Hyderabad, Feb 5: Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed, was celebrated Sunday with gaiety and fervor in Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Meetings, rallies, feeding of the poor, blood donation camps and mahafil-e-milads or special gatherings in praise of the Prophet were held to mark the occasion.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements, especially in the old city of Hyderabad, to maintain law and order. Security personnel were deployed around the places of worship and public places.
The old city was decked up for the occasion with green flags and huge banners tied on roads. Youngsters took out processions on motorbikes.
Several localities were illuminated and spruced up for the Milad, with people installing models of Kaaba and Masjid-e-Nabavvi, the holiest shrines in Mecca and Madina.
Addressing the meetings, religious scholars and community leaders exhorted Muslims to strictly follow the seerat-e-tayyaba or the holy life of the Prophet for success in life.
A huge procession was taken out from the historic Mecca Masjid in the old city. Holding green flags, a large number of people participated in the procession, which culminated in a public meeting at Moghalpura Ground.
Hundreds of people attended the annual meeting organized by Majlis-e-Tameer-e-Millat at Nizam College grounds.
At a mammoth public meeting organized by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) Saturday night, party president and Hyderabad M.P. Asaduddin Owaisi said youth had a huge responsibility in protecting and promoting Islam.
Pakistani religious scholar Syed Ataullah Hussaini Qadri Multani urged Muslims to respect and love the Prophet and follow his teachings. He said he was impressed to see in Hyderabad the display of love and affection towards the Prophet.
A leading Islamic seminary had last week issued a fatwa asking Muslims to desist from un-Islamic practices like playing music, singing and dancing during Milad.
Jamia Nizamia asked the community members to avoid excess revelry and ostentatious expenditure.