As per the Gregorian A, Eid Milad-un-Nabi began on the evening of 18th October and will end on the evening of 19th October.
The date of the festival changes every year according to the Islamic calendar—the history and significance of the holy celebration.
The festival of Eid Milad-un-Nabi is celebrated in India and other Islamic states on different dates every year according to the Islamic calendar, which is a lunar calendar.
This year this holy festivity began on 18th October evening and will continue till the evening of the next day.
The celebrations are honoured to mark the birth of the Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Mohammad Saheb.
The festival has various other names such as Un-Nabi by E-Milad, Nabi Day, Mohammad’s birthday or Prophet’s birthday.
The celebration of Eid Milad-un-Nabi was first observed in Egypt, and later on, it spread and gained popularity around the 11th century.
Prophet Mohammad’s history
The Prophet of Islam is speculated to have been born on the 12th of 570 Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of Islam, in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca.
The day is equally mourned, and celebrations are limited since the Prophet’s death anniversary coincides with the date.
The Prophet’s complete name was Mohammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib. He is believed to have received his enlightenment, at the age of 40, in 610 AD by entering a cave called Heera near Mecca.
For the people, he was the last messenger of Allah who spread the message of love and unity among all.
During its celebration in Egypt, the day was only observed by Shia Muslims, the region’s ruling class and the tradition was not extended to the general populace.
Later on, countries such as Syria, Morocco, Turkey, and Spain took interest and started observing the festival, making it accessible to Sunni Muslims.
Significance of the day and how it is celebrated
Eid Milad-un-Nabi is explicitly celebrated to cherish the life of the Prophet — his teachings, his struggles and sufferings and his character as he is believed to have forgiven his cruellest of enemies.
In Isam, there are two major sects of Muslims, namely Sunni and Shia. They honour and commemorate this occasion on different days of the same month.
Sunnis celebrate it on the 12th of the Islamic month, and Shias observe it on the 17th day. People carry or wear green coloured items for the festival as a symbol of Islam and paradise.
Marches, parades and night-long prayers are also conducted during the celebration. Usually, people assemble at a mosque or dargah and begin their day by offering prayers and participating in processions.
Communal meals are also arranged in mosques and community buildings, and religious leaders can be seen giving speeches about the Prophet’s life and citing holy books and quotes.
Celebration among different sects
Apart from India, the day is celebrated in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other parts of the subcontinent.
Many different community sections have different schools of thought that birthdays is ‘haram’ or an agnostic practice in Islam.
Muslims from Salafi and Wahhabi schools of thought thus do not mark the tradition of festivities.
Is it a state declared holiday?
Eid Milad-un-Nabi is a gazetted holiday in India. On this day, government offices, post offices, banks and other official institutions remain closed.
Stores and other businesses owned by Muslims and Islamic organisations are closed or have reduced working hours.
Availability of public transport varies in different places, and one needs to check with local transport authorities.
Since the government declared a public holiday, schools, colleges, and other educational institutes stayed closed.
