More than 6,000 Muslims are expected to gather at the Moscow Crocus City Hall on Sunday to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, ITAR-TASS reports. The festivities have been organized by the Mufti Council of Russia.
The birthday of Prophet Muhammad or Mawlid un-Nabi is the third revered date for the Muslims after the Uraza-bairam and Kurban-bairam holidays. On this day, Muslims remember the life of Prophet Muhammad, pray and sing religious songs. Russian and foreign performers from South Africa, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia & Herzegovina will sing religious songs at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall tonight.
The program will also include theatricalized scenes, the presentation of a video promo and the drawing of lottery for a minor pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Umrah. An exhibition of pictures, religious symbols and Muslim fashions will be on view in the foyer prior to the concert. Artisans will demonstrate the art of Arabic calligraphy and the Art of Erbu (painting on water).
The Mufti Council of Russia expects this year’s celebrations to be particularly solemn. Moscow, Grozny (Chechnya) and Nazran (Ingushetia) will be the three main centers for the festivities. However, Muslims in other Russian cities will also remember Prophet Muhammad on Sunday. Festivities will take place everywhere from the southernmost city of Derbent (Dagestan) to Yekaterinburg (the Urals), Omsk (the Siberia) and Petrozavodsk (Republic of Karelia).
Russkiy Mir Foundation Information Service
