To answer this question, we need some introductory points:

First: The word ῾Iīd (feast):

Linguistically, the word ῾Iīd refers to any occasion involving gathering or commemoration that recurs in a habitual manner. The phrase “involving gathering” means it is a general event, and “commemoration” includes special seasonal occasions. The word “recurring” means it happens repeatedly over time—this recurrence may be weekly (like Friday), monthly (like the full moon), or yearly (like the days of ῾Iīd al-Fiṭr and ῾Iīd al-᾽Aḍḥā, the beginning of the Ḥijrī year, the Prophet’s birthday, and others that occur only once a year).

Ibn al-᾽A᾽rābī said: “The ῾Iīd is called so because it returns each year with renewed joy.” [Lisān al-῾Arab]

Ibn Manẓūr said: “An ῾Iīd is any day that involves gathering. Its root comes from ῾āda ya῾ūdu (to return), as if people are returning to it. Some said it comes from ῾ādah (custom) because people are accustomed to it. The plural is ᾽a῾yād, and if it has not referred to recurrence, it would have been ᾽a῾wād.” [Lisān al-῾Arab]

Even al-᾽Azharī included both happy and sad occasions under the term, saying, “῾Iīd according to the Arabs refers to the time when joy or sorrow returns.” [Tahdhīb al-Lughah]

Ibn Taymiyyah stated: “῾Iīd is a name for what returns regularly in the form of a general gathering, either annually, weekly, monthly, or the like. ῾Iīd includes a returning day like ῾Iīd al-Fiṭr and Friday, a gathering on that day, and the associated acts of worship or customs.” [Iqtiḍā᾽ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm]

Terminologically (in Islamic jurisprudence), an ῾Iīd is a specific time in which a Muslim rejoices for the completion of a worship act, and it is characterized by rituals of devotion and obedience.

Second: The word ῾Iīd in the Qur᾽ān and Sunnah has multiple meanings:

• In the Qur᾽ān, Allah says: “To be for us a feast (῾Iīd) for the first of us and the last of us.” [al-Mā᾽idah 5:114] Here, ῾Iīd can mean a celebratory day or a gathering, as many Qur᾽ānic commentators have explained.
• In the Sunnah, ῾Iīd refers to time: as in the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying about Friday: “This is a day Allāh has made an ῾Iīd for the Muslims,” place: as in the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: “Do not make my grave a place of ῾Iīd, actions: as in the saying of Ibn ῾Abbās: “I witnessed ῾Iīd with the Prophet, and with Abū Bakr, ῾Umar, and ῾Uthmān—all of them used to perform the prayer before the sermon.” (referring to ῾Iīd actions), and style of celebration: as in the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) words to Abū Bakr: “Let them be, O Abū Bakr, for every nation has its ῾Iīd, and this is our ῾Iīd.” – i.e., this is how we celebrate it.

Thus, the term ῾Iīd, both linguistically and verbally, can refer to a religious ῾Iīd or a cultural/social ῾Iīd.

Third: A clear distinction exists between ῾ibādah (worship) and ῾ādah custom:

Worship is what Allāh has legislated, what He loves and is pleased with, and what He has commanded us to offer to Him. Custom is what people agree upon and adopt in their daily lives.

The key difference is that worship is restricted and requires proof for its validity while custom is generally permitted unless there is specific evidence prohibiting it.

Therefore, the one following a custom is not required to provide evidence for it and the burden of providing proof lies with the one who wants to prohibit it.

We do not need evidence for assigning weekends, summer school breaks, handshakes or shoulder taps as greetings—these are all customary actions and carry no spiritual reward or punishment.

Based on the above, the default ruling for celebrating days other than ῾Iīd al-Fiṭr and ῾Iīd al-᾽Aḍḥā is permissibility, even if we call them a ῾Iīd, as long as we mean customary ῾Iīd and not acts of religious worship. That is, no particular reward should be assigned to their observance, nor punishment for neglecting them.

This is due to several reasons:

1. The default ruling on customs is permissibility unless explicitly prohibited by evidence. There is no evidence prohibiting calling social celebrations “῾Iīd.”
2. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allāh has replaced them [i.e., pre-Islamic feasts] with something better: the days of ῾Iīd al-᾽Aḍḥā and ῾Iīd al-Fiṭr.”
   These two feasts replaced religious celebrations in the pre-Islamic era that involved acts of worship to false gods by visits and gifts—hence the prohibition comes.

It is clear that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was particularly strict about severing ties with pre-Islamic rituals because the Muslims were newly removed from that environment.

3. The Qur᾽ān commemorates specific days, such as: “Allāh has helped you at Badr ᾽idh (while) you were weak…” [᾽Āāli ῾Imrān 3:123–124]
   The phrase “᾽idh” implies: Remember the day of Badr; “And (remember) the day of Ḥunayn…” [al-Tawbah 9: 25] which means remember the recurring Day of Ḥunayn; and “Remind them of the days of Allāh.” [᾽Ibrāhīm 14:5] which are the notable, recurring days every year.
4. Muslims celebrated the Arab victory over the Persians at Dhī Qār, and considered it a day of joy and honor. A weak ḥadīth even narrates the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) praised the day saying: “This is the first day the Arabs took revenge against the non-Arabs.” Mentioned in historical sources like Ibn al-᾽Athīr’s Al-Kāmil.
5. We are commanded to show gratitude for Allāh’s blessings: “When the help of Allāh and victory comes… glorify your Lord with praise and seek His forgiveness…” [Al-Naṣr 110:1–3]. Undoubtedly, days of independence from colonization are days of victory, and it is encouraged to show gratitude and joy for Allāh’s blessings. Allāh also says: “And proclaim the blessing of your Lord.” [Al-Ḍuḥā 93:11]

Conclusion:
Celebrating national days and days of victory—such as the 6th of October, the Battle of Karameh, the battles of Tall al-Janīn or Tall al-Nayrab, or independence days—is permissible in essence. These are customary, not religious. They do not involve specific acts of worship, nor do they carry defined reward or punishment. They are not acts of imitation of non-Muslims, as they have historical precedent in Islamic tradition and have become part of our collective heritage. Moreover, the intent behind them is not to imitate a non-Muslim or others. When customs become well-established among Muslims and do not contradict the core principles of Sharī῾ah, there is no harm in others doing them as well—just like fixed weekend holidays, seasonal time changes, etc.—all of which are permissible social customs.

Fatwā issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr