TODAY MARKS EID MILAD-UN-NABI (SAW)

Muslims around the world celebrate Eid Milad-Un-Nabi or Eid-e Milad on Rabi'al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. The holiday, also known as Eid-e-Milad or Mawlid, commemorates the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, who founded Islam and is revered by Muslims as a messenger of God. Prophet Muhammad took birth in Mecca in 570 AD and died in Medina in 632 AD.

Shia and Sunni populations observe this occasion on different dates. Shia Muslims observe it on the seventeenth of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal, whereas Sunni Muslims do so on the twelfth. Some Muslims commemorate Eid-e-Milad because they consider it to be the death anniversary of the Prophet.

This year, Eid Milad-Un-Nabi will start on the evening of October 8 and end on the evening of October 9 according to the Gregorian calendar.

Muslims read the Quran, remember the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, and provide food and clothing to the needy and poor on Eid Milad-Un-Nabi. Mosques are decorated and prayer meetings are planned. People organize get-togethers with their friends and loved ones and also distribute desserts. On this day, some people also fast. On this day, people carry green flags and wear green clothing or ribbons. The colour green is regarded as a symbol of Islam and of paradise.

Even though Eid-e-Milad is widely observed in India and other nations, many Muslims disagree, arguing that the Prophet Muhammad's birthday celebrations have no place in Islamic culture. Salafi and Wahhabi Muslims do not participate in the festive tradition.