Holy Prophet’s life - a beacon for achieving a truly modern and dynamic Islamic society

GUIDING LIGHT: Muslims throughout the world will celebrate the Holy Prophet’s Birthday tomorrow. Allahuma salli ala Muhammadin wa Aal-e Muhammad: O God! Shower thy blessings on Muhammad and the descendants of Muhammad.

Milad-un Nabi or Maulid (Mawlid) is the birthday celebration of our beloved Prophet Muhammad and is celebrated by Muslims as Eid-e Milad. Prophet Muhammad was born Arabia in the city of Mecca on the 12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, which was Monday the 20th day of April, 571 A.C.

The occasion is celebrated by remembering the favours bestowed on the ummah (community), the first is the

 revelation of the Holy Quran with its instructions, the second, the institution of an Everliving Guide who would advise the mu’mins (believers) according to the needs of the time.

On this day every year, believers gather to recite special prayers for thanksgiving to Allah for sending Prophet Muhammad as a mercy to all nations, and speeches and lectures are made about the seerat (life) and instructions of the Holy Prophet.

Poetry in the form of naats are recited and after the prayers, sweets are distributed and perfume is sprinkled or applied on everyone.

As early as the late eleventh century, and generally from the twelfth century on, the veneration of the Prophet assumed a visible form in the celebration of the maulid, his birthday, on 12 Rabi’ ul-awwal, the third month of the Muslim lunar year.

This day is still celebrated in the Muslim world.

The number of poems written for this festive occasion in all Islamic languages is beyond reckoning. From the Eastern end of the Muslim world to the West the maulid is a wonderful occasion for the pious to show their warm love of the Prophet in songs, poems, and prayers.

It seems that the tendency to celebrate the memory of Muhammad’s birthday on a larger and more festive scale emerged first in Egypt during the Fatimid Era (969-1171). This is logical, for the Fatimids claim to be the Prophet’s descendants through his daughter Fatima.

The Egyptian historian Maqrizi (d.1442) basing his account on Fatimid sources. It was apparently an occasion in which mainly scholars and the religious establishment participated.

They listened to sermons, and sweets, particularly honey, the Prophet’s favourite, were distributed; the poor received alms.”

Prophet Muhammad lived among his people and taught them about the belief in one God, ethics in everyday life and the importance of education in leading an exemplary life.

In this regard, some of his famous sayings are “Seek knowledge even unto China”, “acquire knowledge, for he who acquires it performs an act of piety; he who speaks of knowledge, praises God: he who seeks it, adores God.” He also declared: “The ink of the scholar is more precious than the blood of the martyr.”

Islam by its very nature is dynamic and not rigid and spiritual faith should advance with along with material progress. The Muslim World should make the Prophet’s life the beacon light for achieving a truly modern and dynamic Islamic society.

The Holy Prophet’s life gives us every fundamental guideline that we require to resolve the problems as successfully as our human minds and intellects can visualize.

His example of integrity, loyalty, honesty, generosity, both of means and of time his solicitude for the poor, the weak and the sick, his steadfastness in friendship, his humility in success, his magnanimity in victory, his simplicity, his wisdom in conceiving new solutions for problems which could not be solved by traditional methods, without affecting the fundamental concepts of Islam, surely, all these are foundations which correctly understood and sincerely interpreted, must enable us to conceive what should be a truly modern and dynamic Islamic society in the years ahead.

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