Ruling of Celebrating the Mawlid

Regarding the Ruling of the

Celebration of the Birthday (Mawlid) of the Prophet, and Other Than Him

All praise is due to Allāh, and may He raise the rank of and grant peace to the Messenger of Allāh, and upon his family and companions and those guided by his guidance.

As for what follows:

The question, which was repeated by many, is regarding the ruling on the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and performance of it, and sending salaam upon him, and other than that from what is done in the mawlid.

The response is that it is said:

The celebration of the birthday of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is not permissible, nor (the celebration of the birthday) of other than him, because that is from the innovations newly invented into the religion, because the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, did not do it, nor did his rightly guided caliphs, nor other than them from the companions – may Allāh be pleased with the all – nor those that followed them in goodness amongst the virtuous generations (the Tābi’īn and Atbā’ At-Tābi’īn), and they are the most knowledgeable of mankind of the Sunnah, and the most complete in love of the Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessings be upon him, and following his legislation compared to those that came after them.

It is authentically reported on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said:

“Whoever introduces something into this affair of ours that is not from it, then it will be rejected.”

I.e., it will be rejected back upon him, and he said in another hadīth (narration):

“Upon you is my Sunnah, and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs who come after me, cling onto it and bite onto it with your molar teeth, and beware of the newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.”

So, in these two narrations is a severe warning from introducing innovations and acting by them.

Allāh, the Most High said in His clear Book:

“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you from, then abstain (from it).”

[Al-Hashr (59):7]

He, the Most High, said:

“And let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) commandment (i.e., his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements, etc.) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant, etc.) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them.”

[An-Nūr (24):63]

He, the Most High, said:

“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allāh (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allāh and the Last Day and remembers Allāh much.”

[Al-Ahzāb (33):21]

He, thw Most High, said:

“And the first to embrace Islām of the Muhajirūn (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansār (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirūn) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allāh 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.”

[At-Tawbah (9):100]

He, the Most High, said:

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”

[Al-Mā’idah (5):3]

And the verses with this meaning are plentiful.

Additionally, what these newly invented matters, such as this mawlid, necessitate is:

That Allāh, the Most High, did not complete the religion for this nation, and that the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, did not convey what he should have to this nation regarding what to do, until it came to those that came later, so, they introduced into the legislation of Allāh that which He did not permit, (whilst) they claim: That those things bring them closer to Allāh, and this is without doubt a great danger, and an opposition to Allāh, the Most High, and to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and Allāh, the Most High, perfected for His slaves the religion, and completed upon them the favour.

Also, the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, conveyed with a clear conveyance, and he did not leave a path that leads to Paradise and distances from the Fire except that he clarified it to his nation, as it is established in the authentic narration, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allāh be pleased with him and his father, who said, that the Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Allāh did not send a Prophet except that it was his duty to teach his nation all that he knew was good for them and warn them from all that he knew was bad for them.”

[Sahīh Muslim]

It is also known that our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was the best of Prophets and seal of them and complete of them in conveyance and advice, so, if celebrating the mawlid was from the religion which Allāhlis pleased with, then the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, would have clarified it to his nation, or performed it in his lifetime, or his companions, may Allāh be pleased with them all, would have performed it. So, since none of that occurred, then it is known that nothing of it is from Islām, rather it is from the newly invented affairs that the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, warned his nation from, which has been alluded to in the two previous narrations.

Moreover, it comes with the same meaning (as the two previous narration) in other narration, like his saying, peace and blessings be upon him, in the Friday sermon:

“As for what follows: Then verily the best of speech is the Book of Allāh, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the worst of all affairs are the newly invented matters, for every innovation is misguidance.”

[Sahīh Muslim]

And the verses and narrations in this affair are plentiful.

Also, the majority of the scholars have renounced the mawlid and warned from it, acting in accordance to the aforementioned narrations and other than them.

Moreover, some of those that came later opposed them and permit it, as long as it does not contain something from the reprehensible things, such as going to extremes with the Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessings be upon him, and free mixing of the women and men, and the use of musical instruments, and other than that from what is detestable in the pure legislation; and they believe it to be from the good innovations.

A legislative principle is: To return what is disputed over amongst the people back to the Book of Allāh, and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, as Allāh, the Most High, said:

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

[An-Nisā (4):59]

He, the Most High, said:

“And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allāh.”

[Ash-Shūra (42):10]

We have referred this issue – and it is the celebration of the mawlid – to the Book of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, and we found it commanding us to follow the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, in what he came with, and warning us from what he prohibited from, and informing us that Allāh, the most High, perfected for this nation its religion, and this celebration is not found in what the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, came with, so it is not from the religion which Allāh perfected for us and commanded us to follow the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, in, and we have also referred it to the Sunnah of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and we did not find within it that he performed it (the celebration), nor commanded with it, and nor was it performed by his companions, may Allāh be pleased with them all. So, due to that, it is known that it is not from the religion, but rather it is from the newly invented innovations and from resemblance to the people of the Book from the Jews and the Christians in their festivals.

Thus, it becomes clear to everyone who has the slightest insight and desire for the truth and fairness in that which he sought: That the celebration of birthdays is not from the religion of Islām, but rather is from the newly invented innovations, which Allāh, the Most High, and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded us with the abandonment of and warned from it.

It should not be for the intelligent one that he is deceived by the many who perform it amongst the people in all the countries, for the truth is not known by the many people that perform it, it is only known by legislative proofs, as He, the Most High, said about the Jews and the Christians:

“And they say, "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." These are their own desires. Say (O Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him), "Produce your proof if you are truthful."”

[Al-Baqarah (2):111]

He, the Most High, said:

“And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allāh's Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.”

[Al-An’ām (6):116]

To the end of the verse.

Moreover, most of these birthday celebrations, even though they are an innovation, are not without their inclusion of other evils like free mixing between the women and men, the use of songs and instruments, the consumption of intoxicants and drugs, and other than that from evil, and that which is greater that is fallen into is major polytheism, and that is by going to extremes with the Messenger of Allāh `, or other than him from the Awliyāh, and supplicating to him, and making istigātha (seeking help in times of difficulty) with him and seeking from him aid, and believing that he knows the unseen, and the likes of that from the disbelieving affairs which are performed by many from the people when they celebrate the mawlid of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and other than him from those they call Awliyāh.

Also, it is authentically reported on the authority of the Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said:

“And beware of going to extremes in the religion, for those who came before you were destroyed because of going to extremes in the religion.”

He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said:

“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a slave. So, call me the slave of

Allāh and His Messenger.”

[Sahīh Al-Bukhari]

(From the narration of Umar, may Allāh be pleased with him).

From the strange and odd affairs is: That many from the people are active and diligent in attending these innovated celebrations, and defend them, and fail to do what Allāh has enjoined upon them of attending the gatherings and congregations (prayers), and pay no concern to that, nor do they see that they are performing a great abomination, and there is no doubt that that is from the weakness in īmān and little insight, and the large number of different kinds of sins and transgressions that overwhelm the heart (are present within them). We ask Allāh for safety for us and for all of the Muslims.

From that is: That some of them think that the Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessinvs be upon attends the mawlid, and this is from the greatest of falsehoods and the ugliest of ignorance, for verily the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, does not leave his grave before the Day of Resurrection, and he is not in contact with anyone from the people, and is not present in any of their gatherings, rather he is established in his grave until the Day of Resurrection, and his soul is in the highest Illyūn with his Lord in the esteemed place, as Allāh, the Most High, said in Sūrah Al-Mu'minūn:

“After that, surely, you will die. Then (again), surely, you will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection.”

[Al-Mu’minūn (23):15-16]

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“I will be the first to come out of the grave on the Day of Resurrection, and I will be the first intercessor, and the first one who will have his intercession accepted.”

May his Lord grant him the best of peace and salutations.

So, this noble verse and narration and what comes with the same meaning from other verses and narrations, all of them are proof that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and other than him from the dead only leave their graves on the Day of Resurrection, and this affair is agreed upon between all of the scholars of the Muslims, and in it there is no disagreement between them; So, every Muslim should pay attention to these affairs, and beware of what has been newly invented by the ignorant and their likes of innovations and imagined stories, which Allāh did not send down any authority for. And Allāh's help is sought, and upon Him is the trust, and there is no power or might except with Him.

As for the (sending of) peace and salutations upon the Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessings be upon him, then it is from the greatest forms of seeking nearness (to Allāh), and from the righteous actions, as Allāh, the Most High, said:

“Allāh sends His Salāt (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on the Prophet (Muhammad) and also His angels too (ask Allāh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salāt on (ask Allāh to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (Salām).”

[Al-Ahzāb (33):56]

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Whoever sends Salāt upon me once, then Allāh will send Salāt upon him ten times.”

And it is legislated at all times, and emphasised at the end of every prayer, rather, it is obligatory with all of the people of knowledge in the final tashahudd in every prayer, and it is an emphasised Sunnah in many places, from it is after the Adhān, and when mentioning him, peace and blessings be upon him, and on the day and night of Jumu’ah, as is proven in many narrations.

We ask Allāh aid us and all of the Muslims in understanding His religion and (granting us) firmness upon it, and that He blesses everyone to cling to the Sunnah and beware of innovation, for verily He is Bountiful, Generous.

وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد، وآله وصحبه