Pearlz of Tots: Prophet Muhammad (saw) ~ Birthday

Hazrat Muhammad's (saw) Birth (his story)

Hazrat Muhammad (saw) was born in the year 570 CE (fifty-three years before the Hijrah) in the town of Makkah, a mountain town in the high desert plateau of western Arabia. His name derives from the Arabic verb Hamada, meaning "to praise, to glorify." He was the first and only son of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abd Al-Muttalib and Hazrat Aminah bint Wahab. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abd Al-Muttalib died before Hazrat Muhammad's (saw) birth. The precise date of his birth is disputed among the historians, but Ayatullah Ruhullah Musawi al-Khomeini (ra), the founder of the Islamic revolution had declared the week between 12th and 17th Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of Muslim calendar as "Hafta-E-Wahdat" meaning "the week of unity amongst Muslims." Muslims all over the world are urged to get together and celebrate (Eid-E-Milad un Nabi) the birth of Hazrat Muhammad (saw) for the whole week.

The year in which our Hazrat Muhammad (saw) was born is called as the Year of Elephant (Aam ul-Feel); it is because of that famous incidence in which the ruler of Yemen, Abraha tried to destroy Kaaba using his army of Elephants and a vast flock of small birds like swallows, carrying pebbles in their beaks darkened the sky and pelted them down upon the heads of Abraha's army causing deep puncture like wounds killing many. It is also said that at the same time for the first time in Arabia, the diseases of typhoid and smallpox appeared, affecting the whole army. Abraha himself suffered from smallpox, and remained alive only until he reached Yemen and died there. This is the theme mentioned in Noble Qur'an, Chapter 105 'Feel' (Elephant).

Since the birthday of Prophet Muhammad is based on the Islamic calendar, the date varies every year on the Western calendar because of the differences between both of them. The Islamic calendar is based on lunar movements and the Western calendar is based on solar calendar.

**Approximate dates for Mawlid, 2008-2013**
Gregorian Year	12th of Rabi'-ul-Awwal (Sunni)	17th of Rabi'-ul-Awwal (Shi'a)
2008^*	March 20	March 25
2009^*	March 9	March 15
2010	February 26	March 3
2011	February 15	February 20
2012	February 4	February 9
2013	January 24	January 29

What do people do?

There are mixed beliefs on how one observes Muhammed's birthday. Some people see the prophet's birthday as an event worthy of praise. Others view the celebration of birthdays as contradictory to Islamic law. Both sides cite the hadith (books of Islamic law) and events from Muhammed's life to support their views. Prophet Muhammad is considered to be the last Prophet of God and the last messenger of God by the Muslims. His birthday was first celebrated during the 13 th century followed by a month long celebration. The original celebrations included a sermon, honoring of religious deities, giving gifts, recitation of litanies followed by a feast. Homes and mosques are also decorated. Some people donate food and other goods for charity on or around this day. Others listen to their children read out poems about events that occurred in the prophet Muhammed's life. Nowadays, however, it is far more subdued although march pasts are still held at different places.

However, many Muslims also do not participate in celebrations on this day. Instead, they may mark the occasion by spending more time to read the Koran. Muhammed is said to have been born on a Monday and some scholars see fasting during the hours of daylight on Mondays as another way to celebrate his birth.