Thousands gather at J&K’s Hazratbal shrine to celebrate Prophet’s birthday

Srinagar, Aug 26 (IANS) Thousands of devotees offered prayers at the Hazratbal shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Wednesday to celebrate ‘Eid-e-Milad’, the birthday of the Prophet of Islam.

Devotees from different parts of the Valley assembled in huge numbers right from Tuesday evening to spend the night in prayer and penance at the Hazratbal shrine.

Men, women and children from different parts of the Valley and from different sections of the society prayed throughout the night for peace, health, prosperity and happiness.

The Hazratbal shrine is the holiest Muslim shrine in J&K. The shrine houses the holy Relic (A hair of the Prophet’s beard). The holy relic was displayed to the devotees after the morning prayers on Wednesday.

After every ‘Nimaz’ till the end of Friday evening, the holy relic will be displayed to the devotees.

Contrary to confusion intended to be created by mischievous elements, every devotee at the Hazratbal shrine prayers for penance to Allah as they loudly voice ‘Daroud’ (Praises of the Prophet).

According to Islam, a devout Muslim can pray only to Allah. Those following the strait-jacketed school of Islamic thought called the ‘Ahle Hadis’ often falsely accuse the Sufi oriented followers of Islam of going to shrines of saints and Sufis to seek divine blessings from them.

This false notion was only propagated to discourage the tolerant, Sufist brand of Islam predominantly followed by the Muslims of Kashmir.

Authorities have made adequate arrangements of transport, healthcare, safe drinking water and security for the devotees at the Hazratbal shrine.

In deference to the Prophet of Islam, Eid-e-Milad is a national holiday in the country.

Relics of the Prophet of Islam are also housed at four other places in the Valley, but the relic housed at Hazratbal is the holiest among these relics since according to Islamic belief, it belongs to Prophet after he ascended to heaven to unite with Allah and returned back to earth. The event is one of the holiest events in Islamic history called the ‘Mehraj-e-Alam’.

–IANS

sq/rad