On September 4, 2025, Muslim Palestinians observed al-Mawlid al-Nabawi (the Prophet’s birth) in the Old City. To celebrate the Prophet’s birth, a tradition that extends back over a thousand years, Muslims across the world hold gatherings in which they recite poems and chants praising the Prophet Muhammad throughout Rabi‘ al-Awwal (the month of his birth according to the Hijri calendar year)—and Jerusalem is no exception. Locals and Muslims from the 1948 areas made their way to the Old City to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque, following calls to the Muslim community to be present in Jerusalem during the holiday. The exact date of the Prophet’s birth is commonly believed to be 12 Rabi‘ al-Awwal, which in most Muslim countries is marked as a national holiday.
People walked and shopped in the Old City souqs and enjoyed mushabbak—a special sweet treat enjoyed during al-Mawlid al-Nabawi. Children were seen sporting face paint. Community and togetherness revived the recently quieter Old City.
Below are some scenes from the day.
