Today is Maulud day, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) which millions of Muslims around the world celebrate. It falls on the 12th day of the Islamic lunar month of Rabi’u al-Awwal, the third month in the calendar. In Nigeria, as in many other countries, the federal government has set the Maulud day as a public holiday. Already, many Muslims have begun to mark the joyous occasion even several days before today, and many more will continue to celebrate it in the coming weeks. During these age-old festivities, religious poetry is recited, prayers are offered, Islamic music and songs in praise of the Prophet are made, while food and drink are shared. It is a season of gaiety and happiness.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 570 CE. He received prophethood from Allah (SWT) during his lone meditation sojourns in the cave of Hira outside the city. That began his mission as the prophet of Islam, a religion which his Quraish kith and kin at first rejected because it subverted their nascent idolatry traditions. They persecuted him and worked actively to kill the ‘new’ religion.
Muhammad’s perseverance, with the support and protection of his immediate family and most importantly the Almighty God, helped him to weather the storm. A sea change occurred in the reception and growth of Islam once he migrated to the city of Yathrib, the present day Madina where the tree of Islam germinated rapidly. The event, known as the Hijrah, meaning Migration, started the Islamic calendar and indeed the solidification of Islam as a global faith. A number of bitter wars between the early converts and the unbelievers translated into a victory for the former, leading to the emergence of the Islamic Empire that stretched from the Arabian Peninsula to parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe long after the Prophet was gone.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world, after Christianity, and the fastest growing one. Its adherents that consist of different sects are present on every continent. Today, the number of Muslims worldwide has reached 1.907 billion, which is more than 25% of the world population.
Unfortunately, in contemporary times some Muslims have succeeded in giving the religion a bad name with their terrorist activities that involve the killing of innocents and the destruction of property and infrastructure. This has given fodder to those opposed to Islam to continue to paint it black, especially in the mass media. The message of Islam, however, is peace and love. Even the word Islam means peace. Prophet Muhammad was the quintessential promoter of tolerance, peace and love. Allah Himself is Merciful and All-forgiving. The original message of Islam, which will continue to subsist in spite of those who act on the contrary, include the peaceful cohabitation of Muslims and non-Muslims as witnessed in the life of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.
This message is at the root of the Maulud nativity feast. Commemorating the birthday of the Prophet goes hand in hand with the remembrance of what he lived for. The Muslims who are celebrating his birthday are coming together for his love and the message he brought to mankind, and for interfaith tolerance.
Therefore, Blueprint identifies with those humane values and ask every Muslim to spread the message and live it to the letter. Muslims should use this festive season to renew their faith and commitment to the community, especially the fundamental article of peaceful cohabitation among them and non-Muslims. In a multireligious and multicultural nation like Nigeria, we need more of mutual love and understanding than acrimony and recrimination between the adherents of the different religions in the country as we strive to build a nation that we will be proud of. That would make celebrating Maulud worthwhile not only for the Muslims but also for all Nigerians.
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