Today marks Eid Al Mawlid, the spiritual day on which Muslims celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH).
The festivities during this religious holiday vary from one region to another, ranging from cooking delicious traditional dishes to lighting candles and dressing up in special clothing.
For Moroccans, the holiday is an opportunity to recall values of peace and tolerance and revive a religious atmosphere.
Here are five facts about the holiday that you might have not known before.
The Ottomans were the first to declare the occasion as an official holiday
The celebration goes back to the early days of Islam when some Muslims began chanting and reciting poetry in memory of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
However, it was the Ottomans who declared it as an official holiday in the year 1588, and called it “Mevlid Kandil.”
Kandil refers to five Islamic holy nights, celebrated in Turkey and Muslim Balkan (an ethnic group of Slavic Muslims) communities, related to the life of Muhammad.
During these nights, people illuminate minarets and offer special prayers, a tradition that can be traced back to the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Selim II in the 16th century.
The five Kandil nights include: Mevlid Kandil, the day the Prophet Muhammad was born, Regaip Kandili, the night on which prayers are believed to be answered, Mirac Kandili the day Muhammad ascended to heaven, Berat Kandili, a day for the forgiveness of sins and the determining of destiny for the next year, and lastly Kadir Gecesi, the day that marks the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad (PBUH), also known as Laylat al Qadr.
The celebration is subject to a lot of controversy
The celebration of this day is not present in the canonical texts of Islam – especially the Quran or the Sunnah (traditions and practices of the Prophet) – and so the practice of certain ceremonies remains controversial among Muslim scholars.
However, the majority of Muslims accept this holiday as a Sunnah, while few, who feel strongly about a literalist reading of the Islamic texts, criticize its religious legitimacy.
The minority of Muslims who see it as a Bid’ah, meaning a new practice that is introduced to Islam, base their view on the argument that only the commands and practices mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah are permissible, and that the introduction of innovations into the religion is prohibited.
Some countries who follow the Islamic movements of Wahhabism and Salafism, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, banned the celebration altogether.
Abderrahim Ghazali, a Salafi preacher, describes the celebration as a “heresy.” He explains that “Muslims have only two dates to celebrate: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr” and that “commemorating the Prophet’s birthday became a celebration through the years.”
However, Abdellah Kadira, head of the local scientific council in Rabat, says that the Prophet’s birthday “is supported by the Holy Quran” and that it is absolutely permissible to celebrate the occasion.
“There are two holidays known in the Quran and Sunnah. Those who love the Prophet (PBUH)) are free to celebrate his birth and feel happy about such a date,” said Kadira.
Meknes is one of the most known cities for Eid Al Mawlid festivities
This is explained by the Sheikh Al-Kamil mausoleum and the Sidi Ben Aissa mausoleum located in Meknes, which represent memories of well-known men who inspired the Issawa Sufi brotherhood, a community known for celebrating the holiday in a carnival-style celebration.
The Zaouia or monastery in Meknes is the main spiritual centre of the Issawa brotherhood. Founded by Muhammad Ben Issa at the end of the 15th century, construction resumed three centuries later under Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah.
The site is often renovated by Morocco’s Ministry for Endowments and Islamic Affairs and maintained by the municipal services.
Festivities in Meknes include parades throughout the city, with participants dressed in light and vibrant colors, as well as many religious processions and Moussem-like festivities.
The Issawa groups come from different regions of Morocco days before the Eid and set up in tents near the shrine in Meknes. The celebrations start on the day of Eid; the Issawa groups begin their processions which are accompanied by beating drums, chanting women’s songs, chanting praise, and other practices for a period of three days.
The “Candle Convoy” of Sale
The city Sale near Rabat holds the celebration the day before Eid Al Mawlid, with an artistic and religious carnival called the “Candle Convoy.”
During the Saadian era, this procession was held in both Marrakech and Fez. It was later interrupted, then revived thanks to Sheikh Abdullah bin Hassoun, the owner of the most Sale’s prominent Zaouias (Islamic religious schools or monasteries).
Sheikh Abdullah contributed to the reinforcement of this tradition in Sale through the addition of square-shaped candles and large wooden minarets.
The celebration starts after Al Asr prayer (afternoon) on the 11th day of Rabi’ Al Awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. The people carrying the decorated candles start their march from the main market of Sale’s old town.
Participants in the convoy carry large frames of wood, decorated with colorful candles in various shapes. The wooden frames can weigh as much as 50 kg and take the forms of domes and minarets, inspired from the Islamic architecture.
At the end of the march, at night, participants engage in “The Dance of the Candle.” The candles light up the streets while the attendees start dancing to traditional Andalusian music and Madih songs, hymns that praise the prophet. They then sit down for a large feast featuring various traditional Moroccan dishes such as Couscous or Tajine.
Assida is the national Eid dish
The semolina porridge dish is an indispensable breakfast meal for most Moroccan families on this special occasion.
The dish consists of a thick porridge of semolina flour, which is sometimes enjoyed with a garnish of butter and honey. It is often placed at the center of the table as is said to be the prophet Muhammad’s favorite dish.
The simple yet delicious meal is also served in other countries in the Maghreb region such as Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, with different variations in each country.
In the old city of Fez, a cold version of the dish in square shapes is sold as a snack for children after school. Once it is cooled, the porridge hardens and is then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon for an extra burst of flavor.
