Mawleed al-Nabi

Prophet Muhammad’s birthday is commemorated in Afghanistan on 12 Rabi’ al-awwal of the Islamic calendar. It is a public holiday in Afghanistan, a land that is over 99 percent Muslim. The holiday is known as Mawleed al-Nabi. In 2026, Mawleed al-Nabi falls on Tuesday 25 August. The holiday will be on Sunday 15 August in 2027. The 90 percent or so of Afghans who are Sunni Muslims will celebrate Muhammad’s Birthday on the twelfth day of the third month of the Islamic Calendar. The less than 10 percent who are Shia will usually do so on the seventeenth day of that month. The main events and practices on Muhammad’s Birthday in Afghanistan are much the same as in other parts of the world: men attend mosque to pray and chant Koranic citations, religious and political leaders give sermons and public speeches, families cook up festive meals, and those with means donate food to those who can’t afford their own Muhammad’s Birthday feast.