About Milad-un-Nabi
Milad-un-Nabi, also called Eid-e-Milad or Barawafat, marks the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on 12 Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. In 2027 India is expected to observe it on Sunday, 15 August 2027, subject to moon sighting, and it is a gazetted holiday for central government offices. Many Sunni Muslims mark it with prayer, naat and processions, many Shia mark the birth on 17 Rabi al-Awwal, and Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith Muslims do not observe it at all.
On the night before Milad-un-Nabi, the Old City of Hyderabad turns green with flags and strings of light, and thousands of people in Srinagar sit up in prayer at the Hazratbal shrine. A few streets away, in many other Muslim homes, the day passes like any other. Both are normal, and knowing why is the key to wishing well.
A birth and a death on the same date
Milad means birth, and Milad-un-Nabi is the birth of the Prophet. Arabic speakers call it Mawlid. Sunni tradition places the birth on 12 Rabi al-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant, usually dated to about 570 CE, in Mecca.
The same date carries a second, heavier meaning. Many Sunnis also hold that the Prophet died on 12 Rabi al-Awwal, in 11 AH (632 CE), in Madinah. That is where the Hindi-Urdu name Barawafat, or Barah Wafat, comes from: bara for twelve and wafat for death. Urdu dictionaries tie it both to the twelfth of the month and to the twelve days of his final illness. For some families it remains a day of recitation and remembrance more than celebration.
This is why a loud, party-style "Happy Milad" can feel wrong to many Muslims, even those who mark the day with lights and processions. The mood is devotion: praise of the Prophet, sending blessings on him, and feeding people.
Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.
Why not every Muslim marks the day
Muslims in India disagree about Milad-un-Nabi, and the disagreement is centuries old.
| Tradition | View of Milad-un-Nabi |
|---|---|
| Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat (often called Barelvi) | Mark 12 Rabi al-Awwal with mehfil-e-milad, naat, durood, illuminated mosques and homes, processions and food for the poor. Followers usually call themselves Ahl-e-Sunnat; "Barelvi" is a label from Bareilly, home of the scholar Ahmad Raza Khan (1856–1921). |
| Deobandi | Darul Uloom Deoband's fatwa department calls a fixed-date celebration a bid'ah, an innovation, because the Prophet's companions did not hold one. |
| Ahl-e-Hadith and Salafi | Do not observe it, on the same ground that it has no basis in the Quran or the Prophet's practice. |
| Twelver Shia | Many hold that the Prophet was born on 17 Rabi al-Awwal, which is also the birthday of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq. Shia tradition dates the Prophet's death to 28 Safar, a day of mourning. |
Historians largely trace the celebration to the Fatimid court in Egypt, and the first big public Mawlid festival was held in Erbil, in present-day Iraq, in 1207. Some classical scholars, such as al-Suyuti, approved of it as a good innovation. The Deobandi scholar Ashraf Ali Thanwi did not object to remembering the birth in principle but opposed the practices that had grown around it. In Iran, the days from the 12th to the 17th are kept as a "Unity Week" to bridge the Sunni and Shia dates.
So a Muslim colleague may observe the day fully, observe it on a different day, or not observe it at all. Each of these is a religious position, not a lapse.
How the date is set in India
Rabi al-Awwal begins when the new crescent is sighted after sunset, and the 12th is counted from there. Like every Islamic day, it begins at sunset, so the main night of prayer is the evening before the date on the holiday list. India often sights the moon a day later than Saudi Arabia, so Indian dates commonly run a day behind Gulf calendars.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) lists Milad-un-Nabi, as "Prophet Mohammad's Birthday (Id-e-Milad)", among the 14 compulsory holidays for central government offices. The date printed a year ahead is provisional. If the moon changes it, the Ministry of Personnel announces the change for Delhi offices after checking with the Delhi government, and coordination committees in state capitals follow their state's decision.
State calendars sometimes lag behind the sighting. In 2025, Jammu and Kashmir's calendar showed the holiday on 5 September while the day was observed on 6 September, and the mismatch became a public row. In 2024 Mumbai's Muslim community, meeting at Khilafat House in Byculla, put off the Milad procession by two days so it would not clash with the Ganesh immersion on Anant Chaturdashi, and the Maharashtra government moved the Mumbai holiday to match. Check your 2027 calendar and your office notice in the days before.
How Milad-un-Nabi is kept across India
Among those who observe it, the day usually starts the night before with a mehfil-e-milad: recitation of the Quran, naat (poems in praise of the Prophet), durood, and a talk on his life. Many organisations run blood donation camps and feed people at hospitals, orphanages and old-age homes.
| Place | What stands out |
|---|---|
| Hyderabad | The Old City is decked in green flags and lights, and Charminar is lit on the eve. Several juloos (processions) cross the Old City. In 2026 the main one set off after the midday prayer from the Makkah Masjid near Charminar and wound through Gulzar Houz, Madina Building and Darulshifa, with about 2,000 police on duty. Mosques and shrines put relics they hold, called Aasar-e-Mubarak, on view. |
| Srinagar | Thousands spend the night in prayer at Hazratbal. After the dawn prayer, the Moi-e-Muqaddas, a hair believed to be from the Prophet's beard, is shown to devotees, and again several times through the day. Jammu and Kashmir also gives a holiday on the Friday following the day. |
| Mumbai | The main procession is organised from Khilafat House in Byculla. |
| Kerala | Called Nabidinam. Madrasa children lead rallies with green flags and perform duff muttu and arabana muttu, drum-and-song forms. In 2026, when it fell on Thiruvonam, a man dressed as Mahabali handed sweets to the children of a Nilambur rally. |
| Delhi | The main procession through central Delhi ends at the Jama Masjid. |
What to write, and to whom
The greetings Indians use most are "Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak", "Eid-e-Milad Mubarak", or simply "Eid Mubarak". Urdu speakers also say "Jashn-e-Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak". Official messages from the President's office and Union ministers use plain lines such as "Greetings on Milad-un-Nabi", and that register fits a client or senior colleague. When you write the Prophet's name, many Muslims add "PBUH" (peace be upon him), "SAW" or ﷺ after it.
If you know a friend or colleague follows a tradition that does not mark the day, don't send anything. A friendly "enjoy the holiday" is fine for anyone who gets the day off.
Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak. May the mehfil tonight be peaceful and every one of your duas be heard.
Jashn-e-Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak, Ammi and Abbu. Please remember me in your prayers tonight.
Eid Milad Mubarak, Imran. Wishing you and your family a peaceful day, and a proper rest on the holiday.
Greetings on Milad-un-Nabi to you and your family. May the day bring peace and blessings to your home.
Eid Mubarak from Hyderabad. The Old City is green again and the naats are playing on every corner. Thinking of you.
Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak to all of you. Thank you for always sharing the food you cook for this day with us.
Wishing you and your family blessings on the birth anniversary of the Prophet ﷺ and of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq.
Do
- Wish people you know observe the day; it is fine to ask a close friend whether they mark it.
- Add PBUH or ﷺ after the Prophet's name in writing.
- If you join a juloos or mehfil as a guest, dress modestly and follow your host's lead.
Avoid
- Don't assume every Muslim colleague celebrates; many Deobandi, Ahl-e-Hadith and Shia Muslims don't on this date.
- Don't ask someone who doesn't mark it to explain or defend that choice.
- Avoid party language, cake emojis and "Happy Birthday, Prophet" lines.
- Never use a picture meant to show the Prophet.
- Milad
- Birth; Milad-un-Nabi is the birth of the Prophet. Mawlid in Arabic.
- Barawafat
- Bara (twelve) and wafat (death): the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, remembered also as the day the Prophet died.
- Rabi al-Awwal
- The third month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
- Mehfil-e-milad
- A gathering for Quran recitation, naat and a talk on the Prophet's life.
- Naat
- A poem in praise of the Prophet, sung or recited.
- Durood
- Salawat; sending blessings on the Prophet, as Quran 33:56 asks.
- Juloos
- A procession.
- Bid'ah
- A religious innovation without basis in early practice.
- Moi-e-Muqaddas
- The relic at Hazratbal believed to be a hair of the Prophet.
For the other Islamic dates of the year, see Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Muharram.
How to wish someone on Milad-un-Nabi
A good Milad-un-Nabi wish is quiet and respectful. It speaks of the Prophet's teaching of mercy, of prayer and of feeding others, not of parties. "Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak" or simply "Eid Mubarak" is what most people say. Send it to someone you know observes the day, since many Muslims do not, and never attach a picture meant to show the Prophet. If you name him, add "PBUH" or ﷺ after his name.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Urdu + Hindi.
When is Milad-un-Nabi in each year?
Milad-un-Nabi is set by the Islamic lunar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027may vary by location
- 2028may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
When is Milad-un-Nabi in 2027?
Milad-un-Nabi 2027 falls on Sunday, 15 August 2027, beginning at sunset the evening before. The exact date can vary by location and local calendar, so confirm with your community.
Do all Muslims celebrate Milad-un-Nabi?
No. Many Sunni Muslims in India, especially those in the Ahl-e-Sunnat (Barelvi) tradition, mark it on 12 Rabi al-Awwal, and many Shia mark the Prophet's birth on 17 Rabi al-Awwal. Deobandi and Ahl-e-Hadith Muslims generally do not observe it, because they consider a fixed-date celebration an innovation.
Why is Milad-un-Nabi also called Barawafat?
Barawafat joins bara, twelve, and wafat, death. Many Sunnis hold that the Prophet Muhammad both was born and died on 12 Rabi al-Awwal, so the name recalls his death and the twelve days of his final illness, and for some families the day is one of quiet remembrance.
Is it right to say "Happy Milad-un-Nabi"?
It is not offensive, but many Muslims prefer "Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak" or simply "Eid Mubarak", because the day is about devotion and also recalls the Prophet's death. A calm wish for peace and blessings suits the day better than party language.
Can a non-Muslim wish someone on Eid Milad-un-Nabi?
Yes, if the person observes the day. "Eid Milad-un-Nabi Mubarak" or "Greetings on Milad-un-Nabi" is a respectful wish from anyone, but don't assume every Muslim colleague marks it, since many do not.
Why are there no pictures of the Prophet on Milad-un-Nabi cards?
Islam discourages images of the Prophet Muhammad, to keep worship directed only to God and because no picture could truly represent him, and most Muslims find such images offensive. Milad cards use calligraphy, crescents, lamps or the green dome of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah instead.
Why does the Milad-un-Nabi holiday sometimes move by a day?
The date depends on when the Rabi al-Awwal crescent is sighted in India, which often happens a day after Saudi Arabia. The government holiday list is printed in advance, and the Centre and state governments can shift the holiday once the moon is sighted.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .