His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, affirmed that this year’s celebration of the Prophet’s birthday holds exceptional significance as it coincides with the 1500th anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth, noting that such a commemoration occurs only once every hundred years.

During his speech at the Prophet’s birthday celebration attended by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Al-Manara Conference Center, the Grand Imam stated that the birth of the Prophet was not merely the birth of a leader, a commander, or a reformer, although he embodied all these qualities and more, but essentially it was the birth of the final divine message sent by the noble Prophet to all people.

He explained that the Prophet was sent with the message at the age of forty and stayed in Mecca for thirteen years calling for monotheism, then migrated to Medina at the age of fifty-three lunar years, where he lived for ten years before passing away at the age of sixty-three. He pointed out that this year’s commemoration represents a pivotal moment in Islamic and human history, marking the grand centennial of 1500 years since his noble birth.

The Grand Imam added that the Holy Qur’an confirmed the universality of the Muhammadan message in the verses: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted,” and “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a bringer of good tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of the people do not know.” The Prophet also affirmed this truth by saying: “I was sent to all of creation and the prophets were sealed with me.”

Al-Tayeb indicated that the final call carried by the Prophet addressed all people regardless of their times, places, or conditions, which required a special divine preparation of the Prophet’s spiritual and physical capacities to carry this heavy message that Allah placed upon him, citing the verses: “Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word” and “Indeed, the rising by night is most potent and suitable for concurrence.”

The Grand Imam confirmed that mercy was the most prominent attribute of the Prophet, by which he deserved to be “a mercy to the worlds,” praying to God to make this blessed anniversary a glad tidings of relief for the distressed and the oppressed everywhere.