No DJs, Only Devotion: Calls Grow Across India for a Respectful Eid Milad-un-Nabi Processions
By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam
4 September 2025
Muslim clerics and activists across India urge dignified Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, rejecting DJs and vulgar songs, promoting prayer, cleanliness, charity, and initiatives like blood donation to truly honour the Prophet’s legacy.
Main Points:
1. Dargah Aala Hazrat in Bareilly urged Muslims to shun DJs, vulgar songs and dancing during Milad Processions, focusing instead on prayer and naat recitations.
2. In Madhya Pradesh, processions were held peacefully with flags, prayers, and patriotic slogans, without DJs.
3. Leaders emphasised using the occasion for cleanliness drives, charity, medical camps, and environmental care.
4. Social activist Tariq Anwar is organising a blood donation camp, calling it the best tribute to the Prophet.
5. The movement aims to restore dignity and devotion to Milad celebrations.
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Milad-un-Nabi celebrations at Aligarh Muslim University, India.
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A Sacred Month, a Sacred Responsibility
As the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal arrives, Muslims across India prepare to mark Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the commemoration of the birth of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam. For centuries, this occasion has been a time of devotion, gatherings for Naat recitation, feeding the poor, and engaging in charitable activities. Yet in recent years, a concerning trend has emerged: the use of DJs, loud Bollywood songs, and unruly dancing during Milad processions.
Ulema and community leaders have now stepped forward to remind believers that this sacred festival must be observed with reverence. Across India specially Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar, clerics have appealed for a ban on DJs during processions, urging Muslims to embrace the true spiritual essence of the Prophet’s birthday.
The Bareilly Call: Dargah Aala Hazrat’s Advisory
At the heart of this campaign lies the Dargah Aala Hazrat in Bareilly, a spiritual centre revered by millions of Sunni Barelvi Muslims. Ahead of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, ulema connected to the shrine issued a powerful advisory, cautioning against DJs, vulgar songs, and chaotic processions.
They urged communities to celebrate instead through:
Islamic flags
Naat recitations praising the Prophet
Chants of patriotism such as Hindustan Zindabad
“This is the month of the Prophet, a time for humility, service, and prayer. Turning it into a fairground of noise and meaningless dance is an insult to our traditions,” said one senior cleric in Bareilly.
Reports in different newspapers such as Navbharat Times, Prabhat Khabar, and Zee Salaam highlighted how the Dargah’s call has resonated with believers. The shrine’s custodians Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Ahsan Raza Qadri alias Ahsan Miyan made it clear that while joy is essential, it must remain within the bounds of dignity.
Sehore’s Example: No DJs, Only Devotion
In Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, local Muslim leaders have taken this message to heart. For last year’s Milad processions, no DJs were permitted. Instead, participants carried green flags, prayed in unison, and raised the slogan Hindustan Zindabad, Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah, Sarkar Ki Aamad Marhaba and Kaali Kamli As-Salaam.
The procession was peaceful, orderly, and spiritually uplifting. Residents of Sehore widely appreciated the move, noting that it not only preserved the sanctity of the festival but also reduced the risk of tension often linked with loud DJs. For many, Sehore has now become a model of how faith and discipline can move hand in hand.
Beyond Noise: Embracing Social Responsibility
While the ulema stress the need to avoid DJs and inappropriate celebrations, they also encourage positive alternatives. Communities are being urged to use Eid Milad-un-Nabi as an opportunity for social service and neighbourhood improvement.
Some suggested activities include:
Cleaning localities and public spaces
Distributing food to the poor and needy
Organising health check-ups and free medical camps
Planting trees and raising awareness about the environment
Blood donation camps in the name of the Prophet
These initiatives reflect the Prophet’s teachings of compassion, service, and mercy to all creation. By shifting the focus from noise to noble deeds, Muslims can truly embody the spirit of Milad.
A Grassroots Initiative: Blood Donation in Chhapra
In Bihar’s Chhapra town, social activist Tariq Anwar is setting an inspiring example by organising a blood donation camp on the Prophet’s birthday. His initiative highlights how religious occasions can also become platforms for life-saving social work.
Speaking about his efforts, Tariq Anwar said: “The best way to honour the Prophet is by serving humanity. Every drop of blood donated is a message of love and compassion.”
His words echo a wider call from ulema and community leaders: to replace DJs and dancing with service and sacrifice that benefits society at large.
Why DJs Are a Problem
The Ulema’s resistance to DJs is not about opposing joy or celebration. Instead, it is a concern for dignity, discipline, and spiritual focus. Playing vulgar or Bollywood songs during religious processions distracts from the sacredness of the Prophet’s memory. Moreover, loud music often leads to public nuisance, clashes, and negative perceptions of the community.
By discouraging such practices, the Dargah Aala Hazrat and other clerics are not restricting celebration but preserving its sanctity. As one Maulana in Bareilly observed, “We want our children to learn that celebrating the Prophet means remembering his mercy, not mimicking a wedding procession.”
A Broader Movement for Reform
The call from Bareilly and other regions forms part of a broader movement within Indian Muslim society to reclaim spiritual traditions from cultural distortions. For centuries, Eid Milad-un-Nabi has been marked by gatherings of zikr (remembrance of God), feeding the poor, and spreading knowledge. By returning to these roots, communities can ensure that the Prophet’s message remains at the heart of the celebrations.
This shift also encourages inter-community harmony. Slogans like Hindustan Zindabad, Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah alongside Nara-e-Takbeer and Nara-e-Risalat send a strong message of patriotism, unity, and peace. Such gestures show that Islam and love for one’s nation walk together.
Conclusion: A Call for a Meaningful Milad
The appeal to ban DJs during Eid Milad-un-Nabi processions is more than just a rejection of noise, it is a call to restore dignity, devotion, and direction to a sacred celebration. From Bareilly’s Dargah Aala Hazrat to Sehore’s peaceful procession and Chapra’s blood donation camp, the message is clear: Muslims can celebrate the Prophet’s birth best by embodying his teachings of mercy, humility, and service.
As communities prepare for the upcoming Milad, the question is not whether to celebrate but how to celebrate. And the answer, as clerics and activists remind us, lies not in loudspeakers or dance but in prayer, Juloos-e-Muhammadi, compassion, and service to humanity.
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Syed Amjad Hussain is an author and Independent research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is the author of 'Bihar Aur Sufivad', a bestselling research book based on the history of Sufism in Bihar.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/djs-devotion-india-eid-milad-un-nabi/d/136711
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