More Than 1000 Years of Al Mawlid Al Nabawi, Egyptians Still Celebrate

Hassan El-Khawaga

By Nour Al-Hoda Fouad

CAIRO, Nov. 20 (SEE) - By the beginning of Hijri month of 'Rabiʻ al-Awwal', Cairo is colorfully decorated to mark 'Al- Mawlid Al- Nabawi' (Prophet Mohamed’s birth anniversary).

This year, the festival falls on Tuesday, November 20, corresponding to Rabi’ al-Awwal 12 in the Islamic Hijri year.

Throughout the ages, Egyptians always celebrate this anniversary through religious rituals, including reading the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet.

But since the rule of the Fatimids, the celebrations became more excessive, as people began to go out to commemorate through reciting poems and stories about the nativity and life of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), singing songs, and religious anthems and eating “Halawet Al-Mawlid” and distributing them on the poor.

The Fatimids used Halawet Al-Mawlid as a political tool to entice Egyptians.

Usually, Cairo’s old mosques like Sayyida Nafisa, Al Hussein, and Sayyida Zeinab witness a great number of people celebrating the occasion with singing Islamic anthems. Also, the 'Awqaf' (Endowment) Ministry holds a special program to celebrate the event at all mosques.

Regarding Halawet Al-Mawlid, it takes several shapes and types such as a horse, a doll, and more. They are mainly made of sugar, sesame, and pistachios. But the sugar dolls began to be replaced by plastic dolls.

The original story of the doll and horse dates back to the reign of Shia Sultan of the Fatimid Era of Egypt, El-Hakim Ba’amr Ellah who started having birthday parades and gatherings among his family, friends, and elites in the region.

Once a day, the ruler got out with his wife in a majestic procession. His wife was so pretty and beautiful. So the Egyptians had portrayed her like a candy doll. And not to ignore the ruler, they made a candy horse representing him as a soldier riding a horse.

Historian Abdel Rahman El Gabrty said that the French campaign, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, had a great interest in holding such a religious event in Egypt to send a message to Egyptians that they are their friends, not enemies.