King Muzhaffar, the First Figure to Celebrate the Prophet’s Birthday

Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training – Hey bro, sis, and friends! Let’s talk about a super popular celebration, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad! This has become a long-standing tradition everywhere, especially in Indonesia. Every year it’s a massive event, guys! This celebration is not just about expressing joy for the birth of the noblest human being, but also about remembering the amazing times of Prophet Muhammad’s hard work in spreading Islamic teachings. It’s really exciting, friends! The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday in Erbil was organized by King Muzhaffar, a wise and generous ruler. Wow, isn’t that cool? It really melts our hearts.

Imam Jalaluddin Abdurrahman as-Suyuti (d. 991 AH) also discussed this in his book, saying:

وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِعْلَ ذَلِكَ صَاحِبُ اِرْبِل الَملِكُ الْمُظَفَّر أَبُوْ سَعِيْد كُوْكْبَرِي بِنْ زَيِنِ الدِّيْنِ عَلِي اِبْنِ بَكْتَكينْ أَحَدُ الْمُلُوْكِ الْأَمْجَادِ وَالكُبَرَاءِ الْأَجْوَادِ وَكَانَ لَهُ آثَارٌ حَسَنَةٌ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي عَمَّرَ الجَامِعَ الْمُظَفَّرِي بِسَفْحِ قَاسِيُوْنَ

Meaning: “The first person to introduce the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday was the ruler of Erbil, King Muzhaffar Abu Said Kuukuburi bin Zainuddin Ali ibn Buktitin, one of the noble, great, and generous kings. He also had a good track record. And he was the one who continued the construction of the al-Muzhaffari Mosque at the foot of Mount Qasiyun.” (Imam as-Suyuti, al-Hawi lil Fatawi, [Beirut, Darul Fikr: 2004], Vol. I, p. 182).

Bro, sis, and friends, many people don’t really know about King Muzhaffar. Yet, he’s the figure who made waves with the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday in Erbil. Let’s dive into his brief biography! His full name is incredibly long, guys! King Muzhaffaruddin Abu Said Kuukuburi bin Zainuddin Ali ibn Buktitin bin Muhammad at-Turkamani. Wow, right? His name alone is impressive and full of meaning. He was a ruler who didn’t mess around! Great, wise, and brave. His kingdom was in the major city of eastern Iraq, called Erbil.

Oh, about his birth year, it’s a bit of a mystery. There’s no exact record, but there’s info from Sheikh Shamsuddin Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Uthman ad-Dhahabi, revealing that King Muzhaffar was born in 549 and died at the age of 82 in 630 AH. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam an-Nubala’).

Young Muzhaffar grew up in a powerful kingdom. His father was also a wise and very brave ruler. No wonder those noble traits were passed down to Muzhaffar. So, from a young age, he was trained in warfare, becoming a strong and courageous figure. But the coolest part is, he was very wise in making decisions according to Islam for the progress of his kingdom. So, King Muzhaffar wasn’t just any ruler, guys! I hope this adds to our knowledge about this awesome figure. Stay tuned for more stories! ??

Source:

• https://islam.nu.or.id/sirah-nabawiyah/raja-muzhaffar-penguasa-pertama-yang-memperingati-maulid-nabi-guFFg
• https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/portrait-man-wearing-lavender-colored-fashion-garments-color-year_169068949.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=5&uuid=48a04c0d-d584-4a1b-9a27-b3e4b0b899e1