As soon as the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal arrives, a special atmosphere is created in the air. Streets are decorated, gatherings of Milad are held in mosques and madrasas, the sounds of Durood and Salam rise, the fragrance of Naats spreads from town to town, and the lovers of the Prophet (PBUH) express their joy at the arrival of their beloved Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH), in their own ways. This is the month in which humanity was granted that great personality who gave man the consciousness of humanity, granted the light of faith to hearts, bestowed loftiness to character, and presented such a perfect system of living whose example is not found in human history.
But amidst this joy, there is a question that we must certainly confront: Is our love for the Prophet (PBUH) limited only to gatherings, illuminations, processions, Naats, and slogans, or is the reflection of this love also visible in our character, dealings, and social life? This question is not for criticizing any specific class or individual, but is a mirror of accountability for all of us.
Today, we participate in the gatherings of Milad-e-Mustafa (PBUH) with great enthusiasm, recite Durood and Salam, listen to Naats, and express feelings of love for the Prophet (PBUH). These are all manifestations of love in their own place; but the greatest proof of love is not just the tongue, but obedience; not just emotions, but character; not just the gathering, but life. The holy personality of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is not merely a center of devotion for us but a perfect model for life. The Holy Quran stated: "Indeed, there is for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern." Therefore, if we really want to celebrate the joy of Milad-e-Mustafa (PBUH), we must also see how much of the Sunnah of Mustafa (PBUH) is present in our lives.
We claim to love the Holy Prophet (PBUH), but is there truthfulness in our dealings? We recite Durood and Salam, but does our tongue keep the honor of others safe? We mention his mercy in Naats, but is there mercy in our hearts for our neighbor, relative, poor, and weak? We describe his morals, but are our family members happy with our morals? This is the point where the message of Milad connects with our life.
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) did not just teach worship; he taught social living, taught trade, taught how to fulfill relationships, told the rights of the neighbor, taught serving parents, taught kindness to children, protected the rights of women, took care of orphans and the needy, helped the weak, commanded justice even with enemies, and taught how to recognize a person by their character. But today, the bitter reality of our society is that sometimes we become very emotional in the name of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), but we lag far behind in terms of acting upon his teachings.
We straighten the rows in the Milad gathering, but the rows of life are scattered. We mention the respect of Mustafa (PBUH) in Naat, but we forget respect in conversation with our parents. We mention the mercy of the Prophet (PBUH), but we end relationships for years over minor differences with our own relatives. We raise slogans of Islamic brotherhood, but we do not hesitate to deceive our Muslim brother for minor interests. What kind of connection is this that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is on our tongue but not in our life?
Today, a person returns home after participating in a Milad gathering, but the very next day lies in business. Someone moistens their eyes in a Naat gathering, but violates the rights of wife and children at home. Someone is the biggest claimant of love for the Prophet (PBUH), but does injustice to his employee. Someone sits in a gathering of Durood and Salam, but slanders the honor of others on social media. We have to stop and think that if no change comes in our life after Milad, then is it not that we have made the message of Milad just a ritual?
The purpose of Milad is not just to celebrate joy for one day; but along with the joy of the arrival of this great personality, it is also to remember the mission for which he came. He spread the light of knowledge in the darkness of ignorance, established justice against oppression, created brotherhood in an atmosphere of hatred, ended class pride, and introduced man to his true status. Therefore, we have to consider our priorities.
0 If we celebrate Milad, we should also leave lying.
0 If we love the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we should also leave foul language.
0 If we recite Durood and Salam, we should also fulfill the rights of people.
0 If we narrate the Seerat, we should also implement the Seerat in our lives.
0 If we mention his mercy, we should play the role of mercy in our home, neighborhood, and society.
0 If we are hopeful for his intercession, we should strengthen our connection with his Sunnah.
Here, a very important thing needs to be understood: Milad and following (Ittiba) are not opposite to each other. The question is not whether Milad should be celebrated or the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) should be followed; rather, the correct question is how the joy of Milad should lead us towards acting upon the teachings of Mustafa (PBUH)? We should celebrate Milad, express love, recite Durood and Salam, narrate the Seerat; but along with that, we should also make a promise to ourselves that we will make the teachings of our beloved (PBUH) a part of our life. Because when a person really starts acting upon the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), manifestations of love for the Prophet (PBUH) automatically start arising within him. His tongue is moist with Durood, his heart is filled with love, Sunnah is seen in his dealings, the color of Mustafa is created in his morals, and his life itself becomes a small mirror of the Seerat of Mustafa (PBUH).
0 Real success is not just that there is illumination on our houses; real success is that our hearts are also enlightened with the lamp of Mustafa (PBUH).
0 Real success is not just that Naat is on our tongue; real success is that Sunnah is in our character.
0 Real success is not just that we sit in the gathering of Milad; real success is that we make our whole life a gathering of the teachings of Mustafa (PBUH).
Today, our society needs this revolution. We need such Muslims in whose faces the love of the Prophet (PBUH) and in whose character the Seerat of the Prophet (PBUH) is visible. Such traders who adopt the truthfulness of the Prophet (PBUH) in their business, such parents who practice his kindness with their children, such youth who make his purity and modesty the hallmark of their lives, such neighbors who fulfill the rights of their neighbors according to his teachings, and such Muslims who do not leave the path of justice, morals, and respect despite differences.
0 We must also understand that the most beautiful proof of the joy of Milad-e-Mustafa (PBUH) is that our behaviors become Mustafavi.
0 When we leave lying, we as if strengthen our connection with the Seerat of Mustafa (PBUH).
0 When we support an oppressed person, we as if revive the teachings of Mustafa (PBUH).
0 When we serve parents, treat relatives well, take care of the orphan, do not hurt the neighbor, do not violate anyone's honor, and adopt honesty in our dealings, then our life becomes a practical testimony of the teachings of this great Prophet (PBUH). Therefore, Rabi-ul-Awwal should not just give us a message of celebration but also a message of change.
0 We should decorate our houses, but also decorate our morals.
0 We should decorate gatherings, but also decorate our character.
0 We should brighten the streets, but also brighten our hearts.
0 We should recite Naats, but also adopt Sunnahs.
0 We should recite Durood and Salam, but also fulfill the rights of people.
0 We should celebrate the joy of Milad, but also make the teachings of the Mustafa (PBUH) of Milad the constitution of our life.
Because the demand of love for the Prophet (PBUH) is that the obedience and following of the holy personality for whom love is being claimed should also be visible in life. The Milad gathering is for a few hours, but the Seerat of Mustafa (PBUH) is for the whole life. And perhaps the biggest need of our time is that we make Milad not just an event, but a movement; not just a season, but a continuous life; not just a slogan, but a character.
When Mustafa (PBUH) is in our dealings, Mustafa (PBUH) is in our morals, the teachings of Mustafa (PBUH) are in our homes, the honesty of Mustafa (PBUH) is in our trade, the mercy of Mustafa (PBUH) is in our social life, and Durood and love of Mustafa (PBUH) are in our tongue and heart, then our Milad will not remain just an event but our whole life will become a practical picture of the message of Milad-e-Mustafa (PBUH).
Celebrate the joy of the arrival of Mustafa (PBUH), definitely celebrate; but also make this joy a means of reforming your life. Because the Mustafa (PBUH) on whose arrival we celebrate, following his path is the most beautiful completion of this joy.
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Columnist: Muhammad Fida-ul-Mustafa Qadri
PG Research Scholar: Darul Huda Islamic University, Kerala, India