# mulid - mawlid مولد



## seitt

Greetings,

Please, do you recognize the word ‘mulid’? How is it written in Arabic? Does it always signify a birthday or is it used for other kinds of anniversary too?

What is its correct pronunciation in Modern Standard Arabic?

"Christians and Muslims celebrated the mulid, or feast, of their particular sheikh or a saint, and to an outsider the rituals are hard to distinguish."
(The Lost History of Christianity – Philip Jenkins, p. 201)

Btw, the Christians discussed here are Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Best wishes, and many thanks,

Simon


----------



## shafaq

موْلد mawled=birth-time


----------



## ayed

Agree with shafaq.
Just for your knowledge, Sunni Muslims, for instance, never celebrate _mawlid--The prophetic birthday nor any other mawlid_


----------



## fdb

Actually, all four of the sunni madhahib have always celebrated mawlid an-nabi.


----------



## tr463

I cannot remember if it's the same pronunciation but a "mawlid" can also mean the actual celebration at the mosque - I went to one in Alexandria at masgid Abu al-Abbas and there were multiple events going on: weddings, a little carnival for kids, and other things like that.


----------



## ayed

fdb said:


> Actually, all four of the sunni madhahib have always celebrated mawlid an-nabi.



Never ever have we celebrated al-Mawlid al-nabawi at all.


----------



## Schem

ayed said:


> Never ever have we celebrated al-Mawlid al-nabawi at all.



Isn't it obvious why? They still celebrate it in the Hejaz.


----------



## cherine

The pronounciation in Egypt (where you'll find both Sunni Muslims and Eastern Orthodox, or more precisely Coptic Orthodox) is Mulid (with a long "u"). And yes, it's the celebration of a birthday of the Prophet and of saints or wali (wali is the Sufi title/equivalent for saints).
Needless to say that not all Sunnis celebrate the muulids. For many, it's just an occasion to enjoy eating sweets.


----------



## ayed

Schem said:


> Isn't it obvious why? They still celebrate it in the Hejaz.



It is bid3ah(innovation) to celebrate the prophetic birthday


----------



## cherine

Yes, Ayed, but this doesn't change the fact that it is celebrated in many countries. And that this is a language question, not a religion one.


----------



## kifaru

Just to be clear مولد is any birthday correct? It's the same as عيد ميلاد?


----------



## fdb

_mawlid_ can in principle mean either “time of birth” or “place of birth”. _mīlād_ has more specifically the former meaning. ع_īdu l-mīlād _is normally used for “Christmas”.


----------



## ayed

kifaru said:


> Just to be clear مولد is any birthday correct? It's the same as عيد ميلاد?


Yes, exactly.


----------



## seitt

Many thanks - is موْلد ever used, not just to mean the anniversary of someone's birth, but also the anniversary of the death of or other important event in the life of a saint or Muslim holy man?


----------



## abde

i'm Agree with shafaq.


----------



## shafaq

seitt said:


> Many thanks - is موْلد ever used, not just to mean the anniversary of someone's birth, but also the anniversary of the death of or other important event in the life of a saint or Muslim holy man?




As for "mawled(mawlet)" in Turkey and Ottoman Empire-influenced territories; it is an other story... A 600 years old convention.

An Ottoman Turkish pious Sulaiman Chalabee wrote a poetry booklet named "Waseelat-unNajaat  وسيلة النجاة" in Ottoman Turkish language;  dedicated to Prophet Mohammad; where its most important portion was the lines that deal with the birth-time( موْلد)of Prophet. It got so widespread far from similar works and became the unique in this field and its original name got forgotten to be known only as "Mawled=Mawlet" to be read along with Holy Qur'an; at all religious or daily important occasions like a delivery of a newborn celebration, newly acquired house, a start for a new job, ...etc. as well as  religious anniversaries and celebrations like death (and sometimes birth) anniversaries of persons. "Reading Mawlet" tradition still continuing nowadays without slowing down the speed.


----------

