Transformation of the Mawlid of Prophet Muhammad

During the reign of the four righteous caliphs or Khilafat-e-Rashida i.e. Abu Bakr , Umar , Uthman and Ali , the Mawlid remained in its primary condition. No construction or renovation took place in the reign of Umayyads as well. ¹ Nothing changed in the early period of Abbasid Caliphate. However, in 171 A.H., Queen Khezran, who was the mother of Haroon Al-Rashid (Reigned:170-193 A.H.), and a very pious woman, came to Makkah. There, she paid a tribute to the house of

Muhammad . ² Queen Khezran purchased that portion of the house of Ibn Yusuf, where the Holy Prophet was born and built a mosque there, ³ so that prayers were offered in it. ⁴ This has been endorsed by Ibn Athir ⁵ and Sarhan Masood ibn Muhammad Al-Fasi as well. The mosque was constructed in such a manner that its door opened in the alley of the Mawlid. ⁶ The mosque built on it was named ‘Dar Al-Mawlid’. From that date till now, this place is known by this name. ⁷ This mosque was also called ‘Mosque Madqaq’. ⁸ Later on, this mosque was reconstructed by the wife of Haroon Al-Rashid.

Construction by the Kings of Egypt and Yemen

After Queen Khezran, the construction and expansion of the birthplace of the Holy

was done by the Egyptians and the Yemenites. Sheikh Taqi Al-Din Al-Fasi states:

  وقد خفي علينا كثير من خبر عمارته، والذي علمته من ذلك: أن الناصر العباسي عمره في سنة ست وسبعين وخمسمائة. ثم الملك المظفر صاحب اليمن في سنة ستة وستين وستمائة، ثم حفيده المجاهد في سنة أربعين وسبعمائة، وفي سنة ثمان وخمسين وسبعمائة من قبل الأمير شيخون أحد كبار الدولة بمصر، وفي دولة الملك الأشرف شعبان صاحب مصر بإشارة مدبر دولته يلبغا الخاصكي سنة ست وستين وسبعمائة، وفي آخر سنة إحدى وثمانمائة أو في التي بعدها، من المال الذي أنفذه الملك الظاهر برقوق صاحب مصر لعمارة المسجد الحرام وغيره بمكة. وكانت عمارة هذا المولد بعد موته. ⁹

  Much of the history of its (mawlid's) construction has remained unknown to us. What I have learned about it is that Al-Nasir of the Abbasids built it (mawlid) in the year 576 AH. Then, King Al-Muzaffar of Yemen worked on it in the year 666 AH. After that, his grandson Al-Mujahid contributed to it (mawlid) in the year 740 AH, and in the year 758 AH, it was further developed by Prince Shaykhun, one of the high-ranking officials of the state in Egypt. Then it (mawlid) was built in 766 A.H. by the Egyptian governor, Yalbagha Al-Khaski, in the reign of Shah Al-Ashraf Shaban of Egypt Sultanate. At the end of or after 801 A.H., King of Egypt, Al-Zahir Barqoq constructed the birthplace of the Holy Prophet on the budget that he had allocated to spend on the construction of Masjid Al-Haram and other things in Makkah. The construction of the Mawlid was done after his death.

Ali ibn Abd Al Qadir Al-Tabri also endorsed this fact. ¹⁰ After these developments, Sheikh Ahmad ibn Muhammad Makki states that the Mawlid was built by some other people as well. He states:

  قلت:وممن عمرھ محمد علی باشا صاحب مصر حین كان والیا علی مكة وذلک فی نیف وثلاثین بعد المائتین بعد الالف وممن عمر فیھ السلطان عبد المجید خان. ¹¹

  Viceroy of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha is also among the constructors of the birthplace of the Holy Prophet . He constructed it in the decade of 1230 A.H.(between 1220-1230 A.H.), when he was the ruler of Makkah. Similarly, Sultan Abdul Majid Khan is one of the constructors of this place as well.

This shows that Mawlid of Prophet Muhammad was constructed and renovated many times in the course of history by various kings and high officials of different Muslim states.

The Construction of the Dome on the Birthplace of the Holy Prophet

When the state of Hijaz came under the control of Ottoman Empire in 935 A.H., Sultan Suleiman Khan built a dome on the birthplace of the Holy Prophet . In this regard, Sheikh Ali ibn Abdul Qadir writes:

  فعمره قبة ومسجدا یصلی فیه وذلك فی عام خمسة وثلاثین وتسعمائة. ¹²

  In 935 A.H., Sultan Suleiman built a dome and a mosque on the birthplace of the Holy Prophet , where prayers are offered.

After that, in 1009 A.H., Sultan Muhammad Khan ibn Sultan Murad Khan again ordered the construction of birthplace of the Holy Prophet and a large dome and minaret were raised on it. As Ibrahim Pasha states:

  وفي سنة 1009ھ أمر السلطان محمد خان ابن السلطان مراد خان بعمارة مولد الرسول صلی الله علیه وسلم وبنى في أعلاه قبة عظيمة ومنارة. ¹³

  In 1009 A.H., Sultan Muhammad Khan ibn Sultan Murad Khan ordered to construct the building of the Prophet's birth place and built a minaret and a great dome over it.

Sheikh Ali ibn Abd Al-Qadir endorses this fact and adds that the expenses were paid from the revenues generated by the Muslim properties in Roman cities. ¹⁴ Ibrahim Rafat Pasha adds that Sultan Suleiman installed the gold chandelier in the Mawlid as well. He states:

  وفي سنة963ھ أهدى هو أيضاً ثلاثة قناديل ذهباً منها اثنان للكعبة والثالث يعلق بالمولد، وقد علقت بيد الشريف أبي نمّى. ¹⁵

  In 963 A.H., Sultan Suleiman also gifted three gold chandeliers, one of which was hung in the sacred birthplace and two in Baitullah (the house of Allah), which my father ‘Nammi’ had the honour to hang.

This shows that Muslim rulers of every era expanded or beautified the birth place of the Holy Prophet . Sardar Hussain Pasha and Auliya Chalpi visited the birthplace of the Prophet in 11th century A.H., and Auliya Chalpi has described its scenery and location in one of his travelogues. These travelogues have been recorded by Sheikh Abu Suleiman. He states:

  قبة عالیة مغطاة بالرصأص، داخل وادى أمینة، لها باب یطل علی الناحیة الشمالیة، یُنزل الیھا بسلالم مکونة من عشر درجات تقع وسط مکان منخفض. ھی قبة منیرة، وما أن تدخل من الباب حتی تجد حرماً مریعاً، ھو أیضاً یقع تحت القبة، وبعده یوجد باب آخر فی الداخل، ھوباب الأعتاب السعیدة، الباب مکشوف علی الناحیة الشرقیة، والحرم مفروش بسجاد حریرى قیم، كما أنه میدان رحب، بحیث تصل رحابته الی خمسمائة خطوة، مسجد لطیف واسع، والقبة مزینة بمختلف النقوش والألوان بحیث أنها تحا كى قبة الأفلاك، ومن میدان المحبة وحتی وسط القبة، ترى منیراً بدیعاً، وفوقة قبة منیرة. وجوانبه الأربعة مسطورة بالزخارف والدیباج...، وله باب صغیر مرصع، ومطعم بالذهب طبقة فوق طبقة، وله قفل، ومفتاح من المجوھرات من خیرات السلف الصالح من السلاطین، وبجوار ھذا المنبر المنیف، وعقب الباب سجادة حریریة مطرزة، یجلس فوقھا خدام بیت رسول الله صلی الله علیه وسلم وھم الدین یقومون بفتح الباب الشریف بالمفتاح المجوھر عند قدوم الحجاج والزوار...وفی المكان الذى تشرف بنزول صاحب الرسالة من رحم الأم الطاھرة، قد وضعوا حجراً مباركاً، داخل الحفرة الصفراء وقد أثر جسده الشریف فی ھذا الحجر وھو منخفض یتسع لجلوس رجل فی داخله جلوساً متربعاً، وعند حفر ھذا المنخفض المبارك كانت تشع من ھذا الحجر روائح الورد، والکافور، ومملوء بماء القاضی...وجمیع الخدم ینشرون من المباخر الذهیبة، والفضیة الخالصة روائح المسك، والعنبر، والعود، وبحیث تتعطر رؤوس كل الزوار فی ھذه القبة المنیرة المعطرة، وقد قام افندینا حسین باشا بنفسه باحراق العنبر الخام لمدة ساعة كاملة، وبحیث أفعمت القبة بالأدخنة الطیبة، والروائح الفواحة...وھذه القبة الطیبة مزدانة بالثریات، والنجف البدیع الصنع، والمزین بشتی انواع المجوهرات القیمة، وكذا بالقنادیل الرائعة، وكلها توقد، وتُضاء لیلاً، وتجعل المکان كله نوراً علی نور، وفی الركن الواقع علی یمین ھذا المقام یوجد منبر خشبی رائع الصنع، بدیع النقش، انه منبر صغیر، ولكنه نموذٖ بدیع، وفی الجهة التی تقع علی یسار ھذه القبة یوجد محراب صغیر۔ وكل انسان یحرص علی صلاة ركعتين فی ھذا المحراب... ویُستحب فیه الدعاء للوالدین، وعلی الجدران الأربعة لھذه القبة لوحات متنوعة للخطاطین المبدعین، ومحبی رسول الله صلی الله عليه وسلم، والعاشقین له...ومن بین ھذه اللوحات قصائد مدح نبوى، و (لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله)( صلی الله عليه وسلم) وقد قمت أنا العبد الحقیر أیضاً بتسطیر الاسم المحمدى علیه السلام علی الطراز، والشکل القرة حصارى، وعلی شمال ھذه القبة، وعلی علو قامة رجلین توجد نوافذ، وبعض الناس وھم یمرون من الطریق العام ینظرون الی العتبة الشریفة من ھذه النوافذ، ویتوجھون بالدعاء الخیر، ویحرصون علی ذلك عند عبورھم، لأن ھذه العتبة المباركة تقع علی الطریق العام، ولھذا المسجد منارة ذات شرفة واحدة من الأعمال القدیمة، ھوجامع شامخ ، ولکن لم یثبت أن اقیمت فیه صلاة الجمعة، لأن منبره صغیر، ولأنه لا یجوز، ولا یصح أن تقام صلاة الجمعة فی ھذه المدینة المباركة الا فی المسجد الحرام فقط. ¹⁶

  The high dome covered with lead is located inside the Aminah Valley, with a door opening on the north side, (which) descends by ten stairs that go down to the middle of the lower floor. This is a bright dome, as you enter the door, you will find a square Harem. It is under the same dome. There is a door on the inner side, "Bab Aitab Saeedah" which opens to the eastern side. And the Harem is adorned with precious velvet rugs, as if it were a welcoming reception that is 500 feet wide. The mosque is open and beautiful, and the dome is adorned with different colors and imagery, to the extent that it is called a heavenly dome. In the area between the reception to the center of the dome, you will see a new style of pulpit, with a bright dome above it, and the four sides of the dome are adorned with engravings and glasses… It has a pearl enclosed door that is covered with gold. The gifts of the previous pious emperors include the lock and key of the pulpit's gems. There are cushions near this unique pulpit and at the back of the door, on which the servants of the Holy Prophet's house sit. Those people also sit here who open the door of this place with a key encrusted with gems, when the pilgrims and visitors arrive... The place, that has honored to receive the Holy Prophet from the womb of his pious mother, contains a blessed stone inside the yellow pit, on which marks of the Holy Prophet’s body were present. It is a deep pit, in which a man can sit easily. When this blessed area was being excavated, the aroma of flowers and camphor erupted from within; and it is always full of scented water… the servants use pure gold and silver incense burners to spread the fragrance of Musk, Amber, and Oud in such a way that the whole ambience is filled with the beautiful fragrance, which is experienced by all the visitors. On this occasion, our leader Hussain Pasha stood for an hour and he himself burned incense of raw amber so that the whole dome was perfumed with pure and fragrance… This sacred dome is adorned with beautiful chandeliers, new style bulbs and various types of gems. Likewise, it is adorned with beautiful lamps which are all bright and lit all night which light up the entire area. The pillar on the right side of the place has a wooden pulpit, adorned with a unique style and modern carving, this pulpit is small but has a modern design. In the left side of this dome, there is also a small area, and every person wants to offer two Rak'ah prayers in this place… It is also Mustahab (desirable) to pray for one's parents in it. On the four walls of this dome are various carvings of creative calligraphers, and plaques gifted by Prophet Muhammad's adorers... Among these paintings are poems praising the Holy Prophet and the Kalima Tayyeba. I (Auliya Chalpi), am also included in those who wrote the beautiful and the adored name of Holy Prophet in gorgeous form. On the left side of this dome, there are windows on the top, as high as the height of two men, some of the people who are passing by, watch them and pray for good, and others watch these windows curiously as they cross the road, because these windows are located on the main road side. The grand minaret of this mosque still stands, which is one of the earliest monuments, and it is very strong. But, it is not proven that a Friday prayer has been offered in it, because its pulpit is small and Friday prayer is not permissible here. In this blessed city, the establishment of Friday prayers is not permissible in any mosque except Masjid Al-Haram.

The plaques mentioned in the above statement also show a glimpse of the building of the birthplace of the Holy

. Thus, Nasir ibn Ali states:

  ومن خلال ھذه الوحتة النادرة فقد تبینت فیھا المعالم الخارجیة للمبنی حیث یقوم علی ربوة ويتكون من كتل معماریة متلاصقة الاولی مربعة الشكل تطل واجهة من واجھاتھا علی ما یبدو ثلاثة شبابیك باعلی الجدار ویحیط بسطحھا سترة معمولة بالآجر الملون علی الارجح فیما یعرف فی المصطلح المعمارى المكى بالشابورة الوسطی فتقدم الكتل المعماریة وھی مغطاة بقبة كبيرة یتوسط سرتھا من الخارج الی اعلی سنجق نحاسى متعدد الانبعاجات ینتھی فی راسه بھلال...وھذھ الكتله المغطاة بقبة تمثل الموضع الذى ولد فیه الرسول صلی الله عليه وسلم ویتقدم ھذه الكتلة والكتلة السابقة بناء صغیر مغطاة بقبة صغیرة وله شباك معقود فی الواجھة الامامیة ویصعد الی ھذه الكتلة المعماریة الثلاث من خلال عشر درجات صاعدة ثم مصطبة مستطیلة ثم ینزل منھا بواسطة درج الی ممر فی نھایته یتجه المار الی الیسار فی ممر بین الكتلتين الواقعتین جنوبًا وبین مبنی المولد ویدخل السالك الی المبنی الاخیر من باب علی یساره...ویدخل الیه من بوابة تقع علی یسار مبنی المولد معقودة بعقد منفوخ تبدو فیه التاثیرات المغربیة كما یتمیز ھذ المبنی بوجود روشن صغیر بمشربیة فی واجھته یعمتد علی اربعة كرادى خشبیة ذو سطح مائل الی الامام لكى تتسرب منه میاه الامطار علی سطح مبنی المولد ومنه الی الزقاق وھذه اللوحة تتفق مع وصف اولیاء جلبی للمولد النبوى صلی الله عليه وسلم عند مازار مكة المكرمة فی القرن الحادى العشر الھجرى بعد عمارة السلطان محمد خان ابن السلطان مراد خان العثمانی۔ ¹⁷

  Through this rare depiction, the external features of the building are clarified, showing it situated on a hill and consisting of contiguous architectural blocks. The first block is square in shape, with one of its facades apparently featuring three windows high up on the wall. Its roof is surrounded by a veiled object which is made of colorful bricks called Shabor, in architectural terms. The middle fragment is inclined to the front, covered with a large dome, which ends on a crescent made out of copper, on the outside... another fragment is covered with a dome, that shows the main place of birth (of the Holy Prophet ). In front of this block and the previous one is a small building covered by a small dome with an arched window on the front facade. You ascend these three architectural blocks by ten steps leading to a rectangular platform, then descend via steps to a corridor that ends by turning left into a passage between the two southern blocks and the Birthplace Building (of Prophet Muhammad ). The visitor enters the latter building from a door on the left... entering through a gate located to the left of the Birthplace Building (of Prophet Muhammad ), which is arched and reflects Moroccan influences. This building is distinguished by a small projecting balcony (roshan) with a mashrabiya on its facade, supported by four wooden posts with a forward-slanting roof to channel rainwater from the Birthplace (of Prophet Muhammad ) Building's roof into the alley. This depiction aligns with the description by Evliya Çelebi of the Prophet Muhammad's Birthplace when he visited Mecca in the eleventh century Hijri after the reconstruction by Sultan Muhammad Khan, son of Sultan Murad Khan of the Ottoman Empire.

The above-mentioned condition of the Holy

birthplace dates to the beginning of the ninth decade of the 11th century A.H., in which the renovation was done in an innovative style and elegance, and the glimpse of the building of the birthplace of the Holy Prophet was displayed in a plaque. However, at that time, no one had the idea of giving the birthplace of the Holy Prophet an educational status. This status was given later on when a ruler of the Ottoman Empire started an educational institution there.

The Madrassah

After constructing the mosque, Sultan Suleiman appointed a Mu'aazin (a person who gives adhaan), Imam (the one who leads the prayer), and servants, whose salary came from the waqf (dedicated) properties of the Muslim state in Rome. After that, the Ottoman Empire decided to give the birthplace of the Holy Prophet an educational position. After Sultan Suleiman, the Ottoman Empire established a Madrassa (an educational institution) here, which educated the children (free of cost) and its expenses were also provided by the government. ¹⁸ Sheikh Ali ibn Abdul Qadir ¹⁹ also endorsed this fact. In this way, the Ottoman Empire is credited for introducing the birthplace of the Holy Prophet to the people as an educational institution, and managed all of its educational expenses.

 

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• ¹ Ali Shabbir (1930), Tareekh Maulid Al-Nabi, Deccan Law Report, Deccan, India, Pg.14-15.
• ² Ibid., Pg.16-17.
• ³ Abu Al-Faraj Ali ibn Ibrahim Halabi (1427 A.H), Insan Al-Uyun fi Seerat Al-Amin Al-Mamun, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 92.
• ⁴ Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Zahira Al-Makhzumi (2003), Al-Jam’a Al-Latif fe Fadl-e-Makkah wa Ahliha wa Bina Al-Bait Al-Sharif, Maktabah Al-Thaqafat Al-Diniyah, Cairo, Egypt, Pg. 285.
• ⁵ Izz Al-Din Ali ibn Muhammad Al-Shaibani ibn Athir (1997), Al-Kamil fe Al-Tareekh, Dar Al-Kitab Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 416.
• ⁶ Abu Sarhan Masood ibn Muhammad Al-Faasi (2010), Nafaiys Al-Darar min Akhbar Sayed Al-Bashar, Markaz Al-Dra’sat wal Abha’th wa Ihya Al-Turath, Rabat, Morocco, Vol. 1, Pg. 108.
• ⁷ Abdullah Muhammad Abkar (2004), Suwar min Turath Makkah Al-Mukkaramah, Muassasah Uloom Al-Quran, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 39.
• ⁸ Muhammad Abd Al-Rauf Al-Manawi (2004), Al-Ujalat Al-Saniyyah Ala Alfiyah Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 28.
• ⁹ Muhammad ibn Ahmed Taqi Al-Din Al-Faasi (2000), Shifa Al-Gharam be Akhbar Al-Balad Al-Haram, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 357-358.
• ¹⁰ Shaikh Ali ibn Abd Al-Qadir Al-Tabri (1996), Al-Arj Al-Miski fi Tarikh Al-Makki, Al-Maktaba Al-Tujjariyah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 68-69.
• ¹¹ Shaikh Muhammad ibn Ahmed Al-Maliki Al-Makki (2004), Tahseel Al-Maram fe Akhbar Al-Bait Al-Haram Wal-Mashair Al-Azzam, Maktaba Al-Asadi, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 1, Pg. 539.
• ¹² Shaikh Ali ibn Abd Al-Qadir Al-Tabri (1996), Al-Arj Al-Miski fi Tarikh Al-Makki, Al-Maktaba Al-Tujjariyah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 69.
• ¹³ Ibrahim Rifat Pasha (1344 A.H.), Mirat Al-Haramain, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Misriyah, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 189.
• ¹⁴ Shaikh Ali ibn Abd Al-Qadir Al-Tabri (1996), Al-Arj Al-Miski fi Tarikh Al-Makki, Al-Maktaba Al-Tujjariyah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 69.
• ¹⁵ Ibrahim Rifat Pasha (1344 A.H), Mirat Al-Haramain, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Misriyah, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 188.
• ¹⁶ Abu Sulaiman Abd Al-Wahab Ibrahim (2012), Maktabah Makkah Al-Mukarramah Qadeeman wa Hadithan, Maktabah Al-Malik Fahad Al-Wataniyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 65-67.
• ¹⁷ Nasir ibn Ali Al-Harithi (2009), Al-A’thar Al-Islamiyah fi Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Maktabah Al-Malik Fahad, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 353-354.
• ¹⁸ Ibrahim Rifat Pasha (1344 A.H.), Mirat Al-Haramain, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Misriyah, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 189.
• ¹⁹ Shaikh Ali ibn Abd Al-Qadir Al-Tabri (1996), Al-Arj Al-Miski fi Tarikh Al-Makki, Al-Maktaba Al-Tujjariyah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 69.