In this article, you can read some narrations about the day of Ghadir.

Chapter One: The place of Eid Ghadir in the religion

1- Eid of Caliphate and Wilayah

I went to Imam Sadiq (AS) and said: Do Muslims have Eid other than Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and Friday? 
Imam (AS) said: Yes, the day when the Messenger of God (PBUH&HP) appointed the Commanders of the Faithful (to the caliphate and guardianship.

2- The best Eid of the nation

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said:
Ghadir Day is the highest Eid of my nation and it is the day that Allah Almighty commanded. On that day, I will appoint my brother Ali ibn Abi Talib as the flag bearer (and commander) of my ummah, so that the people after him will be guided by him, and that is the day when Allah completed the religion and completed the blessings on my ummah, and He liked Islam as a religion for them.

3- The great feast of Allah

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

The day of Ghadir is the great feast of Allah, God did not send a prophet, unless he took this day as Eid and recognized its greatness, and the name of this day in heaven is the day of the covenant and on earth, the day of the firm covenant and public presence.

4- Eid ul-Fitr

Imam Sadiq (AS) was asked: do believers have any other Eid besides Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Friday? And he answered:
Yes, they have a bigger Eid and that is the day when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was raised in Ghadir, and the Messenger of God placed the issue of guardianship on the shoulders of men and women.

5- Day of renewal of allegiance

Ammar bin Hariz says:

On the eighteenth day of the month of DhulHija, I arrived at the service of Imam Sadiq (AS) and found him fasting. The Imam said to me: Today is a great day, Allah has given it greatness and on that day he completed the religion of the believers and completed the blessings on them and renewed the previous covenant.

6- Heavenly Eid

Imam Reza (AS) said:

My father quoted his father (Imam Sadiq (AS)) as saying:
Ghadir Day is more famous in the sky than on earth.

7- Unique Eid

Ali (AS) said:

Today (Eid Ghadir) is a very great day.

On this day, the opening has come and the status (of those who deserved it) has risen, and the proofs of Allah have been clarified, and the position of purity has been clearly spoken, and today is the day of the completion of religion and the day of the covenant.

8- Happy Eid

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

I swear by God, if the people knew the true virtue of "Ghadir Day", the angels would shake hands with them ten times a day, and the gifts of God to the one who knew that day cannot be counted.

9- Clarification Eid

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

... The day of Ghadir among the days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Friday is like the moon among the stars.

10- One of the four divine holidays

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

When the Day of Judgment comes, the four days will hasten to Allah as the bride will hasten to her chamber. Those days are: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and Friday and Ghadir.

Chapter 2: The merits and demerits of Ghadir

11- Day of message and providence

The Prophet (PBUH&HP) (on the day of Ghadir) said:

O Muslims! Let those present inform the absentees: I recommend the one who believes in me and acknowledges me to the guardianship of Ali, beware that the guardianship of Ali is my guardianship and my guardianship is the guardianship of my God. This was a covenant from my Lord which He commanded me to deliver to you.

12- Feeding day

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

Eid Ghadir is the day when the Prophet (PBUH&HP) raised Ali (AS) as the flag bearer for the people and revealed his virtue on this day and introduced his successor, then he fasted that day in gratitude to the Almighty Allah and that day is the day of fasting, worship, feeding, and visiting religious brothers. That day is the day of gaining the pleasure of the merciful Allah and rubbing the dust of the devil's nose.

13- Gift day

Ali (AS) (in the sermon of Eid Ghadir) said:

When you reach each other, shake hands with each other and give gifts to each other on this day; whoever was there and heard these words, let him go to the poor, let the rich go to the poor, and let the strong go to the weak, prophet (PBUH&HP) commanded me so.

14- Day of sponsorship

The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said:

... How will it be for someone who is responsible for the living expenses of a number of believing men and women (on the Day of Ghadir), if I guarantee him/her to Allah that he will be safe from disbelief and poverty.

15- Thanksgiving and happiness day

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

Eid Ghadir is a day of worship, prayer, thanksgiving, and praise to Allah, and it is a day of joy and happiness for the sake of our family, may God bless them, and I would like you to fast that day.

16- Charity Day

It was narrated from Imam Sadiq (AS) that he said:

One dirham to brothers with faith and knowledge on the day of Eid Ghadir is equal to one thousand dirhams, so give alms to your brothers on this day and make every believing man and woman happy.

17- Day of joy and happiness

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
Ghadir is the day of Eid and joy and happiness and the day of fasting is as a thanksgiving for divine blessings.

18- Congratulations

Ali (AS) said:

Return home after the gathering (on the day of Ghadir), may Allah have mercy on you. Develop for your family, do good to your brothers, thank Allah for the blessing He has given you, unite so Allah will unite you, do good so Allah will establish your friendship, give each other Allah's blessing and congratulations, as Allah has congratulated you on this day by rewarding you many times over other Eids, such rewards will not be except on the day of Eid Ghadir.

19- Day of greetings and innocence

I said to Imam Sadiq (AS): Do Muslims have any other Eid besides those two? 
He said: Yes, the greatest and best Eid. 
I said: What day is it?
He said: The day when Amir al-Mu'minin was appointed as the flag bearer of the people.
I said: on that day, what should we do? 
He said: Fast and send greetings to Muhammad and his family and seek acquittal from the oppressors because the prophets instructed the successors to observe Eid on the day when the successor is chosen.

20- Eid al-Adha

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

On the day of Eid-ul-Ghadir, remember Allah with fasting and worship and remembrance of the Prophet and his family, because the Messenger of Allah instructed the Commanders of the Faithful to observe Eid on that day, just as the prophets instructed their successors to observe that day as Eid. They did the same.

Resources

1.  The Holy Quran.
2. Amali Sheikh Sadough, Islamic Library.
3. QurbalAsnad Abdullah Ja'far al-Humairi, Al-Bayt.
4. Mesbah Al-Muttahid, Sheikh Tusi, Shiite Fiqh Foundation.
5. Wasael Shiah, Sheikh Har Ameli, Islamic Library.
6. Safinat al-Bahar, Sheikh Abbas Qomi, Aswa.
    

One of the questions that arises about Imam Hussain’s (AS) movement, which is of great importance especially in the modern days, is whether he desired to form an Islamic community, and if so whether the people willingly wanted to accept his leadership or not. In other words, did Imam Hussain (AS) actually want to rule over the Islamic community? Did he seek power? Did people join Imam Hussain (AS) of their own free will or they were forced, enticed or threatened to do so?  The answers will reveal the core message of Imam Hussain (AS)’s revolution for us today.

Did the Infallible Imams Long for Leadership?

To answer these questions, we should first find out what the idea of the infallible Imams (AS) was about power. If we carefully look at their lives, we will come to know that they did not struggle for power nor did they have a craving to attain it. At the same time, though, whenever there was a public demand to govern over people, they did not refuse that request. Power or governing a community in the infallible Imams’ eye is nothing but a duty to serve people, protect their rights and bring justice among them.

They considered power as the means of reviving and expanding the divine goals and principles and preserving the moral values. So having political power was not of inherent value to them. You can see the proof in the following account:

“This world of yours is no better than the sneezing of a goat to me.” 

After the death of the third caliph, Uthman, the crowd of people rushed to Imam Ali (AS) and asked him to take up the reins of government. But Imam Ali (AS) replied: “It is better for me to be your vizier and advisor rather than a ruler… leave me and go to others” [1]. In fact, if it was not for the sake of justice and people’s frustration and call for help, Imam Ali (AS) would have never accepted to be the ruler, as he said: “In my view this world of yours is no better than the sneezing of a goat” [2]. 

Or in another occasion, he said to one of his companions that his worn-out patched shoes were dearer to him than ruling over people unless for the fact that he may establish right and ward off wrong [2].

Imam Hussain’s (AS) Attitude toward Leadership (Political Power)

Imam Hussain (AS) had the same attitude toward power as his father. He did not seek a leadership role unless for the sake of eliminating injustice and corruption from the community. And that’s why Imam Hussain did not take the oath of allegiance to Yazid, the ruthless caliph of that time.

Clearly, it is every individual’s duty to fight against oppression and injustice in society. In other words, standing against tyranny is a moral and virtuous act in itself that is not entirely dependent on the companionship of others. However, when it comes to the issue of gaining power or accepting people’s leadership to fight against tyranny, the morality and value of this uprising depend on whether the leader is merely seeking reformation, or he struggles to gain supremacy over people. Such arrogance in leadership, in the latter case, can be eliminated by the presence of people.

Democracy is a Two-Way Street

When people of Kufa heard Imam Hussain (AS) had not pledged allegiance to Yazid’s government, they got impressed and sent thousands of letters to Imam Hussain (AS) asking him to go there and serve as their leader to fight against the tyranny. He did not take their request for granted nor did he accept their invitation right away. Instead, he decided to send his representative, Muslim ibn Aqil, to them to confirm their loyalty. That’s because in Islam the relationship between people and the government is a two-way street. On one way is the voting public -those who decide who becomes their leader and have to be loyal to him- and on the other path is the government, who also needs to be loyal to people and care about their well-being. And this is one of the important aspects of democracy in its true sense of the word.

Here another aspect of Imam Hussain’s (AS) movement is revealed which is beyond the mere fight against oppression: the necessity which made Imam Hussain (AS) decide to take power, i.e., people’s will and invitation. 

Imam Hussain (AS) Accepted People’s Request

Imam Hussain (AS) thought it was necessary to accept the people’s leadership because they had asked him to do so. 

If Imam Hussain (AS) had sought supremacy, he would have accepted people’s leadership at any cost. But he fulfilled what God told him in the Holy Quran:

“Do not be like those who left their homes vainly and to show off to the people, and to bar [other people] from the way of Allah” (8:47)

He also said: “Indeed, I have not risen to make mischief, neither as an adventurer nor to cause corruption and tyranny. I have risen solely to seek the reform of the Ummah of my grandfather (PBUH&HP)” [2].

He expressed it manifestly in his speeches that he would accept people’s leadership only if the elites of the community were all agreed on that invitation. He repeated it once again when he was faced with Hur’s army on his way to Kufa and emphasized that the people of Kufa had invited him by sending thousands of letters and requested him to take over the affairs. He explicitly stated that if the people of Kufa regretted their decision, he would return. He did not want to impose himself on people!

People Must Also Be Loyal to Their Leader

People of Kufa had invited Imam Hussain (AS), they had chosen him as their leader. But they were too weak to stand for what they had asked for. They were threatened and enticed by the tyrant governor of Kufa and could not keep their promise. Their hearts were with Imam Hussain (AS), but in practice, their swords were against him. They left Imam Hussain’s (AS) side and so the democracy they wished for was not materialized among them.

The Last Word

Finally, in the Islamic view of democracy, there has to be a balance between the rights and duties of both people and the rulers. Otherwise, there would be a disaster.

Many times in a democratic scene, there is a ruler who oppresses a lot of people. However, in the tragic story of Imam Hussain (AS), there is a group of people who choose and invite their leader, and promise to support him but go back on their pledge and fight against him, which ultimately resulted in the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), one of the most righteous people on earth.

Reference:

1. www.islamquest.net
2. www.al-islam.org