Analysis Religious Festivals in Ancient IRAN based on Abourihan Biruni’s Report in Āthār al-Bāqiyah

Almost no religion is found in history without having some kind of ritual. As amongst the rituals, feasts are considered extremely pivotal in studying religions and have a special position in the Chronology of the people and nations. This dissertation tries to survey whatever Abu Rayhan al-Biruni has mentioned about ancient ceremonies of Iran in his book The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries (Āthar al-Bāqiyah an al-qurun al-khaliyah) to critically consider the weaknesses and strengths. Also Biruni’s accounts have been compared with whatever is in the Avestan and Pahlavi contexts to emerge the similarities and differences. Considering feasts, such a comparison between Āthār al-bāqiya and the other Islamic contexts have also been done and the weaknesses and strengths of each one have been brought to light. This dissertation has tried to unveil Abu Rayhan’s emphasis on the rituals and show the real place of the rituals in Iran and essentially it’s precedence over the faiths or the precedence of faiths over the rituals; the matter scholars have yet nothing in common about.