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Beginning with the name of Allah, the Extremely Compassionate, the Merciful.

The first thing created by Allah was the light (nur) of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam). Then He blessed him with Prophethood, and the process of durud sharif litanies of blessing for the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) began. Angels were created who participated in durud and salam (sending of blessings and peace to the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam). When that light became manifest in this world, people also became part of this process.If we ponder this process we will realise that it too is a form of proclaiming and establishing a joyful celebration. Allahu Akbar (God is great)!

From the very beginning of creation, remembarance of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) has continously occured and been celebrated. Allah shows infinite love for those whom He loves. He has declared their signs and symbols His own and has commanded his creation to exhibit the highest form of reverence for them. He has made their memorial days to be days worthy of His remembrance by commanding, "And remind them of the days of Allah". The birthday of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) is an important "day of Allah". The importance of this day can be ascertained from the Qur�an. With regard to HaZrat Yahyá (John the Baptist). Allah states, "So peace be upon him the day he was born, the day he departed, and the day on which he will be raised again".

The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) came into this material World on a Monday. As a mark of gratitude for this day, he used to fast every Monday. A sahih hadith reports, "The Messenger of Allah was asked about fasting on Monday. He replied, "I was born on it and the revelation commenced on it." According to some traditions, the date of birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) is 12 Rabi� al-Awwal, (569/571 C.E.), a date corroborated by proofs dating back almost four thousand years. Hence Monday, 12-Rabi� al-Awwal, is especially connected to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam). Therefore, because of the connection of this day to him, its celebration is a means of attaining moral and spiritual elevation.

Allah declares, "Indeed Allah bestowed a favour upon the believers when he raised up a Prophet in their midst".Favours are conferred so that they may be remembered and never forgotten. Moreover, Allah has also declared, "Say, �In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy� in this, then, let them rejoice". The implication of these ayat then, is that Allah has commanded us to commemorate and celebrate the jouful beginning of the Prophet�s mission.

HaZrat ��sá (Jesus), said to Allah, "O our Sustainer, send us a �table spread with food� (ma�ida) from heaven, that it may be an�id (feast day) for us, for the first of us and for the last of us". Ponder over this: if HaZrat ��sá, can celebrate a feast day (�id) on account of the coming down of a "table spread with food," should we not then celebrate the day when Allah sent the very heart and essence of the bounty? Allah declared the night on which the Holy Qur�an was sent to humankind to better than a thousand months. Imagine then the greatness and loftiness of the night on which the living Qur�an the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) came down! If the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr) can be celebrated annually, then why should the night on which the pride of creation was born not be celebrated each year!

Allah states, "Speak of the bounty of thy Lord".Imam Bukhari (d. 256/870) states that the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) is the greatest bounty of Allah, hence he should become the object of the most publicity. The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) himself spoke about his blessed birth from the pulpit. On his instruction some of his noble companions also described and publicized the Holy Prophets (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) most excellent qualities. In the year 9 AH/630 C.E., on the occasion of returning from the battle of Tabuk, HaZrat �Abbas (d. 32/653), the uncle of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), recited a poem on the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), in his presence. On another occasion, the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) himself put the platform (minbar) on which HaZrat Hassan bin Thabit (d. 54/674) stood and sang an ode in his praise, for which the Messenger of Allah blessed him with a special prayer. All these true incidents are recorded in books of traditions (ahadith).

Whenever HaZrat Imam Malik bin Anas (d.179/795) would intend to speak about the tradition (Hadith) of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), he would make particular preparations for it. This practice has been perpetuated by our learned scholars (�ulema�) and pious sages, who continue to hold such august gatherings. On the eleventh of each month HaZrat Shaykh �Abd al-Qadir Jilani (d. 561/1166) would offer gifts in the name of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), and this practice has been continued up to the present day. In addition, Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) stated that devotees who hold milad gatherings sincerely will receive abundant blessings and rewards.

Milad gatherings [for celebrating the Prophet�s birth] are not something new; they have been celebrated for many centuries. The origin of those gatherings can be traced to the auspicious period of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam).

In more recent times, Shah �Abd al-Rahim (d. 1131/1719), father of Shah Wali Allah Muhaddith Dihlawi (d. 1176/1762), would hold milad gatherings annually. On such blessed occasions, he would prepare and distribute meals to the poor. This was also the practice of Shah Wali Allah and his learned son, Shah �Abd al-�Aziz Muhaddith Dihlawi (d. 1239/1824). On every 12th of Rabi� al-awwal, they used to invite the masses to their milad gatherings, in which they would speak about the auspicious events related to the Holy Prophet�s (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) birth. At the end of the celebration they would distribute food and sweetmeats. Once Shah Wali Allah attended a milad gathering in Makka al-Mukarrama(Mecca) in which he saw manifestations of light cascading down.

Haji Imdad Allah Muhajir Makki (d. 1317/1899), the spiritual guide (murshid) of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (d. 1323/1905), would hold milad gatherings each year as a means of obtaining salvation; during these gatherings, while in a standing position he would recite salawat and salam (prayers of blessings and peace for the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam)). On the 12th of Rabi� al-awwal of each year, the grand Mufti, Shah Muhammad Mazhar Allah Dehlawi, would hold milad gatherings in great splendour, continuing all night from �isha prayer until the fajr prayer, at dawn. Salawat and salam would be recited in a standing position, after which food and sweetmeats would be distributed.

As mentioned earlier, the importance of invoking blessings and peace for the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) is stated in the Qur�an, which is understood as asserting that some angels are at all times reciting salawat and salam in a standing position. Thus, this is the practice of the angels. In Madina at the funeral bed of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), the angels, men and women, and even children offered salawat and salam in groups, for hours in a standing position. Seven hundred years ago, the celebrated scholar Imam Taqi al-Din al-Subki (d.756/1355) was in a gathering of learned scholars in which the poetry of the Hassan of his time, Imam Sarsari (d. 656/1258), was being recited. Upon hearing the verse in which the poet fervently urges the audience to stand at the time of the Holy Prophet�s (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) august remembrance, all of the scholars stood in reverence.

In addition, HaZrat-i Shaykh �Abd al-Haqq Muhaddith Dihlawi (d. 1052/1642) would recite salawat and salam invocations of blessings and peace for the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) in a standing position, regarding these as a means of gaining Allah�s acceptance of his deeds and prayers. In the light of these facts, it should be clear that reciting salawat and salam is the practice of pious angels, companions of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), and sages of the Muslim umma (community).

The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "Anything which is regarded as good by Muslims is regarded likewise by Allah." Further more, the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) stated, "Whosoever introduces a good practice (sunna hasana) in Islam shall not only receive a reward for it, but the reward of those who act upon it." He also commanded that one must remain at all times under the banner of al-sawad al-a�zam (the great mass of Muslims), which is the majority. Therefore the actions of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), the noble companions, the successors (tabi�un) , the generations after the sucessors, and the pious sages illustrate the Islamic authenticity of organzing and celebrating the blessed birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam).

It is an inherent quality of love that a lover feels tremendous joy on hearing the praise of his beloved. Rather, it is even more correct to say that the heart of the lover yearns to praise and remember his beloved at all times. In addition, a lover is never offended by a person who is remembering his beloved. This would go against the nature of love. The truth of the matter is that genuine celebration lies in acting upon the sunna of our Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) in every aspect of our illustrious predecessors, who have championed the cause of Islam. Shah �Abd al-Ghani Muhaddith Dihlawi (d.1295/1878), the [hadith] teacher of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, rightly said, "In celebrating the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam) lies a person�s complete felicity."

May Allah bless us with the love of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam), which will in turn mold and conform us to the Sunna (the example of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam)), so that we can become a beacon of light for others. �min!