Milad-un-Nabi: Celebrating The Prophet’s Birthday

A majority of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent celebrate the birthday of Prophet Mohammed as Milad-un Nabi on the 12th of Rabi’al-awwal, the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The advent the ‘month signals an end to the two month long period of mourning for the martyrs of Karbala and there is a palpable change in the environment with resumption of celebrations and festivities after a prolonged period of abstinence. Although the entire month is given to celebratory gatherings and display of relics of the Prophet, the activities peak on the 12th, which corresponds to the 25th of January this year. 
    
During Qutub Shahi times, Milad celebrations were conducted with state patronage on a large scale with huge sums earmarked for the festivities. It is said that during the reign of Mohammed Quli, the founder of Hyderabad, lakhs were spent on illumination, incense and feeding the masses and an equal amount was earmarked for charity to the poor and needy. By the end of his reign however, the annual festivities had taken on the form of a spectacle of revelry and abandon which was frowned upon by the devout. 

An indication of the deterioration of morals comes from the poems of the Sultan himself where he boasts that the bazaars, palaces and houses look like bridegrooms; that there is an atmosphere of universal joy and pleasure; the whole country glittering with light and pleasure at every corner. Understandably his successor, Sultan Mohammed, being subject to an orthodox upbringing and receiving his education under renowned clerics and scholars of his time, put an end to these decadent practices and ordained that the budgeted amount be given away in alms. Thereafter, sobriety returned to activities associated with the revered personage of the Prophet. When the next Sultan, Abdullah Qutub Shah ascended the throne, he is said to have revived festivities albeit with the debauchery curtailed to a large extent. 
    
It was during the reign of Mohammed Quli, when Hyderabad was still in its infancy, that one Syed Mohammed Ali Asfahani arrived in the city in 1597. Coming from the holy city of Medina, he brought with him relics (Aasar-e Mubarak) of the Prophet along with proven testimonials to their authenticity. The most notable of artifacts in his possession was a footprint of the Prophet of Islam. With the objective of providing an opportunity for the masses to see the relic, Asfahani purchased a large house in the locality of Eitebar Chowk in the eastern quarter of the city and provided designated spaces where the devout could gather on special occasion to witness the revered relics in his possession. Over time, the complex evolved into the Alawa Qadam-e Rasool. 
    
Located opposite the Ashurkhana Panj-e-Shah on the road going east from the Gulzar Hauz, The Alawa Qadam-e Rasool attracts hordes of devotees on the 12th of Rabi’ Al-Awwal when the relic is on display the whole day long. Although there are quite a few relics of the Prophet housed in various religious institutions and private homes in the city which are made accessible to the public during the holy month, it is the Qadam-e Rasool which draws the maximum numbers. 

It is customary for poets to compose eulogies in praise of the Prophet especially during the month of his birth and reciting them at public gatherings to commemorate the occasion is considered a matter of great honour. The Quran unequivocally states that Prophet Mohammed was sent as God’s mercy on all of mankind. It is thus not surprising to find numerous examples of Naath, (reverential poetry in His praise), penned by individuals owing allegiance to different religions. Some of the finest examples of the Naath in Urdu literature have been penned by Hindu litterateurs and among them quite a few from the Hyderabad repertoire stand out.