Mawlid

Mawlid is an observance commemorating the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Celebrations commonly include prayers, gatherings, charitable acts, and devotional poetry.

Muhammad: Muhammad was the religious and political leader whose preaching founded Islam in seventh-century Arabia. His birth is the event Mawlid commemorates.
Fatimid Caliphate: The Fatimid Caliphate was an Ismaili Shi‘i dynasty that ruled parts of North Africa and the Middle East from 909 to 1171. Medieval sources describe court observances of Muhammad’s birthday under Fatimid rule.
Bid‘ah: Bid‘ah is an Islamic term for innovation in religious matters, assessed differently across legal and theological traditions. Debates about whether Mawlid is a permissible innovation shape Muslim views of the observance.
Mawlid al-Nabi: Mawlid al-Nabi is the celebration of Muhammad’s birth, observed in Muslim communities in diverse ways. This name identifies the observance in many Arabic-speaking contexts.
Sira: Sira is the body of biographical literature recounting Muhammad’s life and prophetic mission. Mawlid gatherings often recount episodes from Muhammad’s life.
Erbil: Erbil is a city in present-day Iraq with a history as a regional political and cultural center. The ruler of Erbil sponsored a large public Mawlid celebration in the early thirteenth century.
Salafism: Salafism is a Sunni movement emphasizing the beliefs and practices of the earliest Muslim generations. Many Salafi scholars oppose Mawlid as an unsupported religious innovation.
Qasida al-Burda: Qasida al-Burda is a medieval Arabic poem praising Muhammad, composed by al-Busiri. Recitations of this poem are a familiar feature of some Mawlid gatherings.
Salawat: Salawat are blessings invoked upon Muhammad, especially in prayer and devotional practice. Blessings on Muhammad are a common feature of Mawlid devotion.
Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri: Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri was a ruler of Erbil known for sponsoring a major Mawlid celebration. His lavish observance is a prominent medieval account of public Mawlid festivities.

Linked from 13 pages