Mumbai: Sufis celebrated Eid-E-Ghadeer, one of the most important dates in the Islamic calendar by planting trees and spreading the message of protecting the environment.
In Mumbai, rose shrubs were planted on Tuesday at the Mahim road junction near the Makhdoom Shah dargah, one of the most visited dargahs in the city. Across India, the Sufi Islamic Board is planting over 10,000 trees and flowering shrubs over the week to mark the day. The festival was celebrated on June 24 in India, but the day was marked on Tuesday in countries like Iran.
Eid-e-Ghadeer is the day when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) declared Imam Ali, his cousin and son-in-law as his successor. The day is significant for the Shias sect who consider Ali their first Imam. The festival of Eid-e-Ghadeer gets its name from Ghadeer Khumm where the prophet gave his final sermon. The event is observed on the eighth day after the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which ended on June 19.
Though Sunnis have a different interpretation of the day and look at the Prophet’s declaration as an affirmation of his esteem for Ali, the Sufis who constitute a majority of the Sunni sect, revere Ali. Mansoor Khan, president of the Sufi Islamic Board, said that the community will now make planting of trees a regular feature of their celebrations. “All communities should make care for the environment a part of their festivals. The air we breathe is a gift from the trees,” said Khan.
Khan added that 7,500 trees have been planted till Tuesday as part of the programme across the country. The group hopes to complete 11,000 plantings by the end of the week.
