It is a commonly held belief that the birth-date of the Prophet is the 12 th of Rab al-

Awwal, in the Year of the Elephant, which is the year that the Abyssinian Emperor
Abraha attacked the Kabah with an army of elephants. However, most Muslims are
unaware that there has always been great controversy over the precise date of the
Prophets salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam birth, and it is quite possible that the 12 th of
Rab al-Awwal is not in fact the strongest opinion on the matter.

There is no narration in the famous Six Books of adth that specifies when the
Prophet

salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam was born. Rather, the only narration that exists
specifies the day he was born, and not the date . Ab Qatda narrates that a
Bedouin came to the Prophet and asked him about fasting on Monday, to which the
Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, That is the day I was born on, and the
day that the revelation began [Narrated by Muslim]. Therefore, the Prophet salla
Allahu alayhi wa sallam was born on Monday. But Monday of which month, and
which year? For that, we need to turn to other sources. Again, no standard source
book of adth mentions any precise date. However, there is a tradition of disputed
authenticity, in the Sunan of al-Bayhaq [vol. 1, p. 79] states that Suwayd b. Ghafla
narrated, The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam and I were born in the same
year, the Year of the Elephant.' Certain other evidences also indicate that he was
born this year. Hence, from the extended books of adth, two pieces of information
can be gleaned: that he was born on a Monday (and this is confirmed), and that he
was born in the Year of the Elephant (and this is most likely correct).

When we turn to books of history, a number of dates regarding the birth of the
Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam are found. Ibn Isq (d. 150 AH), the earliest
and most authoritative biographer of the Prophet , states, without any

isnd or other reference, that the Prophet was born on Monday, the 12 th of Rab al-
Awwal, in the Year of the Elephant. 1 Between Ibn Isq and the birth of the
Prophet lies almost two centuries, so some more proof is needed before this date is
settled on.

Another extremely important early source, Ibn Sad (d. 230 AH) in his abaqt , 2
mentions the opinion of a few early authorities regarding the date of his birth. In
order, they are:

1) Monday, 10 th of Rab al-Awwal, the Year of the Elephant.

2) Monday, 2 nd of Rab al-Awwal.

3) Monday, no precise date.

4) The Year of the Elephant, no precise date.

It is interesting to note that Ibn Sad, one of the most respected historians of early
Islam, does not even list the date of the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal as a possible
candidate. Of course the last two opinions are correct and do not clash with any
specific date, but by quoting earlier authorities who only gave this information, it
can be noted that the precise birth date of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam
was not known to them, hence they only gave the information they knew.

Ibn Kathr (d. 774), the famous medieval historian, also lists many opinions in his
monumental al-Bidya wa-l-nihyah regarding the birth-date of the Prophet salla
Allahu alayhi wa sallam .3 He states that the majority of scholars believed that the
Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam was born in the month of Rab al-Awwal, but
differed regarding the precise day of the month. Some of these opinions are:

1. 2 nd Rab al-Awwal. This was the preferred opinion of Ab Mashar al-Sind (d.
171 AH), one of the earliest scholars of

sra , and of the famous Mliki jurist and scholar, Ibn Abd al-Barr (d. 463). It was
also listed by al-Wqid (d. 207 AH) as a possible opinion. [Al-Wqid is one of the
most reputable early historians of Islam, despite his weakness as a narrator of
adth].

2. 8 th of Rab al-Awwal. This was the opinion of the Andalusian scholar Ibn azm
(d. 456 AH), and many of the early scholars. Imm Mlik (d. 179 AH) reported this
opinion from al-Zuhr (d. 128 AH) and Muammad b. Jubayr b. Muim (a famous
Successor), amongst others. Ibn Abd al-Barr, while subscribing to the first opinion,
said that this opinion was the opinion of most historians. Ibn Diya (d. ~ 610 AH),
one of the first to write a treatise on the birth of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa
sallam , also considered this date to be the strongest opinion.

3. 10 th of Rab al-Awwal. This has been reported by Ibn Askir (d. 571 AH) from
Ab Jafar al-Bqir (d. 114 AH), a descendant of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa
sallam and an alleged Imam of the Shiites. It is also the opinion of al-Shab (d. 100
AH), a famous scholar and student of the Companions, and al-Wqid (d. 207 AH)
himself.

4. 12 th of Rab al-Awwal. This is the opinion of Ibn Isq (d. 150), who reported it
without any reference. In other sources, it is reported as the opinion of Jbir and Ibn
Abbs, but there is no isnd found in any primary source book to them. Ibn Kathr
writes, and this is the most common opinion on the matter, and Allah knows
best. I could not find this opinion attributed to any other authorities of the first few
generations of Islam.

5. 17 th of Rab al-Awwal. This was the opinion of some Shiite scholars, and is
rejected by most Sunn authorities.

6. 22 nd of Rab al-Awwal. This opinion has also been attributed to Ibn azm.
7. In the month of Raman, without a specific date, in the Year of the Elephant.
This was the opinion of the famous early historian al-Zubayr b. al-Bakkr (d. 256),
who wrote the first and most authoritative history of Makkah, and some early
authorities agreed with him.

8. 12 th of Raman, in the Year of the Elephant. This opinion was reported by Ibn
Askir as being held by some early authorities.

These are the most predominant opinion regarding the date of the Prophets salla
Allahu alayhi wa sallam birth. However, this is by no means comprehensive for
example, a modern researcher has concluded that the 9 th of Rab al-Awwal is the
strongest candidate for the exact date, whereas a few earlier authorities even
disputed the very year, claiming that it was ten, or twenty-three, or forty years after
the Year of the Elephant. 4

Why is the opinion of the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal so popular?

As can be seen, there are numerous opinions regarding the precise date of the birth
of the Prophet some of which differ about the month, and others even the year.
However, an overwhelming majority of historians and scholars agreed that he was
born on a Monday, in Rab al-Awwal, in the Year of the Elephant, which
corresponds to 570 (or 571) C.E.

Within the month of Rab al-Awwal, more than half a dozen opinions exist. Out of all
of these dates, the two dates of the 8 th and the 10 th were in fact more popular
opinions in the first five centuries of Islam, and in particular the former opinion was
given greater credence. Why, then, is the date of the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal
considered the most popular in our times, so much so that most people are unaware
of alternate opinions? This question is all the more compelling in light of the fact
that Ibn Isq narrates this opinion without any reference. This can be explained,
and Allah knows best, by two factors.

Firstly, the popularity of Ibn Isq himself. His book of sra

is a primary source of information regarding the biography of the Prophet . Since his
bookis a standard reference for all later writings, many scholars simply copied and
pasted his opinion, disregarding the other opinions (some of which were given more
weight by earlier authorities).

Secondly and this perhaps is a stronger factor the first time that a group of
people decided to take the birthday of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam as a
public day of celebration (i.e., the inception of the celebration of the mawlid ) , it so
happened that they chose this opinion (viz. , the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal). Hence,
when the practice of the mawlid spread, so did this date. This also explains why Ibn
Abd al-Barr, writing before the conception of the mawlid in the fifth century of the
hijrah, stated that the most common opinion amongst historians was in fact the 8 th
of Rab al-Awwal, and yet Ibn Kathr, writing three centuries later, after the mawlid
had been introduced as a public festival, stated that the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal was
the most common opinion.

Conclusion

The exact birth-date of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam has always been
the subject of dispute amongst classical scholars. Nothing authentic has been
reported in the standard source books of tradition, and this fact in itself shows that
it was not held in the significance that later authorities did. The 12 th of Rab al-
Awwal is a strong candidate for being the exact birth date of the Prophet salla
Allahu alayhi wa sallam , but the 2 nd , 8 th and 10 th are also viable and well-
respected positions, with the 8 th being the weightiest.

As to who was the first to celebrate the mawlid , and how it spread in Muslim lands,
that shall form Part II of this article,

insha Allah .

It is unanimously agreed upon, by historians, legal specialists and theologians of all

groups, that the Prophet himself never commanded his followers to celebrate his
birthday, nor was this practice known for the first few centuries of Islam. Therefore,
the question arises as to how this practice was instituted and who were the first
group to think of the idea of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet .

The Origin of the Mawlid

The first mention ever made of the mawlid celebrations in any historical work comes
in the writings of Jaml al-Dn Ibn al-Mamn, who died 587 AH/1192 CE. His father
was the Grand Vizier for the Fatimid Caliph al-Amir (ruled 494-524 AH/1101-1130
CE). Although the work of Ibn al-Mamn is now lost, many parts of it were quoted
by later scholars, in particular the most famous medieval historian of Egypt, al-
Maqrzi (d. 845/1442) in his monumental Maw al-itibr f khia Mir wa-l-amr

(shortened to the Khia ). Al-Maqrzis book is the standard source of information for
Fatimid and early Mamlk Egypt. What makes this work stand out above many
others is not only its comprehensiveness, but also the fact that al-Maqrz quotes
from many earlier references that are now lost, and also takes great care to cite his
source, a practice very rare for the time.

Al-Maqrz relies upon the work of Ibn al-Mamn for information regarding the
social, political and religious policies of the Fatimids during the early part of the
sixth century, which was the period that Ibn al-Mamns father worked for the
Fatimid Caliph. Due to the high position that his father enjoyed, Ibn al-Mamn
provided many details that outside historians could not possibly have been privy to.
Before proceeding, it is important to point out some facts regarding the Fatimid
dynasty. This dynasty had established itself as a rival dynasty to the Abbasids in
Baghdad. They had conquered Egypt in 358 AH/969 CE, and established the modern
city of Cairo. They claimed descent from the Family of the Prophet (a claim that all
others deemed to be fabricated), and followed the Sevener Branch of Shiite Islam,
also known as Ismailism. Their beliefs and customs were so different from other
branches of Islam that all Sunnis and even many other non-Ismaili Shiite groups
deemed them outside the fold of the religion. The Ismailis had reinterpreted the five
pillars of Islam to such a level that they would not conform to the regular rituals that
other Muslims are accustomed to (such as the five daily prayers). The intellectual
(and at times even biological) descendants of the Fatimid caliphs in our times are
many. In particular, the Ismaili Aga Khan Imams and the Bohri Imams both trace
their direct lineage to the Fatimid caliphs, and the group known as the Druze also
are an offshoot of the Fatimid dynasty. It was this dynasty that first initiated the
celebration of the mawlid .

To return to our topic, Al-Maqrizi, in his Khia , quotes Ibn al-Mamn as follows,
writing about the events of the year 517 A.H.:

Next, the month of Rab al-Awwal arrived, and we shall begin [the events of this
month] by mentioning the thing for which it has become famous, namely, the
birthday of the Master of the first and last, Muhammad, on the thirteen [sic. ] day.
And by way of charity, the Caliph presented 6000 dirhams from the fund of

najwa [an Ismailite tithe], and from the dar al-fitra he presented 40 dishes of
pastry, and from the chambers of the trustees and caretakers of the mausoleums
that lie between the Hill and Qarafa, where the Al al-Bayt lie, he gave sugar,
almonds, honey, and sesame oil [as a gift] to each mausoleum. And [his Vizier] took
charge of distributing 400 pounds (ratl) of sweets, and 1000 pounds of bread.

The wording of the paragraph clearly suggests that the mawlid was a clearly
established practiced by this time.

Another early source that mentions the mawlid is the work of Ibn al-uwayr (d.
617/1220), in his work Nuzhat al-Muqlatayn f Akhbrt al-Dawlatayn. Ibn al-uwayr
worked as a secretary for the Fatimid dynasty, and witnessed the change of power
from the Fatimids to the Ayyubids, at the hand of Sala al-Dn al-Ayybi, which
occurred 567/1071. His skills were so appreciated that he ended up working for the
government of alh al-Dn as well. Ibn al-uwayr also describes the pageantry and
pomp associated with the

mawlid . He describes in detail [see: Nuzhat, p. 217-219] the large amounts of foods
that were distributed on this day, especially around the famous mausoleums of
Cairo (some of which would have been considered by the Fatimids as being those of
their Imams). The focus of the pageantry, of course, was the palace of the Caliph,
and only the elite would get to attend. The celebrations of the day worked their way
up to the appearance of the Caliph (who was the living Imam for the Ismailites) from
a palace window, his face covered in a turban. He himself would not deign to speak
rather, his private attendants would signal to the audience that the Caliph had
returned their greetings and seen their love for him. From the courtyard pavilion
various reciters and preachers would address the audience, finally culminating in
the address of the khatib of the Azhar Masjid (which of course, at that time, was the
epitome of Ismaili academics).

The mawlid was not the only celebration that was sponsored by the Fatimids. Al-
Maqrzi, in his Khia [vol. 1, p. 490], has an entire section dedicated to Fatimid
holidays. He writes, under a chapter heading entitled, The mentioning of the days
that the Fatimid Caliphs took as celebrations and festivals throughout the year,
upon which the situation of the people would be improved and their benefits
increased ,

The Fatimid Caliphs had, throughout the year, a number of festivals and
celebrations. These were: 1. New Years Eve, 2. Beginning of the year celebrations,
3. The Day of shr, 4. The birthday of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam ,
5. The birthday of Al, 6. The birthday of al-asan, 7. The birthday of al-Husayn, 8.
The birthday of Fima al-Zahr, 9. The birthday of the current Caliph, 10. The first
day of Rajab, 11. The fifteenth day of Rajab, 12. The first day of Shabn, 13. The
fifteenth day of Shabn, 14. The festival of Raman, 15. the first day of Raman,
16. The middle of Raman, 17. The end of Raman, 18. The Night of the

Khatm, 19. The Day of Eid al-Fitr, 20. The Day of Eid of Sacrifice, 21. The Day of Eid
al-Ghadr, 22. The Cloth of Winter, 23. The Cloth of Summer, 24. The Day of the
Conquest of the Peninsula, 25. The Day of Nawrz [Persian festival], 26. The Day of
Veneration [Christian], 27. Christmas [Christian], 28 Lent [Christian]

As can be seen, the Fatimids loved their celebrations! The reason why they had so
many celebrations is obvious, and is hinted at by al-Maqrzi in his title. As the main
rival to the Abbsid dynasty, the Fatimids were desperate to try to legitimize their
rule in the eyes of the masses, and one of the ways to do so was to shower them
with gifts on these days, and to provide an outlet for them to be merry and enjoy.
Al-Maqrzi mentions in detail the types of gifts that would be showered on the
people on each of these days, sometimes exotic dishes of meat and bread, most of
the time pastries and sweets, and even (on the Cloth days) special types of
clothes. Anyone who has been to Cairo can attest to the pomp of Fatimid structures,
but it wasnt only through architecture that the Fatimids wished to prove their
superiority over the Abbasids.

Another thing to note is that there are many pagan festivals listed as well, for the
Zoroastrian and Christian citizens. All of this was done to appease these minorities
and prevent them from rebelling against the stage.

A number of factors need to be discussed here.

1) From the above, it appears that the Faimids instituted a number of key yearly
celebrations, all of which involved much pomp and pageantry. The primary
celebrations were the mawlids of the Prophet and Imams, and also the celebration
of the day of Ghadr Khumm (the day that Shiites of all stripes believe the Prophet
designated Al b. Ab lib to be the heir apparent). As mentioned earlier, the
primary purpose of so much pageantry was to ingratiate themselves with the
masses. Such public celebrations would have been anticipated as public holidays,
and as days to revel and enjoy good food and sweets, compliments of the
government.

2) We can also venture a rough guess regarding the era that the

mawlid was introduced. Without any other sources, it is impossible to reconstruct a

precise date on which the Faimids initiated the mawlid .[1] However, recall that al-
Maqrizs history (the Khiat ) is merely a compilation of numerous histories that are
now missing. Many of these histories, such as those of Ibn al-Mamn and Ibn
uwayr, were written by eyewitnesses. Modern scholars have analyzed the sources
of al-Maqrzis history, and shown that for each era, al-Maqriz relied on specific
authors. For events of the third, fourth and fifth centuries, al-Maqriz took from
authors of other works; it was only for events of the sixth century that he quoted Ibn
al-Mamn. [2] Therefore, since the first suggestion of the mawlid occurs in the
chronicles of Ibn al-Mamn, we can safely venture the hypothesis that the

mawlid was first celebrated around the turn of the sixth hijr

century.

3) All of the mawlids introduced by the Fatimids centered around the Family of the
Prophet, except for the mawlid of the Prophet himself. The Shiite nature of the
Fatimid Dynasty, along with the other celebrations that were practiced, makes it
quite clear that the entire concept of celebrating birthdays was a Shite one aimed
at exalting the status of the Imams. In fact, these source books mention that on the
days of these other

mawlids, most of the ceremonies took place around the mausoleums and graves of
the Fatimids, and it was at these places where much of the food was distributed.
Hence, the Fatimids clearly wished to promote the cult of the Imams and Ahl al-
Bayt, and aggrandize their religious figures. When the Fatimid dynasty collapsed,
the other mawlids were simply forgotten, as they held no significance for Sunnis,
but the

mawlid of the Prophet continued. In other words, the

mawlid was originally an Ismaili Shiite festival, even though eventually it lost the
tarnish of its Shiite origins.
4) The earliest reference (that of Ibn al-Mamn) specifically states that the mawlid
was celebrated on the 13 th of Rabi al-Awwal. Scholars have said that this is either
an error (and what proves this is that the later Ibn al-uwayr correctly writes that it
was celebrated on the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal), or that it was initially instituted on
the 13 th , but within a generation was changed to the 12 th . In either case, by the
middle of the sixth century, the mawlid was an official holiday in Fatimid Egypt.

The question then arises: how did the mawlid spread to Sunni lands, and who was
the first to introduce it to lands East and West of Fatimid Egypt? That shall be the
topic of the third and final part to this article,

insha Allah.

[1] The modern Egyptian author Hasan al-Sandubi, in the only monograph in Arabic
on the subject, suggests that th Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz was the first to initiate this
celebration, but there is absolutely no evidence that he brings to back this claim. Al-
Muizz ruled from 341 to 365 A.H.

[2] See the editors introduction to Nuzhat al-Muqlatayn , p. 3, where he lists al-
Maqrizs sources for every era.

In our previous two articles, we had discussed the date of the birth of the Prophet,
salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam , and demonstrated that there are over half a dozen
opinions, the strongest being that he was born on the 8 th of Rab al-Awwal, in the
Year of the Elephant. We also mentioned that the first recorded instance of a public
celebration of the

mawlid occurred in Shiite Fatimid Egypt, around the turn of the sixth century of the
hijra . In this article, we shall mention the earliest references in Sunni lands to the
mawlid .

The Mawlid in Sunni Lands

The earliest recorded reference in Sunni lands of the mawlid occurs in a history
book written by Imad al-Dn al-Ifahn (d. 597 AH/1200 CE), entitled al-Barq al-
Shm . This work mentions the main political occurrences of Greater Syria (i.e.,
Sham) during the last three decades of the sixth Islamic century, in particular the
wars of the Muslims against the Crusaders. Unfortunately, the original work remains
in manuscript form and has yet to be edited, but a number of summaries exist, the
most famous one being San al-Barq al-Shm of al-Bundari. It is from this printed
work (San al-Barq al-Shm , Cairo edition, p. 49-52) that the following is extracted.

In the year 566 A.H./1170 CE, Nr al-Dn al-Zangs (d. 569/1174) brother passed
away in Mosul, a well-known city of Iraq. Nr al-Dn was the famous leader of the
Zangid dynasty, and helped propel Salh al-Dn al-Ayyb (d. 588/1193) to fame. Nr
al-Dn visited the city of Mosul in order to quell a dispute regarding the succession
of his brother, who had been the governor of the region. There, the historian tells
us, he met a certain Umar al-Mulla, who was in charge of a zawiya (Sufi monastery).
This zawiya was a popular place for the local leaders and noblemen to visit, and in
particular every year, during the days of the mawlid of the Prophet, salla Allahu
alayhi wa sallam , he would invite the governor of Mosul, along with the poets, who
would come and sing their poems, and be rewarded [by the governor] for this.
(Also see Ibn Kathir, al-Bidyah wa-l-Nihyah , vol. 12, p. 782)

This small reference, in passing, is the earliest reference we have to a public mawlid
being celebrated in Sunni lands. The person who initiated it, Umar al-Mulla, was a
venerated Sufi ascetic, and not a scholar of the religion. We do not know many
details of his life or even date of death. And while the historian Imad al-Dn did claim
he was a righteous saint (a claim that was mentioned by all those who copied the
story from Imad al-Dns work), another scholar strongly disagreed. Ibn Rajab (d.
795), in his biographical dictionary Dhayl abaqat al-

anabilah, mentions this Umar al-Mulla, also in passing, in the context of a famous
anbalite scholar. Under the entry of Muhammad b. Abd al-Bq (d. 571 AH), a
anbalite scholar from Mosul, he mentions how Umar al-Mulla was greatly respected
in the city of Mosul, and a disagreement happened between the two of them, which
resulted in Muhammad b. Abd al-Bq being falsely accused of stealing, because of
which he was beaten. Writes Ibn Rajab [Dhayl , vol. 1, p. 254], As for this Umar, he
outwardly showed himself to be a pious man and ascetic, but I believe him to be [a
follower] of the innovated groups. And this incident [with Muhammad b. Abd al-Bq]
also shows his injustices and transgressions [against others]. And Ibn Kathr (d. 774
AH) mentions that when Nr al-Dn Zangi abolished the unjust taxes that had been
levied on the people, Umar al-Mulla actually wrote him a letter chastising him for his
decision, and saying that this would lead to an increase of evil in the land. At which
Nr al-Dn responded back, saying,

Allah created the creation, and legislated the Sharah , and He knows best what is
beneficial for them. So if He knew that there should have been an increase [in
revenue from taxes], He would have legislated it for us. Hence, there is no need for
us to take more than what Allah has decreed, since whoever adds to the Sharah
has presumed that the Sharah is incomplete and he needs to perfect it by his
addition. And to do this is arrogance against Allah and against what He has
legislated, but darkened minds will never be guided, and may Allah guide us and
you to the Straight Path [al-Bidyah wa-l-Nihyah, vol. 12, p. 805].

In what can only be described as a reversal of traditional roles, it was the ruler who
chastised the saint when Umar al-Mulla actually encouraged the collection of
unjust taxes, while Nr al-Din sought to abolish it.

Before proceeding, it is noteworthy that the mawlid instituted by Umar al-Mulla

involved singing poems in praise of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam , and
nothing more than this. Unfortunately, the books of history do not mention the
nature or content of these poems; however, it would not be too far-fetched to
assume that at this early stage the poems would have praised the Prophet, salla
Allahu alayhi wa sallam in the manner that he truly deserves, and without the
attribution of Divine characteristics to him that later poets are guilty of.

The city of Mosul was located in a relatively small province, and remained under the
control of the larger Zangid Empire. Hence, it was only natural that

mawlid celebrations performed in Mosul would not garner too much attention nor
have a large budget at their disposal to use for the mawlids . Rather, for this to
occur, it had to be sponsored by a dynasty that could afford to do so, and this
dynasty was found in the neighboring province of Irbil, a city less than a days
journey from Mosul. As news of the mawlid spread to this city, the ruler of the semi-
autonomous province, Muafar al-Dn Kokburi (d. 630/1232), took it upon himself to
celebrate the mawlid in an extremely lavish manner. It would take another few
decades for the

mawlid to spread to Irbil, but eventually, sometime in the early part of the seventh
century, Muafar al-Dn became famous for the extravagant mawlid ceremonies
that were sponsored through the State Treasury of his principality.

The historian Ibn Khallikn (d. 681/1282) mentions that Muafar al-Dn was known
for his generosity, for he had built many khnqahs (monasteries) for the Sufis to
worship in. Ibn Khallikn was also from Irbil, and was a friend of Muar al-Dn, and
witnessed first-hand the mawlid celebrations. Writes Ibn Khallikn (in his Wafayt al-
Ayn, vol. 5, p. 78-9):

Two days before the mawlid , Muafar al-Dn would take out camels, cows and
sheep a large number, beyond counting and he would send these animals,
accompanied with drums and song and other instruments, until they would reach
the large open ground [outside the city]. Then, these animals would be slaughtered,
and pots would be set up, and all types of different foods would be cooked, until
finally it would be the Night of the

Mawlid itself [meaning the night

before the mawlid ]. On that night, he would allow samas [special poems] to be
sung in his fort, and then he would descend down [to the people], the procession
being led by countless candles. Amongst these candles were two, or four I forget
now that were so large that each one had to be carried on a mule, and behind it
was a man in charge of keeping the candle erect [on the mule], until it reached the
Sufi monastery. Then, on the very morning of the mawlid , he commanded that the
Royal Robe be taken out from the Palace to the khnqah (Sufi monastery), by the
hands of the Sufis. Each Sufi would wear an expensive sash around his hand, and
they would all walk in a procession, one behind the other so many in number that I
could not verify their quantity. Then, Muafar al-Dn himself would descend to the
khnqah , and all of the noblemen and leaders and gentry would gather together. A
chair would be placed for the preachers, and Muafar al-Dn himself would be in a
special tower made of wood [that he had built for the occasion]. It had many
windows, some of which faced the people and others faced the open ground, which
was a large ground of immense size. The infantry would also gather there, in
procession. So Muafar al-Dn would listen throughout the day, sometimes looking
at the people and sermons, and sometimes at the infantry, and this would continue
until the infantry finished their processions. Then, a general tablecloth would be laid
out for the poor, and all who wished could eat from it, bread and other types of
foods beyond count! And there was another tablecloth laid out as well, for the
people of the monastery, those close to the throne, and while the sermons would be
delivered, he would call [each speaker] one by one, and the noblemen and leaders
and guests who had come for this season: scholars, and preachers, and reciters,
and poets, and he would give each of them garments, and they would then return to
their seats. Once this was finished, they would all gather at the tablecloth to
partake of the food. This would continue until the Asr prayer, or even after that,
and he would spend the night there, and the samas would continue to the next
day. And this would be done every year, and what I have described is in fact a
condensed summary of the reality, for to mention it in detail would be too
cumbersome and take a long time. Finally, when these ceremonies would be
completed, he would gift an amount to every visitor who had come from afar, as
provision for his journey home. And I have already mentioned how, when Ibn Diya
passed by Irbil, he wrote up a work regarding the

mawlid , because of what he had seen Muafar al-Dn do, and because of this he
was gifted a thousand gold coins, along with the generous hospitality he was shown
for the duration of his stay.

As can be seen, the ceremony of Muafar al-Dn was an extremely lavish and
extravagant affair, and would draw large crowds of locals and also visitors. It is clear
that the relatively innocuous mawlid of Umar al-Mulla was now being taken to a
different level. And because the celebrations of Muafar al-Dn attracted more
attention than those of Umar al-Mulla, they played a crucial role in spreading the
custom of the

mawlid and increasing its popularity.

From this, it is clear that the

mawlid was imported into Sunni lands at the beginning of the seventh Islamic
century, through the actions of Umar al-Mulla and then Muafar al-Dn. A
contemporary author proves this point beyond a shadow of doubt. Ab Shmah al-
Maqdisi (d. 665) was a famous historian from Damascus. He wrote a number of
works, and is most famous for his book Kitb al-Bith al inkr al-bida wa-l-
awdith. In it, he follows the opinion that religious innovations can be either
reprehensible or praiseworthy (a theological opinion which was and remains the
subject of debate amongst scholars, and which deserves to be discussed in another
article), and considers the mawlid to be a praiseworthy innovation. What concerns
us here is not Ab Shmahs legal verdict on the

mawlid , but rather his historical context. He writes, [ Kitb al-bith , (Cairo print,
1978), p. 24],

And of the best matters that have been introduced in our times is that which occurs
in the city of Irbil may Allah protect it every year, on the day that the Prophet
salla Allah alahyi wa sallam was born. [On this day], charity is distributed, and good
[deeds performed], and pageantry is displayed, and happiness [is abundant]. And
all of this, in addition to being beneficial to the poor, is an outward manifestation of
the love of the Prophet salla Allah alahyi wa sallam and demonstrates respect for
him, and honor in the heart of the one who does this [celebration], and thankfulness
to Allah for what He has blessed us with in the existence of the Messenger that He
has sent as a mercy to the worlds. And the first person who ever did this was [a
man] from Mosul, the Shaykh Umar b. Muhammad al-Mulla , a well-known, righteous
man, and it was from his custom that the Governor of Irbil, and others besides him,
took this act from .

From this passage, it is clear that the custom of the mawlid was already known to
Ab Shmah in Damascus, but he points out that the celebration occurs in Irbil , and
not in Damascus. Hence, at this stage, in the middle of the seventh century, news of
the mawlid has reached Damascus, which is around 500 miles away, but the city of
Damascus itself has yet to start its own mawlid .

It is also striking to note the similarities between the Fatimid celebrations of the
mawlid and the ones sponsored by Muafar al-Dn: in both cases, the pomp and
pageantry and generosity lavished upon the population must have played a vital
role in popularizing these rulers amongst the people.

Before moving on, it is relevant to backtrack a few decades and mention another
rudimentary version of the mawlid (if it can even be called such). This version is
found in the travelogue of Ibn Jubayr (d. 614 AH), who set foot from Andalus to
perform the Hajj and spent the next few years touring Muslim lands, finally settling
down in North Africa to record his travels. Ibn Jubayr entered Makkah in 579 AH, and
he mentions that on the first Monday of Rab al-Awwal, the house in which the
Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam was reputed to have been born in would be
open for visitors, along with some other ancient historic sites associated with the
life of the Prophet, and visitors would enter these houses and seek blessings from it
[see: The Travels of Ibn Jubayr , ed. M. J. De Goeje, p. 114-5].*

Therefore, it is clear that Muslims of Makkah did do something special on the first
Monday of Rab al-Awwal, and that is to open the house of the Prophets birth. Of
significance, though, is that that is all they did. There are no celebrations, no
festivals, no songs, no ceremonies. All of this was to come later. In fact, in Makkah
the mawlid was not even celebrated on the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal, but rather on
the first Monday of the month. This was the extent of the mawlid in Makkah in the
latter part of the sixth century, before the customs of Muafar al-Dn were done in
the far away city of Irbil. Hence, to quote this as justification for modern-day

mawlids is simply not appropriate.

It can be seen, then, that slowly but surely, the practice of celebrating the mawlid
spread to other Muslim lands, and as the decades turned to centuries, more and
more layers of celebrations were added. For most lands, it is impossible to
document the precise date when the mawlid was initiated, or even the person who
exported the idea to each land. Sometimes, however, we are provided such clues.
For example, we can trace the beginnings of the mawlid in North Africa, and thence
to Andalus to the efforts of a certain Ab al-Abbs al-Azaf (d. 633 AH), who wrote a
work entitled The Edited Pearl Regarding the Birth of the Honored Prophet . The
work was the spearheading effort that eventually legitimized the celebration of the
mawlid. In it, Ab al-Abbs clearly states that his purpose in legitimizing the
celebration of the mawlid is so that the Muslims desist in the evil and reprehensible
act of celebrating Christmas, Nawruz and other holy days of the Christians and
pagans that some Muslims of Andalus had begun to adopt. He writes, I have
searched intensively and racked my brains to find something that would distract the
attention of the people away from these bidahs to something that is permissible,
which does not cause the one observing it to sinTherefore, I drew their attention
to the birth of the Prophet Muammad Later in the work, he refutes those who
have criticized this act as being a reprehensible innovation by claiming that the
mawlid is a praiseworthy innovation, not a reprehensible one. This in itself shows
that there were scholars in Andalus who were opposed to this practice and
dissaproved of it, hence al-Azafi was forced to defend the practice . [See: P. Shinar,
Traditional and reformist mawlid celebrations in the Maghrib in: Studies in Memory
of G. Wiet , Jerusalem 1977, pp. 371-413; and N. G. J. Kaptien, Muhammads
Birthday Festival, Brill, pp. 76-96].

From all the above, we can derive:

1) The very first Sunni to publically celebrate the mawlid

was a Sufi mystic by the name of Umar al-Mulla. He seems to be a person of

dubious character, and the least that can be said about him was that he was by no
means a scholar of the religion.

2) Government-sponsored
mawlids in Sunni lands were first introduced by Muafar al-Dn, who got the idea
from Umar al-Mulla. These celebrations were extremely popular amongst the
masses, and helped secure popularity for the rulers.

3) Late in the sixth Islamic century, the mawlid had been introduced to some Sunni
lands, but the mainlands of Islam (e.g., Makkah, Damascus, etc.) had not yet begun
to commemorate the day with any festival.

4) In Makkah, no festival or public celebration occurred, instead the birth-date was

an occasion to open up historic sites for the people. Also, the birth-date itself had
not yet been associated with the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal; rather, it was associated
with the first Monday of Rab al-Awwal.

5) The association of the

mawlid with the 12 th of Rab al-Awwal was clearly a Fatimid influence, which was
later followed by other government-sponsored mawlids.

5 ) The mawlid spread in various lands due to miscellaneous factors. In some lands,
it was patronized by the rulers and used as a means of legitimizing their rule. In
other lands, it was used as a tactic to divert Muslims from that which was clearly
impermissible to a matter that was deemed to be praiseworthy.

Later Claims Regarding the Origin of the Mawlid

It is quite clear that the Fatimid celebration, having preceded the Sunni one by
almost a century, was the actual origin of the mawlid . However, most later
authorities (most famously al-Suyt (d. 911) in his treatise on the subject), either
knowingly or unknowingly glossed over the Fatimid origins of the mawlid , and
attributed it to the Sunni ruler Muafar al-Dn Kokburi. A few modern researchers
(such as Kaptein) have theorized that this was done intentionally, in order to cover
up the Shiite origins of the festival and attribute it to a popular Sunni ruler, viz.,
Muafar al-Dn. But for our purposes it matters little whether al-Suyt was aware
of the Fatimid origins of the

mawlid or not; the fact that cannot be denied is that the origin of a public
celebration goes back to their empire, and Muafar al-Dns suspicously similar
festival occurred almost a century after theirs.

Therefore, to attribute the origins of the mawlid to Muafar al-Dn, or even Umar
al-Mulla, is simply not accurate.

Conclusion

The purpose of this article was to give a brief overview regarding the origins of the
celebration of the Prophets birthday, and some examples of how it spread to other
lands. It did not discuss the legal validity for such a celebration, as that is another
topic altogether, and one that has been hashed and rehashed on many different
sites and forums.

My own leanings, which I have never shied away from expressing, are the same as
those of Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728) that he mentioned in his work

Iqti Sirt al-mustaqm : that the general ruling is that such a celebration is not a
part of the religion, but was added by later generations, and hence should be
avoided; but it is possible that some groups of people who practice it out of
ignorance will be rewarded due to their good intentions. The mawlid of the Prophet
salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam should be celebrated

every day, by following his Sunnah and doing in our daily lives what he salla Allahu
alayhi wa sallam wanted us to do.

I also stress that even if I disapprove of a public celebration of the mawlid , not all
mawlids are the same, and if the only matter that is done on a mawlid is to praise
the beloved Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam in an appropriate manner, and
mention aspects of his sirah , and thank Allah for blessing us to be of his Ummah,
then this type of celebration is

permissible, in fact praiseworthy, on any day of the year, and hence even if some
groups choose one specific day to do it, others should not be harsh in their
disapproval of it. I believe that the fatwas given by such esteemed authorities as Ibn
Hajr (d. 852) and al-Nawawi (d. 676) legitimizing mawlids

refer, in fact, to such innocent

mawlid s. Sadly, it is well-nigh impossible to find such pure

mawlids practiced in our times!

To conclude, it is appropriate to quote a non-Muslim author who has specialized in

the topic of the mawlid and written a doctoral dissertation on it, N. J. G. Kaptein. He
writes in his monograph [p. 29],

At the end of this chapter, I would like to draw attention to a number of points that
are important for the general history of the mawlid al-nabi :

a) the mawlid was originally a Shiite festival

b) the mawlid came into being in the sixth hijri / twelfth Christian century

c) in the Fatimid period the

mawlid was not always celebrated on the same date: in 517 the mawlid was
celebrated on the 13 th Rab I, while according to Ibn uwayr this festival always
fell on the 12 th Rab I
d) The mawlid was celebrated during the daytime

e) the ruler played a central role

f) sermons were given and recitations from the Quran took place

g) presentations to officials took place

h) by means of these presentations, amongst other things, the Fatimids close

relationship with the ahl al-bayt was emphasized, in order to cultivate loyalty to the
Fatimid

imam -Caliph

i) after the fall of the Fatimids, the mawlid continued to exist.

Kapteins conclusions are very reasonable and have clear evidence to back them
up, as this article has also showed.

And Allah knows best

* It must be mentioned here, of course, that the practice of seeking blessings from
ancient relics was one that was disputed amongst the scholars of Islam, and legal
textbooks of the period reference this fact. The more Orthodox scholars disapproved
of this practice, and it was generally sanctioned by the masses, and not scholars.
However, that is the topic of another paper.