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EveryParampara

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.

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.

RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 3 moreAs-salamu alaykumسَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ A traditional Arabic greeting of peace exchanged in daily life and prayerEtiquette 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreGhazalغَزَل A short rhyming poem of love and parting, recited and sung from Arabia to South AsiaPerformance 🇵🇰 Islamabad, Pakistan and 2 moreQawwaliقَوّالی Devotional Sufi singing from South Asia, led by hereditary parties at shrinesPerformance 🇧🇩 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 🇮🇳 India and 1 morePhulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ Geometric and floral threadwork embroidered by Punjabi women on handwoven cotton.Craft 🇮🇳 Gwalior, India and 1 moreDhrupadध्रुवपद The foundational vocal and instrumental classical music tradition of northern IndiaPerformance 🇦🇫 Kabul, Afghanistan and 1 moreJirgaجرګه A traditional consultative council of elders that settles disputes through consensusCeremony 🇵🇰 Karachi, Pakistan and 2 moreSouth Asian truck art The craft of painting and adorning cargo trucks and buses across India and Pakistan.Craft 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLohri A northern Indian midwinter festival of evening bonfires, folk songs and harvest foodsSeasonal 🇵🇰 Islamabad, PakistanPakistan Independence Dayیومِ آزادی A nationwide summer holiday commemorating the birth of Pakistan on 14 August 1947Ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ A Bengali pre-wedding ceremony where turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groomRite of passage 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMangalasutraमङ्गलसूत्रम् (maṅgalasūtram) A necklace tied by the groom at a wedding, worn through married lifeDress 🇦🇫 Kabul, Afghanistan and 1 moreBurqa A garment covering the body and face, worn by some Muslim womenDress 🇮🇳 India and 2 morePandal Temporary decorated pavilions and arches built for festivals and gatheringsFestival 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 3 moreChaand Raatचाँद रात, چاند رات The South Asian night of moon-sighting and celebration before EidFestival 🇵🇰 Lahore, PakistanMela Chiraghanمیلہ چراغاں A three-day Lahore festival honouring the sixteenth-century Sufi poet Shah Hussain.Spiritual 🇮🇳 India and 2 morePehlwani A traditional discipline of clay-pit wrestling across the Indian subcontinent.Game 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreLangarਲੰਗਰ The free kitchen at a gurdwara, where all sit and eat together as equalsTable custom 🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif, AfghanistanNowruzنوروز The Afghan spring new year, celebrated with picnics, wheat pudding and dried fruit.Seasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 Pune, India and 5 moreTurbanدولبند (dolband) Cloth wound around the head, worn for faith, rank, shade and identityDress 🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreBaul traditionবাউল A Bengali devotional minstrel path uniting mystic poetry, music and dancePerformance 🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India Weddings across India, each shaped by faith, region and familyRite of passage 🇵🇰 Multan, Pakistan and 3 moreShalwar kameez Loose trousers and a long tunic, worn as one outfit across South AsiaDress 🇧🇩 BangladeshEid prayersصلاة العيد The yearly festival prayer of the two Eids, offered in the morning by MuslimsSpiritual 🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 5 moreSuhurسحور The pre-dawn meal Muslims eat before a day of fasting in RamadanTable custom · Breakfast 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreProstration Bowing the whole body to the ground, in prayer and as a sign of respectSpiritual 🇵🇰 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 🇧🇩 BangladeshNight of Powerليلة القدر The night Muslims believe the Quran first came down, sought in Ramadan's last ten nightsSpiritual 🇮🇳 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 🇮🇳 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 🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage 🇮🇳 Hyderabad, IndiaClothing of Hyderabad Traditional attire of Hyderabad, shaped by South Asian and Islamic stylesDress 🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India Marriage rites and festive gatherings celebrated across the diverse communities of India.Rite of passage 🇮🇳 Varanasi, India and 3 moreDupattaदुपट्टा A traditional South Asian scarf worn across the shoulders, chest, and headDress 🇮🇳 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 🇲🇻 MaldivesMaahefun A Maldivian gathering for the last meal before the Ramadan fast beginsTable custom · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 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.

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.