Navruz, Sada, Mehrgon, Tirgon – do national holidays contradict Islam?
Source: Sputnik Tajikistan.
The Chairman of the Council of Ulema of Tajikistan explained the Hanafi madhhab's ruling on celebrating pre-Islamic national holidays in Tajikistan. Some social media users believe that celebrating several national holidays does not correspond to Islam.
The head of the Council of Ulema of Tajikistan Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda commented on this topic. He stated that, according to the precepts of Islam, especially the Hanafi madhhab, observing any national customs, traditions, and practices that do not contradict this religion is permitted.
"If they do not contradict the Muslim religion and beliefs and do not harm the Muslim faith and religious practice, then there are no problems. All Islamic countries, like us, have their national celebrations, for example, independence and agricultural holidays, and they celebrate them on a large scale," he said.
Over the past 25 years, Tajikistan has officially recognized four ancient Aryan and pre-Islamic holidays at the national and international levels: Nowruz, Sada, Tirgon, and Mehrgon.
For example, Sada, which falls on January 30, is celebrated throughout the country on these days. This day has been an official holiday for 8 years.
The Iranian people celebrate Sada as a festival of light and the beginning of preparations for Nowruz. This event marks the start of the agricultural, farming, and gardening season. Fire, a symbol of the Mithraic religion—worship of the sun—is one of its important elements.
Navruz, another holiday of the Iranian people, is recognized as an international holiday. It was included in the Register of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
In addition, on December 4 last year, Tajikistan and Iran jointly included Mehrgon in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Then, on January 31, 2025, the Supreme Assembly of Tajikistan decided to celebrate Tirgon on July 1.
However, in the republic, only Navruz is an official holiday. It is also considered the New Year by the Iranian people. In turn, Sada, Mehrgon, and Tirgon are celebrated as agricultural holidays, not days off. At the same time, the Muslim holidays of Ramadan and Idi Qurbon are days off.
Meanwhile, the Government of Tajikistan, whose population is predominantly Muslim, considers national holidays to be non-religious. Islamic opponents of the authorities call these celebrations "forbidden", and pagan, contrary to the Islamic religion and beliefs. Why?
Experts say that after the collapse of the USSR, Tajikistan, compared to other Muslim countries of Central Asia, faced the threat of Islamic extremism. Especially the ideology of takfirism, which rejects all national values, symbols, holidays, and traditions and seeks to turn the country into an Islamic, even Arab one.
Security expert Firdavs Jalilov says that the revival of national holidays pursues several goals. Among them are reducing the intensity of Islamic extremism, familiarizing the population with national customs and traditions, and providing Tajiks, both men and women, with the opportunity to preserve their true identity as bearers of Iranian civilization and culture.
"Governments that emphasize Islamic values, rather than national values, have come to power in Iran and Afghanistan. The people are trying to preserve them, but in the long term, they are at risk of disappearing. For example, some in these countries consider Islamic and Arab historical personalities higher than national. On the contrary, Tajikistan is trying to protect both Islamic and national values," he said.
Another statement by experts: Tajikistan wants to protect the Hanafi madhhab, which is followed by 95% of the country's population because it respects national traditions and customs.
That is why its followers make up more than half of the world's Muslims since they see both their faith and their national identity in this. Religious expert Iqbol Aminov claims that the Tajik government has managed to protect the Hanafi madhhab from takfirism and deobandism, which were introduced into the country's religious sphere by Western and regional intelligence services in the early years of independence.
"For example, the holiday of Navruz was celebrated for 1,400 years in Central Asia and beyond territories under Muslim rule, but followers of takfirism and deodands in Tajikistan in the 21st century declare it "forbidden". What is the logic? For 14 centuries this was not an issue, but why is this dispute today? What is the goal? There is only one goal - to destroy Iranian culture and replace it with Arab-Islamic culture, which feeds on extremism. The extremism that the West uses to confront Russia, China, and Iran. The extremism that al-Qaeda*, the Taliban** and ISIS*, etc. are its products" the expert believes.
Experts say that Islamic ideology has deep roots in Tajikistan, and the government of the country, whose population is predominantly Muslim, understands this.
The authorities also understand that the Muslim religion is part of the national culture of the republic, and Tajiks have played a key role in its development and expansion.
For this reason, national holidays are seen as a campaign to attract the population to cooperate in ensuring food security in the country.
* A terrorist extremist organization banned in Russia and Tajikistan.
** The organization is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.
