MAWLID
CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF THE HOLY PROPHET
ALLAH'S BLESSINGS AND PEACE
UPON HIM
Is there evidence for the celebration of Mawlid -- the Prophet's Birthday
-- in the Qur'an and the Sunna? What do the Imams and scholars of the Four
Schools say, and what about the contemporary "Salafi" scholars who forbade
it on the grounds that it is an innovation, such as Albani, Bin Baz, al-Jazaa'iri,
Mashhur Salman, `Uthaymin? What about those who celebrate Mawlid, but forbid
people from standing at the conclusion of Mawlid for sending Darood or Salawaat
-- blessings and salutations -- on the Prophet, Peace be upon him? And
what about the objections of some to using the phrase: "As-salaamu
`alaika ya Rasulallah" (Peace upon you, O Messenger of Allah), and
their claim that one cannot call the Prophet, peace be upon him, with the
term ya, or O?
PRELIMINARY
REMARKS
Proofs From the Qur'an and Sunna That Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday
is Accepted in Shari'ah
The Obligation to Increase the Love
and Honor of the Prophet
The Prophet Emphasized Monday As the Day
He Was Born
Allah Said: Rejoice in the Prophet
The Prophet Celebrated Great Historical
Events
Allah Said: Invoke Blessings on the Prophet
The Effect of Observing Mawlid on Unbelievers
The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate
Its Central Character
The Prophet Accepted Poetry in His Honor
Singing and Recitation of Poetry
Singing and Recitation of Qur'an
The Prophet Allowed Drum-Playing For A
Good Intention
The Prophet Emphasized the Birthday of
Prophets
Why Bukhari Emphasized Dying On Monday
The Prophet Emphasized the Birthplace of
Prophets
The Ijma` of `Ulama on the Permissibility
of Mawlid
History of The Celebration of Mawlid
Earliest Mentions of the Public Mawlid
CELEBRATION OF MAWLID AS UNDERSTOOD BY THE SCHOLARS
Ibn Taymiyya's Opinion on the Celebration
of Mawlid and the Deviation of "Salafis" from his Opinion
Ibn Taymiyya's Opinion on the Meetings of
Dhikr
Ibn Kathir Praises the Night of Mawlid
`Asqalani and Suyuti's Fatwas on the Permissibility
of Mawlid
Other Scholars' Opinions on the Mawlid
To Celebrate Mawlid Is Mandub (Recommended)
THE CLAIM OF THE CONTEMPORARY "SALAFI" WRITERS
WHO FORBADE MAWLID
SENDING DARUD OR SALAWAT
USING THE PHRASE: AS-SALAMU `ALAYKA YA
RASULALLAH
The Wahhabi's tampering of the MUWAJAHA
AL-SHARIFA (GATE TO THE PROPHET'S NOBLE GRAVE)
CONCLUSION: ONE MAY NOT OBJECT TO MAWLID
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and Peace and Blessings upon
His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad, his family and all his companions.
In Islam there are two `Ids, `Id al-Adha and `Id al-Fitr. Other celebrations,
like Mawlid, are neither obligatory nor forbidden. However, we have come
to a time in which we hear too much complaining about the remembrance of
the Prophet's birthday, although there are more important matters that
concern Muslims nowadays. We are living in a time when the enemies of Islam
are destroying the Umma of the Prophet from within and without, without
mercy, and there are now very few believers who are able to oppose them.
We have reached a time of jahiliyya (ignorance) among the Muslims, so much
so that the Truth has become a commodity and Falsehood has become the norm.
Allah Almighty is ordering believers, "Hold fast to the Rope of Allah and
do not separate" (Ali `Imran 103). Yet in this time, more than any other
time, we are finding that the attacks of our enemies are not the only cause
of our suffering. Within our own home, the Umma is being attacked and harmed
deeply by some people, whom we don't like to name but who are well-known.
They are not happy to fight the enemies of Islam but instead find it necessary
to fight Muslims and the community of believers throughout the Muslim world.
Therefore I felt it was my duty to prepare a defense of the believers from
the attacks of these Muslims, who have nothing to do while our enemies
are rending the Umma, except to find fault with the beliefs of other Muslims.
They take great pains to find anything that their scholars might consider
doubtful as an excuse to deride and denigrate the faith of Muslims, calling
them names like: mushrik, kafir, mubtadi`. And they have nothing better
to do than to change what Muslim scholars have accepted as correct for
1400 years, and to call it bid`a, shirk, and kufr!
To celebrate the Prophet's birthday is to celebrate Islam, because the
Prophet is the symbol of Islam. Imam Mutawalli Sha`rawi said in his book,
Ma'idat al-Fikr al-Islamiyya (p. 295), "If living beings were happy for
his coming (to this world) and every inanimate creation was happy at his
birth and all plants were happy at his birth and all animals were happy
at his birth and all angels were happy at his birth and all believing jinn
were happy at his birth, why are you preventing us from being happy at
his birth?"
Therefore, and in order to defend the common Muslims and believers from
such wrong and unacceptable accusations, especially in America and Canada,
where there aren't enough knowledgeable scholars to answer these ignorant
people, it is necessary to know the actual position of Islam on this, which
is permissibility based on khilaf (divergence of opinions among the scholars),
and no-one changes it to prohibition except the ignorant and the innovators.
Insha Allah, I will present the facts and proofs relating to the celebration
of Mawlid according to Qur'an and Sunna and the Scholars of Islam, with
the intention of countering the criticism and questioning of some ignorant
"scholars" who pretend to understand all of religion, and with the intention
of sharing with others that understanding with which Allah has blessed
the true scholars of Islam. Before going in-depth into explanations, I
would like to present three statements:
1. We say that celebrating the Mawlid of the Prophet is acceptable,
that to make gatherings for the hearing of his Sira (Life) and listening
to Madh (Praise) that has been written for him is acceptable, and that
giving food to people and bringing happiness to the Umma on that occasion
is acceptable.
2. We say that the celebration of the Prophet's Mawlid must not only
be on the 12th of Rabi` al-Awwal, but can and should be on every day of
every month in every mosque, in order for people to feel the light of Islam
and the light of Shari`a in their hearts.
3. We say that Mawlid gatherings are an effective and efficient means
for the purpose of calling people to Islam and educate children, that these
meetings give a golden opportunity that must not be lost, for every scholar
and da`i to teach and remind the Nation of the Prophet of his good character,
his way of worshipping, and his way of treating people. This is a way to
make children love and remember their Prophet, by giving them food and
juice and gifts to make them happy.
Proofs From the Qur'an and Sunna That Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday
is Accepted in Shari`a.
The Obligation to Increase the Love and Honor of the
Prophet
Allah asks the Prophet, Peace be upon him, to remind his Nation that
it is essential for those who claim to love Allah, to love His Prophet:
"Say to them: If you love Allah, follow (and love and honor) me, and Allah
will love you" (3:31).
The Celebration of the Holy Prophet's birth is motivated by this obligation
to love the Prophet, Peace be upon him, to obey him, to remember him, to
follow his example, and to be proud of him as Allah is proud of him, since
Allah has boasted about him in His Holy Book by saying, "Truly you are
of a magnificent character" (al-Qalam 4).
Love of the Prophet is what differentiates the believers in the perfection
of their iman. In an authentic hadith related in Bukhari and Muslim, the
Prophet said: "None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves
his children, his parents, and all people." In another hadith in Bukhari
he said: "None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves himself"
and Sayyidina `Umar said: "O Prophet, I love you more than myself."
Perfection of faith is dependent on love of the Prophet because Allah
and His angels are constantly raising his honor, as is meant by the verse
already quoted, "Allah and His angels are praying on the Prophet" (33:56).
The divine order that immediately follows in the verse, "O believers, pray
on him," makes it clear that the quality of being a believer is dependent
on and manifested by praying on the Prophet. O Allah! Send peace and blessings
on the Prophet, his family, and his companions.
The Prophet Emphasized Monday As the Day He Was Born
Abu Qatada al-Ansari narrates in Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-siyam, that
the Prophet was asked about the fast of Monday, and he answered: "That
is the day that I was born and that is the day I received the prophecy."
We quote again from Mutawalli Sha`rawi: "Many extraordinary events
occurred on his birthday as evidenced in hadith and history, and the night
of his birth is not like the night of any other human being's birth." These
events and the hadiths pertaining thereto, such as the shaking of Chosroes'
court, the extinction of the 1,000-year old fire in Persia, etc. are related
in Ibn Kathir's work al-Bidaya, Vol. 2, pages 265-268.
We quote from the book Kitab al-Madkhal by Ibn al-hajj (Vol. 1, p. 261):
"It is an obligation that on every Monday of Rabi` ul-Awwal we increase
our worship to thank Allah for what He gave us as a great favor--the favor
of sending us His beloved Prophet to direct us to Islam and to peace...
The Prophet, when answering someone questioning him about fasting on Mondays,
mentioned: On that day I was born. Therefore that day gives honor to that
month, because that is the day of the Prop... and he said: I am the master
of the children of Adam and I say that without pride... and he said: Adam
and whoever is descended from him are under my flag on the day of Judgment.
These hadiths were transmitted by the Shaikhayn [Bukhari and Muslim]. And
Muslim quotes in his Sahih, the Prophet said, On that day Monday I was
born and on that day the first message was sent to me."
The Prophet emphasized the day of his birth and thanked Allah for the
big favor of bringing him to life by fasting on that day as is mentioned
in the hadith of Abu Qatada. This means that the Prophet was expressing
his happiness for that day by fasting, which is a kind of worship. Since
the Prophet emphasized that day by fasting, worship in any form to emphasize
that day is also acceptable. Even if we change the form, the essence is
kept. Therefore, fasting, giving food to the poor, coming together to praise
the Prophet, or coming together to remember his good manners and good behavior,
all of this is considered a way of emphasizing that day. (See also the
hadith "Dying on Monday" below.)
Allah Said: Rejoice in the Prophet
THIRD: To express happiness for the Prophet coming to us is an obligation
given by Allah through Qur'an, as Allah said in Qur'an: "Of the favor and
mercy of Allah let them rejoice" (Yunus 58).
This order came because joy makes the heart grateful for the mercy of
Allah. And What greater mercy did Allah give than the Prophet himself,
of whom Allah says, "We did not send you except as a mercy to human beings"
(Al-Anbiya' 107).
Because the Prophet was sent as a mercy to all mankind, it is incumbent
not only upon Muslims, but upon all human beings to rejoice in his person.
Unfortunately, today it is some Muslims who are foremost in rejecting Allah's
order to rejoice in His Prophet.
The Prophet Celebrated Great Historical Events
FOURTH: The Prophet always made the connection between religious events
and historical events, so that when the time returned for a significant
event, he reminded his sahaba to celebrate that day and to emphasize it,
even if it had happened in the distant past. This principle can be found
in the following hadith of Bukhari and others: "When the Prophet reached
Madina, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of `Ashura'. He asked about
that day and they told him that on that day, Allah saved their Prophet,
Sayyidina Musa and drowned their enemy. Therefore they are fasting on that
day to thank Allah for that favor." At that time the Prophet responded
with the famous hadith, "We have more right to Musa than you," and he used
to fast that day and the day preceding it.
Allah Said: Invoke Blessings on the Prophet
FIFTH: Remembrance of the birth of the Prophet encourages us to pray on
the Prophet and to praise him, which is an obligation on us through Allah's
order in the verse,
"Allah and His angels are praying on (and praising) the Prophet; O believers!
pray on (and praise) him and send him utmost greetings" (al-Ahzab 56).
Coming together and remembering the Prophet causes us to pray on him
and to praise him. Who has the right to deny the obligation which Allah
has ordered us to fulfill through the Holy Qur'an? The benefit brought
by obeying an order of Allah, and the light that it brings to our heart,
cannot be measured. That obligation, furthermore, is mentioned in the plural:
Allah and His angels are praying on and praising the Prophet -- in a gathering.
It is entirely incorrect, therefore, to say that praying on and praising
the Prophet must be done alone.
The Effect of Observing Mawlid on Unbelievers
SIXTH: Expressing happiness and celebrating the Prophet on his birthday
causes even unbelievers, by Allah's favor and mercy, to gain some benefit.
This is mentioned in sahih Bukhari. Bukhari said in his hadith that every
Monday, Abu Lahab in his grave is released from punishment because he freed
his handmaid Thuwayba when she brought him the news of the Prophet's birth.
This hadith is mentioned in Bukhari in the book of Nikah, and Ibn Kathir
mentions it in his books Sirat al-Nabi Vol.1, p. 124, Mawlid al-Nabi p.
21, and al-Bidaya p. 272-273. The hafiz Shamsuddin Muhammad ibn Nasiruddin
ad-Dimashqi wrote on this the following verses in his book Mawrid as-sadi
fi Mawlid al-Hadi: "If this, a kafir who was condemned to hell eternally
with "Perish his hands" [Surat 111], is said to enjoy a respite every Monday
because he rejoiced in Ahmad: what then do you think of the servant who,
all his life, was happy with Ahmad, and died saying, "One"?"
The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate Its Central
Character
SEVENTH: We are asked to know about our Prophet, about his life, about
his miracles, about his birth, about his manners, about his faith, about
his signs (Ayat wa Dala'il), about his seclusions, about his worship, and
is not this knowledge an obligation for every Muslim? What is better than
celebrating and remembering his birth, which represents the essence of
his life, in order to acquire knowledge of his life? To remember his birth
begins to remind us of everything else about him. This will make Allah
happy with us because then we will be able to know the Prophet's sira better,
and be readier to take him as an example for ourselves, to correct ourselves,
and to imitate him. That is why the celebration of his birthday is a great
favor sent to us.
The Prophet Accepted Poetry in His Honor
EIGHTH: In the time of the Prophet, it is well-known that poets came to
him with all kinds of works praising him, writing about his campaigns and
battles and about the sahaba. This is proved by the numerous poems quoted
in the Siras of Ibn Hisham, al-Waqidi, and others. The Prophet was happy
with good poetry since it is reported in Bukhari's al-Adab al-mufrad and
elsewhere that he said: "There is wisdom in poetry." Thus the Prophet's
uncle al-`Abbas composed poetry praising the birth of the Prophet, in which
are found the following lines:
When you were born, the earth was shining,
and the firmament barely contained your light,
and we can pierce through,
thanks to that radiance and light and path of guidance.
This text is found in Suyuti's Husn al-maqsid p. 5 and in Ibn Kathir's
Mawlid p. 30 as well as Ibn Hajar's Fath al-Bari. Ibn Kathir mentions the
fact that according to the Sahaba, the Prophet praised his own name and
recited poetry about himself in the middle of the battle of Hunayn in order
to encourage the companions and scare the enemies. That day he said: "I
am the Prophet! This is no lie. I am the son of `Abd al-Muttalib!"
The Prophet was therefore happy with those who praised him because it
is Allah's order, and he gave them from what Allah was providing him. If
we get together and do something in order to approach the Prophet, we are
doing something to approach Allah, and approaching the Prophet will make
Allah happy with us.
Singing and Recitation of Poetry
It is established that the Prophet instructed `A'isha to let two ladies
sing on the day of `Eid. He said to Abu Bakr: "Let them sing, because for
every nation there is a holiday, and this is our holiday" [Agreed upon].
Ibn Qayyim in Madarij al-salikin comments that the Prophet also gave permission
to sing in wedding celebrations, and allowed poetry to be recited to him.
He heard Anas and the Companions praising him and reciting poems while
digging before the famous battle of the Trench (Khandaq), as they said:
"We are the ones who gave bay`a to Muhammad for jihad as long as we are
living."
Ibn Qayyim also mentions `Abdullah ibn Rawaha's long poem praising the
Prophet as the latter entered Mecca, after which, the Prophet prayed for
him. He prayed that Allah support Hassan ibn Thabit, with the holy spirit
as long as he would support the Prophet with his poetry. Similarly the
Prophet rewarded Ka`b ibn Zuhayr's poem of praise with a robe. The Prophet
asked Aswad bin Sarih to make poems praising Allah, and he asked someone
else to recite the poem of praise of 100 verses which Umayya ibn Abi halh
had composed. Ibn Qayyim continues, "`A'isha always recited poems praising
him and he was happy with her."
Part of the funeral eulogy Hassan ibn Thabit for the Prophet states:
I say, and none can find fault with me
But one lost to all sense:
I shall never cease to praise him.
It may be for so doing I shall be for ever in Paradise
With the Chosen One for whose support in that I hope.
And to attain to that day I devote all my efforts.
Singing and Recitation of Qur'an
As Ibn al-Qayyim says in his book, "Allah gave permission to his Prophet
to recite the Qur'an in a melodious way. Abu Musa al-Ash`ari one time was
reciting the Qur'an in a melodious voice and the Prophet was listening
to him. After he finished, the Prophet congratulated him on reciting in
a melodious way and said, "You have a good voice." And he said about Abu
Musa al-Ash`ari that Allah gave him a "mizmar" (flute or horn) from Dawud's
mizmars. Then Abu Musa said, "O Messenger of Allah, if I had known that
you were listening to me, I would have recited it in a much more melodious
and beautiful voice such as you have never heard before." Ibn Qayyim continues,
"The Prophet said, "Decorate the Qur'an with your voices," and "Who does
not sing the Qur'an is not from us." Ibn Qayyim comments: "To take pleasure
in a good voice is acceptable, as is taking pleasure from a nice scenery,
such as mountains or nature, or from a nice smell, or from good food, as
long as it is conforming to shari`a. If listening to a good voice is haram,
then taking pleasure in all these other things is also haram."
The Prophet Allowed Drum-Playing For A Good Intention
Ibn `Abbad the Muhaddith gave the following fatwa in his "Letters." He
starts with the hadith, "One lady came to the Prophet when he was returning
from one of his battles and she said, "Ya Rasulallah, I have made an oath
that if Allah sends you back safe, I would play this drum near you." The
Prophet said, "Fulfill your oath." The hadith is found in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi,
and the Imam Ahmad.
Ibn `Abbad continues, "There is no doubt that the playing of a drum
is a kind of entertainment, even though the Prophet ordered her to fulfill
her oath. He did that because her intention was to honor him for returning
safely, and her intention was a good intention, not with the intention
of a sin or of wasting time. Therefore, if anyone celebrates the time of
the birth of the Prophet in a good way, with a good intention, by reading
Sira and praising him, it is accepted."
The Prophet Emphasized the Birthday of Prophets
NINTH: The Prophet emphasized in his hadith both the day and the place
of birth of previous prophets. Speaking of the greatness of the day of
Jumu`a (Friday), the Prophet said in his hadith: "On that day [i.e. Jumu`a],
Allah created Adam." This means that the day of Friday is emphasized because
Allah created Adam on that day. That day is emphasized because it saw the
creation of the prophet and father of all human beings. What about the
day when the greatest of prophets and best of human beings was created?
The Prophet said: "Truly Allah made me the Seal of prophets while Adam
was between water and clay." This hadith is related by Ahmad in the Musnad,
Bayhaqi in Dala'il al-Nubuwwa and others, and is sound and established
as authentic.
Why Bukhari Emphasized Dying On Monday
Imam Qastallani said in his commentary on Bukhari: "In his book on Jana'iz
(Funerals), Bukhari named an entire chapter "Dying on Monday." In it there
is the hadith of `A'isha relating her father's (Abu Bakr as-Siddiq) question:
"On which day did the Prophet die?" She replied: "Monday." He asked: "What
day are we today?" She said, "O my father, this is Monday." Then he raised
his hands and said: "I beg you, O Allah, to let me die on Monday in order
to coincide with the Prophet's day of passing."
Imam Qastallani continues, "Why did Abu Bakr ask for his death to be
on Monday? So that his death would coincide with the day of the Prophet's
passing, in order to receive the baraka of that day... Does anyone object
to Abu Bakr's asking to pass away on that day for the sake of baraka? Now,
why are people objecting to celebrating or emphasizing the day of the Prophet
's birth in order to get baraka?"
The Prophet Emphasized the Birthplace of Prophets
A hadith authentified by the hafiz al-Haythami in Majma` al-zawa'id
states that on the night of Isra' and Mi`raj, the Prophet was ordered by
Jibril to pray two rak`ats in Bayt Lahm (Bethlehem), and Jibril asked him:
"Do you know where you prayed? When the Prophet asked him where, he told
him: "You prayed where `Isa was born."
The Ijma` of `Ulama on the Permissibility of Mawlid
TENTH: Remembering the Prophet's birthday is an act that all `ulama of
the Muslim world accept and still accept. This means that Allah accepts
it, according to the saying of Ibn Mas`ud related in Imam Ahmad's Musnad
with a sound chain: "Whatever the majority of Muslims see as right, then
this is good to Allah, and whatever is seen by the majority of Muslims
as wrong, it is wrong to Allah."
History of The Celebration of Mawlid:
The Mawlid in Mecca According to Muslim Historians-Celebration of the
Birthplace of the Prophet
Mecca, the Mother of cities, may Allah bless and honor her, is the leader
of other Islamic cities in the celebration of Mawlid as in other things.
In his book Akhbar Makka, Vol. 2, p. 160, the 3rd-century historian of
Mecca, al-Azraqi, mentions as one of the many places in Mecca in which
the performance of salâh is desirable (mustahabb), the house where the Prophet
was born (Mawlid al-Nabi). According to him, the house had previously been
turned into a mosque by the mother of the caliphs Musa al-Hadi and Harun
ar-Rashid.
The Qur'anic scholar al-Naqqash (266-351) mentions the birthplace of
the Prophet as a place where du`a by noon on Mondays is answered. He is
quoted in al-Fasi's Shifa' al-gharam Vol. 1, p. 199, and others.
Earliest Mentions of the Public Mawlid
The oldest source that mentions a public commemoration of the Mawlid
is in Ibn Jubayr's (540-614) Rihal ("Travels"), p. 114-115:
"This blessed place [the house of the Prophet] is opened, and all men
enter it to derive blessing from it (mutabarrikin bihi), on every Monday
of the month of Rabi` al-Awwal; for on that day and in that month was born
the Prophet."
The 7th-century historians Abul `Abbas al-`Azafi and his son Abul Qasim
al-`Azafi wrote in their unpublished Kitab ad-durr al-munazzam:
"Pious pilgrims and prominent travellers testified that, on the day
of the mawlid in Mecca, no activities are undertaken, and nothing is sold
or bought, except by the people who are busy visiting his noble birthplace,
and rush to it. On this day the Ka`ba is opened and visited."
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