Attar’s Letter: 8 Madani Pearls for Celebrating Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ

Attar’s letter about celebrating Milad

(Request: This letter should be read out every year in the last weekly Ijtima’ of Safar-ul-Muzaffar. Islamic brothers and sisters can make changes as per need).

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

From Sag-e-Madinah Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qaadiri Razavi عَفَا عَنْهُ to all the devotees (Islamic brothers & sisters) of the Beloved Prophet:

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ عَلٰى كُلِّ حَالٍ

Tum bhi ker kay un ka charcha apnay dil chamkao

Ounchay mayn ouncha Nabi ka jhanda ghar ghar mayn lahrao

1.                 On the first night of Rabi’-ul-Awwal, make this announcement three times in all the Masajid: ‘Congratulations to all Islamic brothers and sisters. The moon of Rabi’-ul-Awwal has been sighted.’

Rabi’-un-Noor ummidaun ki dunya sath lay aaya

Du’aon ki qabuliyyat ko hathaun hath lay aaya

2.                 By virtue ofthe blessing of Rabi’-ul-Awal, Islamic brothers should make intention to grow one fist-length beard and Islamic sisters should make intention to observe Shar’i Pardah for good. (Man’s act of getting his beard shaved or trimmed less than a fist-length and woman’s act of not observing Pardah, – are both Haraam. It is necessary to give up these sins for ever after repenting of them immediately.)

Jhuk gaya Ka’bah sabhi but munh kay bal aundhay giray

Dab-dabah aamad ka tha, أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا مَرْحَبًا

 (Wasail-e-Bakhshish, pp. 147)

3.                 An excellent formula for remaining steadfast in practising Sunnah and performing other virtuous deeds is that all devotees (Islamic brothers & Islamic sisters) of the Beloved Prophet should make self-accountability daily regarding the deeds which they perform every day. While making accountability they should fill out the booklets of Madani In’amaat and then submit them to the responsible Islamic brother of their area on the first of every lunar month. اِنْ شَآءَالله, they will become pious and true devotees of the Prophet.

Badliyan rahmat ki chaeen boondiyan rahmat ki aaeen

Ab muradayn dil ki pa`een aamad-e-Shah-e-Arab hay

(Qabalah-e-Bakhshish, pp. 337)

4.                 All the Islamic brothers including the responsible Islamic brothers of Dawat-e-Islami should make intention that they will attend weekly Madani Muzakarah and observe I’tikaf in the night of the weekly Sunnah-inspiring Ijtima. They should also intend that they will travel with the Madani Qafilah of learning and teaching Sunnahs for three days every month, for one month every year and at least for twelve months once in life. With the intention of conveying Sawab to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم, all the devotees of the Prophet including Nigran and responsible Islamic brothers should travel with a Madani Qafilah for at least three days especially in this blessed month. They should also either give or listen to Dars in their homes daily. Islamic sisters should attend the Ijtima of Islamic sisters from beginning to end and should start giving Dars in their homes daily (only to the ladies and Maharim of their homes).

Mayn muballigh bano sunnaton ka,

khob charcha karon sunnaton ka

Ya Khuda! Dars don sunnaton ka

Ho karam! Bahr-e-Khaak-e-Madinah

(Wasail-e-Bakhshish (murammam) pp. 189)

5.                 Display 12 flags or at least one flag in your Masjid, home, shop, workplace, etc. from the moon sighting night of Rabi ul Sharif to 12ᵗʰ Rabi-ul-Awwal. Display Madani flags on buses, wagons, trucks, trolleys, taxis, rickshaws, horse carriages, etc. Display flags on your cycle, scooter and car. اِنْ شَآءَالله, there will be Madani flags everywhere. Usually, there are big pictures of living beings or useless couplets printed on the back of trucks. If possible, get it written on your conveyance: I love Dawat-e-Islami.

Attar’s Du’a: O Rub of Mustafa! Whoever gets it written or gets its sticker put, ‘I love Dawat-e-Islami.’ on his scooter, car, taxi, bus, truck, trailer, wagon, rikshaw, suzuki, etc. on the front or back or both sides, protect his vehicle from accident and forgive him without any accountability. May Allah Almighty accept this Du’a also for the one who persuades any van owner to do it.

Caution If a flag bears lettering or image of Na’layn (image of the blessed shoe-sole of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), make sure that the flag neither tears nor falls on the ground. If there is a fear that a flag can be disrespected, do not display it. Further, as soon as the day of 12th Rabi’-ul-Awwal ends, remove all the flags and illuminations immediately. They should also be removed on time from Madani Marakiz Faizan-e-Madinah, Masajid of Dawat-e-Islami, Jami’a-tul-Madinah and from Madrasa-tul-Madinah (for boys and girls).

Nabi ka jhanda lay ker niklo dunya mayn chha jao

Nabi ka jhanda aman ka jhanda ghar ghar mayn lahrao

صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب! صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّد

6.                 Illuminate your home with 12 strings of lights or at least 12 bulbs. Moreover, decorate your area and your Masjid with lights for 12 days as per the customary practice. There are Masajid in some areas which are not decorated with lights for 12 days with the donation of Masjid. For decorating such Masajid with lights for 12 days, donation can be collected separately. Decorate your whole area with Madani flags and coloured bulbs. Display big flags (12 metres long or as suited) on the roof of your home and Masjid and on main squares etc. such that they may not hinder pedestrians and traffic in anyway and also make sure that public rights are not violated. Do not plant flags in the middle of the road as this will obstruct the traffic. Do not dig footpath in order to plant flags. Do not decorate streets etc. in a way which makes them narrow, hurts people and results in violation of public rights.

Mashriq-o-Maghrib mayn ik ik baam-e-Ka’bah per bhi ayk

Naseeb parcham ho gaya, أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا مَرْحَبًا

 (Wasail-e-Bakhshish (murammam) pp. 146)

7.                 Every Islamic brother should distribute ‘religious booklets’ and ‘different pamphlets of Madani pearls’ published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah in Milad procession as many as possible; Islamic sisters should also have these distributed.

Similarly, spread ‘call to righteousness’ through the ‘distribution of booklets’ at your shops, etc. throughout the year. Moreover, make the ‘distribution of booklets’ in wedding ceremonies and ‘Ijtimas for Isal-e-Sawab’, and also for the Isal-e-Sawab of deceased Muslims; persuade others to do so as well. Everyone should have the privilege of reading or listening to weekly booklets, and should also make a booking for ‘Monthly Magazine Faizan-e-Madinah’ every year for the next 12 months.

Chaar so rahmaton ki hawa’yn chaleen

Ho ga’ie jis say saari Faza dil nasheen

Muskirao sabhi aa gaey hayn Nabi

Gham kay maro tumhari khushi kay liye

8.                 Distribute 112 pamphlets titled ‘Jashn-e-Wiladat kay 12 Madani Phool’ if possible, or at least 12, and also 12 booklets titled ‘The Dawn of Blessings’ if possible after purchasing them from Maktaba-tul-Madinah. Give these pamphlets and booklets especially to the leaders of those organisations that arrange for illuminations or Mahfil of Na’t or Milad procession in Rabi’-ul-Awwal. During Rabi’-ul-Awwal, Islamic brothers and Islamic sisters should make benefactions to a Sunni Aalim, Imam, Muazzin, or the Khadim of a Masjid, even if a little amount; if only you would have this privilege every month.

On the occasions of weddings, give a religious booklet published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah with the wedding invitation. Establish the tradition of gifting religious books and booklets in place of Eid cards so that the money spent also brings about religious benefit. Have a stall of Maktaba-tul-Madinah set up at your place at a wedding ceremony, or a sad occasion. Moreover, distribute Islamic books and booklets as many as possible amongst the guests.

Wiladat shah-e-deeb her khushi ki ba’is hay

Hazaar ‘Eid say bhaari hay barhiveen tareekh

(Zauq-e-Na’t, pp. 122)