Muhammad Birth's Commemoration (Maulid Nabi)

According to Islamic calendar, this month is called Rabi’ul awwal in Arabic, or Mulud in Javanese. For many Islamic Indonesian people, we, in this month, always do what we called Muludan in Javanese people. Yeah, this month, especially at 12^th date, it is the day when our prophet, Muhammad SAW (Shallalloh ‘alaihi wasallam). For us, it has been our annual event every year.

 Why is the commemoration of Maulid Nabi (The Prophet’s birth) important for us? Why do we need to commemorate it? My answer is; Yes, it is important! Yes, We need it! It is not because Muhammad is our prophet. It is not because Muhammad is a messenger who teaches us Islam. Here is my answer.

The first, it is important with some reasons below. Abu Qatada al_Ansari told in the Sahih Muslim, kitab As-Siyam (fasting), that Rasulullah SAW always has fasting on Monday. Muhammad says,

"It is the day when I was born and it is the day when I was crowned as the Messenger”

Maulid had been commemorated since the centuries ago. The 8th century historician, Ibn Bathuta, has written in his book, Rihla, that every Thursday after praying and at the Prophet’s birthday, The Chief of Shayba’s tribe, the key holder of Ka’bah door would have opened the Ka’bah door. Also the Chief of Islamic jurist of Mecca, Najmuddin Muhammad ibnu Al Imam Muhyiddin Al-Tabari would have given many foods to Shurafa (the Muhammad’s inheritor and all the people at Mecca).

Some of Islamic clerics consider Maulid Nabi’s commemoration as Bid’ah (something new  in Islamic teaching), they condemn it not an Islamic teaching from Muhammad. However, some of those consider it the way to  respect Islam as same as we respect Islam because Muhammad is the symbol also for Islam.

Imam Mutawalli Sha'rawi in his book, Ma'idat Al-Fikr al_islamiyya wrote, “Even if every entity that has no soul feels happy with the birth of Muhammad, and every plant feels happy, all angels are happy, all jinni are happy,  then why should you prevent us from being happy with the birth of Muhammad SAW?”

According to Mutawalli also, there were many the incredible things happened at the day Muhammad was born. For example, the things were written in the Hadith including the chaos in the Cyrus palace and the fire off at Babilon which has lived for 1000 years long.

The second, we need it because Muhammad himself is the best living example for every life we get through today. With this commemoration, we can have a time, a special time for contemplating all of the stories coming from Muhammad SAW. Of course, we can learn it every day, without waiting the day he has been born. Of course, that is what we need every time. But, remember, Muhammad never forget to do fasting every Monday since he says that that day, Monday, is the day he was born and the day he was crowned as the messenger by Allah.

This is the reason behind it. We have guidance from our beloved prophet to commemorate his birthday, although it is not obliged by Muhammad. We just follow his habit, and it is called sunnah, not a bid’ah. He has given us a real hadith about it, then why should we debate that this commemoration is bid’ah or not? Why can’t we see it as the respect for our beloved prophet and it also will be respect for Islam and God? It is because God itself in the At-Taubah letter has commanded us to send Shalawat and Salam to Muhammad because God and Angels also have done it.

However, we have next question. If the commemoration is needed by us, then we can see that many Maulid’s commemorations only contain a ceremony. There is no soul to commemorate it. People just come, read some and listen some history book of Muhammad’s life, listen some preaching, eat and finally come back with no real change for his life. How can we live this situation? Or are we even aware to do this all?

The answer is, Yes, we need a change. Change we need like Obama said. We don’t need to change the way we commemorate Maulid, but what we need is to change our mind after that commemoration. Commemoration is not only about ceremony, it is more about how we change ourselves to be better than before. I would like to propose this issue because when we learn from the Muhammad history, it is about how he changes his life and his ummah to become better and better. It means that this commemoration should drive our life to the bright future, giving a new spirit to face the challenge of life. And from all, it is about how we can be a better people. As Muhammad says in one Hadith:

“and indeed I was delegated for making perfect all of the good attitude”