Muslims across Sri Lanka are observing Milad-un-Nabi on Wednesday, commemorating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake calling on them to draw on the Prophet’s teachings to build a society founded on equality and justice.

In a message issued to mark the occasion, the President said the commemoration should go beyond celebration and serve as an opportunity for spiritual reflection and transformation, placing sacrifice at its forefront.

The message

Dissanayake described the Prophet Muhammad as one of the greatest teachers sent to humanity, saying his life illuminated a path of patience and compassion. The hardships endured over 23 years, he said, were directed towards establishing a virtuous society built on peace, brotherhood, purity, trustworthiness and justice.

The President highlighted the Prophet’s rejection of discrimination based on race, caste, colour or social status, saying he taught that humanity originates from a single source and that greatness should be measured through truthfulness, tolerance and compassion.

He said efforts to narrow the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged, and to safeguard the rights of the oppressed, offered principles for building an equitable society — guidance he linked to Sri Lanka’s aspiration of a country governed by the rule of law and equal treatment.

The President also tied the occasion to his government’s national campaign against illicit drugs, saying Islam rejects forms of vice that undermine both individual purity and the moral foundation of society, and that the Prophet’s example could strengthen efforts to address such challenges.

He said he hoped Sri Lanka could move towards an era in which broken hearts are healed, love is valued over hatred and brotherhood replaces estrangement.

The national festival

The 42nd National Milad-un-Nabi celebration is being held at 3.00 p.m. at Al-Hilal College in Periyamulla, Negombo, under the President’s patronage, alongside religious, educational and community programmes.

The government allocated Rs. 10 million for the development of mosques in the Gampaha District in conjunction with the state festival, and ran a “Welcome to Our Mosque” programme opening the Periyamulla Jumma Masjid and the Negombo Mosque to people of other faiths.

Milad-un-Nabi, also known as Mawlid, falls in Rabi’ al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and is a public and bank holiday in Sri Lanka. Observances vary between Muslim traditions and typically include sermons, recitations, prayers, educational programmes and charitable activities.

The Prime Minister: a message aimed outward

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya used her Milad-un-Nabi message to argue that the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings offer guidance for a world in crisis, pointing to conflicts, divisions and humanitarian emergencies beyond Sri Lanka’s borders.

At a time when armed conflicts continue to claim innocent lives, she said, the Prophet’s message is a reminder to place humanity, compassion and peaceful coexistence at the centre of social relations. She named his commitment to justice, religious coexistence and the well-being of all people as the most significant lessons society can draw from his life.

Amarasuriya said those principles matter particularly in a country where people of different ethnicities and religions live together, calling for greater empathy, mutual respect and unity. She expressed hope for an end to war and violence, and said she hoped those affected by conflict, displacement and humanitarian crises would find peace and security.

She thanked the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs and the organising committee for the national celebration at Al Hilal National School.

The Opposition Leader: diversity as strength, not division

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s message stayed on domestic ground, emphasising respect, justice, kindness and brotherhood across racial and religious lines.

Diversity should not become a source of division, Premadasa said, but should instead be transformed into a strength for Sri Lanka. Building a society that accepts differences, respects the rights and beliefs of others and leaves no community behind, he said, is a collective responsibility.

“May the path of peace, justice, and coexistence shown by the Prophet Muhammad be a new light for Sri Lanka,” he said.

The three messages converge on the same theme — coexistence in a plural society — but differ in where each leader places the emphasis: the President on equality before the law and the anti-drug campaign, the Prime Minister on war and humanitarian crisis abroad, and the Opposition Leader on communities left behind at home.

Ada Derana’s companion report on the observance carried the date as “today (25)”; the national holiday and the state festival both fall on Wednesday, August 26.

Sources