Ask Ali: How do people mark the Prophet’s birthday and are kebabs Arabic food?

Due to the difference in Islamic schools of thought, there are differing opinions on whether the birth of the Prophet, which in Arabic is referred to as Al Mawlid Al Nabawi, should be a time of celebration or not.

Powered by automated translation

Dear Ali: How do people mark the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday? How does it compare to other Islamic holidays? MG, Abu Dhabi

Dear MG: In the Islamic calendar the 12th day of Rabi’ Al Awal, which is one of the 12 Arabic months, marks the birth of Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him. Due to the difference in Islamic schools of thought, there are differing opinions on whether the birth of the Prophet, which in Arabic is referred to as Al Mawlid Al Nabawi, should be a time of celebration or not.

Hence you see in almost every Islamic society a split into two groups, those who celebrate and those who don’t. Those who celebrate attend a gathering where they listen to a scholar highlighting the great work and message of the Prophet. Some would share his biography, while others would participate in an Islamic festival where singers would perform some nice songs about the greatness of the Prophet Mohammed. Almost all of these events are not seen really as a hafla, which means party, but more of a “gathering”.

Some believe since no one celebrated the Prophet’s birthday during his time, no one should ever consider celebrating his birthday. But many scholars also say that since we no longer have the Prophet living with us, we should bring into perspective the greatness of this day, where people come together and learn about him and his great wisdom.

Mawlid, which also means the birth date of the Prophet, is celebrated with large street parades in some countries. In some Islamic nations, homes and mosques will be also decorated. Other people will donate goods for charity. Some families listen to their children read poems about events during Prophet Mohammed’s life.

Compared with Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha, two major events that are celebrated by all Muslims, the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday is celebrated by some but not all. Again the reason is not because people don’t want to celebrate it, but because they believe it was not celebrated during his time so why change now? Others believe it’s a great way to communicate his great message.

Dear Ali: My friends are debating whether kebab is really an Arabic cuisine or not. I’m a bit confused. Where does kebab come from? And what does the shish mean in “shish kebab”? FG, Qatar

Dear FG: Without a doubt, you will find the word “kebab” in many Arabic restaurants, even in Turkey. Kebab, as a word referring to grilled meat, is thought to be derived from two Persian words, “kamb” and “aab”, meaning “less water”. Food historians tend to agree that kebab cooking originated in the region because cooks faced difficulties with fewer resources to create fire, so the conservative way of cooking meat was to cut it into small portions and thread them onto skewers because it took less time to cook. In another way, the smaller the cut, the faster the cooking time.

Kebab is indeed a very popular Arabic food, and because Arabia is so diverse, the flavours and versions of kebab will also be different from one region, country or city to another. So yes, kebab is indeed an Arabic cuisine.

Regarding the shish part, it’s a Turkish word meaning skewer. Ibn Battuta (1304-1377 CE), a pioneer Arab traveller and explorer of the Islamic world, records that shish kebab was served in the royal houses of India, possibly predating the Sultanate period, and even commoners would enjoy it for breakfast with naan bread. In Andalusia, a variant of the shish kebab, known as Pinchos Morunos or Moorish sticks, is very prominent, and is usually eaten during summer barbecues.

Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question and to find his guidebooks to the UAE, priced at Dh50.

Follow us @LifeNationalUAE

Follow us on Facebook for discussions, entertainment, reviews, wellness and news.