Rabi al-awwal: the birth of our Prophet and its celebration

Many Muslims, all around the world, are today remembering the birth of the greatest of Allah’s Messengers; the Prophet Mohammad. I wish to dedicate these few lines to register my humble homage to the message and mission of our Prophet and to highlight some of my concerns about the way his birth (mawlid) is celebrated. In many cases the celebrations have become superficial and ritualistic and no longer address the meaning attached to the teachings and purpose of his prophetic mission.

As Muslims, we, of course, attach the greatest importance to following our Prophet, as a Messenger of Allah, as well as being the model for what we should strive towards in our own lives. He was the last of all the prophets and messengers that Allah sent down, for the guidance of human beings, in order for them to live blissfully in this world and so that they may enter Paradise, through the mercy of Allah, in the Hereafter.

The Prophet Mohammad’s legacy of Islamic teachings must be seen as the one of the most important guidance manuals ever designed to improve the lives of all peoples. The guidance that is held in it is safeguarded and reinforced through the revelation of the Quran, hadith and His Sirah ( biography) that records it in the minutest detail.

Much of our Prophet’s importance lies in the fact that he was the last of Allah’s messengers; to whom the Quran was revealed for the guidance of humanity for ever.  However, we should never forget that to deserve this high rank he was made the perfect model of human character and he exemplified, through his dealings and teachings, all that is necessary to become best of people in this world.

The Quran mentions his character in the surah al-Qalam (Nun, one of the earliest surah in the Quran to be revealed), in order to grant him, and others, assurances that the revelation that has come to him is from God. It says: “Nun, by the pen and what the scribes write. By your Lord’s Grace, you are not afflicted with madness. And surely yours will be a never-ending reward. And you are certainly of the most exalted standard of moral excellence”.

These early Quranic verses were meant to reassure people about the mission of the Prophet Mohammad and that he was indeed possessed of a sublime character. The verses also assured him that the revelation of the Quran was a real event, taking place with the permission of Allah and that it was not an affliction or madness, nor was it the result of it.

The completion of the revelation of the Quran and the establishing of Islam through the Prophet Mohammad was a hugely important achievement, never before witnessed in the history of mankind. It was the accomplishment of divine will for the guidance of humanity.

Such an achievement was, and always will be, worthy of celebration every time a person takes the right path and protects himself from the ways of error and temptation and guides himself towards his Creator.

However, celebrations now tend to focus mainly on the birth of the Prophet, an event which, in some quarters, is now regarded as bigger than his mission.  Indeed, it is now regarded by some as another ‘eid’, thereby equating it with the celebration of the two annual eid events.

Many diverse activities now take place on this day: events are organised in mosques, Islamic Centres, public processions take place, new clothes are worn, many dishes of sweets are proffered, public holidays are declared and much more.

 So, why do we now celebrate only his birth? Why is this ‘mawlid’ event taking place?  It was never celebrated in the time of the Prophet, nor in the times of the companions after him, or indeed for many centuries after that. If any scholarly objections to it are made now, even with the best of intentions, hostilities are quickly aroused, and the scholars may themselves be accused of being Wahhabi or being someone who has no love for the Prophet. The whole celebration has become part of 'popular' Islam and greetings that include it, are now exchanged with each other.

But surely, real love for the Prophet would be better demonstrated by following the examples set by him, by trying to emulate him, by obeying his teachings and by continuing to convey his message to humanity. Any such love for the Prophet must surely also include an understanding of his teachings and by us acting according to them in our own lives.

Allah (SWT) says in the Quran: “Surely, there was a beautiful example for you in the Messenger of Allah, for all those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much”.

If every Muslim followed the beautiful examples demonstrated in the character and manners of the Prophet then many of the present problems experienced by the Muslim community could be solved.

When, Ayesha, the dear wife of our Prophet Mohammad, Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him, was asked about the ‘akhlaaq’ or the moral character of the Prophet, she replied saying: “His character was the Quran”.

The best and a continuous celebration of his life and the ‘purpose of his birth’ would be to follow in his footsteps and strive to fill the world with peace and mercy.

If necessary, events such as these should regarded as only milestones in our determination to understand the Quran and in realising the pivotal role the Book plays in changing our lives and in our acquiring the blessings of Allah. A good understanding of its message will engender a  better understanding of Islam and, in this world which, at present, is unfortunately filled with bad practice, religious innovation, violent acts including killing and murder and a politicised Islam, we need to go back to the original teachings of Islam that the Prophet Mohammad preached and spread in his time. We don’t need rituals of celebration but we do need events of learning that could undoubtedly change our lives for the better.

This celebration in the month of Rabi al-Awwal has no authenticity and serves no purpose. But if it is necessary, let it become an event in which we remember and learn about the mission of our Prophet and how it could be preserved for the coming generations of Islam and how it could benefit the rest of humanity.