Ruling on celebrating the birthday of the Prophet

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Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions. 

The commands mentioned in the Qur�aan and Sunnah to follow the laws of Allaah and His Messenger, and the prohibitions on introducing innovations into the religion are quite clear. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 �Say (O Muhammad to mankind): �If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur�aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins��

[Aal �Imraan 3:31]

 �Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur�aan and Prophet Muhammad�s Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyaa� (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allaah), besides Him (Allaah). Little do you remember!�

[al-A�raaf 7:3]

 �And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path�

[al-A�naam 6:153]

 And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �The most truthful of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented.� And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718). According to a version narrated by Muslim, �Whoever doe anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.�

 Among the reprehensible innovations that people have invented is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the month of Rabee� al-Awwal. They celebrate this occasion in various ways: 

Some of them simply make it an occasion to gather and read the story of the Mawlid, then they present speeches and qaseedahs (odes) for this occasion.

 Some of them make food and sweets etc., and offer them to the people present. 

Some of them hold these celebrations in the mosques, and some of them hold them in their houses. 

Some people do not limit themselves to the actions mentioned above; they include in these gatherings haraam and reprehensible things, such as free mixing of men and women, dancing and singing, or committing actions of shirk such as seeking the help of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), calling upon him, seeking his support against their enemies and so on. 

Whatever form it takes and whatever the intentions of those who do this are, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is an invented, haraam innovation which was introduced by the Shi�a Faatimids after the three best centuries, in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. The first person to do this after them was the king al-Muzaffar Abu Sa�eed Kawkaboori, the king of Irbil, at the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh century AH, as was mentioned by the historians such as Ibn Khalkaan and others. Abu Shaamah said: the first person to do that in Mosul was Shaykh �Umar ibn Muhammad al-Malaa, one of the well-known righteous people. Then the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example. 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah wa�l-Nihaayah (13/137), in his biography of Abu Sa�eed Kazkaboori: �He used to observe the Mawlid in Rabee� al-Awwal and hold a huge celebration on that occasion� some of those who were present at the feast of al-Muzaffar on some occasions of the Mawlid said that he used to offer in the feast five thousand grilled heads of sheep, ten thousand chickens and one hundred thousand large dishes, and thirty trays of sweets� he would let the Sufis sing from Zuhr until Fajr, and he himself would dance with them.� 

Ibn Khalkaan said in Wafiyaat al-A�yaan (3/274): �When it is the first of Safar they decorate those domes with various kinds of fancy adornments, and in every dome there sits a group of singers and a group of puppeteers and players of musical instruments, and they do not leave any one of those domes without setting up a group (of performers) there.

 The people give up work during this period, and they do no work except  going around and watching the entertainment.  When there are two days to go until the Mawlid, they bring out a large number of camels, cows and sheep, more than can be described, and they accompany them with all the drums, songs and musical instruments that they have, until they bring them to the square� On the night of the Mawlid there are performances of nasheed after Maghrib in the citadel.�

 This is the origin of this celebration on the occasion of the Prophet�s birthday. More recently idle entertainment, extravagance, and wasting of money and time have become associated with an innovation for which Allaah has not sent down any authority.

 What Muslims should do is to revive the Sunnah and put an end to bid�ah (innovation); they should not do any action until they know the ruling of Allaah concerning it. 

Ruling on celebrating the Prophet�s birthday 

Celebrating the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is forbidden and is to be rejected for a number of reasons: 

1 � it is not part of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or of the khaleefahs who succeeded him. Since this is the case, then it is a forbidden innovation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs after me; adhere to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is an innovation (bid�ah) and every innovation is a going-astray.� (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676).

 Celebrating the Mawlid is an innovation introduced by the Shi�a Faatimids after the three best centuries in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. If a person does anything in order to draw closer to Allaah which was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or enjoined by him, and was not done by the khaleefahs who succeeded him, this action implies that he is accusing the Messenger of not explaining the religion to the people, and that he disbelieves in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

 �This day, I have perfected your religion for you�

[al-Maa'idah 5:3]

  because he is adding something extra and claiming that it is a part of the religion, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not bring this.

 2 � Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is an imitation of the Christians, because they celebrate the birth of the Messiah (peace be upon him). Imitating them is extremely haraam. The hadeeth tells us that it is forbidden to imitate the kuffaar, and we are commanded to differ from them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever imitates a people is one of them� (narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4/314). And he said, �Be different from the mushrikeen� (narrated by Muslim, 1/222, no. 259) � especially with regard to things that are the symbols or rituals of their religion.

 3 � Besides being bid�ah and an imitation of the Christians, both of which are haraam, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is also a means that leads to exaggeration and excess in venerating him, which even goes as far as calling upon him (making du�aa� to him) and seeking his help, instead of calling upon Allaah, as happens now among many of those who observe the bid�ah of the Mawlid, when they call upon the Messenger instead of Allaah, and ask him for support, and sing qaseedahs (odes) of shirk praising him, like Qaseedat al-Burdah etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade going to extremes in praising him, as he said: �Do not extol as the Christians extolled the son of Maryam. For I am just His slave, so say, the slave of Allaah and His Messenger� (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/142, no. 3445; al-Fath, 6/551), i.e., do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the Messiah and venerated him until they worshipped him instead of Allaah. Allaah forbade them to do that when he said (interpretation of the meaning):

 �O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth. The Messiah �Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allaah and His Word, (�Be!� � and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him�

[al-Nisaa� 4:171]

 Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to exaggerate concerning him lest the same thing happen to us as happened to them, so he said: �Beware of exaggeration, for those who came before you were destroyed because of exaggeration� (narrated by al-Nasaa�i, 5/268; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa�i, no. 2863).

 4 � Observing the innovation of the Prophet�s birthday opens the door to other kinds of bid�ah and being distracted by them from the Sunnah. Hence you find that the innovators are very active when it comes to bid�ah and very lazy when it comes to the Sunnah; they hate it and regard those who follow it as enemies, until their entire religion is innovated anniversaries and Mawlids. They have split into various groups, each of which commemorates the anniversary of its imaam�s birth, such as the births of al-Badawi, Ibn �Arabi, al-Dasooqi and al-Shaadhili. No sooner do they end the celebration of one birthday but they start the celebration of another. This results in exaggeration concerning these dead people and others, and in calling upon them instead of Allaah, believing that they can bring benefit and cause harm, until they deviate from the religion of Allaah and go back to the religion of the people of the Jaahiliyyah of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 �And they worship besides Allaah things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: �These are our intercessors with Allaah��

[Yoonus 10:18]

 �And those who take Awliyaa� (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): �We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allaah��

[al-Zumar 39:3]

 Discussing the specious arguments of those who celebrate the Mawlid

 Those who think that this bid�ah should be continued produce specious arguments which are flimsier than a spider�s web. These specious arguments may be dealt with as follows:

 1 � Their claim that this is veneration of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

 The response to that is that the way to venerate him is to obey him, do as he commanded and avoid that which he forbade, and to love him; he is not to be venerated through innovations, myths and sins. Celebrating his birthday is of this blameworthy type because it is a sin. The people who venerated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the most were the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), as �Urwah ibn Mas�ood said to Quraysh: �O people, by Allaah I have visited kings. I went to Caesar, Chosroes and the Negus, but by Allaah I never saw a king whose companions venerated him as much as the companions of Muhammad venerated Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). By Allaah, whenever he spat it never fell on the ground, it fell into into the hand of one his companions, then they wiped their faces and skins with it. If he instructed them to do something, they would hasten to do as he commanded. When he did wudoo�, they would almost fight over his water. When he spoke they would lower their voices in his presence; and they did not stare at him out of respect for him.� (al-Bukhaari, 3/178, no. 2731, 2732; al-Fath, 5/388). Yet despite this level of veneration, they never took the day of his birth as an �Eid (festival). If that had been prescribed in Islam they would not have neglected to do that.

 2 � Using as evidence the fact that many people in many countries do this.

 The response to that is that evidence consists of that which is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and what is proven from the Prophet is that innovations are forbidden in general, and this is an innovation. What people do, if it goes against the evidence (daleel), does not prove anything, even if many of them do it.

 �And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah�s path�

[al-An�aam 6:116 � interpretation of the meaning]

 Nevertheless, in every age, praise be to Allaah, there have always been those who denounce this bid�ah and state clearly that it is false. Those who persist in following it after the truth had been explained to them have no proof.

 Among those who denounced the celebration of this occasion was Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, in Iqtidaa� al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem; Imaam al-Shaatibi in al-�I�tisaam; Ibn al-Haaj in al-Madkhil; Shaykh Taaj al-Deen �Ali ibn �Umar al-Lakhami who wrote an entire book denouncing it; Shaykh Muhammad Basheer al-Sahsawaani al-Hindi in his book Siyaanah al-Insaan; al-Sayyid Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa wrote a separate essay on this topic; Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal al-Shaykh wrote a separate essay on it; Shaykh �Abd al-�Azeez ibn Baaz; and others who are still writing and denouncing this bid�ah every year in the pages of newspapers and magazines, at the time when this bid�ah is being done.

 3 � They say that by celebrating the Mawlid they are keeping the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) alive.

 The answer to that is that the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is constantly kept alive by the Muslim, such as when his name (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned in the adhaan and iqaamah and in khutbahs, and every time the Muslim recites the Shahaadatayn after doing wudoo� and in the prayers, and every time he sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his prayers and when he is mentioned, and every time the Muslim does a waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (recommended) action that was prescribed by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). In all of these ways (the Muslim) remembers him and the reward equivalent to the reward of the one who does that action goes back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Thus the Muslim constantly keeps the memory of the Messenger alive and has a connection with him night and day throughout his life through that which Allaah has prescribed, not only on the day of the Mawlid and things which are bid�ah and go against the Sunnah, for that puts one at a distance from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Messenger will disown him because of that.

 The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has no need of this innovated celebration, because Allaah has already bestowed veneration and respect upon him, as He says:

 �and raised high your fame�

[al-Sharh 94:4]

 For Allaah is not mentioned in the adhaan, iqaamah or khutbah, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned after Him; this is sufficient veneration, love and renewal of his memory, ad sufficient encouragement to follow him.

 Allaah did not refer to the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Qur�aan, rather He referred to his Mission, and says (interpretation of the meaning):

 �Indeed, Allaah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves�

[Aal �Imraan 3:124]

 �He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves�

[al-Jumu�ah 64:2]

 4 � They may say that the celebration of the Prophet�s birthday was introduced by a knowledgeable and just king who intended thereby to draw closer to Allaah.

 Our response to that is that bid�ah is not acceptable, no matter who does it. A good intention does not justify a bad deed and even if a person died as a knowledgeable and righteous person, this does not mean that he was infallible.

 5 � They say that celebrating the mawlid comes under the heading of bid�ah hasanah (�good innovation�) because it is based on giving thanks to Allaah for the Prophet!

 Our response to that is that there is nothing good in innovation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355).  And he said, �Every innovation is a going astray� (narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi, no. 2676). The ruling on innovations is that they are all misguidance, but this specious argument suggests that not every bid�ah is a going astray, rather there are good innovations.

 Al-Haafiz ibn Rajab said in Sharh al-Arba�een: �The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), �every innovation is a going astray� is a concise but comprehensive comment which includes everything; it is one of the most important principles of religion. It is like his words �Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3/167, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). Whoever innovates anything and attributes it to Islam when it has no basis in the religion, this is a going astray and is nothing to do with Islam, whether that has to do with matters of belief (�aqeedah) or outward and inward words and deeds.�

(Jaami� al-�Uloom wa�l-Hakam, p. 233) 

These people have no proof that there is any such thing as a �good innovation� apart from the words of �Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) concerning Taraaweeh prayers, �What a good innovation this is.� (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 2/252, no. 2010 mu�allaqan; al-Fath 4/294).

 They also said that things were innovated which were not denounced by the salaf, such as compiling the Qur�aan into one volume and writing and compiling the hadeeth.

 The response to that is that these matters had a basis in Islam, so they were not newly-invented.

 �Umar said: �What a good bid�ah� meaning innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar�i sense. Whatever has a basis in Islam, if it is described as an innovation, is an innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar�i sense, because innovation in the shar�i sense means that which has no basis in Islam.

 Compiling the Qur�aan into one book has a basis in Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had commanded that the Qur�aan be written down, but it was scattered, so the Sahaabah compiled it in one volume so as so protect and preserve it.

 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in praying Taraaweeh for a while, then he stopped doing that, lest that become obligatory on them. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) continued to pray it separately during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and after his death, until �Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with them) gathered them behind one imaam as they used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was not an innovation introduced into the religion. 

Writing down the hadeeth also has a basis in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that some ahaadeeth should be written down for some of his companions when they asked him for that. In general terms writing it down during his lifetime was not allowed, for fear that the Qur�aan might be mixed with things that were not part of it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, this fear was no longer a factor, because the Qur�aan had been completed and arranged in order before he died. The Muslims compiled the Sunnah after that in order to preserve it and keep it from being lost. May Allaah reward them with good on behalf of Islam and the Muslims, because they preserved the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from being lost or being tampered with. 

We may also say to them: why was this act of thanksgiving, as they call it, not done by the best generations, the Sahaabah, Taabi�een and followers of the Taabi�een, who loved the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) most and who were most keen to do good and give thanks? Are those who introduced the innovation of the Mawlid more rightly-guided than them? Do they give more thanks to Allaah? Definitely not!

 6 � They may say that celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is indicative of their love for him; this is one way of showing that, and showing love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is prescribed in Islam!

 The answer to that is that undoubtedly loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is obligatory for every Muslim; he should love him more than he loves himself, his child, his father and all the people � may my father and mother be sacrificed for him � but that does not mean that we should introduce innovations for doing so that have not been prescribed for us. Loving him dictates that we should obey him and follow him, for that is one of the greatest manifestations of love, as it is said:

 �If your love is sincere then obey him; for the lover obeys the one whom he loves.�

 Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) implies keeping his Sunnah alive, adhering firmly to it, and avoiding words and deeds that go against it. Undoubtedly everything that goes against his Sunnah is a reprehensible innovation (bid�ah) and a manifest act of disobedience. That includes celebrating his birthday and other kinds of bid�ah. A good intention does not mean that it is permissible to introduce innovations into the religion. Islam is based on two things, purity of intention and following [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)]. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

�Yes, but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allaah (i.e. follows Allaah�s religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin (a doer of good)  then his reward is with his Lord (Allaah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve�

[al-Baqarah 2:112]  

Submitting one�s face to Allaah means being sincere towards Allaah, and doing good means following the Messenger and implementing the Sunnah. 

7 � Another of their specious arguments is when they say that by celebrating the Mawlid and reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on this occasion, they are encouraging people to follow his example! 

We say to them that reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and following his example are required of the Muslim all the time, all year long and throughout his life. Singling out a specific day for that with no evidence for doing so is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray.� (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/164; al-Tirmidhi, 2676). Bid�ah does not bear any fruit but evil and it leads to a person distancing himself from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

In conclusion, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whatever form it takes, is a reprehensible innovation. The Muslims should put a stop to this and other kinds of bid�ah, and occupy themselves with reviving and adhering to the Sunnah.  They should not be deceived by those who promote and defend this bid�ah, for these types of people are more interested in keeping innovations alive than in reviving the Sunnah; they may not even care about the Sunnah at all. Whoever is like this, it is not permissible to imitate him or follow his example, even if the majority of people are like this. Rather we should follow the example of those who follow the path of the Sunnah, among the righteous salaf and their followers, even if they are few. Truth is not measured by the men who speak it, rather men are measured by the truth.        &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;  

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences. I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray.� (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676). So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained to us in this hadeeth what we should do when there are differences of opinion, just as he explained that everything that goes against his Sunnah, be it words or deeds, is a bid�ah, and every bid�ah is a going astray. 

If we see that there is no basis for celebrating the birthday of the Prophet, whether in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or in the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs, then it is one of the newly-invented matters, one of the bid�ahs which lead people astray. This principle is what is implied by this hadeeth and is what is indicated by the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): 

�O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination�

[al-Nisaa� 4:59] 

Referring to Allaah means referring to His Book, and referring to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) means referring to his Sunnah after he has passed away. The Qur�aan and Sunnah are the reference point in cases of dispute. Where in the Qur�aan or Sunnah does it indicate that it is prescribed in Islam to celebrate the Prophet�s birthday? Whoever does that or thinks that it is good must repent to Allaah from this and from other kinds of bid�ah. This is the attitude of the Muslim who is seeking the truth. But whoever is too stubborn and arrogant after proof has been established, then his reckoning will be with his Lord.

 We ask Allaah to help us adhere to His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger until the Day when we will meet Him. May Allaah grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

 Huqooq al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bayna al-Ijlaal wa�l-Ikhlaal, p. 139

 Shaykh Dr. Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan

 Member of the Committee of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia.

Andalus wrote: Another piece of wahabi rubbish that surfaces from beneath a rock every time mawlid comes upon us. Leave it to islam Q&A to take a deep topic and turn it into an issue of absolutes, which means you must follow their "peter pan" reasoning or else you are absolutely wrong. There are so many logical problems in this pseudo scholarly piece that it is shamefule to actually take this fatwa serious. I will post some comments on this in the next few days.   Knowledge01 wrote: Ruling on celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.  The commands mentioned in the Qur�aan and Sunnah to follow the laws of Allaah and His Messenger, and the prohibitions on introducing innovations into the religion are quite clear. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  �Say (O Muhammad to mankind): �If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur�aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins�� [Aal �Imraan 3:31]  �Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur�aan and Prophet Muhammad�s Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyaa� (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allaah), besides Him (Allaah). Little do you remember!� [al-A�raaf 7:3]  �And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path� [al-A�naam 6:153]  And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �The most truthful of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented.� And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718). According to a version narrated by Muslim, �Whoever doe anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.�  Among the reprehensible innovations that people have invented is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the month of Rabee� al-Awwal. They celebrate this occasion in various ways:  Some of them simply make it an occasion to gather and read the story of the Mawlid, then they present speeches and qaseedahs (odes) for this occasion.  Some of them make food and sweets etc., and offer them to the people present.  Some of them hold these celebrations in the mosques, and some of them hold them in their houses.  Some people do not limit themselves to the actions mentioned above; they include in these gatherings haraam and reprehensible things, such as free mixing of men and women, dancing and singing, or committing actions of shirk such as seeking the help of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), calling upon him, seeking his support against their enemies and so on.  Whatever form it takes and whatever the intentions of those who do this are, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is an invented, haraam innovation which was introduced by the Shi�a Faatimids after the three best centuries, in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. The first person to do this after them was the king al-Muzaffar Abu Sa�eed Kawkaboori, the king of Irbil, at the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh century AH, as was mentioned by the historians such as Ibn Khalkaan and others. Abu Shaamah said: the first person to do that in Mosul was Shaykh �Umar ibn Muhammad al-Malaa, one of the well-known righteous people. Then the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example.  Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah wa�l-Nihaayah (13/137), in his biography of Abu Sa�eed Kazkaboori: �He used to observe the Mawlid in Rabee� al-Awwal and hold a huge celebration on that occasion� some of those who were present at the feast of al-Muzaffar on some occasions of the Mawlid said that he used to offer in the feast five thousand grilled heads of sheep, ten thousand chickens and one hundred thousand large dishes, and thirty trays of sweets� he would let the Sufis sing from Zuhr until Fajr, and he himself would dance with them.�  Ibn Khalkaan said in Wafiyaat al-A�yaan (3/274): �When it is the first of Safar they decorate those domes with various kinds of fancy adornments, and in every dome there sits a group of singers and a group of puppeteers and players of musical instruments, and they do not leave any one of those domes without setting up a group (of performers) there.  The people give up work during this period, and they do no work except  going around and watching the entertainment.  When there are two days to go until the Mawlid, they bring out a large number of camels, cows and sheep, more than can be described, and they accompany them with all the drums, songs and musical instruments that they have, until they bring them to the square� On the night of the Mawlid there are performances of nasheed after Maghrib in the citadel.�  This is the origin of this celebration on the occasion of the Prophet�s birthday. More recently idle entertainment, extravagance, and wasting of money and time have become associated with an innovation for which Allaah has not sent down any authority.  What Muslims should do is to revive the Sunnah and put an end to bid�ah (innovation); they should not do any action until they know the ruling of Allaah concerning it.  Ruling on celebrating the Prophet�s birthday  Celebrating the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is forbidden and is to be rejected for a number of reasons:  1 � it is not part of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or of the khaleefahs who succeeded him. Since this is the case, then it is a forbidden innovation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs after me; adhere to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is an innovation (bid�ah) and every innovation is a going-astray.� (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676).  Celebrating the Mawlid is an innovation introduced by the Shi�a Faatimids after the three best centuries in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. If a person does anything in order to draw closer to Allaah which was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or enjoined by him, and was not done by the khaleefahs who succeeded him, this action implies that he is accusing the Messenger of not explaining the religion to the people, and that he disbelieves in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):  �This day, I have perfected your religion for you� [al-Maa'idah 5:3]   because he is adding something extra and claiming that it is a part of the religion, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not bring this.  2 � Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is an imitation of the Christians, because they celebrate the birth of the Messiah (peace be upon him). Imitating them is extremely haraam. The hadeeth tells us that it is forbidden to imitate the kuffaar, and we are commanded to differ from them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever imitates a people is one of them� (narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4/314). And he said, �Be different from the mushrikeen� (narrated by Muslim, 1/222, no. 259) � especially with regard to things that are the symbols or rituals of their religion.  3 � Besides being bid�ah and an imitation of the Christians, both of which are haraam, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is also a means that leads to exaggeration and excess in venerating him, which even goes as far as calling upon him (making du�aa� to him) and seeking his help, instead of calling upon Allaah, as happens now among many of those who observe the bid�ah of the Mawlid, when they call upon the Messenger instead of Allaah, and ask him for support, and sing qaseedahs (odes) of shirk praising him, like Qaseedat al-Burdah etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade going to extremes in praising him, as he said: �Do not extol as the Christians extolled the son of Maryam. For I am just His slave, so say, the slave of Allaah and His Messenger� (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/142, no. 3445; al-Fath, 6/551), i.e., do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the Messiah and venerated him until they worshipped him instead of Allaah. Allaah forbade them to do that when he said (interpretation of the meaning):  �O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth. The Messiah �Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allaah and His Word, (�Be!� � and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him� [al-Nisaa� 4:171]  Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to exaggerate concerning him lest the same thing happen to us as happened to them, so he said: �Beware of exaggeration, for those who came before you were destroyed because of exaggeration� (narrated by al-Nasaa�i, 5/268; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa�i, no. 2863).  4 � Observing the innovation of the Prophet�s birthday opens the door to other kinds of bid�ah and being distracted by them from the Sunnah. Hence you find that the innovators are very active when it comes to bid�ah and very lazy when it comes to the Sunnah; they hate it and regard those who follow it as enemies, until their entire religion is innovated anniversaries and Mawlids. They have split into various groups, each of which commemorates the anniversary of its imaam�s birth, such as the births of al-Badawi, Ibn �Arabi, al-Dasooqi and al-Shaadhili. No sooner do they end the celebration of one birthday but they start the celebration of another. This results in exaggeration concerning these dead people and others, and in calling upon them instead of Allaah, believing that they can bring benefit and cause harm, until they deviate from the religion of Allaah and go back to the religion of the people of the Jaahiliyyah of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  �And they worship besides Allaah things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: �These are our intercessors with Allaah�� [Yoonus 10:18]  �And those who take Awliyaa� (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): �We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allaah�� [al-Zumar 39:3]  Discussing the specious arguments of those who celebrate the Mawlid  Those who think that this bid�ah should be continued produce specious arguments which are flimsier than a spider�s web. These specious arguments may be dealt with as follows:  1 � Their claim that this is veneration of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):  The response to that is that the way to venerate him is to obey him, do as he commanded and avoid that which he forbade, and to love him; he is not to be venerated through innovations, myths and sins. Celebrating his birthday is of this blameworthy type because it is a sin. The people who venerated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the most were the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), as �Urwah ibn Mas�ood said to Quraysh: �O people, by Allaah I have visited kings. I went to Caesar, Chosroes and the Negus, but by Allaah I never saw a king whose companions venerated him as much as the companions of Muhammad venerated Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). By Allaah, whenever he spat it never fell on the ground, it fell into into the hand of one his companions, then they wiped their faces and skins with it. If he instructed them to do something, they would hasten to do as he commanded. When he did wudoo�, they would almost fight over his water. When he spoke they would lower their voices in his presence; and they did not stare at him out of respect for him.� (al-Bukhaari, 3/178, no. 2731, 2732; al-Fath, 5/388). Yet despite this level of veneration, they never took the day of his birth as an �Eid (festival). If that had been prescribed in Islam they would not have neglected to do that.  2 � Using as evidence the fact that many people in many countries do this.  The response to that is that evidence consists of that which is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and what is proven from the Prophet is that innovations are forbidden in general, and this is an innovation. What people do, if it goes against the evidence (daleel), does not prove anything, even if many of them do it.  �And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah�s path� [al-An�aam 6:116 � interpretation of the meaning]  Nevertheless, in every age, praise be to Allaah, there have always been those who denounce this bid�ah and state clearly that it is false. Those who persist in following it after the truth had been explained to them have no proof.  Among those who denounced the celebration of this occasion was Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, in Iqtidaa� al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem; Imaam al-Shaatibi in al-�I�tisaam; Ibn al-Haaj in al-Madkhil; Shaykh Taaj al-Deen �Ali ibn �Umar al-Lakhami who wrote an entire book denouncing it; Shaykh Muhammad Basheer al-Sahsawaani al-Hindi in his book Siyaanah al-Insaan; al-Sayyid Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa wrote a separate essay on this topic; Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal al-Shaykh wrote a separate essay on it; Shaykh �Abd al-�Azeez ibn Baaz; and others who are still writing and denouncing this bid�ah every year in the pages of newspapers and magazines, at the time when this bid�ah is being done.  3 � They say that by celebrating the Mawlid they are keeping the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) alive.  The answer to that is that the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is constantly kept alive by the Muslim, such as when his name (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned in the adhaan and iqaamah and in khutbahs, and every time the Muslim recites the Shahaadatayn after doing wudoo� and in the prayers, and every time he sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his prayers and when he is mentioned, and every time the Muslim does a waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (recommended) action that was prescribed by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). In all of these ways (the Muslim) remembers him and the reward equivalent to the reward of the one who does that action goes back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Thus the Muslim constantly keeps the memory of the Messenger alive and has a connection with him night and day throughout his life through that which Allaah has prescribed, not only on the day of the Mawlid and things which are bid�ah and go against the Sunnah, for that puts one at a distance from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Messenger will disown him because of that.  The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has no need of this innovated celebration, because Allaah has already bestowed veneration and respect upon him, as He says:  �and raised high your fame� [al-Sharh 94:4]  For Allaah is not mentioned in the adhaan, iqaamah or khutbah, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned after Him; this is sufficient veneration, love and renewal of his memory, ad sufficient encouragement to follow him.  Allaah did not refer to the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Qur�aan, rather He referred to his Mission, and says (interpretation of the meaning):  �Indeed, Allaah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves� [Aal �Imraan 3:124]  �He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves� [al-Jumu�ah 64:2]  4 � They may say that the celebration of the Prophet�s birthday was introduced by a knowledgeable and just king who intended thereby to draw closer to Allaah.  Our response to that is that bid�ah is not acceptable, no matter who does it. A good intention does not justify a bad deed and even if a person died as a knowledgeable and righteous person, this does not mean that he was infallible.  5 � They say that celebrating the mawlid comes under the heading of bid�ah hasanah (�good innovation�) because it is based on giving thanks to Allaah for the Prophet!  Our response to that is that there is nothing good in innovation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355).  And he said, �Every innovation is a going astray� (narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi, no. 2676). The ruling on innovations is that they are all misguidance, but this specious argument suggests that not every bid�ah is a going astray, rather there are good innovations.  Al-Haafiz ibn Rajab said in Sharh al-Arba�een: �The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), �every innovation is a going astray� is a concise but comprehensive comment which includes everything; it is one of the most important principles of religion. It is like his words �Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3/167, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). Whoever innovates anything and attributes it to Islam when it has no basis in the religion, this is a going astray and is nothing to do with Islam, whether that has to do with matters of belief (�aqeedah) or outward and inward words and deeds.� (Jaami� al-�Uloom wa�l-Hakam, p. 233)  These people have no proof that there is any such thing as a �good innovation� apart from the words of �Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) concerning Taraaweeh prayers, �What a good innovation this is.� (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 2/252, no. 2010 mu�allaqan; al-Fath 4/294).  They also said that things were innovated which were not denounced by the salaf, such as compiling the Qur�aan into one volume and writing and compiling the hadeeth.  The response to that is that these matters had a basis in Islam, so they were not newly-invented.  �Umar said: �What a good bid�ah� meaning innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar�i sense. Whatever has a basis in Islam, if it is described as an innovation, is an innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar�i sense, because innovation in the shar�i sense means that which has no basis in Islam.  Compiling the Qur�aan into one book has a basis in Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had commanded that the Qur�aan be written down, but it was scattered, so the Sahaabah compiled it in one volume so as so protect and preserve it.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in praying Taraaweeh for a while, then he stopped doing that, lest that become obligatory on them. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) continued to pray it separately during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and after his death, until �Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with them) gathered them behind one imaam as they used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was not an innovation introduced into the religion.  Writing down the hadeeth also has a basis in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that some ahaadeeth should be written down for some of his companions when they asked him for that. In general terms writing it down during his lifetime was not allowed, for fear that the Qur�aan might be mixed with things that were not part of it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, this fear was no longer a factor, because the Qur�aan had been completed and arranged in order before he died. The Muslims compiled the Sunnah after that in order to preserve it and keep it from being lost. May Allaah reward them with good on behalf of Islam and the Muslims, because they preserved the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from being lost or being tampered with.  We may also say to them: why was this act of thanksgiving, as they call it, not done by the best generations, the Sahaabah, Taabi�een and followers of the Taabi�een, who loved the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) most and who were most keen to do good and give thanks? Are those who introduced the innovation of the Mawlid more rightly-guided than them? Do they give more thanks to Allaah? Definitely not!  6 � They may say that celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is indicative of their love for him; this is one way of showing that, and showing love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is prescribed in Islam!  The answer to that is that undoubtedly loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is obligatory for every Muslim; he should love him more than he loves himself, his child, his father and all the people � may my father and mother be sacrificed for him � but that does not mean that we should introduce innovations for doing so that have not been prescribed for us. Loving him dictates that we should obey him and follow him, for that is one of the greatest manifestations of love, as it is said:  �If your love is sincere then obey him; for the lover obeys the one whom he loves.�  Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) implies keeping his Sunnah alive, adhering firmly to it, and avoiding words and deeds that go against it. Undoubtedly everything that goes against his Sunnah is a reprehensible innovation (bid�ah) and a manifest act of disobedience. That includes celebrating his birthday and other kinds of bid�ah. A good intention does not mean that it is permissible to introduce innovations into the religion. Islam is based on two things, purity of intention and following [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)]. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  �Yes, but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allaah (i.e. follows Allaah�s religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin (a doer of good)  then his reward is with his Lord (Allaah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve� [al-Baqarah 2:112]   Submitting one�s face to Allaah means being sincere towards Allaah, and doing good means following the Messenger and implementing the Sunnah.  7 � Another of their specious arguments is when they say that by celebrating the Mawlid and reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on this occasion, they are encouraging people to follow his example!  We say to them that reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and following his example are required of the Muslim all the time, all year long and throughout his life. Singling out a specific day for that with no evidence for doing so is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray.� (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/164; al-Tirmidhi, 2676). Bid�ah does not bear any fruit but evil and it leads to a person distancing himself from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  In conclusion, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whatever form it takes, is a reprehensible innovation. The Muslims should put a stop to this and other kinds of bid�ah, and occupy themselves with reviving and adhering to the Sunnah.  They should not be deceived by those who promote and defend this bid�ah, for these types of people are more interested in keeping innovations alive than in reviving the Sunnah; they may not even care about the Sunnah at all. Whoever is like this, it is not permissible to imitate him or follow his example, even if the majority of people are like this. Rather we should follow the example of those who follow the path of the Sunnah, among the righteous salaf and their followers, even if they are few. Truth is not measured by the men who speak it, rather men are measured by the truth.        &n bs p;         & ; ;nbs p;         & ; ;nbs p;         & ; ;nbs p;         & ; ;nbs p;         & ; ;nbs p;         & ; ;nbs p;   The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences. I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray.� (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676). So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained to us in this hadeeth what we should do when there are differences of opinion, just as he explained that everything that goes against his Sunnah, be it words or deeds, is a bid�ah, and every bid�ah is a going astray.  If we see that there is no basis for celebrating the birthday of the Prophet, whether in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or in the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs, then it is one of the newly-invented matters, one of the bid�ahs which lead people astray. This principle is what is implied by this hadeeth and is what is indicated by the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):  �O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination� [al-Nisaa� 4:59]  Referring to Allaah means referring to His Book, and referring to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) means referring to his Sunnah after he has passed away. The Qur�aan and Sunnah are the reference point in cases of dispute. Where in the Qur�aan or Sunnah does it indicate that it is prescribed in Islam to celebrate the Prophet�s birthday? Whoever does that or thinks that it is good must repent to Allaah from this and from other kinds of bid�ah. This is the attitude of the Muslim who is seeking the truth. But whoever is too stubborn and arrogant after proof has been established, then his reckoning will be with his Lord.  We ask Allaah to help us adhere to His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger until the Day when we will meet Him. May Allaah grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.  Huqooq al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bayna al-Ijlaal wa�l-Ikhlaal, p. 139  Shaykh Dr. Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan  Member of the Committee of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia.

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,

Keep your comments and opinions to yourself and study your din and seek the pleasure of Allahu subhanahu wa ta'ala.  It is not necessary to share your comments and opinions on every single topic, regardless of whether or not you agree with it or not.

May Allahu guide us, forgive us, and grant us ilm wa hikmah.  Amin.

Question:
Why some people accept and some unaccept the celebration of the prophet ( )? What is your opinion?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing in the Qur�aan to say that we should celebrate the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do this or command anyone to do it, either during his lifetime or after his death. Indeed, he told them not to exaggerate about him as the Christians had exaggerated about Jesus (upon whom be peace). He said: �Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, �The slave of Allaah and His Messenger.�� (Reported by al-Bukhaari). What has been reported is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to celebration. He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said: �That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission or when I was first given Revelation.� (Reported by Muslim, al-Nisaa�i and Abu Dawood).

Moreover, we know that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) were the people who loved the Prophet most. Was it reported that Abu Bakr, who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Was it reported that �Umar, who ruled for twelve years, or �Uthmaan, did this? Was it reported that �Ali, his relative and foster son, did this? Was it reported that any of the Sahaabah did this? No, by Allaah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray.

Did any of the imaams � Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafi�i, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen � do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? By Allaah, no! It was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a saheeh hadeeth: �The best of mankind are my generation (or my century), then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care if their testimony comes before their oath or vice versa (i.e., they will not take such matter seriously).� (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi). The celebration of the Prophet�s birthday appeared many centuries later, when many of the features of true religion had vanished and bid�ah had become widespread.

Thus this celebration became a sign of one�s love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? But can it be possible that the Sahaabah, the imaams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of it, and it was only those who came later who were aware of its importance?! What the Qur�aan tells us is that love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

�Say (O Muhammad): �If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Say: �Obey Allaah and the Messenger.� But if they turn away, then Allaah does not like the disbelievers.� [Aal �Imraan 3:31-32]

The first aayah explains that love is just a claim, but the proof of sincerity is following what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) brought. The second aayah reaffirms the importance and necessity of obeying Allaah and His Messenger. Hence Allaah ended the aayah with a very stern warning in which those who refuse to obey are described as kaafirs, and Allah does not love the disbelievers. We ask Allaah to keep us safe from that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us of the danger of not obeying him, and the danger of adding to what he brought. The celebration of Mawlid or his birthday is indeed an addition to what he brought � as all the scholars agree. He said: �The best of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.� (Reported by Muslim and al-Nisaa�i).

We ask Allaah to protect us from bid�ah and to bless us by helping us to follow. Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid


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What I have posted in this topic is enough proof from reliable sources (even though some may disagree, then they are advised to learn more about these sources) for those who are on Al Haqq and fear Allah as He should be feared.

Knowledge01 wrote: Question: Why some people accept and some unaccept the celebration of the prophet ( )? What is your opinion? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. There is nothing in the Qur�aan to say that we should celebrate the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do this or command anyone to do it, either during his lifetime or after his death. Indeed, he told them not to exaggerate about him as the Christians had exaggerated about Jesus (upon whom be peace). He said: �Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, �The slave of Allaah and His Messenger.�� (Reported by al-Bukhaari). What has been reported is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to celebration. He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said: �That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission or when I was first given Revelation.� (Reported by Muslim, al-Nisaa�i and Abu Dawood).

And more pseudo scholarship theology. The author does not even have a basic command of critical thinking skills and this piece could be dismantled by a freshman novice philosophy major. Islam q&a is an embarresment.

 

1) The statement that the Quran does not say to celibrate mawlid is a "non-sequitur". The Quran does not tell us to use vowel markings for purpose of recitation, or binding for a book form mustaf, or the use of methodolgies to categorize hadiths or the other sciences. Hardly the statment of a scholar.

2) The Prophet (saw) did not command any of the above exmaples either, another non-sequitur.

3) The use of the hadith that warns against being like Christians is a complete willful distortion of the meaning of the hadith and the author's attempt at using it reveals the intellectual bankruptcy of his position. The hadith has nothing to to do with mawlid, or remembering the birth of the prophet (saw) within the four schools of fiqh. The author is implying that the accepted practice that is permissible within the four established schools are permitting Muslims to copy Christians in their veneration of Jesus. Completely despicable, and part of the usual pseudo scholarship that comes out of this group of clerics.

 

Moreover, we know that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) were the people who loved the Prophet most. Was it reported that Abu Bakr, who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Was it reported that �Umar, who ruled for twelve years, or �Uthmaan, did this? Was it reported that �Ali, his relative and foster son, did this? Was it reported that any of the Sahaabah did this? No, by Allaah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray.

 

Another juvenile plea.

Concerning Claim Made About The Sahaba (Mawlid)

Concerning Loving the Prophet,

Regarding the following claim made about the Sahaba:

None of them ever celebrated Prophet's birthday.

This is a statement with which the Companions no doubt will take issue against Brother Lashay on Qiyama, given (a) their knowledge that the Prophet was born on Yawm al-Ithnayn and (b) their observance of supererogatory fasting on that day for that very reason. This amounts to the Companions' celebration of the Prophet's birthday.

Mostly, (c) their explicit celebration of the day he was born in poetry:

The uncle of the Prophet al-`Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib (RA) said:

And then, WHEN YOU WERE BORN, a light rose over the earth until it illuminated the horizon with its radiance. We are in that illumination and that original light and those paths of guidance and thanks to them we pierce through.

Ibn Sayyid al-Nas narrated it with his isnad through al-Tabarani and al-Bazzar in Minah al-Madh (p. 192-193), also Ibn Kathir in al-Sira al-Nabawiyya (ed. Mustafa `Abd al-Wahid 4:51), and `Ali al-Qari in his Sharh al-Shifa` (1:364) says it is narrated by Abu Bakr al-Shafi`i and al-Tabarani, and cited by Ibn `Abd al-Barr in al-Isti`ab and Ibn al-Qayyim in Zad al-Ma`ad.

The light mentioned by al-`Abbas is confirmed by the Prophet himself in the famous narration describing his own birth. `Irbad ibn Sariya and Abu Umama - Allah be well-pleased with both of them - said that the Prophet said: "I am the supplication of my father Ibrahim, and the good tidings of my brother `Isa. The NIGHT I WAS DELIVERED my mother saw a light that lit the castles of Damascus so that she could see them."

It is narrated by al-Hakim (2:616-617), Ahmad in his Musnad, and al-Bayhaqi in Dala`il al-Nubuwwa (1:110, 2:8). Ibn al-Jawzi cites it in al-Wafa` (p. 91, ch. 21 of Bidayat Nabiyyina ), and Ibn Kathir in his Mawlid Rasul Allah and his Tafsir (4:360). Al-Haythami (8:221) said al-Tabarani and Ahmad narrated it, the latter with a fair (hasan) chain. Also narrated by Ibn Hisham in Sirat Rasul Allah (Dar al-wifaq ed. 1/2:166) and al-Tabari in his History.

The poet of the Prophet Hassan ibn Thabit (RA) said:

By Allah, no woman has conceived and GIVEN BIRTH To one like the Messenger, the Prophet and guide of his people. Nor has Allah created among his creatures One more faithful to his sojourner or his promise Than he who was the source of our light.

Narrated by Ibn Hisham in the last lines of his Sirat Rasul Allah .

Accordingly, it would have been better and more precise to say: "None of them ever celebrated Prophet's birthday in our fashion."

Then of course: none of them prayed in our fashion either. Nor fasted in our fashion. Nor paid zakat in our fashion. Nor accomplished pilgrimage or jihad in our fashion. Etc.

As a rule we should be very careful when comparing ourselves to the Salaf, most expecially the Companions - Allah be well-pleased with them. The speaker stands as the first one condemned by his own words when mentioning them. Astaghfirullah.

As for statements made about the Muslims in the wake of the above false premise, apparently as a criticism of the celebration of Mawlid:

Today our lives and our outlooks bear little resemblance to theirs. We praise but do not listen to him; we claim to love, but refuse to follow; we claim to believe but lead lives like those who don't. We emphasize what the Companions ignored and ignore what they emphasized.

They loved the Prophet, , and had their lives to show for it. And we? Can we honestly say that we love the Prophet as he should be loved?

The Prophet told us: "Do not be conformers who say: "If people do good we shall do good, and if they do wrong we shall do wrong. Rather, make yourselves ready to do good if people do good, and, if they do wrong, not to do wrong." Al-Tirmidhi declared it hasan gharîb. It is narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Tarikh al-Kabir (4:367 #3169) with the wording: `Do not be conformers who turn with every wind." Also narrated * in its full wording * mawqîf from `Abd Allah ibn Mas`ud by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (9:152 #8765).

In other words, we should never stop doing something good just because people are generally not as good as before!

None but Allah SWT loves the Prophet as he should be loved, and those whom Allah SWT favors with a special favor.

The latter Awliya are present at all times until Qiyama.

Need I remind Brother Lashay of the mutawatir hadith: `A party of my Community shall not cease to remain victorious, standing for truth, until the Hour rises�?

We should stand with that party and not with any other.

And as for that party - undoubtedly formed of those who bear true love for the Prophet - has anyone, honestly, ever witnessed any of them counsel us to abandon celebrating the birth of the Prophet on the dubious bases cited above? Astaghfirullah.

As I recall the same Brother Lashay, a year ago, had quoted an excerpt, apparently from the Maktubat of our Naqshbandi Grandshaykh Imam Ahmad Sirhindi (QAS) condemning the Mawlid. To which the following excerpt was posted from another brother, also apparently from the Imam's Maktubat:

" Gatherings of Meelaad as-Shareef with the recitation of Holy Quraan with good (melodious) voice and Naats and Qasidaas are recited for Huzoor Sallallaho alayhi wa sallam then what is the hesitation ? " [Ahmed Sirhindi, Maktobaat, Volume 1, First Chapter, Maktoob number 42, page 154]

I am still waiting for Brother Lashay's comment on the apparent contradiction of the two fatwas from Mujaddid Alf al-Thani.

In the meantime, we will continue to invoke abundant blessings and peace on the Best of Creation and to celebrate his Light day and night after the model provided by his noble Ansar Companions who said:

The full moon rose over us from the mountains of al-Wada`! WE MUST GIVE THANKS as long as there remains one who calls unto Allah!

Narrated by al-Tabari in al-Riyad al-Nadira (1:480) and Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya (Ma`arif ed. 3:197, 5:23).

Hajj Gibril

GF Haddad �

 

http://www.livingislam.org/fiqhi/fiqha_e20.html

 

Did any of the imaams � Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafi�i, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen � do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? By Allaah, no! It was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries.

Non-sequitur, and a strawman. No one has argued that one is commanded to observe mawlid, the argument is whether or not it is permissible. The four schools find the practice permissible.

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a saheeh hadeeth: �The best of mankind are my generation (or my century), then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care if their testimony comes before their oath or vice versa (i.e., they will not take such matter seriously).� (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi). The celebration of the Prophet�s birthday appeared many centuries later, when many of the features of true religion had vanished and bid�ah had become widespread.

This is called "handwaving". The hadith as absolutley "nothing" to do with the argument about mawlid. It is no accident that the author has just tried to "handwave" his conclusion about the use of the hadith: It is not related and he is unable to argue the suppositional garbage buried in the argument.

One does not follow from the other. The real shock to me is that people actually take this site serious and actually follow the sophmoric, overly appealing to emotion, diatribe. The best of generations did recognize the birthday of the prophet. The point is "how one remembers it".

 

Thus this celebration became a sign of one�s love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? But can it be possible that the Sahaabah, the imaams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of it, and it was only those who came later who were aware of its importance?!

They were very aware of the day. What they were not aware of is the wahabi claims that now permeate the mosques which tries to rewrite Islamic history.

 

What the Qur�aan tells us is that love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): �Say (O Muhammad): �If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Say: �Obey Allaah and the Messenger.� But if they turn away, then Allaah does not like the disbelievers.� [Aal �Imraan 3:31-32] The first aayah explains that love is just a claim, but the proof of sincerity is following what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) brought. The second aayah reaffirms the importance and necessity of obeying Allaah and His Messenger. Hence Allaah ended the aayah with a very stern warning in which those who refuse to obey are described as kaafirs, and Allah does not love the disbelievers. We ask Allaah to keep us safe from that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us of the danger of not obeying him, and the danger of adding to what he brought. The celebration of Mawlid or his birthday is indeed an addition to what he brought � as all the scholars agree. He said: �The best of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.� (Reported by Muslim and al-Nisaa�i).

 

Absolutely incoherent rubbish. I truly question the intellectual integrity and qualifications of the author, and I say good luck to those who follow his advice. Appealing to emotion and unproven supposition is not sound advice.

 

We ask Allaah to protect us from bid�ah and to bless us by helping us to follow. Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid ---------------------------------------------------------

More supposition. The wahani cleric wants to simply assert an inaccurate meaning of "innovation". Another willful distortion.

What Is Bid`a (Innovation)?
from the Reliance of The Treveller
w29.3 The Prophet said,

"... Beware of matters newly begun, for every innovation is misguidance."

Beware of matters newly begun

(Muhammad Jurdani:) meaning, "Distance yourselves and be wary of matters newly innovated that did not previously exist, i.e. things invented in Islam that contravene the Sacred Law,

for every innovation is misguidance

meaning that every innovation is the opposite of the truth, i.e. falsehood, a hadith that has been related elsewhere as:

for every newly begun matter is innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in hell

meaning that everyone who is misguided, whether through himself or by following another, is in hell, the hadith referring to matters that are not good innovations with a basis in Sacred Law. It has been stated (by `Izz ibn `Abd al-Salam) that innovations (bid`a) fall under the five headings of the Sacred Law (i.e. the obligatory, unlawful, recommended, offensive, and permissible):

(1) The first category comprises innovations that are obligatory, such as recording the Koran and laws of Islam in writing when it was feared that something might be lost from them; the study of the disciplines of Arabic that are necessary to understand the Koran and sunna such as grammar, word declension, and lexicography; hadith classification to distinguish between genuine and spurions prophetic traditions; and the philosophical refutations of arguments advanced by the Mu'tazilites and the like.

(2) The second category is that of unlawful innovations such as non-Islamic taxes and levies, giving positions of authority in Sacred Law to those unfit for them, and devoting one's time to learning the beliefs of heretical sects that contravene the tencts of faith of Ahl al-Sunna,

(3) The third category consists of recommended innovations such as building hostels and schools of Sacred Law, recording the research of Islamic schools of legal thought, writing books on beneficial subjects, extensive research into fundamentals and particular applications of Sacred Law, in-depth studies of Arabic linguistics, the reciting of wirds by those with a Sufi path (or circles of dhikr in which the movement of the participants increases their remembrance of Allah), and commemorating the birth (mawlid) of the prophet Muhammad and wearing one's best and rejoicing at it.

(4) The fourth category includes innovations that are offensive, such as embellishing mosques, decorating the Koran, and having a backup man (muballigh) loudly repeat the spoken Allahu Akbar of the imam when the latter's voice is already clearly audible to those praying behind him.

(5) The fifth category is that of innovations that are permissible, such as sifting flour, using spoons, and having more enjoyable food, drink, and housing.

(al-Jawahir al-lu'lu'iyya fi sharh al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyya, 220-21)

Classes Of Innovation

w29.4 ('Abdullah Muhammad Ghimari:) In his al-Qawa'id al-kubra, 'Izz ibn'Abd al-Salam classifies innovations (bid'a), according to their benefit, harm, or indifference, into the five categories of rulings: the obligatory, recommended, unlawful, offensive, and permissible; giving examples of each and mentioning the principles of Sacred Law that verify his classification. His words on the subject display his keen insight and comprehensive knowledge of both the principles of jurisprudence and the human advantages and disadvantages in view of which the Lawgiver has established the rulings of Sacred Law.

Because his classification of innovation (bid'a) was established on a firm basis in Islamic jurisprudence and legal principles, it was confirmed by Imam Nawawi, Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani, and the vast majority of Islamic scholars, who received his words with acceptance and viewed it obligatory to apply them to the new events and contingencies that occur with the changing times and the peoples who live in them.

One may not support the denial of his classification by clinging to the hadith "Every innovation is misguidance," because the only form of innovation that is without exception misguidance is that concerning tenets of faith, like the innovations of the Mu'tazilites, Qadarites, Murji'ites, and so on, that contradicted the beliefs of the early Muslims. This is the innovation of misguidance because it is harmful and devoid of benefit.
As for innovation in works, meaning the occurrence of an act connected with worship or something else that did not exist in the first century of Islam, it must necessarily be judged according to the five categories mentioned by 'Izz ibn 'Abd al-Salam (see above).
To claim that such innovation is misguidance without further qualification is simply not applicable to it, for new things are among the exigencies brought into being by the passage of time and generations, and nothing that is new lacks a ruling of Allah Most High that is applicable to it, whether explicitly mentioned in primary texts, or inferable from them in some way.

The only reason that Islamic law can be valid for every time and place and be the consummate and most perfect of all divine laws is because it comprises general methodological principles and universal criteria, together with the ability its scholars have been endowed with to understand its primary texts, the knowledge of types of analogy and parallelism, and the other excellences that characterize it.

Were we to rule that every new act that has come into being after the first century of Islam is an innovation of misguidance without considering whether it entails benefit or harm, it would invalidate a large share of the fundamental bases of Sacred Law as well as those rulings established by analogical reasoning, and would narrow and limit the Sacred Law's vast and comprehensive scope (Adilla Ahl al-Sunna wa 121-Jama'a (y119), 145-47). RT-914-917

 

http://www.livingislam.org/n/bida_e.html

 

What I have posted in this topic is enough proof from reliable sources (even though some may disagree, then they are advised to learn more about these sources) for those who are on Al Haqq and fear Allah as He should be feared.

What you should fear is following a self proclaimed sheikh who is unable to provide a single coherent, sound argument backed by solid evidence. What I find confusing is that you are bedazzeled by smoking mirrors. There is no proof in the above. The evidences and claims are non-sequiturs (in latin "does not follow") and at least one glaring strawman. What you should ask yourself is that if the four schools find the act permissible, what are the chances that a man who is unable to form a single solid argument, has somehow found some novel apporach to prove them (the four schools) wrong? This is more fitnah that the wahabis have gifted the ummah.

Allah knows best