MEVLID:

These are poems about the Prophet Muhammad’s birth, various stages in his life, his miracles and his death. Although many works have been written on these subjects in Islamic/ Turkish literature, the poem entitled Vesiletu’n-necat completed by Suleyman Celebi (d. 1422) in Bursa was loved the most and is still being recited today. Written in aruz “failatun failatun failun” meter and in plain Turkish, the work has been customarily recited at gatherings everywhere in Ottoman territory to share the joy and sorrow of the anniversary of the Prophet’s birth (Mevlid Kandil), holy days and nights (kandil), and the anniversaries of birth, death, circumcision, marriage, and remembering important people.

It is thought that the Mevlid was composed by Suleyman Celebi himself or by Sinaneddin Yusuf (d. 1565), however, the only known composer of this work is Sekban of Bursa (17th century). This composition of the work was recited until the end of the 19th century, but being forgotten, it has not reached us. Today the Mevlid is recited following a specific order of modes between the divisions. For a long time it was custom to read asr-i serif, tevsih and kaside between the divisions, but that custom has been lost. Today only an asr-i serif or hymn is read before the next division begins.