On the night of 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, Thursday 5 September, Minhaj-ul-Quran International hosted the 42nd International Milad Conference to mark the auspicious advent of Mawlid un-Nabi ﷺ. The central sitting in Pakistan took place at Aiwan-e-Iqbal, Lahore, presided over by Prof Dr Hassan Mohiuddin Qadri, Chairman Supreme Council MQI, and Prof Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, President MQI, with Shaykh Hammad Mustafa Al-Madani Al-Qadri accompanying His Eminence Shaykh-ul-Islam during the live keynote from MQI London. This year, the traditional funds raised for Minar-e-Pakistan were redirected towards emergency aid for the flood-affected, symbolically making the whole of Pakistan the venue of the blessed gathering as millions joined online across the world. Renowned Quran reciters from Iran also attended as honoured guests.
In his keynote, Shaykh-ul-Islam explained that there are two milestones of the Prophet’s blessed life: Milad, the manifestation of His sacred physical beauty at birth, and Be’sat, the revelation of His Seerah at the declaration of prophethood. At His birth, humanity beheld His unparalleled beauty, but at His prophethood, the world was gifted His living miracle as the complete and final example for mankind. The Seerah raised the significance of the Milad, making its meaning limitless. All prophets before were sent only to their nations, but Muhammad ﷺ was sent as the Prophet of all prophets and for all humanity. Allah gathered the souls of every prophet, took their pledge to believe in and support the Final Messenger, and ordained that their teachings would only be complete through His seal of approval. Thus, true faith itself rests upon belief in Him ﷺ.
His Eminence used the parable of the sun and its light to explain this reality. The sun’s rays exist only while connected to the sun; if disconnected, they disappear. In the same way, our iman exists only while we remain attached to the Prophet ﷺ. Even before His blessed birth, humanity was benefiting from His mercy. Allah Himself named Him the Best of Creation.
The Prophet ﷺ was described as the purest of heart, soft spoken, most faithful, honest, courageous, merciful, compassionate, benevolent, charitable, free of sin, jealousy, or greed, selfless, modest, forgiving, relatable, respected and respectful, ethical, inspiring, affectionate and always pleasant in nature. Sayyiduna Ali (R.A) reported that he never saw the Prophet ﷺ speak harshly to anyone and that His face was always smiling. Imam Hussain (R.A) once asked his father about the Prophet’s qualities, and Sayyiduna Ali (R.A) replied that his grandfather’s blessed face was always radiant with joy and elegance.
The Torah itself foretold a messenger without harshness of temperament, heart or voice, whose defining quality would be gentleness, patience and forgiveness. This description matches perfectly the character of the Prophet ﷺ. In His gatherings, people found knowledge, humility, patience, modesty and trust. Ignorance was removed and people left uplifted. His company brought refinement and grace to all who attended.
The Prophet ﷺ’s moral qualities were described in detail: His exceptional gentleness in temperament, heart and speech, His remarkable patience and forgiveness toward those who wronged Him, His generosity and compassion toward everyone including non-Muslims, His unmatched modesty, His ability to make everyone feel valued and comfortable in His presence, His refusal to engage in harsh speech, arguments or fights throughout His 63 years, and His ever-present smile that created a welcoming atmosphere wherever He went.
Several practical examples from His life were shared. When a Bedouin abruptly and forcefully pulled His shawl, leaving a mark on His blessed neck, and demanded wealth rudely, the Prophet ﷺ responded with kindness rather than anger. The Prophet ﷺ smiled, forgave him, and ordered that his camels be loaded with provisions. He taught that harm is never repaid with harm, only forgiveness. At Hunayn, when Bedouins misbehaved and forced him into a thorny bush, he excused their ignorance and gave them wealth without rebuke. He shortened prayers upon hearing a child cry, so as not to cause the mother distress. He honoured His foster mother Haleema Sadiya and foster sister Shaima with immense love and respect. He freed 6,000 prisoners from the Hawazin tribe out of respect for His foster relations. His companions were trained not only to speak of Him with the utmost respect but also to embody His moral teachings in their own character.
These examples demonstrated how He never repaid harm with harm but always with goodness. He forgave even when insulted, excused ignorance when people behaved poorly and consistently sought to ease the burdens of others rather than add to them. He embraced all humanity, respected the sanctity of every life, and prioritised compassion in every situation.
Shaykh-ul-Islam also addressed the troubling disconnect between religion and morality in the modern era. He strongly criticised contemporary religious discourse and practice, noting that religion has too often been reduced to rituals and seasonal ceremonies, divorced from daily conduct. Religious figures frequently display harshness, judgement and disrespect, contradicting the very example of the Prophet ﷺ. Many claim to follow Him, yet their character bears no resemblance to His teachings. This distortion drives people away from true faith and leaves religion hollow of its essence.
He reminded that the Prophet ﷺ taught that the best among people are those with the best akhlaq, and that good character will be the first matter judged on the Day of Judgement. Good akhlaq is the greatest gift of Allah, and together with taqwa is the key to entering Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ said that those deprived of gentleness are deprived of all goodness, and that the closest to Him in the Hereafter will be those with the best character.
The conference concluded with a call to moral reform. To truly love the Prophet ﷺ is to reflect His mercy and akhlaq in our own lives. Muslims must return to His Seerah as their standard, measure themselves against His character, cultivate gentleness in temperament and speech, forgive and overlook faults, treat all people with dignity, respect human life, and embrace positive thinking. Religion must be re-anchored into daily conduct, not confined to rituals. Humanity precedes religiosity; without humanity, there is no true religion.
This year’s 42nd International Milad Conference provided a moment of reflection. Through the words of Shaykh-ul-Islam, participants were reminded that the mercy of the Prophet ﷺ is timeless, His character is the true path to Allah, and that revival of His Seerah in our lives is the only way for the Ummah to find peace, unity and divine acceptance.
Comment