4 Reasons Why Celebrating Birthday of the Prophet is Prohibited

What is Mawlid an-Nabawi

The celebration of Mawlid an-Nabawi (birthday of Allah's Messenger) is celebrated on the day the Prophet passed away (i.e., 12th of Rabie al-Awwal). The birth-day of the Prophet as proven by the almanac is 9th Rabie al-Awwal. Ironically, only a few years ago the celebration was called, 'Bara Wafaat' (i.e., 12th - the day of death), but recently it was renamed, 'Eid Milad' (the celebration of Milad/Mawlid) or Mawlid an Nabawi.

The celebration of Mawlid an-Nabawi is from amongst the rejected innovative celebrations, and those who participate in the celebration of Mawlid are of different types;

• Some simply gather on the occasion and read the story of birth, give speeches and recite poems.
• Some prepare food and sweets, and distribute it to the attendees.
• Some commemorate the celebration in the mosques while others in the houses.
• Some do not limit themselves to the above, they add to it prohibited actions of mingling between men and women, dancing, singing or acts of Shirk like invoking and calling upon Allah's Messenger, etc.

With all its various forms and intentions of those who celebrate it, commemoration of Mawlid an-Nabawi is indisputably a prohibited innovation originated by the Fatimite Shi'ah after the three best generations in order to corrupt the Deen of the Muslims. The first one to encourage this celebration was King Muzaffar Abu Sa'eed Kaukabouri, the king of Irbil at the end of the sixth century or at the beginning of the seventh century as has been documented by historians like Ibn Katheer, Ibn Khalkan and others.

Abu Shaamah said,

"The first person to do that in Mosul was Shaikh Umar ibn Muhammad al-Malaa - one of the well-known righteous people – and the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example."

Hafidh Ibn Katheer (Allah's mercy be upon Him) writes in al-Bidayah in reference to Abu Sa'eed Koukabouri,

"He (Abu Sa'eed Koukabouri) used to celebrate Mawlid in the month of Rabei al-Awwal in an appalling way with a huge celebration. Some of those whowitnessed the activities of Muzaffar during few Mawlid celebrations have narrated that he used to offer five thousand grilled heads of sheep, ten thousand chicken, one thousand bowls of cream, and thirty thousand plates of sweets... in those celebrations. It was said, 'He used to let the Soofis sing from Dhuhr to Fajr, and he would himself dance with them'”

Ibn Khalkaan said in Wafiyaat al-A'yaan (3/274),

"In the beginning of the month of Safar, domes were decorated with various fancy adornments. In every dome sat a group of singers, a group of puppeteers and a musical group. No dome was spared of these performers. The people abandoned all activities during this period except going around and watching the entertainment. Two days before Mawlid, people would gather in the square accompanied with drums and musical instruments along with a huge number - more than can be described - of camels, cows and sheep. On the night of Mawlid after Maghrib, nasheed recitals were held in the citadel."

In this way initiated the celebration of Mawlid coupled with amusement, extravagance and squandering of wealth over an innovation regarding which Allah did not reveal any evidence.

Four Important Reasons:

The celebration of Mawlid an-Nabawi is prohibited and rejected due to several reasons:

First Reason:

1. The celebration of Mawlid is neither from the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger nor his Caliphs, and anything that is not from these, is a prohibited Bidah (innovation).

Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon Him) said,

"Stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my rightly guided Caliphs, cling to it firmly with your molar teeth. Beware of newly invented matters, for every new matter is an innovation and every innovation is misleading." [Musnad Ahmad (4/126) and at-Tirmidhee (2676)]

Whosoever performs an act with the intention of achieving closeness to Allah while such an act was neither performed or commanded by Allah's Messenger nor by his Caliphs after him - then performing such an act constitutes accusing the Messenger of not (correctly/completely) explaining the Deen to the people. Performing this act also amounts to belying the statement of Allah, 

"This day, I have perfected your religion for you." [Quran (5): 3]

Such is because (by performing an innovated act) one comes up with something supplementary claiming that it is from the religion while Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon Him) did not order us with it.

Second Reason:

2. Celebrating Mawlid (birthday) of Allah's Messenger is an imitation of the Christians in their celebrating the birthday of Prophet Eesa (Jesus), whereas imitating them- especially in matters of their religion - is strictly prohibited, and differing from them is prescribed in the Ahadeeth of Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon Him), The Prophet said,

"Whoever imitates/resembles a people is one of them." [Musnad Ahmad (2/05) and Abu Dawood (4/314)]

"Be different from the Mushrikeen (those who associate partners with Allah)." [Sahih Muslim]

Third Reason:

3. Apart from being a Bidah (innovation) and Tashbeeh (imitation) of the Christians - and both of them are prohibited - Mawlid is also a means of exaggeration in the honor of Allah's Messenger to the extent that those who participate in this celebration call upon the Prophet (peace be upon Him), seek his help and chant poems of Shirk in his praise, like Qasidah al-Burdah, and its like. Allah's Messenger has prohibited such forms of exaggeration. The Prophet said,

"Do not exaggerate in me, as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say 'the slave of Allah and the Messenger of Allah.'" [Sahih al-Bukhari (4/142 -3445)]

This Hadith means, do not exaggerate in praising and honoring me like the Christians, who exaggerated in honoring and praising Eesa (Jesus) - such that they ended up worshiping him. Allah (Exalted is He) forbade the Christians from worshiping Eesa saying, 

"O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allah anything but the truth. The Messiah Eesa, son of Maryam, was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, ('Be!' - and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam and a spirit (Ruh) created by Him." [Quran (4): 171]

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon Him) prohibited us from exaggeration fearing that we might be effected by that (Shirk) which the Christians were effected with. He said, 

"'O people, beware of exaggeration in religious matters for those who came before you were destroyed because of exaggeration in religious matters."' [Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith:3029]

Fourth Reason:

4. Celebrating the Bidah of Mawlid opens the door to other innovations and diverts people towards it. We thus find those who participate in such innovations active in reviving the Bidah and lazy in performing the Sunnah, and enraged at the people of Sunnah until all their religion revolves around innovated memories and birthdays. They split up in groups - each group preserving the reminiscences of their scholar's birthdays, like the Mawlid of Badawi, Ibn Arabi, ad-Dasooki and Shazali - in this way, they do not free themselves from one Mawlid and get busywith another celebration. This results in exaggeration (in the honor and praise) of the deceased and invoking others besides Allah and the belief that the deceased benefits and harms – until these people depart from the pale of Islam and return to the Deen of the people of Jahiliyah (ignorance) concerning whom Allah said,

"They worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say, 'These are our intercessors with Allah.'" [Quran (10): 18]

"Those who take Awliya (protectors and helpers) besides Him (say), 'We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.'" [Quran (39): 3]

Monday, January 13, 2014