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.
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.
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.
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreIslamic marriageنِكَاح
The sacred contract, agreement and wedding celebration forming an Islamic marriageRite of passage · Feasts and festival meals
🇳🇬 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
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKenduri
A communal prayer meal and gathering shared across Indonesia, Malaysia and BruneiSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePhulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ
Geometric and floral threadwork embroidered by Punjabi women on handwoven cotton.Craft
🇲🇱 MaliMahrمهر
A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride in Islamic marriages, serving as her financial security.Rite of passage
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreRite of passage
A ceremony that marks leaving one group and entering another, with a new statusRite of passage
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan
A short communal meal on Java where neighbours share food, prayer and a wish for peaceSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ
A Bengali pre-wedding ceremony where turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groomRite of passage
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 1 moreHenna ceremonyليلة الحناء
A night of henna patterns on a bride's hands and feet, kept before the weddingRite of passage
🇬🇭 GhanaOutdooringkpojiemɔ (Ga), abadinto (Akan), vihehedego (Ewe)
A Ghanaian ceremony eight days after birth, when a baby is brought outdoors and namedRite of passage · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMangalasutraमङ्गलसूत्रम् (maṅgalasūtram)
A necklace tied by the groom at a wedding, worn through married lifeDress
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India
Weddings across India, each shaped by faith, region and familyRite of passage
🇨🇳 China and 6 moreRed envelope紅包 / 红包 (hóngbāo)
Money in a red packet, given at Lunar New Year, weddings and other big daysEtiquette
🇮🇷 Tehran, IranIranian weddingمراسم عروسی در ایران
A wedding with courtship visits, a henna night and a spread of symbols, kept across IranRite of passage
🇵🇰 PakistanPakistani weddingپاکستانی شادی
Weddings across Pakistan: a match is found, a contract signed, two families joinedRite of passage
🇸🇬 Singapore and 3 moreMatchmaking
The custom of using a trusted intermediary to introduce partners for marriageRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFirst haircut
A rite of passage marking a child's first shave or trim across many cultures and faiths.Rite of passage
🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreIslamic marital practices
Islamic wedding customs, from matchmaking and mahr to the nikah contract and walima feast.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India
Marriage rites and festive gatherings celebrated across the diverse communities of India.Rite of passage
🇮🇱 IsraelProfession of Faith
A public declaration of religious belief across Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditionsSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationनिमन्त्रण पत्र/पत्रिका
Decorative ceremonial cards sent to announce marriages and invite guests across IndiaRite of passage
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreShagoranaসাগরানা
A ceremonial wedding feast platter presented to the groom in BangladeshTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇵🇸 Jerusalem, Palestine and 1 moreThursday of the Deadخميس الأموات
A spring day of cemetery visits, prayer, and shared yellow breads across the LevantSpiritual · Sweets given and shared
🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding
A multi-stage marriage ritual of the Brunei Malay community, blending Islamic vows with traditional blessings and publicRite of passage · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India
Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage
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
- Indian wedding invitation: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
- Rite of passage: Rogier van der Weyden, Public domain, source
- Mangalasutra: Ackroydman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Phulkari: Sheebamadanloewinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Islamic marriage: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gaye holud: Arr4, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Slametan: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Weddings in India: Psoni2402, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Henna ceremony: No author provided, CC0, source
- Red envelope: Oldie~commonswiki, Public domain, source
- Iranian wedding: Flickr.com user "avlxyz", CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Pakistani wedding: Rukhsana iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Political marriages in India: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Matchmaking: Pavel Fedotov, Public domain, source
- First haircut: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Islamic marital practices: Saddam19, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Weddings in India: Jaisingh Rathore, CC BY 2.5, source
- Profession of Faith: Westminster Assembly, Public domain, source
- Shagorana: Caped CrusaderK, CC0, source