Today - MAWLID NIGHT

Rasûl-i akram ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ was born in Mecca, in the hijrî year 571, on a Monday night, (i.e. a night that was between Sunday and Monday, and) which was the night (following the eleventh and) previous to the twelfth day of the month of Rabî’ul-awwal and which coincided with the twentieth of April, towards morning. Every year, Muslims all over the world celebrate this night as the Mawlid Night. Everywhere, Rasûlullah is remembered by reciting Mawlid Qasidas [Eulogies of Mawlid]. The Sultân of Erbil, Abû Sa’îd Muzaffar-ud-dîn Kukbûrî bin Zaynaddîn Ali, used to organize festivals on mawlid nights and used to give gifts and presents. The beautiful character, benevolence and good deeds of the sultân is noted in detail in a history book by Ibni Khilligân, on the 234th page of Hujjatullâhi ’alal’âlamîn and in a pamphlet entitled Mawlid-î sherîf by Sayyid ’Abdulhakîm-i Arwâsî. ‘Mawlîd’ means ‘the time of birth.’ ‘Rabî’ul-awwal’ means ‘the Spring.’ Our Prophet, after he had become the Prophet, used to lay very much stress on this night every year. The ummat of each Prophet had made the birthday of their Prophet a feast day. And this day is the Muslims’ feast day. It is a day of pleasure and happiness. When Hadrat Âdam was between soul and body, he (Muhammad) was the Prophet. Hadrat Âdam and everything were created for his honour. His blessed name is written in Islamic letters on the Arsh, on skies and heavens.

His name Muhammad was given to him by his grandfather, ’Abdulmuttalib. He had dreamt that (Muhammad’s) name would be spread over the world and that everybody would praise and laud him. ‘Muhammad’ means ‘he who is praised much.’ Hadrat Jabrâil’s first coming and informing him of his prophethood, his leaving the city of Mecca for a Hegira, his setting foot in the village of Kubâ of Medîna-i-munawwara, his leaving Medina for the conquest of Mecca, and his death all took place on Mondays. When he was born, it was discovered that his umbilical cord had been cut and that he had been circumcised. When he honoured the earth with his presence, he raised his index finger and prostrated. Angels used to cradle him. He began talking in the cradle. It is said in the annotation Zerkânî of Mawâhib: “When his parents Hadrat ’Abdullah and Hadrat Âmina married, the former was eighteen years old and the latter was fourteen years old. Hadrat Âmina passed away when she was twenty. First he was suckled by his holy mother for nine days, then by Suweyba, a jâriya of Abû Lahab, for a few days.

Then, Halîma-i Sa’diyya suckled him for two years. He stayed in the village of Banî Sa’d bin Bakr for two years; then, when he was four years old, he was brought to the city of Mecca. When he began to walk, he used to watch children play; he wouldn’t join the playing. When he was six years old, his mother Âmina passed away, and when he was eight, his grandfather ’Abdul-muttalib passed away. When he was twentyfive years old, he married Hadrat Hadîjah ‘radiy-Allâhu anhâ’. When he was forty years old, in the month of Ramadân on a Monday, as he was in a cave on a mountain that was called Jabali-hirâ and Jabal-i-nûr and which was an hour’s walk north of the city, the angel appeared to him and he was informed that he was the Prophet for all human beings and genies. First, Hadrat Jabrâil came. Then, for three years Hadrat Isrâfil kept coming to teach him. Yet, Isrâfil didn’t bring the Qur’ân al-kerîm. Then, Hadrat Jabrâil began to come and conveyed all of the Qur’ân al-kerîm in twenty years. Jabrâil ‘’alaihis-salâm’ came to him twenty-four thousand times. [By comparison, he had descended to Hadrat Âdam twelve times, to Hadrat Nûh (Noah) fifty times, to Hadrat Ibrâhim forty times, to Hadrat Mûsâ (Moses) four hundred times, and to Hadrat Îsâ ten times.] He didn’t manifest his prophethood for three years, and then, with the command of Allâhu ta’âlâ, he declared it.