Muslim traditions

Muslim traditions are found in nearly every country, from Morocco to Indonesia, and range from the five daily prayers and the Friday congregation to Ramadan, Eid, the hajj, Mawlid, Ashura and the customs of marriage, naming and burial. They share a core of belief and practice and take many local forms in food, dress, music and festivals. The calendar is lunar, so the dates move through the year. These pages describe Muslim traditions as those who keep them do, including local ones that differ between communities.

Prayer, Friday and the mosque

Muslims pray five times a day, facing Mecca, and gather for the Friday congregational prayer and sermon. Mosques are places of prayer, learning and community, and many hold meals in Ramadan. Cleanliness, modest dress and the removal of shoes are customary, and Quran recitation is a valued art. In many homes, the call to prayer sets the rhythm of the day, and children learn prayers from their parents and from a teacher.

Ramadan, Eid and the hajj

Ramadan, the month of fasting, is followed by Eid al-Fitr, and the hajj by Eid al-Adha. Both feasts are marked by prayer, new clothes, gifts and meals shared with family and the poor. The hajj draws about two million pilgrims to Mecca, and returning pilgrims are welcomed at home. Local customs, such as lanterns in Egypt, night markets in Indonesia and henna in South Asia, add colour to the occasions.

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Muslim (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreEid al-Fitrعيد الفطر The feast that ends Ramadan, opened with morning prayers, sweets and visits homeFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreMother's Day A worldwide annual celebration dedicated to mothers, maternal bonds and family careHome

🇮🇷 Iran and 7 moreNowruzنوروز The Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsSeasonal

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMawlidمولد (Mawlid) An annual festival marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, marked by poetry, processions and feasts.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 3 moreAs-salamu alaykumسَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ A traditional Arabic greeting of peace exchanged in daily life and prayerEtiquette 🇲🇱 MaliMahrمهر A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride in Islamic marriages, serving as her financial security.Rite of passage 🇨🇳 Hong Kong, China and 5 moreFace The shared social etiquette of honour, dignity and mutual respect across culturesEtiquette

🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreNakshi kanthaনকশি কাঁথা A traditional embroidered quilt from Bengal, made by stitching layers of old cloth into colourful, patterned textiles.Craft

🇹🇿 Zanzibar City, Tanzania and 2 moreSwahili doorMlango wa Kiswahili A carved wooden entrance from the East African coast, adorned with metal studs and intricate motifs.Craft 🇮🇳 Gwalior, India and 1 moreDhrupadध्रुवपद The foundational vocal and instrumental classical music tradition of northern IndiaPerformance

🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 3 morePersian gardenباغ ایرانی An ancient tradition of creating walled, geometric sanctuaries of shade and flowing waterCraft

🇲🇦 Marrakesh, Morocco and 5 moreGnawa musicڭْناوة or كْناوة A spiritual musical tradition of Morocco that blends West African rhythms with Islamic ritual to heal and connect communPerformance

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreGhazalغَزَل A short rhyming poem of love and parting, recited and sung from Arabia to South AsiaPerformance

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreIslamic marriageنِكَاح The sacred contract, agreement and wedding celebration forming an Islamic marriageRite of passage · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇩 Jakarta, Indonesia and 2 moreMudik Indonesians head home to family before Lebaran, in the year's biggest journeyHome

🇵🇰 Islamabad, Pakistan and 2 moreQawwaliقَوّالی Devotional Sufi singing from South Asia, led by hereditary parties at shrinesPerformance

🇮🇳 India and 1 morePhulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ Geometric and floral threadwork embroidered by Punjabi women on handwoven cotton.Craft

🇵🇰 Karachi, Pakistan and 2 moreSouth Asian truck art The craft of painting and adorning cargo trucks and buses across India and Pakistan.Craft

🇲🇦 Morocco and 5 moreAndalusi classical musicطرب أندلسي A classical suite of vocal and instrumental music shared across North AfricaPerformance 🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi Arabia and 2 moreBay'ahبَيْعَة An Islamic oath of allegiance pledged to a ruler or spiritual guideCeremony

🇹🇷 TurkeyRamadan in Turkey A holy month of fasting, prayer, and community meals, observed across Turkey with unique local customs.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇦🇫 Kabul, Afghanistan and 1 moreJirgaجرګه A traditional consultative council of elders that settles disputes through consensusCeremony

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSiesta A short afternoon rest or sleep taken after the midday mealHome · Lunch

🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and 4 moreMajlis A traditional sitting room and community assembly for hospitality and civic counselEtiquette

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKenduri A communal prayer meal and gathering shared across Indonesia, Malaysia and BruneiSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇹🇷 Konya, Turkey and 4 moreMevlevi OrderMevlevilik A Sufi tradition from Konya known for its whirling ceremony and devotion to Rumi's teachings.Spiritual

🇲🇿 Island of Mozambique, MozambiqueTufo A women's dance of northern Mozambique, performed at Islamic feasts to drums and songPerformance

🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi ArabiaIhramإِحْرَام A sacred state and simple dress that Muslims enter for Hajj and UmrahSpiritual 🇳🇬 Ibadan, Nigeria and 1 moreYoruba naming ceremonyÌkòlọ́pọ̀ Orúkọ Yorùbá A rite of passage where a newborn receives a destiny name through divination and family celebration.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals 🇲🇦 Morocco and 1 moreHamadsha A Moroccan possession rite kept by Muslim fraternities to cure affliction and restore social balance through music and dSpiritual

🇮🇩 IndonesiaIsra and Mi'rajالإسراء والمعراج (al-’Isrā’ wal-Miʿrāj) An Islamic observance marking the prophet Muhammad’s night journey and ascent through the heavens.Spiritual

🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreMaslenitsaМасленица A seven-day Eastern Slavic festival of pancakes and bonfires marking the end of winter before Lent.Festival · Breakfast

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreRite of passage A ceremony that marks leaving one group and entering another, with a new statusRite of passage

🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreSamaSema (Turkish); سَماع (Persian) A Sufi rite of listening, music and turning, kept by Mevlevi and other Sufi ordersSpiritual

🇵🇰 Islamabad, PakistanPakistan Independence Dayیومِ آزادی A nationwide summer holiday commemorating the birth of Pakistan on 14 August 1947Ceremony

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLohri A northern Indian midwinter festival of evening bonfires, folk songs and harvest foodsSeasonal

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreMid-Sha'banنصف شعبان An Islamic night of prayer, remembrance, and seeking divine forgiveness.Spiritual

🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineChristmas in UkraineРіздво (Rizdvo) A Ukrainian Christmas celebration with a twelve-dish vegan supper on Christmas Eve and observance on January 6 or DecembFestival · Supper

🇮🇷 Tehran, IranTa'ziyehتعزیه A ritual drama from Iran that retells the Karbala mourning each MuharramSpiritual

🇮🇷 Iran and 3 morePahlevani and zurkhaneh ritualsآیین پهلوانی و زورخانه‌ای A traditional Iranian martial art blending calisthenics, wrestling, music and ethicsGame

🇳🇬 Argungu, NigeriaArgungu Fishing Festival A four-day gathering in Nigeria where thousands compete to land giant river fishFestival

🇬🇭 Ghana and 3 moreDamba festivalDamba chuɣu A Ghanaian celebration of royal authority, ancestral memory, music and danceFestival

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreLebaranHari Raya Lebaran Indonesia's festive season of homecoming, seeking forgiveness and shared feastsFestival · Breakfast

🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptSham Ennessimشم النسيم An Egyptian spring festival of picnics, salted fish, green onions and painted eggsSeasonal

🇳🇬 Kano, NigeriaDurbar festival An equestrian gathering marking Muslim holidays across northern Nigerian emiratesFestival

🇺🇿 Bukhara, UzbekistanNavruzNavroʻz The spring equinox festival celebrated across Uzbekistan with sumalak and family visits.Seasonal · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan A short communal meal on Java where neighbours share food, prayer and a wish for peaceSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaSekatenꦱꦼꦏꦠꦺꦤ꧀ A week-long Javanese royal festival and market honouring the birth of the ProphetFestival

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Christmas in Ukraine: Halyna Kuchmanych, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Zajal: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
Eid al-Fitr: Mohammed Tawsif Salam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Argungu Fishing Festival: Jaekel, Francis., Public domain, source
Pakistan Independence Day: Khaum, CC BY 3.0, source
Isra and Mi'raj: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mother's Day: Dave Parker, CC BY 2.0, source
Ghazal: Poem by Sa'di of Shiraz (13th century). 19th century manuscript, Public domain, source
Mid-Sha'ban: sayyed shahab-o- din vajedi, CC BY 4.0, source
Mawlid: Firdaus Latif, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Maslenitsa: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mevlevi Order: Georges Jansoone ( JoJan ), CC BY 3.0, source
Lohri: Karen Sandhu, CC BY 2.0, source
Pahlevani and zurkhaneh rituals: Hossein Khosravi, CC BY 4.0, source
Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
Damba festival: Bash222, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lebaran: Nurudin Jauhari, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Sham Ennessim: Ikonact, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Durbar festival: Omotayo Tajudeen, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Navruz: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Sekaten: Kembangraps, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tufo: JCPBFerreira, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mudik: Arie Basuki, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Qawwali: Saswat swarup mishra, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ihram: United Press International, Public domain, source
South Asian truck art: Alexandros.Papadopoulos, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Rite of passage: Rogier van der Weyden, Public domain, source
Sama: myself, Public domain, source
Ta'ziyeh: Payam Moein, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Phulkari: Sheebamadanloewinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Siesta: Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, source
Majlis: Abū Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Zayd, CC0, source
Islamic marriage: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Jirga: Alpha4354747, Public domain, source
Slametan: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Persian garden: dynamosquito, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Ramadan in Turkey: Wiki leylek, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Swahili door: Halidtz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gnawa music: Lucyin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Nakshi kantha: A junaid alam khan ( talk ), Public domain, source