The Ruling on Celebrating the Birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
Assalamu Alaikum
Firstly:
There
is no festival in Islamic sharee’ah that is called “The Prophet’s
Birthday”. Neither the Sahaabah nor the Taabi’een nor the four imams
nor anyone else recognized such a day as part of their religion. Rather
this festival was introduced by some ignorant Baatini innovators, then
the people began to follow this innovation but the imams have denounced
it in every time and place.
Secondly:
Based on this,
everything that the people do specially for this day is regarded as
haraam, innovated actions, because they intend thereby to keep alive a
festival that has been introduced into our religion, such as holding
parties, offering food and so on.
Shaykh al-Fawzaan said in al-Bayaan li Akhta’ ba’d al-Kuttaab (268-270):
The
commands in the Qur'aan and Sunnah to follow that which has been
prescribed by Allah and His Messenger and the prohibition against
introducing innovations into the religion are well known. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه
وسلم to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e.
accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah), Allah
will love you and forgive you your sins”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:31]
“[Say
(O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) to these idolaters (pagan Arabs) of
your folk:] Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the
Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyaa’
(protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship
with Allah), besides Him (Allah). 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-An’aam 6:153]
And
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever
introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it
will have it rejected.” According to a version narrated by Muslim:
“Whoever does any deed that is not part of this matter of ours will
have it rejected.”
Among the innovations that people have
introduced is celebration of the Prophet’s birthday (Mawlid) in the
month of Rabee’ al-Awwal. There are various ways in which they
celebrate this occasion:
Some of them simply gather to read the story of his birth, or they listen to speeches and qaseedahs (odes) on this occasion.
Some of them make food and sweets etc, and offer them to the people who attend.
Some of them hold these celebrations in the mosques and some hold them in their houses.
Some
of them do not limit themselves to what we have mentioned, rather their
gatherings include haraam and evil things such as men mixing freely
with women, dancing and music, or acts of shirk such as seeking the
help of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and
calling upon him or seeking his support against their enemies, and so
on.
Whatever kinds of celebrations they are and whatever form they
take, they are undoubtedly bid’ah and haraam innovations that were
introduced long after the time of the best generations.
The first
one who introduced this innovation was Abu Sa’eed Kawkaboori, the king
of Irbil, at the end of the sixth or beginning of the seventh century
AH, as was mentioned by the historians such as Ibn Katheer, Ibn
Khalqaan and others.
Abu Shaamah said: The first one who did that
in Mosul was Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Muhammad al-Mulla, one of the well known
righteous men, and the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah (13-137), in his biography of Abu Sa’eed al-Kawkaboori:
He did the Mawlid in Rabee’ al-Awwal and celebrated it with a great celebration. … Then he said:
Al-Sabt
said: Some of those who attended the feast given by the king on some of
the Mawlids said that this feast included five thousand roasted heads,
ten thousand chickens, one hundred thousand bowls and thirty thousand
plates of sweets. And the Sufis sang from Zuhr until Fajr, and he
himself danced with them. End quote.
Ibn Khalqaan said in Wafiyaat al-A’yaan (3-274):
When
the first of Safar came, they would adorn those domes with all kinds of
fine adornments, and in every dome there was a group of singers and a
group of puppeteers and musical players, and they did not leave any
dome but they installed a group there. End quote.
But most of what
these innovators do on this day is making food of various kinds and
distributing it and inviting people to eat. If a Muslim joins in this
action, eats their food and sits in their gatherings, then undoubtedly
he is taking part in keeping the innovation alive, and is cooperating
in it, and Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you
one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety);
but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah”
[al-Maa’idah 5:2]
Hence
the fatwas of the scholars state that it is haram to eat food that is
distributed on this day and on other innovated festivals.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked the following question in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (9/74):
What is the ruling on meat that is slaughtered for the Mawlid?
He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied:
If
it is slaughtered (as a sacrifice) to the one whose birthday is being
celebrated, then it is major shirk, but it is slaughtered just to be
eaten, there is nothing wrong with that. But it should not be eaten,
and the Muslim should not attend (the feast), so as to denounce them in
word and in deed, unless he attends in order to denounce them without
joining them in eating or anything else. End quote.
Supplied By: Sheikh Ramadan
Masjid Fresno, 2111 E. Shaw Ave. Fresno - California 93710 (559) 222-6686
