Religious Decree of Celebrating Norūz according to the Shīʻah and Sunnī Ḥadīth Sources

Celebrating Norūz has long been a matter of contention for the residents of Iran’s civilizational sphere. But after the emergence of Islam, the religious decree (ḥukm) of celebrating Norūz has always been debated among scholars and especially jurists. What has been said about this decree so far is general rejection or general acceptance without mentioning all the possible decrees regarding this matter and determining the correct and accurate decree from these possible decrees. For the first time in this study, by stating the four possible decrees regarding Norūz and referring to the ḥadīths found in the sources of two major sects (Shī’ah and Sunnī) and the general religious rules, the exact decrees of this matter are expressed. These four rulings are; Norūz is a religious ‘Īd, like ‘Īd al- Fiṭr, Aḍḥā and Ghadīr, Norūz is a day on which some actions are recommended without being considered an ‘Īd, such as the first day of the month or the last day of the month, any attention to the Norūz in the aforementioned ways is reprehensible, and religion (sharʻ) does not have any opinion on any of the aforementioned forms of Norūz. Finally, in this research, the fourth opinion is strengthened.