The life and message of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) will be the topic of a lecture by a visiting Indian Islamic scholar here today on the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet.

The lecture, to be held at Al Majd English School, Al Qusais, will be given by Sheikh Mohammed Karakunnu, well-known author and orator from the South Indian state of Kerala.

"The life of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) serves as a great message to mankind," said Karakunnu, who has authored more than 35 books in Malayalam on Islam, including nearly a dozen on the life and message of the Prophet.

"The Holy Quran describes the Prophet as he was sent by Allah the Almighty to show mercy to all creatures. But this message is not conveyed properly in today's world due to several misconceptions. Dispelling such misconceptions and conveying the true message of the Prophet to the entire world is very important today."

The lecture, which will begin at 7.45 pm, is open to all and will feature felicitation speeches by Surendran Master, Vice-Principal of the New Indian Model School, Dubai, and Adv. Koshi Valyezhath, a social activist.

Karakunnu, who is the director of the Kerala Dialogue Centre, and heads the Kozhikode-based Islamic Publishing House which is publishing a 12-volume Islamic encyclopaedia in Malayalam, six volumes of which have already been published.