Youman Nabi

Youman Nabi is Guyana’s common public-calendar name for Mawlid al-Nabi, the commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth. It is generally placed on 12 Rabi al-Awwal in Sunni practice. Muslim observance of Mawlid is not uniform worldwide, but Guyanese organisations that mark it emphasise learning from the Prophet’s life, devotion to God and ethical qualities such as mercy, justice, patience and service.

Islam in Guyana includes communities with roots in nineteenth-century Indian indentureship as well as converts and later migrants. Public Youman Nabi programmes have brought mosque representatives, students and civic bodies together for Qur’anic recitation, qaseedah devotional poetry, chants and talks. These events make the day educational and reflective rather than treating it as an Islamic equivalent of a secular birthday party.

The Public Holidays Act expressly lists Youman Nabi and requires the responsible minister to publish the annual date, with a following-day rule if it falls on Sunday. Because the Islamic lunar calendar and religious determination can shift the corresponding Gregorian day, the calculated result in this file is only a fallback. Guyana’s current official notice and local Muslim bodies should guide worship and workplace plans.