KUALA LUMPUR: Religious talk and parade involving participants from all walks of life were held in almost all states in the country to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad or the Maulidur Rasul 1439H celebration.
The prophet was born on Monday, the 12th of Rabiulawal, according to the Muslim calendar, in the year 570 AD in Mecca.
In JOHOR, the Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim led a parade of 77 contingents for about two kilometres from Bangunan Arked Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) to Masjid Jamek Bandar Kluang as part of the celebration in the state.
The parade, which also saw the presence of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, drew more than 5,000 participants as they walked the distance to the mosque where the Kluang district kadi, Mohd Taufik Shamsudin, gave a talk on “Kasih Nabi Membawa Ke Syurga.
In MELAKA, more than 7,000 participants, involving 123 contingents from various government agencies and the private sector, voluntary organisations, institutions of higher learning and schools, joined in the Maulidur Rasul parade at the Hang Tuah Stadium.
In this year’s celebration, themed “Kesatuan Ummah Kesejahteraan Negara” the parade was led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron and they walked for about five kilometres from the stadium to Dataran Pusat Islam Majlis Agama Islam Melaka, Bukit Palah, while reciting the ‘selawat” for the prophet.
In KEDAH, the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah and the Sultanah of Kedah, Sultanah Maliha Tengku Ariff attended the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at Dewan Seri Negeri, Wisma Darul Aman, Alor Star.
Sultan Sallehuddin also presented the “Tokoh Pendakwah” (Missionary Personality) award to a lecturer at the Centre of Language, Civilisation and Philosophy Studies, Literature and Science College, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Dr Shukri Ahmad, 53, and also to Siti Aishah Ahmad ,75, who won the Tokoh Ibu Mithali (Exemplar Mother Award) and the Imam of Sungai Pasir Mosque, Sungai Petani, Ali Ahmad, 69, who won the “Tokoh Imam” award.
In SARAWAK, 5,279 people, representing 128 contingents from various departments, government agencies, statutory bodies, Islamic religious bodies and uniformed bodies, participated in the Maulidur Rasul parade at Dataran Perayaan Petra Jaya, Kuching.
In SABAH, Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, together with about 10,000 participants from 83 contingents, representing the various government departments, the private sector and schools, walked in the rain for about 1.8 kilometres to complete the parade as part of the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration.
They walked the distance from Majlis Perbandaran Tawau to Padang Bandaran Tawau for the Maulidur Rasul parade.
In PERAK, the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah and the Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim attended the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration in Meru.
At the event, Sultan Nazrin also presented the “Anugerah Keluarga Mithali” or Exemplar Family Award to Ismail Abdullah, from Bukit Merah, Bagan Serai, who received RM5,000, a certificate, plaque and accompanying gifts.
Other recipients included Bahari Ahmad, from Kampung Temelong, Lenggong, for the Imam Award; Hussain Lebai Ismail, from Felda Sungai Klah, Sungkai (Muezzin Award); Saad Brahim, from Kampung Masjid Batu, Kuala Kurau (Siak Award) and Muhd Nassir Thanabalan Abdullah, from Taman Seri Raiya, Ipoh (Missionary Award). They each received RM3,000, plaque and accompanying gifts.
In PAHANG, the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration, held at Masjid Sultan Ahmad Shah was also attended by the Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, during which Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob presented the state “Tokoh Maulidur Rasul” award to Datuk Rahimah Muhammad Kawi, 80, for her contributions in organising religious and social activities in Jerantut and Lipis.
In SELANGOR, Raja Muda Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah joined about 4,700 people, involving 94 contingents, in the Maulidur Rasul parade from the Section 13 Mini Stadium to the Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam.
He also presented the Maulidur Rasul award for the state-level recipients, comprising Immigration Director-General Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali , who received the Khalid Al-Walid Award; Chief Syarie Judge Datuk Mukhyuddin Ibrahim (Umar Abdul Aziz Award); independent preachers Datin Aminah Zakaria, 72, (Saidatina Khadijah Award) and Md Sahari Abdullah, 65, (Imam Al-Ghazali Award) and student Faris Akmal Aminuddin, 17, of Sekolah Agama Menengah Persekutuan, Kajang, (Saidina Ali Award).
In TERENGGANU, the Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin and Sultanah Nur Zahirah attended the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration held in Kuala Terengganu.
Also present was Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman and other leaders in the state.
In PENANG, 40 contingents from various agencies, government departments, non-governmental organisations, institutions of higher learning and Islamic bodies joined in the state-level Maulidur Rasul parade which ended at Masjid Nurul Iman, Bukit Panchor Nibong Tebal.
The parade, led by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, and accompanied by State Islamic Religious Affairs, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and State Secretary Datuk Seri Farizan Darus, started at the Nibong Tebal Industrial Training Institute.
At the mosques, the participants performed the “sunat” prayer and also listened to a religious talk by the Imam Utama of Masjid Daerah Seberang Perai Selatan Mohd Zaki Abdul Halim. — BERNAMA