Vol. 33 No. 10
RABI-UL-AWWAL 1441 l OCTOBER 2019
Moulood-un-Nabi, two centuries of Cape tradition that endures to this day SHAFIQ MORTON
Hajji Umar Kemp, 98 years old, offering some rose water to attendees at the Azzavia Moulood. Hajji Umar says he grew up with the Moulood since his childhood in the 1920s. The Moulood in the Cape dates back much further and was recorded 247 years ago, by Carl Thunberg, a Swedish botanist, who attended one in Bo-Kaap. Very much like in the picture, Thunberg described sheets draped in the room and the use of rose water. Photo SHAFIQ MORTON
PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE
islamic-relief.org.za
MOULOOD un-Nabi is the commemoration of the birth of Nabi Muhammad (SAW). According to the scholars, the moulood can be celebrated at any time of the year, though many like to observe it in Rabi-ul-Awwal, the month in which the blessed Prophet (SAW) was born. It is a custom honouring the Prophet (SAW) that has endured over centuries, originating in Makkah. The 7th-century historian, Abul Abbas al-Azafi, records that on the day of the moulood in Makkah, no activities were undertaken, except by the people who visited the Prophet’s birthplace. Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami wrote in the 10th century that each year, on the 12th of Rabi-ulAwwal, after Maghrib, the notables of Makkah would visit the birthplace of the Prophet, chanting dhikr. The 12th century traveller, Ibn Jubayr, mentioned in his Rihal that in Rabi ul-Awwal, people entered the Prophet’s house in Makkah to derive blessings. In Cape Town, the Moulood was recorded 247 years ago, when Carl Thunberg, a Swedish botanist, attended one in Bo-Kaap. He describes sheets draped in the room. He identifies rose water bottles as well as the ‘congregation’ dressed in white. Indeed, in its earliest days, it was the Moulood – also inspired by people such as Tuan Guru – that kept the community together through its darkest hours to become the force that it is today.
DONATE ONLINE