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The Prophet’s Birthday, or Milad un Nabi as
it is commonly known in Muslim culture, is
celebrated in most of the Muslim countries
and in India as well. The day is celebrated
to commemorate the birth of the Prophet
Muhammad. It is celebrated in the third
month of the Islamic calendar. While the
Shias celebrate it on the 17th of the month,
the Sunnis celebrate on the 12th of the
month, according to the Islamic calendar.
The date of this festival varies in the
Gregorian calendar.
The celebration of Prophet’s birthday is
believed to have its origins on the 8th
century when the Prophet Muhammad’s birth
house was converted into a house of prayer
by Al-Khayzuran. Al-Khayzuran was the mother
of a caliph, Harun-al-Rashid. Originally,
the festival was celebrated by the Shias.
Centuries ago, the day was celebrated with
animal sacrifices and huge processions
during the day which culminated by a speech
by the rulers. Gifts were also offered to
those in power.
It was somewhere in the 12th century that
the Sunnis adopted this festival, although
with a different date. Although the
celebration of the festival was met with
some resistance in the Sunnis, the festival
came to be adopted in large numbers by the
15th century and by the beginning of the
20th century, it began to be observed as a
national holiday in many regions of the
world.
The Milad un Nabi or Malwid is celebrated in
different ways in different parts of the
world. For example, in Pakistan, it is
celebrated with the raising of the national
flag on national monuments followed by a gun
salute at dawn. In some other parts of the
world, the festival is observed with large
processions and a carnival like atmosphere.
There is an atmosphere of bonhomie and
people can be seen exchanging gifts and
distributing food to the poor. The day is
celebrated with the offering of prayers by
thousands in mosques and the mosques being
decorated with lights. This is a public
holiday in most of the Muslim countries.
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