Meelad-Un-Nabi:

Ushering in an era of peace

by Husna Inayathullah

“May the birth of Prophet Muhammad usher in an era of peace, love, happiness and prosperity for you!”
Happy Eid Milad-un-Nabi!

The birthday of the Holy Prophet Muhammed falls on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabbiul Awwal. Today his birthday is celebrated worldwide according to the Islamic calendar. Mawlidu n-nabiyyi which means the “Birth of the Prophet” is also simply known as mawlid or maulud. The Ottomans declared it an official holiday in 1588.

Mawlid is derived from the Arabic root word meaning to give birth, bear a child or descendant. In contemporary usage Mawlid refers to the observance of the birthday of Muhammad. Different countries have different terms to define the birthday of Prophet Muhammed. In Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh and South India it is called as Meelad-Un-Nabi.

Allah sent Prophet Muhammed, the greatest and the adorable personality on earth to guide the humankind and spread the religion of Islam. He is the last of the prophets. The Arabic term “Khatam an Nubuwwa” which means “the seal of the prophets” is used to define that no other prophet is to come after Muhammed.

Prophet Muhammad was born in the month of Rabi’ Awwal in the year 571 C.E. He was a descendant of Prophet Ismail. His father, Abdullah, died several weeks before his birth. His mother, Amina died during the return journey from Madinah, at a place called Abwa. He was raised by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, until the age of eight. After his grandfather’s death, his uncle, Abu Talib, took care of him. Abu Talib treated Prophet Muhammad very kindly. Prophet Muhammad would sleep in his uncle’s bed and eat with him.

Trustworthy

Under the guidance of Abu Talib, Prophet Muhammad began to earn his living as a businessman and a trader. At the age of twelve, he accompanied Abu Talib with a caravan as far as Syria. Prophet Muhammad was popularly known as ‘al-Ameen’ (the trustworthy) and ‘al-Sadiq’ (the truthful) for his good deeds. His name, Muhammad means “the praised one.”

After hearing about Prophet Muhammad’s impressive character, Khadijah, a rich business woman, offered Prophet Muhammad money to take some goods for trade to Syria. Prophet Muhammad set out for Syria along with Maisarah, a slave of Khadijah. After the trip, Maisarah told Khadijah all about the Prophet. Khadijah was fascinated by Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, she married him.

Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah were blessed with two sons and four daughters. Their first son, Qasim died at the age of two while their second son, Abdullah, died during his infancy. Prophet Muhammad’s four daughters were Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima.

Prophet Muhammed was successful in spreading the religion of Islam. He guided and received the love of the people. He underwent many hardships, threats and turmoils inorder to achieve his goal. Prophet Muhammad once said to his uncle Abu Thalib ” O uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to stop me from preaching Islam, I would never stop. I will keep on preaching until Allah makes Islam prevail or I die. ”

Prophet Muhammad fell sick and after several days left his earthly existence in Madinah. He was buried in Medina at the Masjid al-Nabawi. He was 63 years old when he died. He lived a very simple and modest life. He and his family used to go without cooked meals for several days at a time, eating dates and dried bread. During the day, Prophet Muhammad was the busiest man, he performed his duties as the head of state and a family man. He was the most devoted man during the night. He used to spend one to two- thirds of every night in prayer and meditation. Prophet Muhammad’s possessions consisted of mats, jugs and other simple things.

Followers

At the end of his mission, Prophet Muhammad was blessed with several followers. Thousands prayed with him and listened to his sermon. Hundreds of sahaba (companions) would find time to be with him during the five daily prayers. They used to seek his advice for their everyday problems.

Prophet Muhammad had a beautiful appearance. His sweat was more fragrant than musk and his perspiration shone like pearls.

He talked so clearly that someone could count the number of words he spoke. Prophet Muhammad never struck anybody with his hand, but he did fight for Islam. He used to forgive his enemies and release prisoners of war.

Prophet Muhammad was the last Prophet of Allah. All sincere Muslims try to follow the Sunnah, the life style of Prophet Muhammad. Many Muslim scholars have composed Qaseeda's in praise of Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad is the connection between Muslims and Allah. We can never get close to Allah unless our hearts are filled with the love of our beloved Prophet Muhammad.

The earliest observation of the Prophet's birth as a holy day was arranged privately somewhere in the late twelfth century. The only difference from before was that there was an increased number of visitors to the Mawlid house that was open for the whole day specifically for this celebration.

Spring

This particular event took place on Monday, 12 of Rabbiul Awwal which is commonly known as the third month of the Islamic calendar that is associated with the beginning of Spring. This celebration was introduced into the city Sabta by Abu ‘l'Abbas al-Azafi.

The early celebrations included sacrifices of animals and torchlight processions along with public sermons and a feast. The celebrations occurred during the day in contrast to modern day observances, with the ruler playing a key role in the ceremonies.

Emphasis was given to the Ahlul Baith, “Family of the prophets” with presentation of sermons and recitations of the Qur'an. The event also featured the award of gifts to officials in order to bolster support for the ruling caliph. Particularly in early Cairo, this holy day was celebrated by the court and the ruling class, not the common people.

In Sri Lanka the birth of Muhammad is celebrated by reciting or singing Mawlud, a text containing stories of the life of Muhammad. The Mawlud includes the ancestors, conception and birth of Muhammad, introduction of Halima, life of Young Muhammad in Bedouins, Muhammad's orphan hood, Abu Talib's nephew's first caravan trip, arrangement of marriage between Muhammad and Khadija , Al-Isra’ Al-Mi'raj, or the ascension to heaven, Al-Hira, first revelation, the first converts to Islam, the Hijra and Muhammad's death.

These text are only part of the ceremonies. There are many different ways that people celebrate Mawlid depending on where they are from.

There appears to be a cultural influence upon what kind of festivities are a part of the Mawlud celebration. The Mawlud recitation starts at the beginning of the month of Rabbiul Awwal and ends on the 12th day with a grand feast known as Kandoori in almost all the mosques. Children are encouraged to participate in various types of Islamic day competitions which are held in schools, institutes and madrasa's.

Muslims in Sri Lanka celebrate the Prophet's birthday to remember him. It is a good practice. It is a time to recite the Quran, sing Mawlud and remember the life, teachings and examples of the Prophet Muhammed.