other country, they have the sign of Iman [faith] i.e. the love of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in their hearts and they hold the gatherings of Meelad to express their love for him, and they will continue to do so. We should keep in mind the manners of Meelad gatherings. Whenever we are privileged to attend the gathering of Meelad, so, first of all, we should perform Ghusl [i.e. ritual bath] in a proper way, then wear neat and clean clothes and if possible, we should wear a good perfume. We should then go to the place of gathering and sit wherever we find a space. Lowering our eyes in an extremely respectful manner, we should listen (to the speeches, Na’ats, etc.) silently. At the end of the Ijtima’ [i.e. congregation] of Meelad, we should recite Salat and Salam while standing with the intention of showing reverence for the Zikr of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ, we will receive many blessings.

From his respectable father [Sayyid ‘Abbas Maaliki رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه], the Islamic scholar of Hijaz, Shaykh Sayyid ‘Alawee Bin ‘Abbas Maaliki Makki رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has narrated a parable of a person who used to listen to the whole gathering of Meelad while standing. The father of Shaykh Sayyid ‘Alawee رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said: I was attending a gathering of Meelad on the night of 12 Rabi’-ul-Awwal in Bait-ul-Muqaddas. I saw an old man present in the Meelad gathering, standing in an extremely respectful manner from beginning to end. Someone asked him about the reason for listening to the whole Meelad gathering while standing. In response, he shared his account: [There was a time when] I didn’t consider it good to listen to the Zikr of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم while standing out of reverence. One day, I dreamt that I was present in a very large Ijtima [congregation] and people were standing to welcome the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. When the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم arrived, all the people welcomed him in an extremely respectful manner, but I did not stand up. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘Now you will not be able to stand.’ When I woke up, I saw that I was still sitting. In this state of anxiety, a whole year had passed and I was not able to stand [on my feet]. Finally, I made this vow: ‘If Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ cures me of this ailment, I will listen to Meelad gathering from beginning to end while standing.’ By virtue of the blessing of this vow, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ healed me. Now it has become my routine to listen to the whole Mahfil [i.e. Meelad gathering] while standing.