With the arrival of Mawlid, with the streets hustling and bustling with sweets and other fanciful items, one looks and wonders at the gloss gory spent of money and is therefore forced to think about the epic beginnings of this ‘celebration.’

Well, now delving into the origins of Mawlid, it was first heard of and initiated by the Fatimid dynasty. For those hearing of it for the first time, this dynasty were a people who had rebelled against the Abbasids, claiming to be from the family of the Prophet (a claim that all others have deemed to be false and fabricated) and they followed the severer branch of Shiite Islam, also known as ‘ismailism’, or the fivers.
They conquered Egypt and established themselves in the modern city of Cairo. Their beliefs are so different from the true Islamic teachings that they have been deemed by all Sunnis and even many other non-Ismaili Shiite groups, to be outside the fold of Islam! The ismailis had reinterpreted the five pillars of Islam to such a level that they would not conform to the regular rituals that other Muslims are accustomed to (such as the five daily prayers). It was this very group who first initiated and came up with the idea of Mawlid.

Some texts from some ancient manuscripts illustrate the way they celebrated this festival:

Next, the month of Rabī‘ al-Awwal arrived, and we shall begin [the events of this month] by mentioning the thing for which it has become famous, namely, the birthday of the Master of the first and last, Muhammad, on the thirteen [Sic.] day. And by way of charity, the Caliph presented 6000 dirhams from the fund of najāwa [an Ismailite tithe], and from the dar al-fitra he presented 40 dishes of pastry, and from the chambers of the trustees and caretakers of the mausoleums that lie between the Hill and Qarafa, where the Al al-Bayt lie, he gave sugar, almonds, honey, and sesame oil [as a gift] to each mausoleum. And [his Vizier] took charge of distributing 400 pounds (ratl) of sweets, and 1000 pounds of bread.

Yet another document states:

 “Large amounts of foods that were distributed on this day, especially around the famous mausoleums of Cairo (some of which would have been considered by the Fatimids as being those of their Imams). The focus of the pageantry, of course, was the palace of the Caliph, and only the elite would get to attend. The celebrations of the day worked their way up to the appearance of the Caliph (who was the living imam for the Ismailites) from a palace window, his face covered in a turban. He himself would not deign to speak – rather, his private attendants would signal to the audience that the Caliph had returned their greetings and seen their love for him. From the courtyard pavilion various reciters and preachers would address the audience, finally culminating in the address of the khatib of the Azhar masjid (which of course, at that time, was the epitome of Ismaili academics).”

The Fatimids as it is were known for many more festivals and celebrations throughout the year, as it can be seen they loved pomp and grandeur.

Now that we know, from where it was that Mawlid commenced, the question that jumps to our mind is ,then, how did the Mawlid spread to Sunni lands and who was the first to introduce it to lands east and west of Fatimid Egypt? Let’s find out in the upcoming article “the epic beginnings of Mawlid part 2”