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Mawlid (Qur'anic Arabic: مَوْلِدُ النَبِيِّ‎ mawlidu n-nabiyyi, “Birth of the Prophet” Standard Arabic: مولد النبي mawlid an-nabī, sometimes simply called in colloquial Arabic مولد mawlid, mevlid, mevlit, mulud among other vernacular pronunciations) or sometimes ميلاد mīlād is the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar.^[1]

The term Mawlid is also used in some parts of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints.^[2]

Etymology[link]

Mawlid is derived from the Arabic root word (Arabic: ولد‎), meaning to give birth, bear a child, descendant.^[3] In contemporary usage, Mawlid refers to the observance of the birthday of Muhammad.^[1] Other terms used for this event include:

• Mavlid or Mavlidi – Birth of the Prophet (Albanian)
• Mawlid an-Nabī (pl. al-Mawālid) – The Birth of the Prophet (Arabic)
• Milād an-Nabī – The Birth of the Prophet (Arabic/Urdu)
• Mevlid-i Şerif – The Blessed Birth / Mevlüt – The Name (Turkish)
• Mevlud/Mevlid – Birth (Bosnian)
• Mawlūd-e Sharīf – The Blessed Birth (Dari/Urdu)
• Milād-e Payambar-e Akram – The birth of the great/blessed Prophet (Persian)
• Eid al-Mawlid an-Nabawī – Festival of the birth of the Prophet (Arabic)
• Eid-e-Milād-un-Nabī – Festival of the birth of the Prophet (Urdu)
• Mawlid en-Nabaoui Echarif – The Blessed Birth of the Prophet (Algerian)
• el Mūled (en-Nabawi)/Mūled en-Nabi – The birth (of the prophet)/Birth of the prophet (Egyptian Arabic)
• Yawm an-Nabī – The Day of the Prophet (Arabic)
• Maulidur-Rasūl – The Birth of the Messenger of Allah (Malay)
• Mulud – The Birth (Javanese)
• Maulid Nabi – The Birth of the Prophet (Indonesian)
• Maulud Nabi – The Birth of the Prophet (Malaysian)
• Maulidi – ? (Swahili)
• Meeladu Nabi – The Birth of the Prophet (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, South India)
• Gamou – ? (Wolof)
• Nabi/Mahanabi Jayanti – The birth of the (great) Prophet. (Sanskrit), (Indian Languages) 'Maha' means great.

Timing[link]

Mawlid falls in the month of Rabi' al-awwal in the Islamic calendar. Shias observe the event on the 17th of the month, coinciding with the birth date of their sixth Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq and the Prophet Muhammad while Sunnis observe it on the 12th of the month. As the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, the corresponding date in the Gregorian calendar varies each year.

History[link]

The basic earliest accounts for the observance of Mawlid can be found in 8th century Mecca, when the house in which Prophet Muhammad was born was transformed into a place of prayer by Al-Khayzuran (mother of Harun al-Rashid, the fifth and most famous Abbasid caliph).^[4] Though public celebrations of the birth of Muhammad did not occur until four centuries after his death.The early celebrations included elements of Sufic influence, with animal sacrifices and torchlight processions along with public sermons and a feast.^[5][6] The celebrations occurred during the day, in contrast to modern day observances, with the ruler playing a key role in the ceremonies.^[7] Emphasis was given to the Ahl al-Bayt 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.^[8]

Legality[link]

Milad Procession in India.

Islamic scholars are divided on whether observing Mawlid is necessary or even permissible in Islam. Some see it as a praiseworthy event and positive development,^[9][10]

Presently Supreme seat of learning Al Azhar University Cairo, Islamic Scholar Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki, Tahir ul Qadri founder of Minhaj ul Quran, Allaamah Dr. Kaukab Noorani Okarvi chairman of Maulana Okarvi Academy (Al Aalami), Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri, Muhammad Ilyas Qadri the founder of Dawat e Islami, Akhtar Raza Khan, Grand Mufti of India, Gibril Haddad, Shaykh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi, and Zaid Shakir, subscribing to Sufi Islam, and Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the primary scholar of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, have given their approval for the observance of Mawlid.^[11] They suggest that fasting on Mondays is also a way of commemorating Muhammad's birthday. Most accept that it is praiseworthy as long as it is within Sharia.

Scholars and preachers who consider Mawlid to be bid‘ah and forbid its celebration, include Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz, who was the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia subscribing to the Salafi movement,^[12] Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, the imam of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia,^[13] Zakir Naik,^[14] Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani, Grand mufti of Pakistan, and Bilal Philips.^[15] Although all agree that the birth of Muhammad was the most significant event in Islamic history, they point out that the companions of Muhammad and the second and third generation of Muslims did not observe this event.^{[citation needed]}

Observances[link]

The Garebeg festival celebrating Mawlid in Yogyakarta, Java Island, Indonesia

Blackburn, UK Under supervision of Shaykh Sufi Riaz Ahmed Naqshbandi Aslami

Mawlid is celebrated in most Muslim countries, and in other countries where Muslims have a presence, such as India, Britain, Russia^[16] and Canada.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]} Saudi Arabia is the only Muslim country where Mawlid is not an official public holiday.^[26] Participation in the ritual celebration of popular Islamic holidays is seen as an expression of the Islamic revival.^[27]

Where Mawlid is celebrated in a carnival manner, large street processions are held and homes or mosques are decorated. Charity and food is distributed, and stories about the life of Muhammad are narrated with recitation of poetry by children.^[28][29][30] Scholars and poets celebrate by reciting Qaṣīda al-Burda Sharif, the famous poem by 13th century Arabic Sufi Busiri.

During Pakistan's Mawlid celebration, the national flag is hoisted on all public buildings, and a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute at the provincial headquarters are fired at dawn. The cinemas shows religious rather than secular films on 11th and 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal.Hundreds of thousands of people gather at Minar-e-Pakistan Lahore between the intervening night of 11th and 12th Rabi' al-awwal for Mawlid celebrations, this is the worlds biggest gathering for Mawlid celebrations.^[31]

Among non-Muslim countries, India is noted for its Mawlid festivities.^[32][33][34] The relics of Muhammad are displayed after the morning prayers in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir at the Hazratbal Shrine, on the outskirts of Srinagar. Shab-khawani night-long prayers held at the Hazratbal Shrine are attended by thousands.^[35]

Other non-Muslim countries noted for its Mawlid festivities are Kenya and Tanzania where it is known as "Maulidi". In Kenya, the most famous place is the coastal island of Lamu^[36][37][38] and Malindi. In Tanzania the largest celebrations are on the island of Zanzibar.^[39][40]

In many parts of Indonesia, the celebration of the Mawlid al-nabi "seems to surpass in importance, liveliness, and splendour" the two official Islamic holidays of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.^[41] The Indonesian Javanese week-long Sekaten ceremony commemmorates Mawlid in the Sultanate of Yogyakarta.

Other uses of the term[link]

In some countries, such as Egypt and Sudan, Mawlid is used as a generic term for the celebration of birthdays of local Sufi saints and not only restricted to the observance of the birth of Muhammad.^[42] Around 3,000 Mawlid celebrations are held each year and attended by tens of thousands of people. These festivals attract an international audience, with the largest one in Egypt attracting up to three million people honouring Ahmad al-Badawi, a local 13th century Sufi saint.^[2]

See also[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Schussman, Aviva (1998). "The Legitimacy and Nature of Mawid al-Nabi: (Analysis of a Fatwa)". Islamic Law and Society 5 (2): 214–234. DOI:10.1163/1568519982599535. 
• Kaptein, N.J.G. (1993). Muhammad's Birthday Festival: Early history in the Central Muslim Lands and Development in the Muslim West until the 10th/16th century. Leiden: BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-09452-9. http://books.google.com/?id=vSY97ikutQoC&printsec=frontcover. 
• Katz, Marion Holmes (2007). The Birth of the Prophet Muḥammad: Devotional Piety in Sunni Islam. Routledge. ISBN 978-90-04-09452-9. http://books.google.com/?id=vSY97ikutQoC&printsec=frontcover. 
• "Mawlid". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2007. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9051530/mawlid. 
• Fuchs, H; Knappert J (2007). "Mawlid (a.), or Mawlud". In P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth. Encyclopedia of Islam. Brill. ISSN 1573-3912. 
• Kaptein, N.J.G (2007). "Mawlid". In P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopedia of Islam. Brill. 

Further reading[link]

• Malik, Aftab Ahmed (2001). The Broken Chain: Reflections Upon the Neglect of a Tradition. Amal Press. ISBN 0-9540544-0-7. 

External links[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Birth of the Prophet

• Eid Milad Un Nabi - According to Hadith
• Mawlid from the Encyclopedia of the Orient
• Beautiful Images of Mawlid
• Video Mawlid Celebration in Russia
• Mawlid at TheHolidaySpot
• Dagestani Muslims celebrate Mawlid, the Prophet's birth

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2011)

Hamza Yusuf
Hamza Yusuf at Doha Academy Education Conference in Qatar, 2010.
Born	Mark Hanson 1958 (age 53–54) Walla Walla, Washington, United States
Residence	Northern California, United States
Occupation	Islamic scholar
Religion	Sunni Islam[1][2]
Spouse	Liliana (Umm Yahya) Hanson
Website
Sandala.org

Hamza Yusuf Hanson is an American Islamic scholar^[3][4], and (with Zaid Shakir and Hatem Bazian) is co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, United States. He is a convert to Islam, and is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders, calling for peace and understanding. He has described the 9/11 attacks as "an act of 'mass murder, pure and simple'". Condemning the attacks, he has also stated "Islam was hijacked ... on that plane as an innocent victim".^[5] The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom reported that he "is arguably the west's most influential Islamic scholar" and added that "many Muslims find his views hard to stomach."^[6]

Biography[link]

Hamza Yusuf was born to two academics^[7] in Washington State and raised in Northern California. In 1977, he became Muslim and subsequently traveled to the Muslim world and studied for ten years in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, as well as North and West Africa.^[8] Hamza Yusuf spent four years studying in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the Middle East. Later he traveled to West Africa and studied in Mauritania, Medina, Algeria, and Morocco under such scholars as Murabit al Haaj; Baya bin Salik, head of the Islamic court in Al-'Ain, United Arab Emirates; Muhammad Shaybani, Mufti of Abu Dhabi; Hamad al-Wali; and Muhammad al-Fatrati of Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.^{[citation needed]} After more than a decade abroad, he returned to the United States and earned degrees in nursing from Imperial Valley College and religious studies at San José State University.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California. He is an advisor to Stanford University's Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union.^{[citation needed]} He also serves as a member of the board of advisors of George Russell's One Nation, a national philanthropic initiative that promotes pluralism and inclusion in America. In addition, he serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Abdallah Bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been an advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the "them versus us" problem is fundamentally flawed, and, in R. D. Laing’s term, a “knot” that will destroy people if they do not extricate themselves from it.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has served as an advisor to many organizations, leaders, and heads of state.^{[citation needed]} He has been an innovator in modern Islamic education^{[citation needed]}, founding the highly imitated Deen Intensives, and with Ibrahim Osi-Efa, he started the first Rihla program in England, which has been running for over fifteen years. Dozens of young Muslims who were influenced by his call to reviving traditional Islamic studies in the West went to the Muslim lands in the nineties and early part of the current decade to study, many of who are now teachers in their own right.^{[citation needed]}

With Eissa Bougari, Hamza Yusuf initiated a media challenge to the Arab world that resulted in a highly successful cultural religious program that he hosted for three years and was one of the most watched programs in the Arab world during Ramadan.^{[citation needed]} Cambridge Media Studies stated that this program had a profound influence on subsequent religious programming in the Arab world. He has also been interviewed on BBC several times and was the subject of a BBC documentary segment The Faces of Islam, ushering in the new millennium, as it aired at 11:30 pm on December 31, 1999. Hamza Yusuf has been an outspoken critic of American foreign policy as well as Islamic extremist responses to those policies.^{[citation needed]}

He has drawn criticism from both the extreme right in the West and Muslim extremists in the East.^[9] He told The Guardian: "Many people in the west do not realise how oppressive some Muslim states are – both for men and for women. This is a cultural issue, not an Islamic one. I would rather live as a Muslim in the west than in most of the Muslim countries, because I think the way Muslims are allowed to live in the west is closer to the Muslim way. A lot of Muslim immigrants feel the same way, which is why they are here."^[10]

He and colleagues founded the Zaytuna Institute in 1996, which has established an international reputation^{[citation needed]} for presenting a classical picture of Islam in the West and which is dedicated to the revival of traditional study methods and the sciences of Islam. Hamza Yusuf currently resides in Northern California with his wife and five children.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has also authored several encyclopedia articles and research papers. His published books include The Burda (2003), Purification of the Heart (2004), The Content of Character (2004), The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (2007), Agenda to Change our Condition (2007), and Walking on Water (2010). Forthcoming are The Prayer of the Oppressed, and The Helpful Guide.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf is the first American lecturer to teach in Morocco's prestigious and oldest university, the University of Al-Karaouine in Fes.^[11] He is married and has five children, all boys.

Critical reception[link]

Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre placed him on its list of the top 50 most influential Muslims in the world.^{[citation needed]} The magazine Egypt Today described him as a kind of theological rock star, "the Elvis Presley of western Muslims."^[12] Recently, Hamza Yusuf was ranked as "the Western world's most influential Islamic scholar" by The 500 Most Influential Muslims, edited by John Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin, (2009).^[13]

Publications[link]

Books Authored[link]

• The Burda The Burda (2003)
• Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart (2004)
• The Content of Character (2004)
• The State We Are In: Identity, Terror, and the Law of Jihad (contributing Author) (2006)
• The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi (2007)
• Agenda to Change our Condition co-authored with Zaid Shakir (2007)
• Walk on Water: The wisdom of Jesus Walk on Water: The wisdom of Jesus (2010)
• Educating your Child in Modern Times

Books with Foreword or note[link]

• Instruction of the Student: The Method of Learning
• The Prophetic Invocations By Mostafa Al-Badawi

Book Edited with Zaid Shakir[link]

• Submission Faith and Beauty Submission Faith and Beauty, The Religion of Islam by Joseph Lumbard (2009)

Papers[link]

• Caesarean Moon Births Part 1
• Caesarean Moon Births Part 2
• Climbing Mount Purgatorio
• Religion, Violence, and the Modern World
• Generous Tolerance in Islam and its Effects on the Life of a Muslim
• Chess in the Light of the Jurist
• Who are the Disbelievers?

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hamza Yusuf

Websites[link]

• Sandala.org – Official website of Hamza Yusuf
• Zaytuna.org – Zaytuna College
• Sheikhhamza.com – Contains list of books recommended by Hamza Yusuf and a biography

See also[link]

• Zaytuna College
• Zaid Shakir