Sufis, Saints, and Birthdays

A week ago much of the Muslim world celebrated Mawlid al-Nabi or the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet’s birthday is a national holiday in most Islamic country where it is often celebrated in a carnival-like manner with parades and festivals. However, there are a couple of notable exceptions. Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar do not officially celebrate Mawlid due to their strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. In the 19th century Islamic fundamentalist movements, like Salafism and Wahhabism, began to push back against celebrations of Mawlid which they saw as modern innovations without precedent in early Islam. Along this vein, the patriarch of my host family here in Morocco was sure to remind me that Mawlid was not an Eid or feast because it is not in the Quran or the Hadith. Salafi and Wahhabi adherents are quite critical of Sufism and Sufis who are among those who often celebrate Mawlid fervently.