Milad-un-Nabi / Eid-e-Milad : Facts about the Festival !!

A tribute !!

The Eid Festial commemorates Prophet Muhammad 's birth and celebrates his life teachings to the world.

Go Green !!

During the festival of Eid Milad, most of the people carry around green banners, green flags , wear green ribbons around their head or may even wear green colored clothing. The color green represents Islam and paradise.

Marches and Parades !!

Mawlid is celebrated in most countries which can include large street processions, marches, parades and even the decoration of homes or mosques.

Kashmiri Tradition !!

Many Muslims from Jammu and Kashmir gather at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar which is an Indian province of Jammu and Kashmir. It houses a hair that is believed to be the hair of Prophet Muhammad. Thousands of people attend prayers at the shrine on the night before Milad-un-Nabi. The relic is later displayed in the mosque after the morning prayers and is then paraded through the town.

Prayers !!

The day is celebrated with devotees offering prayers in a crowd of around thousands of people. The prayers may include salutations and recitations that praise Prophet Muhammad's life and his deeds.

The Hymn's Power

Eid-e-Malid is also called Maulid or Mawlid, as naat and hymns are sung or recited in praise of Prophet Muhammad. The people believe that by listening to these recitations, an individual will be blessed with both worldly and heavenly rewards.

2 Events !!

While the day is generally regarded as the Prophet's Birthday , Eid-e-Milad is also both a day to celebrate and to mourn, for it is the day the Prophet passed away and hence is also celebrated as the anniversary of the Prophet

The actual date !!

The popular belief is that the Holy Prophet was born on the twelfth day of Rabeeul-Awwal in 570 CE in Mecca. And Rabi-ul-Awwal is the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar. However, the Ahl as-Sunnah does not really specify that one must celebrate "Milad" only on 12 Rabee-ul-Awwal and can be celebrated at anytime of the year as long as the day's significance includes remembering the teachings of the Prophet.

Leaders and gatherings !!

The event is usually seen for its mass gatherings in Public by the Muslim community, sometimes there are meetings held where religious leaders give speeches abbout the life of the prophet. Stories are told about different elements if the life of Prophet Muhammad like stories related to his birth, his childhood, his youth, and his adult life.

Charity !!

Many Muslims even donate to charity during this occasion. Hundreds of families get together where huge feats are prepared and arranged and the food is served both to the guest and the poor.

Decorated Mosques !!

On this day, hundreds and thousands of people gather and offer prayers of worships in mosques. The mosques are brightly decorated with lights taht illuminate beautiful lights during the night times.

Legacy Lasts Forever !!

While there are many reasons to celebrate Eid-Milad, in reality, the day is to celebrate to remember the teachings and kindness of Prophet Muhammad. Believers remember and pay their respects to his birthday out of a desire to show their love and reverence of the prophet.

Different Dates !!

While many of the Sunni Muslims celebrate this event on the 12th of the Islamic month of Rabi' al-awwal, the Shi'a community, however, celebrates the festival of Mawlid on the 17th of Rabi' al-awwal. The date of the festival varies in the Gregorian Calendar.

A Holiday !!

Milad un-Nabi is a gazetted holiday in India and so most of the government offices, post offices and banks are closed on this day. Also, Islamic stores, businesses, and even Islamic organizations may be closed and may even have reduced opening hours.

No celebrations today !!

A certain percentage of Muslims, however, do not celebrate birthdays or death anniversaries due to the fact that there isn't historical evidence that ever recounts the prophet doing this.

Poets Favorite Day !!

Eid-e-Milad is also considered one of the favorite days for poets around the world, especially Sufi poets. These poets no only write about their love for the Prophet, the loves is expressed in beautiful verses in their native languages, adding even a little more spirit to show their love for Prophet Muhammad.

The Meaning !!

The word Mawlid is actually derived from an Arabic word. It signifies the meaning -to give birth, bear a child or even descendant. In today's world, the word Mawlid is used by the people to remember the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.