, and large sums of money are spent on it. However, sadly, no effort is made for the noble holiday of Ghadir, which is the greatest of Muslim holidays.

✅ It should be noted that none of the recommended or obligatory religious acts are specified according to the solar months. Only a few cases are mentioned according to the Roman months. By studying the history of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Imam Ali, and Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), it becomes very clear that this family showed no attention to Nowruz and did not revive it!

And only because some Iranians lived among the Arabs and, according to their custom, gave gifts to others on Nowruz, the companions asked the Imams whether it was permissible to accept these gifts. The Imam allowed receiving them only if they were given to us and on the condition that the giver was a prayerful person.

Refer to 📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 141.

✅ Nowruz has been altered several times throughout history by Iranian kings!

And ultimately, the first of Farvardin has remained as Nowruz, and for this reason, even great scholars like Allama Majlisi have discussed the determination of the Nowruz day extensively, leaving it ambiguous at the end without a definite conclusion.

✅ The above topic has been briefly discussed, and there are various details regarding each of them.

✅ When a gift was brought for Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) on Nowruz, he said: What is this? They replied: Today is Nowruz! Imam said:

'Make every day Nowruz for us.'

📚Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 3, p. 300

✅ From the above hadith, it is clear that Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) did not pay particular attention to Nowruz, and that they did not take any special action for this day.

✅ Nowruz has always been significant and revived for the Caliphs and the Abbasid kings because their origins and roots were from Iran, and their armies and capitals were in Iran.

✅ It is hoped that we will make every effort to revive Islamic holidays, especially Eid al-Ghadeer, and avoid engaging in matters that have no religious basis.

✅ In the next part, we present a very authentic hadith that clarifies the roots of some of the facts and associations of the day of Nowruz to the believers:

✅ Abu al-Salt Harawi says: Imam Reza (peace be upon him) narrated from his noble ancestors, from Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), who said that three days before the martyrdom of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), a man from the aristocracy of Tamim named Amr came to him and asked about the people of the well. He asked: When did the people of the well live? Where was their residence? Who was their king? Did God send a prophet to them or not? And why did they perish? Their names are mentioned in the Quran, but there is no news about them. The Imam said: You have asked something that no one before you has asked me, and after me, no one will report it to you except from me. There is no verse in the Quran that I do not know, and I know its interpretation, and I also know where it was revealed, whether in a mountain or in a plain, and at what time, whether night or day? Here — he pointed to his blessed chest with his hand — there is much knowledge, but the seekers are few, and soon, when they lose me, they will regret it. O Tamimi! Their story is as follows: They worshiped a pine tree called 'King of Trees.' This tree was planted by Yafath ibn Noah by a spring called 'Dushab,' which had sprung for Noah (peace be upon him) after the flood. The reason they were called the People of the Well is that they buried and imprisoned their prophet in the ground. Their time was after Solomon ibn David (peace be upon him). They had twelve villages along a river from the east, which was also called 'Rass.' In those days, there was no river more abundant and sweeter than that on the earth, and no villages more prosperous and populated than theirs. Their names were, in order: Aban, Azar, Dey, Bahman, Esfandar, Farvardin, Ordibehesht, Khordad, Mordad, Tir, Mehr, and Shahrivar. Their largest city was Esfandar, where the king resided. His name was Tarkodh ibn Ghabur ibn Yaros ibn Sazan ibn Nimrod ibn Canaan, and this Canaan was the Pharaoh during the time of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The spring and the pine tree were in this city, and in each village, a seed of that pine tree was planted, and that seed grew into a huge tree. They had made the water of that spring and rivers forbidden, and neither they nor their animals drank from it. Anyone who did was killed, and they said: This water is the life of our gods, and it is not appropriate for anyone to diminish the life of our gods. They used the river Rass, by which their villages were built, for water. In every month of the year, they had a designated festival in each village, where the people of that village gathered and hung a silk curtain with various designs on the great tree of the village. Then they would bring cows and sheep and sacrifice them to the tree, piling firewood on the sacrifices, lighting a fire, and when the smoke of the sacrifices rose into the air and separated them from the sky, they would prostrate before the tree.

They would prostrate before the tree and cry and lament to please it, and the devil would come and move the branches of the tree, and from its trunk, a voice like a child would cry out: 'O my servants! I am pleased with you, rest and be happy, and your eyes will shine.' They would raise their heads from the prostration, drink wine, play music, and make sounds with cymbals, spending the day and night in this manner, then leave. The Persians named their months after these villages, calling them Aban month, Azar month, and so on, because the people of those villages would say: This festival is in this month, and that festival is in that month. And on the festival of the largest village (meaning the festival of Esfandar), the young and old of them gathered in that city, and near the spring and pine tree, a silk tent was erected, adorned with various designs. This tent had twelve doors, each door belonging to the people of one village. They would prostrate outside the tent before the pine tree and sacrifice many more animals than those of the smaller villages, and the devil would come to that tree, shake it violently, and speak loudly from within, promising them more than all the devils combined. They would raise their heads from the prostration, and due to their intense joy and pleasure, they would become so intoxicated that they were unable to speak. For twelve days and nights, corresponding to their twelve festivals in the year, they would spend the days in the same way, and then leave. When disbelief in God and worship of other than God lasted among them for a long time, God Almighty sent a prophet from the Children of Israel, from the descendants of Judah ibn Jacob, to them. He stayed among them for a long time, calling them to worship God and recognize His lordship, but they did not follow him. When the prophet saw that they were deeply immersed in misguidance and rejected his call to growth and salvation, and the festival of their largest city arrived, he said: 'O God, these your servants do nothing but deny me and disbelieve in You, and they worship a tree that has no benefit or harm.' He asked God to dry up all their trees and show them His power and greatness. The next morning, all the trees were dry. This frightened them, and they felt helpless and divided into two groups. One group said: 'This man who claims to be the messenger of the God of the heavens and the earth has enchanted your gods to turn you from your gods to His.' The other group said: 'No, rather your gods have become angry when they saw this man criticizing them and speaking ill of them, and calling you to worship another god. They have hidden their beauty and value from you to make you angry and take revenge on him.' They all decided to kill him. To do so, they used long lead pipes with wide openings, stacking them from the bottom of the spring to the surface like clay pipes for drainage, and drew the water from the spring or pipe. Then they dug a deep hole with a narrow opening at the bottom and threw their prophet into it, placing a large rock on top of it. Then they removed the pipes from the water and said: 'Now that the gods have seen that we have killed the one who spoke ill of them and prevented us from worshiping them, we have buried him under the greatest of gods, so that his soul may find peace. We hope they will be pleased with us and return their vitality and freshness to us, as it was before.' All day, the people heard the voice of their prophet crying out: 'O my Lord, do You see the narrowness of my space and the severity of my distress? Have mercy on my weakness and helplessness, and take my soul soon, and do not delay my prayer!' Until he passed away.

God Almighty said to Gabriel: 'O Gabriel! Do these my servants, whom My patience and forbearance have deceived, thinking they are safe from My wrath, and worship others than Me, and have killed My prophet, think they can resist My anger, or can they escape from My power? How is that possible?! When I will take revenge on anyone who disobeys Me and fears not My punishment, and I have sworn by My majesty and greatness that I will make them a lesson for the people of the world. God made them feel the wrath and punishment, and they did not escape from it, except for the red winds that struck them. They were terrified and confused, seeking refuge with one another, and then the earth beneath their feet turned to burning sulfur. A black cloud overshadowed them, and a fiery dome-like flame fell upon them. Their bodies melted in the fire like molten lead. We seek refuge in God from His wrath and punishment. And there is no power and no strength except with God, the Most High, the Almighty.

📚Uyoon Akhbar al-Rida, Vol. 1, p. 209

✅ The remarkable similarity between the above event and the Nowruz of the Persians is not hidden from anyone, and it is amazing that many people have closed their eyes to the truths related to Nowruz. They attempt to revive it in various ways, trying to present it as a religious celebration and one that the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) would approve of. More importantly, instead of following the hadith transmitted by Ma'ali, which includes a recommendation for fasting and washing, and which has been recorded by astrologers and ghulat, they engage in other actions, corrupt celebrations, and forbidden pleasures.

✅ 👈 Since Eid al-Ghadeer is the most honorable of the four major holidays of Muslims and Shi'ites, it is recommended that, instead of spending wealth for the royal Nowruz, we strive with all our efforts to revive Eid al-Ghadeer to achieve a great reward, and by following the traditions of legitimate holidays, we may be relieved from striving for non-legitimate celebrations. Inshallah.