Peoples celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet

While the celebration of the birth of the Prophet in some countries is absent, most people celebrate the occasion with different manifestations every year, predominantly male, hymns and special sweets.

Chants and sweets
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Thousands of Sudanese have wrapped up their celebrations in more than 15 main squares in Khartoum and other states.

The celebration activities included: religious and educational seminars, male rings and praise of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with religious songs, amid a circle filled with dozens of Sufi road mourners who erected tents to mark the occasion two weeks ago.

Thousands of families flocked to the square in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum. "We have many types of sweets that we sell on this occasion, including sweets made from coconut and glucose instead of sugar and chocolate," said confectioner Ahmed Ali Suleiman.

The children are keen to buy the bride of the birth of sugar and other materials, and the price of each 400 pounds (the dollar equivalent to 45 pounds), while the horse horse, made of sugar and painted in red, does not exceed the amount of 150 Sudanese pounds, sweets imported from India and Egypt .

Mosques in Erbil
The mosques of the city of Erbil - the capital of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq - overflowed with worshipers in a ceremony to commemorate the birth of the Prophet.

Thousands of pilgrims gathered in the main squares of central Erbil, especially around the archaeological citadel, holding flags and banners with slogans commemorating the Prophet Muhammad, expressing the sanctity of the occasion, while religious songs flow from loudspeakers.

While celebrating in the square in front of Erbil Citadel, Amina Jaf, 42, said that every year she celebrated the occasion with her family in the city center.

Amina, carrying her three-year-old daughter, added that people here congratulate each other and many shops offer sweets for free to the celebrities.

Erbil has been celebrating this occasion for hundreds of years, and the first to celebrate it systematically is Sultan Muzaffaruddin Kokpuri (1153-1232).

The sweetness of Zaman
On the flame, the twenties Mohamed Rabie works to make shapes of the sweetness of the birth, a special kind of candy bought by the Egyptians these days each year, coinciding with the commemoration of the Prophet's birthday.

This familiar scene is witnessed annually in the area of ​​Darb al-Athar in the city of Tanta, governorate of Gharbia, Egypt, which is located near the mosque of Sayyid al-Badawi, one of the poles of Sufism, which puts it at the top of the map of the candy industry, which the people of the province rely on to make a living, with the city renowned to revive births annually.

The candy-making industry passes by pouring six large plates of sugar into large pots on the fire, adding two liters of water, stirring until the sugar is completely melted, and then put a little yeast on it.

Then comes the stage of pouring the mixture into wooden molds made of two parts sculpted inside several forms, to then unscrew the molds and let them cool.

The dessert later enters the stage of decoration, to be dyed in colors and adorned with embroideries of various shapes and sizes, most notably the bride and horse.

The dessert of the bride and horse appeared during the reign of the ruler by the order of Allah (the Fatimid state), who loved one of his wives, and he ordered her out with him on the day of the Prophet's birthday. God rode his horse and made him candy.

Rabie inherited his profession from his father, who inherited it from his ancestors, so he considers it a heritage that must be preserved and prevented its extinction, vowing to work there until his death and the succession of his sons his experiences.

Dessert makers begin processing their products early, with only 25 days to go, said Rabie.

The price of candy compared to last year did not differ significantly, as the bride or horse sold on average about 18 pounds (about US $), a difference of one pound from last year. As well as other sweets that include the most famous types of sesame and beans, milk, nougat, buckle and chickpeas.

Rabie added that the price per kilo of this dessert starts from 25 pounds (less than two dollars) to 70 pounds (less than 5 dollars), depending on the type and diversity. Venice, almonds, pistachios, coconuts and Qamaruddin are the most expensive of the moulouds.

Iqbal to memorize the Qur'an
Moroccan Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufic said that nearly half a million citizens are reciting the Koran in 14,000 writers in different cities of the country.

This came in a speech delivered by the Minister at the Royal Palace in Marrakech (center), in a religious ceremony presided over by King Mohammed VI of Morocco to commemorate the birth of the Prophet.

The minister said that a copy of Muwatta 's book by Imam Malik bin Anas was achieved in Morocco under the guidance of the king of the country, and translated into English, and will be published soon in Harvard University publications.

The ceremony witnessed the delivery of various awards to pioneers in thought, Islamic studies, decoration and calligraphy.

Islamic Art
In Turkey, the Center for Youth and Family of the Turkish Religious Affairs opened the exhibition of traditional Islamic art at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul on the occasion of the Prophet's Birthday.

The head of religious affairs in Turkey, Ali Arbash, said that Islamic civilization attaches great importance to art, and that the works of art in the exhibition is evidence of the application of the instructions of the Prophet peace be upon him to show beauty.

The exhibition includes two hundred works of art by eight teachers and fifty students in eight fields, including Arabic calligraphy, mosaics, miniature art, leather, geometric patterns and the art of drawing on water.