ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (APP): Illuminated houses, streets and markets with multi-coloured lighting bulbs and bunting, small and big religious processions in different corners and sound of melodious naat in different corners of twin cities added charm to the birthday celebrations of Holy Prophet (PBUH) on 12th of Rabi-ul-Awal (Monday).
With the advent of the Islamic month of Rabi-ul-Awal, the preparations for celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) start with decoration of houses and streets and offering prayers, showing religious zeal.
This year, as compared to the previous years, faithful have shown more enthusiasm towards celebrating this important occasion. Many of them arranged grand ‘Mahaafil-i-Milad’ to send ‘Darood’ on Prophet (PBUH) and took out Eid-Milad-un-Nabi rallies to different places.
A number of stalls carrying bunting, banners, badges and other religious accessories inscribed with religious writings can be seen at different corners of the city. The buyers of these accessories are mostly children.
The youngsters enthusiastically decorated their homes and streets with banners and flags bearing the writings about celebration of the birthday of the last Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) and lighting bulbs.
“I have decorated my home with colourful lightings and also my street with buntings to mark the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) with great reverence”, a young boy Salman Sheikh said.
Talking to APP, he said “I along with my other friends have also collected funds (chanda) from different neighbours to organize a grand Naat Khawani programme today and Milad to mark the occasion”.
As part of celebrations of the day, women cook specific dishes either in sweet or rice to distribute among the neighbours and needy.
“I have cooked ‘kheer’ and ‘rice’ to distribute among the needy as well as neighbours and also arranged ‘Quran Khawani’,”a housewife Ammara said.
She said, “We must teach our children about the significance of this day and teachings of Holy Prophet (PBUH) so that they may adopt good deeds”.
Like every year, the government and religious organizations arranged a number of activities including seminars, conferences, ‘Milad’ and other discussion programmes to celebrate the annual event.
The sacred day was dawn with special prayers at Fajr, in the mosques throughout the country for the upholding and flourishing of Islam and the Islamic teachings, unity, solidarity, progress and welfare of the Muslim Ummah and security and stability of Pakistan.
Eid-Milad-un-Nabi is a day to remember the teachings and kindness of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the faithful observe his birthday out of a desire to show their love and reverence for the Prophet (PBUH).
