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.

🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreEvil eye A belief in harm cast by envious glares, met with protective charms and spoken blessingsFolklore

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 2 moreHijabحجاب A Muslim practice of modesty and dress, worn by women as a headscarf or more coveringDress

🇵🇰 PakistanPakistani weddingپاکستانی شادی Weddings across Pakistan: a match is found, a contract signed, two families joinedRite of passage

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreBindi A dot worn between the eyebrows, red for marriage and devotion, worn daily by many womenDress

🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreCoffee culture The habits and etiquette of drinking coffee, and the cafés built around itTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇧🇩 BangladeshNight of Powerليلة القدر The night Muslims believe the Quran first came down, sought in Ramadan's last ten nightsSpiritual

🇲🇱 MaliWuduوضوء The Islamic ritual washing with water before prayer and sacred actsSpiritual

🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi Arabia and 1 moreDay of Arafahيوم عرفة A holy day of prayer, repentance, and vigil on the second day of the Hajj pilgrimageSpiritual

🇸🇬 Singapore and 3 moreMatchmaking The custom of using a trusted intermediary to introduce partners for marriageRite of passage

🇮🇶 Kufa, Iraq and 5 moreArabic calligraphykhatt (خَطّ) Artistic handwriting of the Arabic script, practiced as a sacred craft and a living visual tradition.Craft

🇲🇱 MaliTayammumتيمم A dry ritual purification using clean earth or stone when water is unavailable or harmful.Spiritual

🇲🇱 Mali and 1 moreKhumsخُمْس The Islamic practice of giving a one-fifth share of certain wealth to designated causesSpiritual

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreMid-Sha'banنصف شعبان An Islamic night of prayer, forgiveness, ancestral remembrance and sweet offeringsSpiritual · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇶 Karbala, Iraq and 5 moreMourning of Muharramعَزَاءُ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ Annual rites of grief and remembrance for Imam Husayn and his companionsSpiritual

🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi ArabiaSa'eeالسعي The ritual walk between the twin hills of Safa and Marwa during Islamic pilgrimageSpiritual

🇲🇦 MoroccoBujloodبوجلود A masked carnival of animal skins held in Morocco just after Eid al-AdhaFestival

🇮🇶 Karbala, Iraq and 3 moreTasu'aتاسوعاء A Shia day of remembrance before Ashura, honouring Abbas and the fallen at KarbalaSpiritual

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreFatimiyyaفاطمیة A Shia period of mourning honoring the life and martyrdom of Lady FatimahSpiritual

🇮🇩 Pariaman, IndonesiaTabuik A Muharram mourning rite in Pariaman, Sumatra, ending with a bier carried into the seaSpiritual

🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreHadraحضرة A collective Sufi ritual of chanted divine remembrance, sacred poetry and rhythmic movementSpiritual 🇹🇷 TurkeyKandilقنديل Five holy nights marked by illuminated minarets and prayers in Turkey and the BalkansSpiritual · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇹🇷 Bursa, TurkeyLaylat al-Raghaibلَيْلَةُ الرّغائِب An Islamic night of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the three sacred monthsSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇹🇳 Tunisia and 1 moreBsisaبسيسة A North African grain and oil ritual to unlock blessings for the yearTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇮🇳 Muhamma, India and 5 moreAkhiri Chahar Shambah A day of bathing, prayer and charity on the last Wednesday of SafarSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreRemoval of footwear indoors The widespread custom of leaving outdoor shoes at the door for cleanliness and respectEtiquette

🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaManasikمناسك The complete set of Islamic pilgrimage rites performed in and around Mecca.Spiritual 🇦🇱 Gjirokastër, Albania and 5 moreDodola and Perperuna A rainmaking ritual kept across Southeast Europe, where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summerSpiritual

🇮🇳 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

🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreRowzeh-khani A Shia Muslim ritual of reciting mourning narratives about the Battle of Karbala.Spiritual 🇩🇿 AlgeriaWezeeaوزيعة A communal meat-sharing custom fostering rural solidarity across AlgeriaSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇷 Tehran, Iran and 5 moreChadorchādar A full-length open cloak that is pulled over the head and held shut by handDress

🇵🇸 al-Khader, PalestineFeast of Saint George An annual gathering of Palestinian Christians and Muslims honouring Saint GeorgeSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇩🇿 Constantine, AlgeriaM'layaملاية A black full-body veil worn by women in Constantine, Algeria, as a sign of modesty.Dress

🇩🇿 Tlemcen, AlgeriaAshura in Algeriaيوم عاشوراء A day of fasting, almsgiving, evening feasting and regional folk masquerades.Festival · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaPadusan A Javanese purification bath kept by the Abangan community before Ramadan begins.Spiritual

🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreĐurđevdanЂурђевдан A spring festival and feast of Saint George kept across the Balkans and Eastern EuropeFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇧 Worldham, United Kingdom and 5 moreJalsa Salanaجلسہ سالانہ A three-day annual assembly for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, featuring lectures, prayers and communal meals.Festival · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationनिमन्त्रण पत्र/पत्रिका Decorative ceremonial cards sent to announce marriages and invite guests across IndiaRite of passage

🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage

🇮🇩 IndonesiaRampokan A Javanese rite of the closing days of Ramadan, with lancers ringed around big catsSpiritual 🇧🇳 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

🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNational costume of IndonesiaPakaian Nasional Indonesia The formal attire worn by Indonesians to represent the nation's diverse cultural heritage.Dress

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreShagoranaসাগরানা A ceremonial wedding feast platter presented to the groom in BangladeshTable custom · Feasts and festival meals

🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreMalam Tujuh Likurمالم توجوه ليكور The Malay custom of lighting oil lamps during the closing nights of Ramadan.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreEidiyahعيدية The holiday custom of presenting cash and gifts to children and relativesFestival 🇵🇸 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 🇨🇦 Toronto, CanadaRamadan in Canada A month of fasting, prayer and shared evening meals, kept by Muslims across CanadaSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreUrs-e-Razaviعرس اعلی حضرت A three-day annual Sufi gathering honouring the legacy of Imam Ahmad Raza KhanSpiritual

Photo credits on this page

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

Indian wedding invitation: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
Jalsa Salana: Ceddyfresse, Public domain, source
Đurđevdan: Anonymous Russian icon painter (before 1917) Public domain image (acco, Public domain, source
Mid-Sha'ban: sayyed shahab-o- din vajedi, CC BY 4.0, source
Padusan: Muhammad Khafidz Riza, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
National costume of Indonesia: President of Indonesia, Public domain, source
Pakistani wedding: Rukhsana iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bindi: Vinay Sahay, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Coffee culture: The original uploader was Hajor at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 3.0 br, source
Hijab: Sophie Barat, CC BY 2.0, source
Night of Power: M sh شراونة محمد, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bujlood: Hassan ahachi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tabuik: en:User:Brakatop upload to commons by Ladsgroup, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Rampokan: Elite Atelier H.G. Rimestadt (Fotograaf/photographer)., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Akhiri Chahar Shambah: Hans Kyoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Political marriages in India: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Wudu: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY 4.0, source
Ashura in Algeria: Jan Janssonius, Public domain, source
Feast of Saint George: Onceinawhile, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Day of Arafah: Al Jazeera English, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Chador: Marius Arnesen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Matchmaking: Pavel Fedotov, Public domain, source
Arabic calligraphy: Aieman Khimji, CC BY 2.0, source
Tayammum: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Khums: 'Uthman ibn Husayn al-warraq (the copyist), Public domain, source
Tasu'a: Alirajabzadeh49, CC BY 4.0, source
Mourning of Muharram: Naser Jafari, CC BY 4.0, source
Sa'ee: Aiman titi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fatimiyya: Mohsen Ataei, CC BY 4.0, source
Hadra: Zeinebtakouti, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bsisa: Kamelgazzah, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Removal of footwear indoors: Sarang, Public domain, source
Manasik: Dan ik, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
First haircut: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rowzeh-khani: Amir Hesaminejad, CC BY 4.0, source
Eidiyah: Rahbar Emamdadi, CC BY 4.0, source
Malam Tujuh Likur: Qatrunan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Shagorana: Caped CrusaderK, CC0, source