The Eid al-Ghadīr celebration was held at the Islamic Centre of England with the participation of Shia Muslims residing in London from various nationalities.
This grand event, which took place on Saturday, 14th June 2025, featured a speech by Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Seyed Hashem Moosavi, the Imam of the Islamic Centre of England. Delivering his remarks in both English and Farsi, he stated:
“Although we had hoped to hold this event under better circumstances, the importance of commemorating this great day demands that under no condition should we neglect honouring and introducing it to those who love the Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them).”
He emphasised that Ghadīr is the greatest turning point in the continuation of Islamic guidance, stating:
“Islam aims to guide us to the straight path. The Qur’an and the Prophet are two of the greatest instruments for achieving this. But did this mission to guide humanity end with the Prophet’s passing, or did it continue? Ghadīr is the answer to that question: Islam has a plan beyond the Prophet’s lifetime, and that plan hinges on Ghadīr as the point of continuation.”
Seyed Hashem Moosavi went on to say that while Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are among the most important Islamic celebrations, Eid al-Ghadīr stands apart:
“Ghadīr cannot be compared with any other Eid. One of its unique features is that it was the formal and public declaration of the Prophet’s successor. Although the Prophet (peace be upon him) had many times introduced Imam Ali (peace be upon him) as his successor, those occasions were often private. But this declaration was made during the Prophet’s final Hajj and in the presence of over 100,000 Muslims.”
Raising the question, “Why was Imam Ali (peace be upon him) appointed as the Prophet’s successor?”, Moosavi answered by citing a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
“Indeed, Allah has bestowed upon my brother Ali virtues too numerous to count.”
He also described Ghadīr as the greatest public pledge of allegiance in Islamic history, noting:
“There are very few days when Muslims publicly pledged allegiance to their leader as they did on this day. Tens of thousands of people from different lands pledged allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace be upon him). Our presence here today can be seen as a renewal of that heartfelt pledge.”
He stressed that spreading the message of Ghadīr is one of the most important duties of the Muslim Ummah. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), in his sermon at Ghadīr, made the audience pledge to deliver this message to their families and communities:
“Say all together: We will deliver this message from you to those near and far, among our children and families, and we call Allah to witness this commitment.”
He also cited another part of the sermon:
“O people, I entrust the command of leadership to the Imamate and succession in my family until the Day of Judgment. I have conveyed what I was commanded to convey, so let those present deliver it to those absent, and let fathers pass it on to their children until the Day of Judgment.”
Seyed Hashem Moosavi concluded:
“Attending the Ghadīr celebration certainly reflects our love for the Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them), but it does not by itself fulfil the duty we owe to Ghadīr.”
The event also featured a speech in Arabic by Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Seyed Qāsim Jalālī, who highlighted the Qur’anic basis for Ghadīr. He mentioned two verses related to the event—one revealed before the declaration and one after.
The first verse was:
“O Messenger! Convey that which has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message.”
He explained this verse shows:
1.The extraordinary importance of the announcement,
2.That Wilāyah (divinely-appointed leadership) is as vital as Prophethood itself,
3.That without Wilāyah, even the deeds of the Prophet would be void.
He then quoted the post-Ghadīr verse:
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.”
He emphasised that divine favour was only completed with the appointment of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and any blessing lacking this Wilāyah is incomplete.
The event concluded with eulogies and praise of the Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them) in both Farsi and Arabic, performed by dedicated reciters.
