Hyderabad: Milad-un-Nabi, which is usually held with much fanfare in the city, is going to be a low-key affair this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With coronavirus cases continuing unabated, that, coupled with the recent floods has brought the city to its knees, turning the mood sombre.
Milad-un-Nabi, which is the birth date of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Islam’s last prophet, is celebrated across the world. Areas in old city which are popular for their decorations anf festivities on Milad-un-Nabi, have kept things toned things down, and the celebrations this year, for the first time, will be low-ket and wont be marked with grandeur.
Every year, Eid Milad-un-Nabi is celebrated by lighting up areas, hoisting green flags and congregations being held in various places. The celebrations are grand around the Charminar especially. The late night ‘jalsa’ (night programmes) which used to be held outdoors with a large number of attendees, will now see much lesser participating in the late night event.
Several Sunni Muslimg organizations across the city are also trying to keep the festivities down to a minimum. They have to fall in line with COVID-19 guidelines, restrict the number of programmes and public meetings, among other things.
The All India Majlis Tameer-e-Millat, which is based in Hyderabad, has planned to conduct the 71st Jalsae-E- Yaume-e-Rehmatul Lil Alameen celebrations of Milad-un-Nabi online this year. “The online conference will be organized at Red Rose convention hall in Nampally with limited invitees. It will be streamed live on Youtube and Facebook,” said Janab Syed Jaleel Ahmed, President of Tameer-e-Millat.
International Islamic scholars will be addressing the conference online on Friday on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi.
Several other religious committees and organizations have also decided not to organise any langar (a communal free kitchen) in the old city. With the very advent of the holy month of Rabi-ul-Awwal (Islamic calender, Hijri), brisk preparations began in a low key affair across the old city to celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi. The day is marked on the 12th day of Rabi ul Awwal, which falls on October 30 Friday.
Muslim families which used to invite relatives and friends on Eid Milad-un-Nabi this time will also instead delivering Kheer-Puri online via food delivery personnel.
Tahreek-e-Islami, a Sunni Muslim orgnaisation in Nampally, which claims to get over 50,000 attendees in their Milad rally every year, has decided to skip the procession. The organization has asked that donors and trustees to instead provide financial aid for the flood-hit victims whose livelihoods have been affected due to the deluge Hyderabd witnessed two weeks ago, after heavy rains lashed the city on October 13.
However, areas like Yakutpura, Dabeerpura, Hussaini Alam, Talab Katta, Moghalpura, Shahalibanda, Purani Haveli, MS Maqta etc, have been decorated with flags, lamps and lights. Most of the major crossroads have also been lit up and decorated. Around two to three lakhs of rupees to be spent on the decoration for Milad-un-Nabi every year, but this time there is no such expenditure for Milad-un-Nabi 2020.
Every year, during the evening hours, various Muslim organizations hold public meetings, wherein Islamic scholars and intellectuals remind the newer generation about the Prophet’s message to the world. This time, however, everything will be online.