Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a paid holiday for all private sector workers on Saturday, October 8 to mark Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday.
The holiday was announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) on Tuesday.
How is it celeberated?
For Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad is seen as a moral and spiritual role model, and commemorating his life is seen as another way to keep his memory alive in the collective Islamic consciousness.
Prophet’s birthday is observed on 12 Rabi Ul Awwal 1444, which is the third month according to the Islamic calendar. In Arabic, the holiday is referred to as Eid Al Mawlid Al Nabawi or Milad.
On Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, Muslims spend the day spiritually connecting with God by fasting and reading the Quran.
In 570 AD, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. However, it is not clear what is the exact Gregorian date of his birth. Muslims celebrate Muhammad’s birthday on the 12th day of Rabi Ul Awwal, the third month of the Islamic year.
The holiday is marked by observance rather than celebration, with festivities kept to a minimum.
