Birthday of Imam Mahdi

The fifteenth of Sha'ban commemorates the birth of Imam Mahdi, the twelfth Imam in Twelver Shi'a Islam. In Shi'a belief, the Mahdi is in occultation and will return to establish justice; the anniversary is therefore associated with hope, patience and a future repaired by moral action.

Streets, mosques and shrines can be decorated for the occasion, while families share sweets and attend religious gatherings. The public holiday reflects the date’s particular importance in Iranian Shi'a life. Its Gregorian position changes each year with the Hijri calendar, and local programmes vary widely.

The anniversary is also known as Mid-Sha'ban and is among the most visibly festive nights in Iran’s Shi'a calendar. Qom and the Jamkaran Mosque receive large numbers of visitors, while neighbourhood volunteer groups decorate streets and distribute food or sweets. The holiday’s language of awaiting the Mahdi can carry religious, ethical and official political meanings; a neutral guide distinguishes those interpretations without treating any as a historical proof. Iran’s official 2026 date is February 4.