Since the time the first light shone on this earth until now, how many human beings have had this much praise and have been the vehicle for the most celebrated atmosphere of love ever? It is no other than that "Beloved" who has been constantly on people's tongues and in their hearts since the time he lived and as a result, has been the inspiration for epic written works. The feelings of love, dedication and respect felt for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have for centuries influenced the life arenas of both the Islamic realm and our own society so much that most of the works handed down by our forefathers have not been without traces of the love felt for Allah and His Messenger. This sensitivity on this subject in Turkish/Ottoman society was so deep in every period that in the 14th century Seyyid Hamza said that love for Prophet Muhammad was auspicious enough to solve any problem:
O Messenger! Love for you is a remedy for any ill.
O Messenger! Needs are proper in your presence.
Writing of how the flame of love burned in his heart, our powerful poet Fuzuli followed him in the 16th century saying:
Hey eyes, do not drop water on the fire of love in my heart
Water cannot be a solution for flames of fire this strong.
In the 18th century Sheikh Galib whispered in our ear that this fire would never abate:
You are Ahmed u Mahmud u Muhammad, sir
You are a sultan of support to us from God, sir.
{mosimage}As can be seen, the love and respect felt for our Prophet never decreased in any historical period. Even in the modern era when people are adept at breaking away from one another, Sezai Karakoc, who is another poet in love with the Prophet, became a spokesman for those who in our time feel longing for Muhammad:
Eyes should see you, tongues should speak of you
You should be awaited on all the sea shores.
Undoubtedly, one of the most important of the works on this love and affection is the Mawlud of Suleyman Celebi. In his Mawlud, Celebi took up the subject of the fall of this eternal love to the world or, in other words, the birth of Prophet Muhammad. In this respect, the Mawlud has a unique place. With the celebration of the Auspicious Birth approaching, we prepared a small file for you. Dr. Ahmet Ozel wrote about the Mawlud's religious importance, its place in the historical process, and its role in the construction of social identity. This work will enable you to be open-minded in regard to debates that occasionally arise on the religious authority of the mawlud. On the subject of the Place of Mawlud in religion, we are presenting a study by Prof. Abdulhakim Yuce. Broad knowledge can be obtained on the subject of Mawlud Ceremonies of the Ottomans in Dr. Mehmet Seker's article. It can be seen with what care this subject was approached and how seriously upper-level statesmen showed interest in these ceremonies. In addition, you can take a short journey in accompaniment to examples, miniatures and various visual effects in the "Mawlud Tradition" presentation we prepared as editors.
Wishing you a Migration to the love of Prophet Muhammad and his intercession...
