SIDON, Lebanon: In the alleyways of Dahr al-Mir Square in Sidon’s old city, Hajj Atef Garamteh prepares loukum, which with the help of his children and grandchildren, he will distribute to mark the Prophet Mohammad’s birthday. “This is a craft that I learned from my uncle when I was 8, but I am not as strong as I used to be, so now my kids and grandchildren help me,” the 88-year-old Garamteh said.
While adding pistachio, hazelnuts and walnuts to various flavors of loukum, Garamteh reminisced about past celebrations, including one incident in 1960 when someone unknowingly folded salt into his loukum mixture. “Back then, celebrating the Prophet’s birthday was a beautiful affair,” he said.
Many share his nostalgia, recalling a time preparations for the Prophet’s birthday, which will fall on Saturday this year, began months earlier.
This year, however, celebrations will be limited, restricted to the holding of banners and ceremonies at various mosques.
In the main streets of Sidon, banners bearing verses lauding the Prophet’s compassion and humanity were seen hanging. Some highlighted his views against racism and others portrayed him as a strong protector of women. Three domes and a crescent were set up atop the city municipality too for the day.
In the old city’s Musalabeyeh Square, Abu Hussam Batesh recalled how in the past the Prophet’s birthday was marked with parades headed by late Sidon MP Maarouf Saad, beginning at the door of the mosque and extending throughout the city.
“I used to spray perfume on them [those marching] and they never stopped playing swords and shields,” said Batesh, a hairdresser.
Abu Afif Hijazi echoed Batesh’s sentiments, recalling how he used to sell fresh juices and street food during the procession. “A month before the day, we used to set up a fountain and gather around it to play swords and shields,” he said.
Children of Hijazi’s generation would use banana and palm leaves to decorate entrances to neighborhoods. Hijazi explained how people would wear white for the occasion and beat drums as wealthier families distributed gifts to the poor.
“I used to sprinkle them with rosewater and people used to celebrate Prophet Mohammad’s birthday the same way they celebrated Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha,” Hijazi said. “But today the joy is gone and unfortunately they only raise banners and make speeches in the mosques.”
Mohammad Dyarbeh still has a black-and-white picture of a group of guys sitting by a fountain in the town’s square. “Beautiful were those days,” he recalled. “In those days, people would relay God’s message to each other, and children would read aloud poems praising the Prophet.”
But not all Muslim communities will be celebrating. Salafists, for instance, believe that marking the Prophet’s birthday is a man-made creation, and not one acknowledged by religious texts.
But Dyarbeh dismissed Salafist interpretation: “Is celebrating our love for the Prophet a sin?”
“When we were young, we used to use light fireworks ... we used to wait to get money from our parents and we used to spend it,” Adnan Rifai said.
Resident Mariam Jamal said back in the day, engaged men would present their fiancés with a piece of gold or a piece of fabric to make a dress from for the occasion.
“People used to wait for the [Prophet’s] birthday ... but today, the joy of the day is gone,” Jamal added.
Tyre’s Mufti Sheikh Medrar Hibal stressed that celebrating the Prophet’s birthday was an event condoned by the Ulama, or scholars, who hold that such celebrations don’t undermine faith or violate Shariah law.
On the contrary, he said, the occasion should serve to remind people about the examples set by the Prophet. “We find that a modern way for people to recall the sayings of the Prophet is through raising banners,” Hibal said. The sheikh has since started a campaign called “Prophet Mohammad Taught Me” which aims to remind people about true Islamic values, he said.
“Prophet Mohammad is the greatest teacher of values in history and he’s the greatest source to guide people about how to live a full life,” stressed Hibal, who is also the imam of Al-Quds Mosque.
These values ought to be revived and reinforced on the day of the Prophet’s birth, he added.
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