When is Prophet Muhammad's Birthday 2026? History and Traditions in Indonesia
Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (Maulid Nabi Muhammad SAW) 1448 Hijriah falls on Tuesday, 25 August 2026. Maulid Nabi coincides with 12 Rabiul Awal.
According to the book Sejarah Maulid Nabi recorded by Ahmad Sauri, the commemoration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday has been known to Arab Muslim communities since at least the second year of the Hijriah. However, some believe the observance has existed since the time of the Prophet.
Maulid Nabi is commemorated every 12 Rabiul Awal as the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet was born in Mecca on Monday, 12 Rabiul Awal in the Year of the Elephant, 570 CE. In that year, the King of Abyssinia sent an army with elephants to destroy the Kaaba. Allah then destroyed that army, honouring the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
The same record explains that a person named Khaizuran, the mother of Amirul Mukminin Musa Al-Hadi and Al-Rasyid, came to Medina and ordered residents to hold a celebration of the Prophet’s birth at the Nabawi Mosque. Khaizuran also went to Mecca to issue the same instruction. While in Medina the celebration was held at the mosque, the people of Mecca were asked to celebrate Maulid Nabi in their own homes.
In Indonesia, the commemoration of Maulid Nabi is carried out with various expressions and activities. For example, Javanese communities celebrate Maulid by reciting the Manakib of Prophet Muhammad and the books of Maulid Barzanji, Maulid Simtud Dhurar, Diba’, Saroful Anam, Burdah, and others. After reciting the Manakib, people usually eat together from food provided collectively by residents. Indonesian Muslims express gratitude for the example, way of life, and guidance brought by the Prophet.
In South Sulawesi, Maulid is celebrated in a unique way called Maudu Lompoa or Maulid Akbar. It is even celebrated more festively than Eid al-Fitr.
The commemoration of Maulid Nabi is a moment for self-reflection and for emulating the Prophet’s character. The observance in Indonesia is also inseparable from the influence of the Wali Songo, who spread Islam across the archipelago. The commemoration of Maulid Nabi in Indonesia began to be developed by the Wali Songo around 1404 CE. The aim at that time was to attract the Javanese people to embrace Islam.
Maulid Nabi in Indonesia is also known through the Syahadatain Kraton Trah Mataram Islam celebration, which still maintains the Maulid Nabi tradition by holding the Grebeg Maulud ceremony, in which the community celebrates by holding a rice cone ceremony.