60,000 men and 13 elephants headed towards the Ka’aba in the
city of Mecca, to destroy this pagan house of worship which the Arab tribes had
filled with idols. The army was lead by Abraha, King of Yemen, who was proud to
have the celebrated elephant Mahmud, which had been lent to him by Negus of Abyssinia. Abraha had
built a beautiful church in Sa’na of Yemen and wanted everyone, including
non-Christians to use it for their pilgrimage. This did not go too well with
the Arabs who had their own archaic Ka’aba which they revered immensely. Abraha
charged forth with all his force but the greatest of them all, Mahmud the
elephant relented. As he neared Mecca, Mahmud stopped and knelt towards the
Ka’aba. No amount of coaxing, supplications or the use of force would make the
mighty elephant budge. He hastened away from Mecca but would not go towards it.
And then, it is said that the sky suddenly grew dark as a massive group of
birds, the Ababil came flying out
carrying stones in their beaks and hurled these down on the advancing army,
until none was left to attack Mecca. The animals had refused to let the city be
attacked, the city that was soon to give birth to one, who would be known as
the last prophet of God. A man who would give rise to the last major religion
of the world; a man, who would bring people of all kinds, regardless of the
color of their skin, their status in life or their nationality, as one. The
prophet Muhammad (SAW) is thought ot have been born in 571 CE, on the 12th
day of the month of Rabi-ul Awal
known as the Sana-al Fil or the year
of the elephant.
As the years progressed and Islam spread across regions and
continents, the caliphates continued ruling in parts of North Africa and it was
during the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt that the birth of the Prophet was
celebrated in style, but not until the Ottomans did it become a proper
designated holiday, in the late 1500s. Like all birthdays, something special
was cooked, people wore new clothes and greeted each other in remembrance of
the holy day of the Prophet’s birth.
Of course prayers were also a major part
of this festival as the day of the Prophet’s birth or Mawlid in Arabic is also known as the day he passed away. The
feeling of joy and sadness were balanced out as Egyptians celebrated Mawlid and to this day, some very
special rituals are performed. Halwatil
mowlood (sweets of the prophet) are consumed which are mainly sugar dolls,
some carrying a sword sitting on a horse while The National Islamic Choir
collaborates with the opera house to put up special shows throughout the week.
The Egyptians love their creaking tables on special occasions and duck features
a lot at Mawlid feasts. While the festivities go on for about a week,
television programmes are all geared towards this event as old movies with an
Islamic theme are telecast on TV and religious hymns are played on repeat all
over.
In some Arab countries like Libya, children dressed in their
best wear on Moulud-un nabi come out
carrying small lanterns or candles and stand opposite each other in a line.
Then the lanterns are passed from one child to the other, signifying the
arrival of the Prophet who brought the light of knowledge, education and wisdom
with him. A special meal is served called aseed
which is dough pudding, with a ball of boiled dough that is drenched in melted
butter, date syrup or honey. In other countries like Iraq, especially in Erbil,
Mawlood Nabaui is celebrated with a
menu that includes dolma, rice with
soup and some kind of meat, heavy with the spice of celebration!
Eid Milad-un Nabi is considered a third Eid in the Indian
subcontinent where in Pakistan the flag will be hoisted on all national
monuments while a gun salute at dawn rings in the birthday. In some parts of
India, processions are carried out where artefacts of the prophet like his
footsteps in a glass casket, is smeared with sandal paste. From Kerala, to
Sylhet and Peshawar, everyone wears their best outfit and food and prayers are
an integral part of the day.
This year, Eid Milad-un Nabi is all the more special as we
celebrate the birthdays of two prophets. One is the Gregorian calendar date
while the other, is the lunar Islamic date. Both Jesus and Mohammad preached
for peace, humbleness and righteousness while the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) paid
especial stress on the need for education. In a world that is becoming
increasingly intolerant and replete with strife, let us not forget the true
message these revered men brought to us and their struggles to leave us a world
where we could live in peace.
