The Mavlyud (Mawlid) Genre in Bashkir Literature of the Early 20th Century

Abstract

The spiritual literature distributed in the Urals and Volga region as well as in the North Caucasus was quite diverse and consisted of a large number of scientific and literary genres. Literary genres like syrah (Sirat al-nabi), hajj-name, munajat, nasihat, migradzh-name, mavlyud (mawlid), fadaail, khutbah, mavaiz and bait were widely spread in the Bashkir and Tatar literature. In the folklore and literature of the Volga-Ural peoples, Arab-Muslim legends and kissas are mixed with Sufi ideas or apocryphal works, or take the form of folk tales and change beyond recognition. Spreading in the region, myths and legends about the prophets formed new plots, narrative and poetic forms and genres. For example, during its long history in the vast territories of Central Asia and the Ural-Volga region new Mavlyuds often called “Qasida mavlyudan-an-nabi” were created. The wide circulation of the genre was also promoted by the belief according to which the house where Mavlyud and Salavat (prayer of Muhammad) were read got purified and sanctified. Every attendee gets sauab (heavenly reward on the Day of Judgment). One of these works is “Rasul and the Koran” by Ya. Yumaev. Through the example of Ya. Yumaev’s works the plot, compositional, ideological and thematic features of this genre are considered in the Bashkir literature of the early 20th century. In his work the author tries to show that all the positive changes in society, emergence and the prosperity of science are connected with the activities of Muhammad. Ya. Yumayev compares the prophet’s birth to a beam of light in the realm of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). Using artistic and compositional techniques the author tries to show that the period of darkness and ignorance is over. Although these works had no noticeable impact on the development of national literature, they do attract researchers’ attention as brilliant examples of the religious literature of that time.