The holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi, marking the birth and death anniversary of Prophet Hazrat Mohammed (PBUH), will be observed across Bangladesh with due religious fervour

Khandaker Nazneen Sultana

The holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi, marking the birth and death anniversary of Prophet Hazrat Mohammed (PBUH), will be observed across the country as elsewhere around the Muslim world. He was born and died the same day on 12th Rabiul Awal (Lunar Month).

The festival of Eid-e-Miladulnabi is also popularly known as Barah Wafat. It falls on the twelfth day of the third month Rabi-ul-Awwal . Here, Barah or twelve stands for the twelve days of the Prophets sickness

The celebrations of birthday are subdued, as the day also happens to be the death anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. The day is marked by holding religious discourses, reading the Holy book of Quran and giving alms to the poor.

Prophet Mohammed was born in 571 A.D, in the family of Banu Hashim. Muhammad’s birthday is considered by Sunni Muslims to have been the 12th day of the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Muslim calendar. Shi`a Muslims believe it to have been the dawn of 17th of the month of Rabi`-ul-Awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar.
In 632 Muhammad fell ill and suffered for several days with head pain and weakness. He succumbed on Monday, in the city of Medina. He is buried in his tomb (which previously was in his wife Aisha’s house), which is housed within Mosque of the Prophet in Medina, is the second holiest mosque in Islam.

Barah Wafat does not call for any kind of grand celebrations as the birth day and death anniversary of Prophet Mohammed coincidently falls on the same day. Hence, Muslims spend this period in spiritual activities. A special prayer meets and discourses on Quran are also organised in mosques to mark the day of Milad.

Learned men and scholars focus their sermons on the life and teachings of Prophet Mohammed and inspire people to follow the path of good life as shown in Quran. Hence, the festival gives a chance to people to introspect their deeds and think of ways of being a better person.

Besides, in some places hymns are sung and elegies or marsiyas are recited in memory of the last days of the Prophet. Acts of charity are also done by devote Muslims and alms are distributed to the poor and the needy. Later, people invite friends and relatives for a feast.

In some mosques, however, a ‘sandal rite’ ceremony is performed over the symbolic footprints of the Prophet engraved in a stone. A stone imitation of buraq the horse on which Prophet Mohammed is said to have ascended to his heavenly abode is placed near the footprints and anointed with sandal paste or scented powder. Besides, the house and casket containing this are elaborately decorated.

Muhammad’s father Abdullah, died almost six months before he was born. In accordance with tribal custom, Muhammad was sent to live with a Bedouin family in the desert for four or five years where he was wet nursed by Thuwaybah and Halimah bint Abdullah Shortly after he returned to his mother at the age of six, Muhammad lost his mother Amina to illness and he became fully orphaned.