Mawlid an-Nabi 1434

Salam Maulidur Rasul. The tradition of Mawlid (celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday) probably goes back to the 10th century. The celebration by Muslims around the world has the main aim of reminding people of the way of life brought by the Prophet. This year Mawlid falls on the 24th January 2013.

In Malaysia Mawlid is celebrated well with special ceremonies and prayers in mosques and in homes. At the national and state levels it is celebrated with much grandeur.

Majlis Maulidul Rasul at a home in Shah Alam (CNB 2013)

This year I attended a Majlis Maulidur Rasul at a home in the neighbourhood. There was doa/prayers and also shaer/qasidah (lyric poetry) praising the Prophet, performed by a group from Sungai Petani, Kedah. Interestingly, there was Sufi twirling whirling* by a single performer as well.  I was fascinated because I had never seen a live performance of this meditative dance before. For a while  it was like being in Konya, Turkey!

All good Majlis end with great food and this was no different.

Sufi whirling  during Mawlid (CNB 2013)

(CNB 2013)

*Sufi whirling or spinning as practiced by dervishes is performed with the aim to reach the source of all perfection. The camel hair hat represents the tombstone of the ego, the wide white skirt represents the ego's shroud. Source: Wikipedia.