Across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia today, and yesterday across the Middle East, Africa and the Western world, millions of Muslims marked Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), with prayer, devotion and profound joy.
From Yemen and Brunei to Karbala in Iraq and cities across India, streets and neighbourhoods came alive with processions, gatherings and prayers. Yet beyond the colour and celebration lies something deeper: a remembrance of a life whose central message was mercy, justice, compassion and human dignity.
In India, the observance carries a particularly meaningful history. The first recorded Milad procession in Mumbai took place in 1919, associated with the Ali Brothers and supported by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle. At a time when India’s independence movement sought to unite people across religious divisions, the celebration became a powerful expression of Hindu-Muslim solidarity.
Decades later, in 1990, Prime Minister V. P. Singh declared Eid Milad-un-Nabi a gazetted national holiday. The announcement was made from the Red Fort on Independence Day, giving national recognition to a day commemorating the Prophet’s message of justice, equality and compassion.
According to the Islamic calendar, this year marks the 1501st birth anniversary of the Prophet.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and many other prominent leaders of India posted “Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak. Wishing everyone peace, happiness, prosperity and good health.”
test.uniindia.comMallikarjun Kharge (Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha): Shared warm greetings, noting that the Prophet’s teachings remind people of compassion, peace, and justice, and expressing hope that the occasion strengthens brotherhood, mutual respect, and communal harmony. He added “Eid Mubarak to all.”
aninews.inPriyanka Gandhi Vadra (Congress): Also extended wishes as part of the party’s greetings for the occasion (alongside Onam).
aninews.inYS Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSRCP chief): Highlighted the Prophet’s message of love, compassion, forgiveness, patience, and brotherhood, and offered heartfelt congratulations to Muslim brothers and sisters.
thenewsmill.comAkhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party): Wished for prosperity and public welfare while recalling the Prophet’s life and teachings.
extended greetings, while millions more shared messages of peace and fraternity across social media.
The enduring influence of Prophet Muhammad has also been acknowledged by thinkers far beyond the Islamic world.
Mahatma Gandhi wrote: “It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion… his absolute trust in God… These and not the sword carried everything before them.”
Nelson Mandela hailed him as “a unique religious leader, whose influence continues to spread to practically every part of the world.”
And in his acclaimed biography, scholar Martin Lings presented the Prophet’s life as a profound example of spiritual guidance, moral courage and compassion.
That legacy matters especially in an age when humanity often seems remarkably talented at turning differences into divisions. Milad-un-Nabi offers another possibility: to remember that faith can be expressed not merely through ritual, but through kindness; not merely through words, but through justice; not merely through identity, but through service to humanity.
The Prophet’s message of mercy remains timeless because mercy itself has no border.
On this blessed occasion, as homes are illuminated, prayers are offered and communities gather in celebration, Milad-un-Nabi is more than a commemoration of a birth 1,500 years ago. It is a reminder of an enduring moral vision: that compassion is strength, justice is worship, peace is a responsibility, and brotherhood is a duty.
In a world increasingly crowded with anger, suspicion and division, the light of mercy deserves to shine brighter.
Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak. May its message of peace, compassion, justice and brotherhood illuminate every heart and every community.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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