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Mawlid al-Nabi Facts & Worksheets

In the Islamic lunar calendar, Mawlid al-Nabi is considered to be a special day that commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.

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In the Islamic lunar calendar, Mawlid al-Nabi is considered to be a special day that commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The festival falls on the twelfth day of the third month, known as Rabi’ al-Awwal. In most Muslim countries, this day is celebrated as a major public holiday to remember the Prophet’s way of life that all Muslims attempt to emulate.

See the fact file below for more information on the Mawlid al-Nabi or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Mawlid al-Nabi worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

PROPHET MUHAMMAD

  • It was originally known as Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif, or simply Mawlid, which literally translates to ‘the birth of the prophet’ in Arabic. This Islamic observance puts great importance on the role of Prophet Muhammad as the founder of Islam. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the greatest and final prophet of Allah.
  • It is known, based on the Hadith (official documentation about the life and teachings of Muhammad) that he was born around the year 570 CE in the city of Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula.
  • The observance of the Prophet’s birth has not been officially recorded in early Muslim traditions, and it is also believed that Muhammad himself did not intend for his followers to celebrate his birth.
  • However, in early Muslim centuries, holding special events to honor Muhammad was common and often included poetry readings. According to historians, this is most likely what paved the way for the celebration of the Mawlid.

MAWLID SIGNIFICANCE

  • In the Islam belief, the two universal holidays are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, but Mawlid remains to be one of the important celebrations among Muslims.
  • On the one hand, Mawlid is often observed by Sunni Muslims during the twelfth day of the third month, Rabi’ al-Awwal, of the Islamic Hijri calendar. On the other hand, Shia Muslims commemorate this religious event in the same month, but on the seventeenth day.
  • Although the name of the said month translates to ‘the first of spring’, the ten-day difference between the Islamic calendar and the solar calendar means that Rabi’ al-Awwal can fall any time in a year. For this reason, the dates of Mawlid are brought forward by an estimate of ten days every Gregorian year.
  • Most historians note that the observance of the Mawlid properly began between the 10th and 12th centuries CE, under the Fatimid caliphate that ruled over northern Africa.
  • Moreover, the term ‘mawlid’ is used in most parts of the world, including northern Africa, to remember the birth of any known and significant figure.
  • For instance, the mawlid of the Sufi mystic Ahmed al-Badawi during the 13th century, which is celebrated in Egypt annually, gathers around three million people.
  • Meanwhile, the mawlid observance has been compared to the Christian custom of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, known as Christmas.

MAWLID OBSERVANCE

  • In most Islamic countries around the world, Mawlid al-Nabi is recognized as a public holiday. It is also celebrated in other countries with a considerable Muslim population.
  • However, Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar do not subscribe to Mawlid because they support another belief known as Wahhabism, an ultraconservative interpretation of Islam. The Wahhabi interpretation does not recognize the celebration of festivals and events that it deems unnecessary and damaging to the teachings of Islam.
  • Some Muslim theologians brand the festivity as bid’ah, or an Islamic tradition that is not rooted in the teachings of the Qur’an, and even consider it a sin.
  • The Mawlid festival is marked by joyous gatherings, feasting, great music, torch-lit processions, sacrificial ceremonies, and attending lectures about Prophet Muhammad’s way of life and teachings.
  • Some Muslim families gather in their private homes to commemorate the event. Other Muslims choose to decorate their local masjid with festive lights and hold community celebrations.
  • The festival is also celebrated through street carnivals, food sharing, and Qur’an and poetry readings.
  • Muslims also share fellowship with family members and close friends, honoring the Prophet as the bringer of God’s revelation to the world.
  • In Pakistan, the Mawlid festival is observed in an entire month. In Singapore, meanwhile, Muhammad’s birth is a one-day celebration that is manifested through regular prayers and lectures in local masjids. Singaporeans also mark this religious gathering by holding special birthday parties for orphans and poor children.
  • The al-Azhar Square in Cairo, Egypt, serves as one of the largest places that hold the Mawlid festival, with around two million Muslims in attendance.
  • In American Muslim communities, Islamic centers hold special events for children and develop lectures about the character, life, and teachings of Muhammad. The children learn to examine the way the Prophet dealt with various moral and political issues, how he handled obstacles, and how he responded to his friends and his enemies.
  • Despite not being recognized as an official holiday under the Islamic faith, Mawlid al-Nabi has been considered one of the most important events celebrated annually by most Muslims in the world. For those who celebrate the religious gathering, Mawlid al-Nabi is a time to remember the founder of their faith and to share that happiness and revelation with every other Muslim.

Mawlid al-Nabi Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Mawlid al-Nabi across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Mawlid al-Nabi worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Mawlid al-Nabi is which considered to be a special day that commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The festival falls on the twelfth day of the third month, known as Rabi’ al-Awwal. In most Muslim countries, this day is celebrated as a major public holiday to remember the Prophet’s way of life that all Muslims attempt to emulate.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Mawlid al-Nabi Facts
  • Locating the Birthplace
  • Find the Words
  • Fact or Bluff
  • Mawlid al-Nabi: The Origin
  • Prophet Muhammad
  • Mawlid Observance
  • Mawlid al-Nabi: Its Significance
  • Mawlid al-Nabi: Around the World
  • In Popular Culture
  • In a Nutshell

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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