On the 18th of Dhil Hijja, which coincided with 15th of November, the London Islamic centre held a ceremony celebrating the auspicious day of Eid al-Ghadeer. Many people attended this ceremony to celebrate their Shi’ism and the appointment of the true successor of the Prophet, Amir al-Mu’mineen Ali ibn Abi Talib.
The ceremony started with the recitation of several verses of the Qur’an by Mustafa Marjaan, and then poetry and songs, which talked of the status and character of Amir al-Mu’mineen, were recited.
Later Mr. Tajbakhsh read a poem, regarding the virtues of Amir al-Mu’mineen, which was written by the contemporary poet Dr. Gasim Rasa. Afterwards the children of the school, which belongs to the Islamic revolution of Iran and is in London, recited several poems and read a song about the status of Amir al-Mu’mineen Ali ibn Abi Talib. When they finished they received a great applause from the crowd.
The head of this Islamic centre is Hujjat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen Mo’izzi, and he too spoke for a while and congratulated this day to all Muslims worldwide and called it the great Eid. He also said: “The Prophet of Islam (saw) announced one of the most important commandments of Islam, which he was informed of by angel Gabriel, on this great day. This decree completed his duty as a messenger and the religion of Islam. This decree was to appoint Amir al-Mu’mineen Ali ibn Abi Talib as his rightful successor. By doing so, the Prophet (saw) made Ali ibn Abi Talib the captain of the ship of Islam, and no other man was worthy of such a position. This is why all those who love the successor of the Prophet (saw) gather on this day to celebrate his appointment.”
The head of the Islamic centre continued to talk about the role of Islam as a propagator of equality and the Prophet (saw) as a mercy to mankind. He also added that the Prophet knew that he could not leave the Islamic community without a successor or they would go astray. Thus he appointed someone who was worthy of this position, and could guide the Muslims and keep them on the right path.
The following is a section of the sermon the Prophet (saw) read on Eid al-Ghadeer:
“O people! This is the last stand I make in such a situation; so, listen and obey, and submit to the Command of Allah, your Lord, for Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, is your Master and Lord, then next to Him is His Messenger and Prophet who is now addressing you, then after me 'Ali is your Master and Imam according to the Command of Allah, your Lord, then the Imams from among my progeny, his offspring, till the Day you meet Allah and His Messenger.
Nothing is permissible except what is deemed so by Allah, His Messenger, and they (the Imams), and nothing is prohibitive except what is deemed so by Allah and His Messenger and they (the Imams). Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, has made me acquainted with what is permissible and what is prohibitive, and I have conveyed to you what my Lord has taught me of His Book, of what it decrees as permissible or as prohibitive.
O people! Prefer him (' Ali) over all others! There is no knowledge except that Allah has divulged it to me, and all the knowledge I have learned I have divulged to Imam al-Muttaqin (leader of the righteous), and there is no knowledge (that I know) except that I divulged it to' Ali, and he is al-Imam al-Mubin (the evident Imam) whom Allah mentions in Surat ya-Sin: "... and everything We have computed is in (the knowledge of) an evident Imam" (Qur'an, 36:12).
O people! Do not abandon him, nor should you flee away from him, nor should you be too arrogant to accept his authority, for he is the one who guides to righteousness and who acts according to it. He defeats falsehood and prohibits others from acting according to it, accepting no blame from anyone while seeking to please Allah. He is the first to believe in Allah and in His Messenger; none preceded him as such. And he is the one who offered his life as a sacrifice for the Messenger of Allah and who was in the company of the Messenger of Allah while no other man was. He is the first of all people to offer prayers and the first to worship Allah with me. I ordered him, on behalf of Allah, to sleep in my bed, and he did, offering his life as a sacrifice for my sake.
O people! Prefer him (over all others), for Allah has preferred him, and accept him, for Allah has appointed him (as your leader).”
The head of the Islamic centre also stated that one of the duties of a believer is to hold Eid al-Ghadeer as a great Eid, as the Imams did, and to truly understand the Prophet’s (saw) sermon and reflect on it. After his speech finished a madah ( eulogist) of the household of the Prophet (saw) read some poetry and a song praising the true successor of the Prophet (saw). Ceremonies were also held in the following days for English and Arab speaking Shi’as.