Mawlid kandil is celebrated to remember the prophets birth and to strengthen the love and respect that keeps his message alive.
The foundation of celebrating holy nights lies in the fact that human beings are forgetful creatures, and unless reminded, even the most precious truths may gradually fade into the background. The question of why holy nights are celebrated becomes meaningful exactly at this point, because these special nights remind us of the birth, ascension, mission, and the milestones of mercy that the Prophet bestowed upon his ummah. Just as a person celebrates their own birthday every year, it is a natural need to remember the nights in which the Prophet who was sent as a mercy to all worlds was born, prepared for prophethood, and displayed unique compassion toward his ummah. In the rush of daily life, it is very easy for people to weaken their love for the Prophet; therefore, holy nights serve as reminders and fully align with the spirit of religious commands. The Quran contains commands such as “announce the prayer, enjoin the prayer, forbid evil,” and the call to prayer is the practical form of these instructions. In the same way, the nights designated to keep the love of the Prophet alive are spent with worship, prayer, and remembrance.
The Meaning of Holy Nights and Why They Are Celebrated
When people hear the word “holy night,” many think only of a single day or evening, but the true purpose of these nights is much deeper. Holy nights allow the entire community to focus spiritually at the same time. This focus is important in three ways.
1 First, it is to renew the love of the Prophet. Love grows through remembrance and weakens through forgetfulness. Remembering the Prophet and keeping his character, mercy, and example alive is essential to Muslim identity.
2 Second, it creates unity. Just as the call to prayer summons everyone to prayer at the same time, holy nights call hearts to remembrance at the same moment.
3 Third, it increases acts of worship. The Quran commands believers to “perform righteous deeds,” and holy nights are times when these deeds increase. Celebrating these nights is not obligatory, but since they encourage many obligatory acts, they carry great value. Additionally, commemorating events with known dates—such as the Prophet’s birth—once a year is acceptable to reason, tradition, and faith. The more precious something is, the more it wishes to be remembered; and love for the Prophet lies at the center of a believer’s heart.
The Spiritual Dimension of Celebrating Holy Nights
Celebrating holy nights is not contrary to religion; in fact, it helps preserve the essence of faith. These nights are not arbitrary innovations but meaningful ways of expressing love, respect, remembrance, and keeping the ummah spiritually awake. A celebration that invites sin, wrongdoing, or heedless entertainment is, of course, inappropriate; however, the truest way to love the Prophet is to remember him, live by his character, and respond to the prayers he made for his ummah by praying in return. Just as the call to prayer was approved by the Prophet as a reminder aligned with divine guidance, holy nights are moments when the ummah remembers its Prophet, draws closer spiritually, and renews its moral strength. If a person feels joy when remembering parents or loved ones, remembering the Prophet brings far greater peace and blessing. This is why celebrating holy nights is necessary: remembering a Prophet who was sent as a mercy to the worlds is not merely a tradition but a spiritual need that keeps the heart alive. /
Why Are There No Bowing and Prostration in the Funeral Prayer?
The absence of bowing and prostration in the funeral prayer comes from its prayer focused nature and its purpose as a collective supplication for the deceased.
