People of the ruling clan were honoured as they were believed to be Caliphs, which were considered to be representatives of Muhammad. Since it began in Egypt, the earlier celebrations were marked by Muslims offering prayers after which the ruling clan gave speeches and narrated verses from the Holy Quran followed by a large public feast. Eid-e-Milad began to be celebrated by Syria, Morocco, Turkey and Spain only in the 12th century and soon some Sunni Muslim sects too started celebrating the day. First celebrated as an official festival in Egypt, the celebrations of Eid-e-Milad became more popular during the 11th century.Īt that time, only the then ruling tribe of the Shia Muslims in the region could celebrate the festival instead of the general public. Though the word “Mawlid” means to give birth or bear a child in colloquial Arabic, Eid-e-Milad is also mourned by some because it is also believed to be the death anniversary of the Prophet. Some Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca on the twelfth day of Rabi’ al-awwal in 570 CE. The origin of celebrating Prophet Muhammad’s birthday can be traced back to the early four Rashidun Caliphs of Islam and the idea of marking this day was first initiated by the Fatimids.

This year, Eid-e-Milad will be celebrated on on September 27 in Saudi Arabia and on September 28 in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other parts of the subcontinent region. The Islamic calendar or lunar calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar on the basis of the crescent moon sighting so those from the Sunni community of Muslms, who celebrate Eid-e-Milad, mark it on the 12th day of Rabi’ al-awwal whereas the Shia community celebrates it on the 17th of Rabi’ al-awwal. They believe that the observance of Eid-e-Milad or Mawlid is an innovation or act of biddat since it was not even celebrated during the era of Prophet Mohammad himself and his appointed successors. Since evidences found in the Holy Quran and Sunnah prove that celebrating any event other than Eid al-Fitr and Eid-e-Adha is a kind of biddah or innovation in religion, Muslims from Salafi and Wahhabi schools of thought do not mark the tradition of festivities. Even though Eid-e-Milad and its traditions are widely followed in India and other countries, many different sections of the Muslim community believe that the birthday celebrations of the Prophet has no place in Islamic culture.

Islamic calendar date today