27th Rajab is that Blissful and Auspicious Day on which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was appointed to the Prophetic Mission and his prophethood commenced from the same day. When Muhammad (S.A.W.) was 38 years of age, he spent most of his time in meditation and solitude. The cave of the mount Hira was his favorite place. It is there that he used to retire with food and water and spend days and weeks in remembrance of Allah. Nobody was allowed to go there except Khadijah (SA) and 'Ali (AS). He used to spend the whole month of Ramadhan therein. The period of waiting had come to a close. The moment had arrived when he was to be allowed to declare his prophethood. One day, when he was in the cave of Hira, Jibril (Gabriel) came to him and conveyed to him the following message of Allah: “Read in the name of thy Lord Who created, Created man from a clot (of congealed blood): Read and thy Lord is most Bountiful, He Who taught with the pen, taught man that which he knew not.” (The Holy Qur'an, 96:1-5). These were the first verses to be revealed, and the date was the 27th of Rajab, 40th year of elephant (610 C.E.). The flow of the Divine message which continued for the next twenty-three years had begun, and the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) had arisen to proclaim the Unity of God and the Unity of Mankind, to demolish the edifice of superstition, ignorance, and disbelief, to set up a noble conception of life, and to lead mankind to the light of faith and celestial bliss. On this Happy and Auspicious Occasion of Idd al-Ma'bath (The Appointment of Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) to the Prophetic Mission) we extend our Heartiest Greetings and Felicitations to the 1500 Millions Strong Muslim Ummah.