Today, Sudan observes its annual public holiday marking the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, known locally as Mawlid al-Nabawi.
Years ago, I wrote about the deep-rooted Sudanese traditions surrounding this occasion—rituals and practices at once spiritual and communal—that set Sudan apart while binding it to the wider Islamic world. What follows are glimpses into this unique cultural memory, which continues to evolve while carrying echoes of centuries past
As dusk falls over Omdurman, the old capital across the Nile from Khartoum, the hum of traffic gives way to a different rhythm. Drums echo through the streets, banners ripple in the evening wind, and brightly decorated tents line public squares. Inside, circles of men sway to chants, voices rising in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, as children clutch colorful sweets in their hands.
It is Mawlid al-Nabawi, the Prophet’s birthday, one of the most beloved religious and cultural holidays in Sudan. The day is a national public holiday, but in the sprawling neighborhoods of Omdurman and beyond, the celebration is far more than a day off—it is a living expression of faith, identity, and centuries of tradition.
A Land of Sufi Orders
Sudan is often called the “land of Sufi orders,” and nowhere is that more evident than during Mawlid. The rituals here are distinctive, shaped over centuries by currents of belief and scholarship that arrived from afar. North African scholars and mystics carried influences during the Funj Sultanate of the 16th century; earlier still, ideas came from Mesopotamia under the Islamic caliphates. Ottoman and Turco-Egyptian rule later added their layers. Out of these encounters, Sudan forged a unique crucible of Sufi practices—ecstatic, colorful, and deeply communal.
Nights of Devotion
In Omdurman, the squares become sanctuaries. Each Sufi order erects tents adorned with flags, fabrics, and symbols of lineage and origin. Followers gather for recitations of poetry and Quranic verse, circles of rhythmic drumming, praise chants, and the famous dhikr sessions—spiritual dances in which dervishes whirl in devotion, channeling love and longing for the Prophet.
The communal aspect of the celebrations is inescapable. On the first day and again at the close, processions sweep through the city. Drummers lead the way, joined by throngs of celebrants, as the groups converge on the main square. For days, the city seems transformed into a living canvas of devotion.
A Family Affair
Yet Mawlid in Sudan is not only about devotion. It is also about families, children, and a feast of sweets. Vendors set up stalls selling confections that mix Sudanese and foreign traditions: sesame and peanut candies; sugar-coated chickpeas favored in the Levant; and imports from Upper Egypt and Turkey. Above all, children delight in the bright candy figurines known as the Bride of the Mawlid (Arous al-Mawlid), often tinted pale red, alongside sugar camels and other shapes. For generations of Sudanese, no childhood Mawlid was complete without them.
Change and Contestation
Over the past few decades, the celebration has become more contested. The rise of reformist Sunni and Wahhabi currents brought new practices into the squares. These groups set up tents of their own, offering programs of Qur’an memorization contests, sermons, and lectures about the life of the Prophet. Their presence has sometimes clashed with the Sufi orders, whose rituals they criticize as unorthodox or excessive.
Even within the Sufi community, traditions have evolved. Some orders now incorporate modern music, performance arts, and even the participation of women—innovations that mark a notable departure from centuries-old customs. Others have modernized dress and ritual forms. These shifts have fueled debates about continuity and change: between those who defend the authenticity of historic practices and those who see new expressions as the natural evolution of living tradition.
The Sweet Constant
Still, one emblem of the Mawlid endures. The sugar bride—Arous al-Mawlid—remains unchanged, still sold in stalls across Omdurman and cherished by children today as much as in generations past. On Sudanese social media, elders wryly joke that while rituals, music, and even Sufi attire may change, “the bride of the Mawlid is the only constant.”
A Celebration in Flux
Sudan’s Mawlid celebrations mirror the country itself: vibrant, diverse, and shaped by competing forces of tradition and reform. They are a meeting ground of faith and festivity, a social and spiritual anchor that has survived wars, political upheaval, and cultural shifts.
As Omdurman’s night squares pulse with song and rhythm, it becomes clear that the Mawlid is not only a remembrance of the Prophet’s birth—but also a statement of Sudanese identity, one that weaves together devotion, culture, and community in a tapestry that, while ever-changing, refuses to be unraveled.