In the name of Allāh, ar-Raḥmān (the most merciful), ar-Raḥīm (the bestower of mercy).
All praise is due to Allāh; May peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet and those who follow his guidance until the Day of Resurrection.
Below are eight common arguments people often use to prove the validity of celebrating the “Mawlid” [1], followed by concise responses:
1st Argument: The Mawlid is a Sunnah.
Response: Anything that is a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ must be implemented, and its legislation accepted. Allāh, the most-high said,
{Say, ‘Obey Allāh and the Messenger.’ But if they turn away – then indeed, Allāh does not like the disbelievers} [03:32]
Also, the Prophet ﷺ ordered us to follow his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his companions. He said:
Upon you is my Sunnah, and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. [2]
It is very easy to verify the above claim by simply asking for proof from the Sunnah showing the Prophet ﷺ or his companions celebrating his birthday. Unfortunately for those who make this claim, there is no evidence which supports it.
2nd Argument: 12th Rabee’ al-Awwal is the day the Prophet ﷺ was born, and we are merely showing happiness.
Response: No doubt, it is an obligation upon every Muslim to be happy with the sending of the Prophet ﷺ, just as every Muslim must feel sadness upon his death. However, it has not been authentically established that he was born on the 12th of Rabee’ al-Awwal. Rather, what is known is that he died on this very day.
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajr said: “His death was on Monday without any disagreement in Rabee’ al-Awwal. This is almost a unanimous agreement… and according to Ibn Ishāq and the majority of the scholars that it was on the 12th of [the month].” [3]
There is nothing mentioned in the books of ḥadīth proving that the Prophet ﷺ was born on 12th Rabee’ al-Awwal. Rather, various opinions regarding the exact date are mentioned in the books of history. [4]
In any case, Allāh did not order us to commemorate the 12th Rabee’ al-Awwal for his birthday nor a death anniversary; neither with happiness and festivities, nor mourning and sadness. The companions did not specify this day after the Prophet as a day of joy just as they did not specify this day for sadness.
3rd Argument: The Prophet ﷺ mentioned his birthday; he said regarding fasting on Mondays, “It is the day I was born”. [5]
Response: The Prophet ﷺ did not make a mention of his birthday in this ḥadīth. A birthday is the specific day and year a person was born in. He merely mentioned that he was born on Monday without mentioning a date, month or year.
Also, the companions, may Allāh be pleased with them, did not understand from the mentioned ḥadīththat we should specify and celebrate the 12th of Rabee’ al-Awwal as a mawlid.
In fact, the act of commemorating this day is in opposition to this very ḥadīth. This ḥadīth shows us the recommendation of fasting every Monday, as the Prophet ﷺ would do. However, those who celebrate the Mawlid leave off fasting on this day and instead celebrate it, rejoice, eat and drink!
The ḥadīth is actually proof against those who celebrate the mawlid, and take it as an ‘Eid. It is known that fasting is impermissible on ‘Eid, so how could the mawlid be an ‘Eid and then the Prophet ﷺ fasts on the day.
4th Argument: Many miracles took place on the day the Prophet ﷺ was born, this shows we should celebrate it.
Response: A simple question is asked, were the companions of the Prophet ﷺ aware of these miracles? If the answer is yes – and it is hoped nobody would say they were ignorant about them – then why did they not celebrate his birthday?
Either they did not attach any importance to his birthday and thus did not celebrate it, or the answer is they did celebrate it. In that case, evidence needs to be provided supporting this – and there is no evidence.
5th Argument: Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ is an act of love, and whoever does not celebrate it shows his lack of love.
Response: From the core pillars upon which the Islām of a person is based is loving the Prophet ﷺ. However how is this love to be demonstrated?
Is it by innovating in the religion that which the Prophet ﷺ did not do? Is it by doing actions of “love” that his companions did not do? Is it by opposing his saying:
Indeed every innovation is a misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire [6]
Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me [7]
Or rather is the love of Allāh and his Prophet ﷺ demonstrated through following his Sunnah and abandoning innovations. Allāh, the most-high, said,
{Say: If you truly love Allāh then follow me; He will love you and forgive your sins} [03:31]
Also, if not celebrating Mawlid is bad manners, then does this mean the respected companions also showed bad manners to the Prophet ﷺ by not celebrating it?
Rather, the reality is that we do not celebrate his birthday exactly because love him and his sunnah, and despise all forms of bid’ah – there is no greater demonstration of true love and devotion, than emulating his way.
6th Argument: The Prophet ﷺ will save us from the Fire and therefore we should celebrate his birthday
Allāh is the One who controls who is admitted to Paradise and who is admitted to the Fire; this is not to be ascribed to the Prophet ﷺ nor anybody else. Allāh said, whilst addressing his Prophet ﷺ:
{Then, is one who has deserved the decree of punishment [to be guided]? Then, can you save one who is in the Fire?} [39:19]
So the one who saves us from the Fire is Allāh – alone He has no partners; as for the Prophet ﷺ, then he was sent to convey the message of Allaah, as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner of a painful punishment. Allāh will honour the Prophet ﷺ with the intercession of the Day of Resurrection, however, the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ will only be for the people of tawḥīd.
7th Argument: What is wrong with reciting the Qur’ān, being happy and sending salām upon the Prophet? This is what we do in the Mawlid.
Response: There is nothing wrong with reciting the Qur’ān, reading sīrah, poetry or sending salām upon the Prophet ﷺ. However, the innovation is in specifying a day, time or place for these acts of worship which were not specified by the Prophet ﷺ. He said:
Whoever innovates an action into this affair of ours (i.e. Islām), will have it rejected. [8]
Therefore, specifying a day or date for these acts of worship is a bid’ah and therefore rejected by Allāh – even if the original action of reciting the Qur’ān and sending salām upon the Prophet ﷺ are good. This is similar to a person specifying a particular day and encouraging people to pray 100 nafl raka’āt – this is a bid’ah even though nafl salāh in-of-itself is legislated.
Secondly, it is wrong to say that the Mawlid is merely reciting the Qur’ān, happiness and salām. Rather, food, music, shirk, marching in the street and free mixing often takes place.
8th Argument: Celebrating the Mawlid is a good innovation – a ‘bid’ah hasanah’.
Response: This doubt is in itself a contradiction to the first doubt that the Mawlid is a sunnah. If it is an established Sunnah then it cannot be a Bid’ah – good or otherwise, and also vice versa. Therefore those who celebrate the Mawlid must decide whether it is a sunnah or a bid’ah.
Regarding this doubt, there is nothing in Islām that can be classified as a “good innovation”. Rather all innovated acts of worship are deemed as evil, as it necessitates changing and adding to the religion of Allāh.
Those who use some of the statements of some scholars mentioning a “good bid’ah” do not understand the concept of bid’ah. The bid’ah which is rejected in the innovation and introduction of any act of worship into Islam without evidence, or ascribing something as being a part of Islām – such as an ‘Eid.
Also, had it been a good innovation, why was it never known until the sixth century? Why was it never “innovated” by the companions, despite them being the most loving of people towards the Prophet ﷺ? It was not commemorated by the great imāms, scholars and fuqahā of the first three centuries such as Abu Ḥanīfah, Mālik, Shāfi’ī, Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal, al-Bukhārī, Muslim and the other scholars.
Had there been any goodness in the Mawlid, surely the great imāmsand scholars of the early generations would have also celebrated it.
May Allāh guide us all to the true love of the Prophet ﷺ, implementing his sunnah and avoiding all innovations. May peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet, his family and companions. [9]
Written by:
Abul Abbaas Naveed Ayaaz
3rd Rabee’ al-Awwal 1435h, corresponding to 4th January 2014
Nelson, Lancashire.
Footnotes:
[1] Al-Mawlid an-Nabawi is the Arabic term for specifying a particular day in a year to commemorate the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ, just as the Christians specify 25th December to celebrate the birthday of Prophet ‘Eesa. The day specified is 12th Rabee’ al-Awwal.
[2] Narrated by ‘Irbaadh ibn Saariyah ; Collected by Abu Dawood & Tirmidhee
[3] Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar; Fat.h al-Baaree 7/736
[4] Refer to the following article for a more detailed analysis of the opinions regarding the birth of the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam): https://madeenah.com/was-the-prophet-born-on-the-12th-of-rabee-al-awwal/
[5] This hadeeth is narrated by Abu Qataadah and compiled by Muslim. A Bedouin came to the Prophet and asked him about fasting on Monday, to which the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied,
That is the day I was born on, and the day that the revelation began
[6] Narrated by ‘Irbaadh ibn Saariyah ; Collected by Abu Dawood & Ibn Maajah
[7] Narrated by Anas Ibn Maalik; Collected by Bukhaaree & Muslim
[8] Narrated by ‘Aaisha; Collected by Muslim
[9] These doubts were mentioned by al-Habeeb Ali al-Jifree, the well w caller to Shirk and innovations. Please refer to: ar-Radd Ash-Shaafee ‘alaa al-Jifree by Shaykh ‘Aadil al-Furaydaan. In it, he refutes the doubts of al-Jifree regarding Mawlid an-Nabawi.
An online pdf version is available from: http://ia600406.us.archive.org/4/items/zaq24/zaq24.pdf
