Mawlid al-Nabi 2026

What this countdown tracks

Mawlid al-Nabi 2026 — the Sunni Muslim observance of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad — falling on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 (12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 AH). A public holiday in much of the Muslim world and a major pilgrim day at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. Date subject to local moon-sighting.

About this festival

Mawlid al-Nabi is the day Sunni Muslims commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. It is observed on 12 Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. Shia Muslims observe Mawlid five days later, on 17 Rabi al-Awwal — a date the Twelver Shia tradition also identifies as the birthday of the sixth Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, providing a unifying observance.

The festival emerged formally in the Fatimid Egyptian court of the 11th century and spread through the Sunni world over the following two centuries. It is now observed as a public holiday in most Muslim-majority countries — Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, the Maldives — and in many Muslim-minority countries with significant communities. Saudi Arabia and a smaller number of Salafi-influenced jurisdictions do not officially observe Mawlid, citing the absence of explicit Quranic or hadith authorisation.

The celebrations centre on recitations of the seerah (the biography of the Prophet), poetic odes (qasidas) in his honour — particularly the Mawlid-an-Nabi poem of Imam al-Busiri (the Burda) — public processions, illuminated mosques, charitable distributions of food, and family gatherings. Sufi orders and traditional schools emphasise the festival particularly strongly.

How it's observed

In Egypt the Mawlid season runs for two weeks and reaches its climax with the Hussein Mosque festival in Cairo, which draws hundreds of thousands of celebrants for whirling dervish performances, Sufi orders' processions, communal meals and the famous halawat al-Mawlid (Mawlid sweets) — a Cairo speciality of sugar dolls and brides made of wrapped sugar paste. The Egyptian state broadcasts the Hussein Mosque celebrations live on national television.

In Morocco, Mawlid is observed with mosque illumination, recitation of the Burda, the distribution of asida (a wheat porridge with butter and honey), and the King's broadcast address to the nation. In Indonesia and Malaysia, Mawlid (Maulud Nabi) is a public holiday with mosque visits, Quranic recitations, and the popular tradition of decorating the streets with pelita (oil lamps) and bunga manggar (palm-frond floral decorations).

In Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Asia generally, the day is observed with Mawlid sermons, milad-un-nabi recitations, and the distribution of meals. Major dargahs (Sufi shrines) — Ajmer in Rajasthan, Nizamuddin in Delhi, Data Darbar in Lahore, the shrine of Mian Mir in Lahore — host all-night programmes. In Saudi Arabia, the Prophet's Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) in Medina sees significantly elevated visitor numbers, although the official Saudi position does not endorse formal Mawlid celebration.

The Hijri date may shift by a day depending on local moon-sighting; communities in different countries may observe the festival on different days.

Past observances

• September 16, 2024 — Mawlid al-Nabi 1446 AH
• September 28, 2023 — Mawlid al-Nabi 1445 AH
• October 9, 2022 — Mawlid al-Nabi 1444 AH
• October 19, 2021 — Mawlid al-Nabi 1443 AH
• October 30, 2020 — Mawlid al-Nabi 1442 AH
• November 10, 2019 — Mawlid al-Nabi 1441 AH

How to observe

IslamicFinder, MoonSighting.com, the Saudi Umm al-Qura calendar and national Islamic affairs ministries publish the confirmed local date. Egyptian state TV (Nile TV), Indonesian TVRI, and Malaysian RTM cover major Mawlid programming. The Muslim World League and the OIC publish coordinated guidance for diaspora communities.

Related countdowns

Mawlid al-Nabi 2026 sits in the wider Islamic calendar alongside Lailat al-Qadr 2026, Ashura 2026, and the Ramadan 2027 cycle. It falls in a busy August week with Onam 2026 and Raksha Bandhan 2026.

FAQ

When is Mawlid al-Nabi 2026? Tuesday, August 25, 2026 — 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 AH. Subject to local moon-sighting; some communities may observe it August 24 or 26. Is it a public holiday? Yes in most Muslim-majority countries (Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UAE and others). Saudi Arabia and several Salafi-influenced jurisdictions do not officially observe it. What's the difference between Sunni and Shia Mawlid? Sunnis observe on 12 Rabi al-Awwal; Shia (Twelvers) observe on 17 Rabi al-Awwal, which is also the birthday of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq. Where are the largest celebrations? The Hussein Mosque in Cairo; Mawlid in Marrakech and Fez; the Bandar Seri Begawan parade in Brunei; Ajmer and Nizamuddin dargahs in India.