Ruling on the celebration of al-Mawlid
(the Prophet’s Birthday)
Praise be to Allaah, alone, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah, his family, his companions, and whoever follows his guidance.
Many people have asked about the ruling concerning celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), standing up for him, sending salaam (greetings) upon him and reading soorahs from the Qur’aan during such celebrations, holding gatherings of dhikr, doing various things to show their joy, reciting qaseedahs and poems, and other things that are done to commemorate “Mawlid” which many people celebrate on the 12th day of Rabee’ al-Awwal each Hijri year.
The answer is that it is not permitted to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or the birthday of any other person, because this is a matter that has been innovated in the religion.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do this, neither did his successors, the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs (al-khulafaa’ al-raashidoon), or others among his Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them), or those who followed them exactly (in faith) during the best centuries – these are the people who had the best knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who loved him the most and followed the sharee’ah most perfectly, better than any who came after them.
It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected” i.e., it will be thrown back at him.
In another hadeeth, he said: “I advise you to adhere to my sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided successors (al-khulafaa’ al-raashidoon) who will come after me, and to cling stubbornly to it. Beware of newly-invented things (in religion), for every newly-invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is a going astray.”
These two ahaadeeth contain a very stern warning against coming up with innovations (bid’ah) and acting on them. Allaah says in His clear Book (interpretation of the meaning) :
“…And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it…” [al-Hashr 59:7]
“… And let those who oppose the Messenger’s commandment beware, lest some fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, etc.) befall them, or a painful torment be inflicted on them.” [al-Noor 24:63]
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day and remembers Allaah much.” [al-Ahzaab 33:21]
“And the first to embrace Islam of the muhaajiroon (those who migrated to Madeenah from Makkah) and the Ansaar (the citizens of Madeenah who helped and gave aid to the muhaajiroon), and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” [al-Tawbah 9:100]
“… This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…” [al-Maa’idah 5:3]
There are many other aayaat which convey the same meaning. Innovating things like “Mawlid” could be interpreted as meaning that Allaah did not complete the religion for this ummah, that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) failed to convey to this ummah all that they should do, until those people came along later and innovated in the religion things that Allaah had not permitted, claiming that these were things that would bring them closer to Allaah.
Without a doubt, this is a very serious matter, which indicates opposition and resistance towards Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Allaah has perfected the religion for His slaves and completed His favour upon them. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has conveyed the Message clearly, and there is no way of reaching Paradise and avoiding Hell that he has not explained to his ummah, as is clear from the saheeh hadeeth narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with them both), in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has not sent any prophet but it was his duty to point out to his ummah the best of what he knew, and to warn them against the worst of what he knows.” (Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh).
It is well known that our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the best and the Seal of the Prophets, the most eloquent and the most sincere in advice. If celebrating his birthday had been a part of the religion which Allaah liked, His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have told his ummah about it, and he would have done it during his lifetime, or his Companions would have done it.
Since nothing of the sort happened, we know that this is not part of Islam at all, rather it is one of the innovations about which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned his ummah, as stated in the two ahaadeeth quoted above.
Other ahaadeeth also convey the same meaning, such as the words spoken by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his Friday sermons: “… The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.” (Reported by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh).
There are many aayaat and ahaadeeth which say the same thing. A group of scholars have condemned the practice of celebrating the Prophet’s birthday and warned against it, in accordance with the evidence quoted above and other texts. Some of the later scholars went against this and allowed these celebrations as long as they did not involve anything forbidden such as exaggerating about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), mixing between men and women, musical instruments, etc. They thought that this was a kind of “bid’ah hasanah (good innovation)”. But the rule is to refer disputed matters to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger, 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]
So, let us refer this matter, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), to the Book of Allaah. We find that the Qur’aan commands us to follow the Messenger in that which he has brought to us, and warns us to shun that which he has forbidden, and it tells us that the religion (Islam) has been completed and perfected for this ummah.
This celebration is not a part of that which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) brought, so it is not a part of this religion which Allaah has perfected for us and in which He has commanded us to follow his Messenger.
Let us also refer this matter to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): we will find that he did not do this, or command others to do it, and his Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not do it either. So it is not part of the religion; it is a newly-invented innovation, and an imitation of the Jews and Christians in their festivals.
So it should be clear to anyone who has the slightest common sense, sincere desire for the truth and open-mindedness, that celebrating the birthday of the Prophet is not a part of Islam; it is an innovation, which Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against and told us to shun.
A wise person should not be swayed by the fact that so many people all over the world do this. Truth is not known by how many people follow it; it is known through the evidence of sharee’ah, as Allaah says of the Jews and Christians (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they say: ‘None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.’ These are their own desires. Say: ‘Produce your proof, if you are truthful.’” [al-Baqarah 2:111]
“And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah’s path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.” [al-An’aam 6:116]
Most of these mawlid celebrations, besides being bid’ah, are also not free from other sinful practices, such as the mixing of men and women, use of songs and musical instruments, consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants, and other evils. They could even involve something worse, which is al-shirk al-akbar, in the form of exaggeration about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or other awliyaa’ (so-called “saints”). They may even pray to him, calling out for his help and support, claiming that he knows the Unseen, and other forms of kufr which many people indulge in when they celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or others whom they call awliyaa’.
In a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Beware of going to extremes in religion, for those who came before you were destroyed by their going to extremes in religion.” He also said: “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say “the slave and Messenger of Allaah.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh from the hadeeth of ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him).
It is most strange indeed that many people make huge efforts to attend these innovated gatherings and to defend them, when they do not do this in the case of the duties that have been enjoined on them like attending Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers and prayers in congregation; they do not care about these duties and do not think that they are doing anything wrong. There is no doubt that this is due to weakness of faith, lack of understanding and the effects of sins piling up on one's heart. We ask Allaah to keep us and all the Muslims safe from that.
Some of them think that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) actually attends the mawlid celebration, so they stand up to greet and welcome him. This is a serious falsehood and a form of gross ignorance. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will not come out of his grave, or contact anybody, or attend any gatherings. He will remain in his grave until the Day of Resurrection, and his soul is in the highest ‘Illiyoon (in Paradise), with his Lord in the abode of honour, as Allaah says in Soorat al-Mu’minoon (interpretation of the meaning): “After that, surely, you will die. Then (again), surely, you will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection” [al-Mu’minoon 23:15].
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I will be the first whose grave will be opened on the Day of Resurrection, and I will be the first to intercede and the first to be asked to intercede.”
May Allaah bless him and grant him peace. This aayah and hadeeth, and others that say the same thing, all indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and everyone else who has died will only emerge from their graves on the Day of Resurrection. This is something on which all the Muslim scholars agree; there is no controversy here.
Every Muslim should pay attention to these matters and be careful to avoid the innovations and illusions introduced with no authority from Allaah by those who are ignorant. Allaah is the One whom we ask for help, and in Him we put our trust. There is no power and no strength except with Him.
Sending prayers and blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is one of the righteous deeds that bring a person closer to Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah sends His Salaat (blessings, etc.) on the Prophet and His angels also (ask Allaah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your salaat on him (ask Allaah to bless him) and greet him with the Islamic way of greeting (i.e., al-salaamu ‘alaykum).” [al-Ahzaab 33:56]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sends one blessing on me, Allaah will send ten on him.”
This sending of blessings is recommended on all occasions, and is prescribed at the end of every prayer – indeed, according to all scholars, it is obligatory in the final tashahhud of every salaah (prayer), and it is sunnah mu’akkadah (confirmed sunnah) on a number of other occasions, such as after the adhaan, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned, and during the day and night of Jumu’ah (i.e. from maghrib on Thursday until maghrib on Friday), as is indicated in a number of ahaadeeth.
We ask Allaah to help us and all the Muslims to understand His religion and adhere to it, to bless us all by making us follow the Sunnah, and to protect us from bid’ah, for He is the Most Kind and Generous. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad, and his family and companions.
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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