The Historic 30th International Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference 2014: Gatherings in 250 cities of Pakistan

Dated: 13 January 2014

The hundreds of thousands of the faithful from the Lahore city only expressed their love for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) by attending the MQI's 30th annual Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference under the open skies in cold and chilling weather on Monday night. More than one and half lac people had reached the venue by 11:30 p.m. and the caravans continued to pour in from across the provincial capital. Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri's keynote speech had not started by then.

Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference (SAW) was historic this time round in the sense that the lacs of people attended Milad gatherings held throughout the country in over 250 cities and expressed their extreme love for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). There was also a massive attendance of the people in a Milad Conference held under the banner of MQI (India). The proceedings of the central Milad Conference at Minar-e-Pakistan were broadcast live around the world through ARY Zauq, QTV and Minhaj.tv. Thus millions of the faithful remained in rapt attendance of the Milad gatherings under the aegis of MQI. One of the chief highlights of the Conference was participation of over seventy thousand women and children. The mega event of MQI was presided over by Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, President of Minhaj-ul-Quran International.

Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri Addressing the Mawlid Conference

The people gave Dr Hussain a standing ovation when he came to the central stage along with Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz, President PAT, Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Secretary General of MQI, and Jawad Hamid. Noted religious scholars, community leaders, social and human rights activists, student leaders, traders, Mashaykh and people belonging to all walks of life were also present at the occasion. Stringent security arrangements were in place at the occasion. In addition to official security, volunteers of MYL and MWL performed the security duties. The venue of Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference was decorated and beautified befittingly like a bride. Electric lights of various colors continued to blaze throughout the night. Naat Khawani remained on throughout the proceedings. Small flags bearing word 'Muhammad' in the middle in red color continued to be waved, which reflected people's extreme zeal and zest. The Milad Conference was also attended by other faith leaders as a mark of solidarity with the Muslims.

Renowned Naat Khawan from Egypt, Arab states and Pakistan presented naats and nasheed and electrified the audience with their melodious voices. Arrangements were made to show the proceedings of the Conference to the people outside the venue through installation of huge digital screens. Sound system was set up in a manner as to cover areas adjoining the Minar-e-Pakistan so that people who were not able to enter the venue due to rush could listen to the proceedings of the Conference.

Address of Shaykh-ul-Islam

Before formally starting his keynote address, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri gave a message of peace and love. Addressing the hundreds of thousands of people in Bangalore (India), he said that the people of both India and Pakistan should work for normalization of their bilateral relations by seeking a negotiated settlement of their outstanding issues. He quoted from the statements and speeches of Mahatma Gandhi and the Quaid-e-Azam, the founding leaders of India and Pakistan and told the participants that they should live like peaceful and reliable neighbours and work jointly against poverty, ignorance, corruption and lawlessness, which were their real enemies. Referring to a statement of Mahatma Gandhi, he said that the Indian leader said that he read the Holy Quran a number of times and came to the conclusion that Islam did not allow violence and killing of the people.

Dr Qadri further said that the Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of peace and good neighborliness between India and Pakistan was inspired by the Holy Quran. He said that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a great champion of equality of rights and opportunities, brotherhood, peace and harmony, adding that the Quaid’s vision could become a basis for enduringly peaceful and stable relations between Pakistan and India.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri presented a number of meanings of the word (Nabi) ‘Prophet’ in the formal beginning of his keynote speech. He said that one meaning of ‘Prophet’ was the one who was exalted and superior to others. Likewise, one more meaning is to be separated and unique. He said that at that rate, the Holy Prophet (PBUH), despite being a human being like all others, was exalted and superior to them. He was not like other human beings in terms of human characteristics.

The second kind of separation and uniqueness was present in the environment in which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) lived. The exalted Prophet (PBUH) separated himself from the ways and practice of the society. He did not acquire the characteristics of the society. The Arab society in which he was raised as Prophet was known for its brutality and lust for blood. He, on the other hand, came as a Prophet of mercy and peace for all the worlds. He did not follow the rules and norms of the society. Rather, he revolutionized the society as a leader, a mentor, and a teacher. The Holy Quran taught him this.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) allowed the people of Makka to migrate to Abyssinia in sixth hegira where a delegation of the migrant Muslims reached the court of Najashi under the leadership of Jafar Bin Abi Talib. Representing the case of the Muslims, Jafar bin Abi Talib said this to Najashi: O king, we were uncivilized and used to worship idols during the days of ignorance. We would commit obscenity and brazenness of every kind. We would kill our blood relations with abandon. It was way of our society that the powerful would pounce upon the weak and occupy them with their force and power. Allah Almighty sent his Prophet (PBUH) amongst us in these circumstances who taught his Oneness of Allah and manner of worship. The path and way of this Prophet was different from the old practices.

This Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed us a new way. He impressed upon us the sanctity of trusts, their return to rightful heirs, respect and care of the kith and kin and peace, and forbade us from usurping the possession of the orphans. The people turned against us due to this. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) founded a society which was purged of polytheism. He stopped us from committal of such vices as theft, adultery and killing one another. He taught the lesson of establishing peace, instituting a system of general welfare, truth and piety. So much so that he (PBUH) formulated laws to govern the conduct of wars. We could not kill elderly people, women and children during war. We could not unjustly kill the followers of other religions. We could not kill the non-Muslim diplomats, emissaries and even peaceful citizens. The Prophet (PBUH) went to the extent of saying that he who killed a peaceful non-Muslim would not be able to smell the fragrance of paradise.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that this concept of peace should be viewed in the context of imperatives that prevailed 14 centuries ago when terrorism held sway everywhere and humanity was torn to pieces. He said that each and every concept given by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is unique and distinct. The beloved Prophet (PBUH) bestowed real status and honor on the society at every level. He talked of equal distribution of resources to end corruption, poverty and hunger at economic level. He (PBUH) advised that he who had more to eat than his need should return the same to the one who deserved it. He said that he who sleeps after satiating his hunger while his neighbor goes hungry cannot be Muslim or the faithful.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the millions of the poor went without food and did not have access to basic necessities of life in India and Pakistan. Throwing light on another meaning of word ‘Nabi’, he said that one meaning of the word is to be exalted and superior. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) is superior to all human beings in all the worlds except Allah Almighty and all other things are subservient and obedient to him. All creations in the universe are subordinate to the Prophet (PBUH).

There is Hadith of Bokhari sharif that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) stood on the mountain with his companions and the mountain got into ecstasy. He did not pray that the mountain has been hit by an earthquake. He ordered the mountain to stop trembling, for a Prophet, a Siddique, and martyrs were standing on it. In addition to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique (R.A), there were eight Companions on the mountain including Hazrat Umar e Farooq, Hazrat Usman e Ghani, Talha Bin Zubair, Saad bin Abi Waqas (RadhiAllahu Anhum), and others who embraced martyrdom in the following years. But the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had given this news of the unknown many years before their martyrdoms.

In concluding part of his address, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri addressed all the Muslims in general and those of India and Pakistan in particular, saying that we should pledge on the occasion of this blessed night of Milad that we would spend the rest of our lives in the obedience of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He said that when we would adopt his sira in our lives, every one of us would become a paragon of love and peace which would make this world a hub of peace.

At the end, Durood recited at central Gosh-a-Durood of MQI and thousands of other Durood centres across the world was offered in the honour of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Shaykh-ul-Islam led a special Dua for the country's security, safety, wellbeing of the people and peace in the world.