Zindiq 'Abbas Al-Qummi attributed the pagan Majoosi festival of Norooz to the Ahl Al-Bayt!As it's now Nowrooz, the greatest (by far) holiday in the so called "Islamic Republic of Iran" (
http://sonsofsunnah.com/2015/07/17/the-insignificance-of-islamic-holdays-compated-to-norooz-in-shiite-iran/ ), let's start with the Norooz in Mafatih Al-Jinan. First let me explain what Norooz actually is.
Norooz: A pagan Zoroastrian (Majoosi) holiday which was the holiest day of the year for them out of seven major holidays. The seven motif is straight from their beliefs, with Ahura Mazda co-existing with six other gods who in turn form a unity of seven, so no surprise the holiday centres now with setting out a table of seven things starting with Seen (س) also called "Haft Seen". The Haft Seen thing originally was Haft Sheen, one of which was Sharab, wine. The significance of seven runs deep in Zoroastrian belief, particularly with the seven creations and the seven Amesha Spenta. If you're not familiar with the latter, it's referring to the seven "Holy Immortals" that together form sort of a Zoroastrian divine heptad composed of the main god, Ahura Mazda, and six lesser deities (sometimes understood as manifestations of the latter) that together are in a sort of unity ruling over the seven creation
(The following picture is widely found on several pro-Iranian regime websites, portraying the pagan Khomeini next to the pagan "Haft Seen" symbols of Norooz including a poem of the pagan Khomeini who - as I mentioned before - like all Shia scholars endorsed it and even wrote poetry about it!)
The (non-Sunni Mu'tazilite) Abbasids (who modelled themselves on the Persian monarchs) encouraged the celebration of Norooz and Muslims in turn adopted, in particular the Shiites who mixed Shiism with it. The people amongst whom it is still popular are people who would have in turn been in the territories or influences of the ancient Persian empire. Basically, old habits and customs die hard, and like Christians did by adopting old European pagan holidays, landmarks, and such, but giving them a Christian veneer, same that people did with this one.
Also note that many Shia apologists (mostly Iranian) lie through their teeth and claim that it's just about celebrating the beginning of spring (as if such a thing has been sanctified in Islam, the Prophet clearly stated what 'Id's the Muslims have, and they are limited to two major ones and the day of Jumu'ah. Saudi and other Arabs having their "national holidays" and other innovations are no proof in the Shari'ah. Two wrongs don't make a right). You will also find apologists amongst the Shias who point out that some or many Sunnis, in particular Iranic people like Tajik (Persian) Afghans, Kurds etc. also celebrate Norooz. However, they always seem to miss (or intentionally ignore) a significant and important difference between the status of Norooz in Sunnis and Shia societies:
- The vast majority of Sunnis who celebrate Norooz are of a secular type, in particular the Kurds, this is why
religious Sunni Kurds, Afghans and even Iranian Sunnis such as the Baloch never celebrate Norooz, not in any shape or form, as it is condemned by Islam (just like any other pagan Arab or non-Arab holiday too). The Shia on the other hand (knowingly or unknowingly) celebrate a holiday that is sanctified by Twelver Imamism as one of the greatest days ever, the nonsense they have attributed to the Ahl Al-Bayt is beyond heresy:
1. The sun attained its brightness
2. The wind started to blow
3. The Ark of Prophet Nuh stopped
4. Prophet Ibrahim broke the idols of his community
5. Angel Jibrael brought the first revelation to our beloved Prophet
6. The Holy Prophet lifted Imam Ali on his shoulders for removing the idols from the Kaa’ba
7. The Holy Prophet announced Imam Ali as his successor at Ghadir
8. The 12th Imam will reappear
So the difference is clear: Norooz to Shiism is sacred, the Shiite sect and its clergy themselves have sanctified it, i.e. it is not just something that some Shia laymen do, nor is it something that only people from the Iranic ethnicity celebrate, Norooz to Islam though is pagan and not sanctified and what laymen Sunnis do around the world doesn't make Norooz Islamic.
A'mal (recommended deeds) for the day of Majoosi Norooz in Mafatih Al-Jinan:
Al-Qummi included an entire chapter that instructs tShiite as to what to do on his holy (!) day. Every Shiite, Arabs, Persians and other non-Arabs are addressed, unless Shiites will claim that Mafatih is an instruction to Iranians only.
Scan of my personal copy, Fahras (index):
Translation of the yellow marked part on the left:
"The virtue of the day of Nayrooz (Arabic spealling of Nowrooz/Norooz) and [its recommended] deeds and the deeds of the Roman months."
According to Qummi (and all Shia Maraji' without exception), every Arab and Non-Arab Shiite is recommended to observe this "great" day with various forms of worship, after all their (fabricated) narrations state:
“Nowrooz is no other day but the one we [the Ahl Al-Bayt]
are awaiting the reappearance [of Al-Mahdi], for
it is one of our days that
was protected by the Persians and carelessly lost by you.” (It’s happy Nowrooz for the Crypto-Majoos:
http://sonsofsunnah.com/2012/03/20/its-happy-nowrooz-for-the-crypto-majoos-rafidi-shiism/ )
However, you will often find many non-Persian Shias who although fully endorse and respect Norooz, including best wishes to the Iranians on this day, yet deluding themselves (either knowingly or unknowingly) that Nowrooz has actually nothing to do with Shiism. It's done and revered by Iranian Shias only, their laymen in particular. They couldn't be more wrong on that for pagan Norooz has got everything to do with pagan Shiism but since many Shias are not familiar with their own books (leaving them in their shelves or skipping through them and hence not being aware of the reality of Mafatih Al-Jinan for example) they think of Norooz as an Iranian thing (not a Shiite one), not realising that the very Iranian Majoos have polluted the already extreme form of 12er Tashayyu' (Shiism) with Zoroastrian-elements (of course in the name of the Ahl Al-Bayt, to give it an Islamic touch!) in this case with the veneration of the day of Majoosi Norooz. Look at the following two examples here that perfectly proves my point.
Example one:
A member of the Mafia Al-Khoie clan (tweet taken from his personal account), has no clue that the Majoosi Norooz 'Id is an essential part of his religion so he should celebrate it himself (by taking Ghusl and do extra prayers like on 'Id days!) and not just congratulate non-Arabs:
An admin of Shia chat lying through his teeth claiming that Norooz has got nothing whatsoever to do with Shiism (he must be challenged all the Iranian maraji' i.e. 99% of Rafidi clergy):