Mawlid Celebrations Around the World

Here we are again, celebrating another Mawlid Al Nabi in 2015.

Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, the holidays move up a few days every year.  This made 2015 have two Mawlid celebrations. Lucky us!

Mawlid in Libya is a very large celebration, one that is based on cultural traditions. Growing up, I remember eating aseeda for breakfast, playing with fireworks, singing a song for Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), running into musicians who would erupt into spontaneous music and buying khamsases to decorate the home.

Mawlid Celebrations Around the World - Aseeda

While a few extremists wanted to do away with this holiday that has been around for 14 centuries in Libya, participants still came out to celebrate this past January.

But I am aware that many do not celebrate Mawlid. In fact, recently I posed the question of celebrating this holiday to my Facebook group of fellow Muslim female innovators that live all over the world.  Eleven said they do, while eight do not. 

Nadine of Reinventing Nadine said

We do and I plan some activities around it such as making cards, learning a new surah and reading every night about the Prophet's (pbuh) life. We all have a really cool game called "What would Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) do?". So I give my daughter hypothetical situations and she should tell me what she thinks our merciful Prophet (pbuh) would do. I also tell her stories about real situations and what the Prophet (pbuh) did. I think it important to to relate religion to our real day life.

Omaira of black board, white chalks said

We do. We read the story of the Prophet (pbuh) and how He was as a child, and about His character, and try to sing a lot of naats and nasheed and attend Mawlid gatherings.

It was fascinated to learn so many did not share in this special day in our house, but this just proves how diverse Islam is to so many Muslims.

Here are ten more interesting ideas that were shared to celebrate Mawlid -

1. Fast
2. Wear white
3. Recite the Qasīdat al-Burda
4. Eat the Prophet's (pbuh) favorite food
5. Decorate your home - Make a Free Banner
6. Perform acts of kindness - Make a Zakat Box
7. Make sweets and share with neighbors and family
8. Arrange a play about helping others - Make Muslim Peg Doll Actors
9. Recite poetry written by the children in praise of the Prophet (pbuh)
10. Produce a kids craft together - Make a Good Deeds Centerpiece

While I respect many Muslim's right to not celebrate Mawlid, there has to be mutual respect for those that do celebrate. I really enjoy this quote in Mawlid by Moonlight on the importance of teaching positive images of Islam to our children -

“You know, we worry about our children being too slow in this or not good enough at that, but, at the end of the day…if they love Allah and His Prophet (pbuh), what else really matters?  What else really matters?”

The next Mawlid will be on December 12th, 2016. I hope I gave you enough ideas so you will be able to celebrate with us.

Celebration of Mawlid :

• During Mawlid celebrations, large processions come out on the road and it is a real carnival.


• Homes and mosques are decorated for the purpose of getting into the mood of Mawlid celebrations.


• People practice charity and distribute food to others. There is also the practice of narrating stories of the life of Muhammad by the help of recitation.


• Scholars and poets make it a point to celebrate Mawlid by reciting Qa?ida al-Burda Sharif, the well-known poem of the 13th century Arabic Sufi Busiri.


• Mostly in all Muslim countries, Mawlid is celebrated. Also the countries which have Muslim presence like India, Britain, and Canada, celebrate Mawlid.


• The only Muslim country which doe not observe Mawlid as a public holiday is Saudi Arabia. People tend to participate in the ritual celebration of Islamic holidays as they want Islam to revive.

- See more at: http://www.dgreetings.com/mawlid_al_nabi/celebration.html#sthash.8nguHAap.dpuf