The Mawlid al-Nabi, commemorated on the 12th day of the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal in the Islamic lunar calendar to honor the birth of Prophet Muhammad, has been celebrated for centuries as an expression of love for the Prophet in Islamic societies.
The term “mawlid,” meaning “place and time of birth” in Arabic, is used in Islamic culture to refer to the Prophet Muhammad’s birth, as well as to the ceremonies and literary works dedicated to this occasion.
During the Ottoman, Mamluk, Ayyubid, and Fatimid periods, Prophet Muhammad‘s birthday was celebrated with official ceremonies, and works focused on love for the Prophet were written in Turkish and Arabic literature.
One such significant work, Vesiletü’n Necat (The Means of Salvation), a masnavi (poem) by Süleyman Çelebi, has been recited with great interest, either in musical form or spontaneously, during Mawlid ceremonies, especially in many Islamic communities.
This year, the Presidency of Religious Affairs will also organize numerous events both domestically and abroad as part of the Mawlid al-Nabi Week.
