First Annual International Praise the Prophet (PBUH) Poetry Competition

In light of recent conscious acts of denigration and subsequent reactions we, at IslamicPoetry.org, would like to invite Muslims and non-Muslims of all ages to take part in a contest of English poetry in praise of the most praiseworthy creation, the beloved of God Almighty, His messenger and prophet, Muhammad, Allah bless him and given him peace.

Another reason behind this is that we hope to encourage people to address themselves to an aspect of Islamic literature, which has to a degree been neglected in the West. We all know that poems in praise of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, are found in abundance in the lands of Islam: in Urdu, Malay, Senegalese, Dari, Pashto, Chinese, Arabic, Punjabi, Turkish, and many more.

It is our intention to help spark a conscious effort to promote this tradition in the English language and therefore pray that you will join us in this effort.

Every miracle the prophets came
with was derived from his light.
He is virtue's sun, they its planets,
their lights are only seen in darkness.

He surpasses the prophets in form and virtue,
they do not match to him in knowledge or nobility.
They all received from Allah's Messenger
a handful of ocean or a taste of rainwater…

-Nashr al-Tib

Submission Deadline has been changed to November 30th, 2006. The entry fee for each submisstion has been waived for a limited time.

• Adult Category 1st Prize: Up to $1,000 US for an airfare to the homeland of the Prophet (Makkah & Madinah, Saudi Arabia) or
  $800 in cash/gift package
• Teen Category 1st Prize: Up to $1,000 US for an airfare to the homeland of the Prophet (Makkah & Madinah, Saudi Arabia) or $800 in cash/gift package
• Children's Category 1st Prize: Gift Packages valued at $400

For more information, please visit http://praisetheprophet.islamicpoetry.org/.