Mawlid al-Nabi

Time: Approximate dates for Mawlid, 2008--2013

• March 20, 2008
• March 09, 2009
• Feberury 26, 2010
• Feberury 15, 2011
• Feberury 04, 2012
• January 24, 2013

Mawlid al-Nabi is a celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam. The day is fixed at the 12th day of the month of Rabi al-Awwal in the Muslim calendar. Muhammad was born about A. D. 570 and died in A. D. 632. During his life, he established Islam as a religion and, in doing so, replaced tribal loyalty with equality among all Muslims.

The Mawlid al-Nabi was first observed around the thirteenth century and was preceded by a month of celebration. The actual day of Muhammad's birthday included a sermon, recitation of litanies, honoring of religious dignitaries, gift giving, and a feast. The festival spread throughout the Muslim world and is celebrated in many countries today. However, some conservative sects (e.g., the Wahhabiyah) consider the celebration to be idolatrous.

This festival is celebrated in some places of China, which is the Hui minority area, especially Xinjiang and Ningxia.