A series of shirk-based innovations and abominations in the Mawlid
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Fatwa number ( 9126 ):
Q: We are a group of memorizers of the Noble Qur'an who gather every year on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of the Master of Humanity, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), at the shrine of one of the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) where an annual season is held in which children are circumcised and people give charity to the students in the form of items and dirhams. After the visitors leave, the students collect the money, each according to his level and generosity, and from the sale of the donated items by auction. One of them might say, for example: "What did you put, O students, in this head covering?" They reply: "We put in it health, or wealth, or the rectitude of the children..." and so on. It is then sold for a high price equal to several times its original value. Then they buy with this money the sacrificial animals that are slaughtered at this shrine. The students remain here for a week, completing the recitation of the Qur'an several times each night.
They pray inside the room of the shrine, knowing that the shrine is inside the room and the room is inside the public cemetery... What is Allah's ruling on this practice? Is it an act by which one draws near to Allah, or does this practice have no basis in the Shari'ah? Please issue a ruling for us, may Allah reward you with good.
A: First: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is our Prophet, our beloved, and the master of the children of Adam, without boasting. He is the Seal of the Prophets and was sent to all people. He is the first intercessor and the one who will be interceded for on the Day of Resurrection, (peace and blessings be upon him). However, celebrating his birth is a bid'ah (religious innovation); because he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it for himself, nor did he establish it as a sunnah (recommended practice) for his Ummah, nor did his Rightly Guided Caliphs or the rest of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) do it. They were the people who understood his Shari'ah best, and the greatest of the believers in their love for him and their eagerness to follow him and honor him. If celebrating the Mawlid had been prescribed, they would have done it. It is not established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from them. Therefore, it is an invented innovation. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Muslim 1718a narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, This, and doing it at the shrine of one of the righteous or near it, increases the innovation in religion and the exaggeration regarding the righteous. This is the clear misguidance. Second: The circumcision of children is a sunnah (recommended practice) of the fitrah (the innate natural disposition), and charity in itself extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire. Both matters are encouraged by the Shari'ah and called for. However, doing so in an annual celebration at
the shrine of a righteous person, and slaughtering sacrificial animals at it, is a shirk-based and pre-Islamic pagan innovation; because of what is in it of taking the shrine as a festival and bringing offerings to it, seeking blessing from it, as is apparent from the intention to visit it annually for circumcision at it, giving charity at it in money or other things, and slaughtering at it. From Thabit ibn al-Dahhak (may Allah be pleased with him) he said:Sunan al-Bayhaqi 17:1048 narrated by Abu Dawud . Third: The students remaining at the shrine for a week, reading the Qur'an and completing its recitation at it several times every night, is another bid'ah (religious innovation). Or reading the Qur'an for the dead at the grave or graves - is from the abominable innovations. Fourth: Their praying inside the shrine in the room built for it inside the cemetery is prohibited by the Shari'ah and invalid; because that is from taking graves as mosques, which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who does. It has become clear from this that what you mentioned in the question is a series of shirk-based innovations and abominations. So whoever sees that should deny it and change it
with his hand, if he cannot, then with his tongue, if he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith. As it is established in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Muslim 49a narrated by Ahmad , and Muslim, and Abu Dawud , and al-Nasa'i, and al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: We are a group of memorizers of the Noble Qur'an who gather every year on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of the Master of Humanity, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), at the shrine of one of the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) where an annual season is held in which children are circumcised and people give charity to the students in the form of items and dirhams. After the visitors leave, the students collect the money, each according to his level and generosity, and from the sale of the donated items by auction. One of them might say, for example: "What did you put, O students, in this head covering?" They reply: "We put in it health, or wealth, or the rectitude of the children..." and so on. It is then sold for a high price equal to several times its original value. Then they buy with this money the sacrificial animals that are slaughtered at this shrine. The students remain here for a week, completing the recitation of the Qur'an several times each night.
They pray inside the room of the shrine, knowing that the shrine is inside the room and the room is inside the public cemetery... What is Allah's ruling on this practice? Is it an act by which one draws near to Allah, or does this practice have no basis in the Shari'ah? Please issue a ruling for us, may Allah reward you with good.
A: First: Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is our Prophet, our beloved, and the master of the children of Adam, without boasting. He is the Seal of the Prophets and was sent to all people. He is the first intercessor and the one who will be interceded for on the Day of Resurrection, (peace and blessings be upon him). However, celebrating his birth is a bid'ah (religious innovation); because he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it for himself, nor did he establish it as a sunnah (recommended practice) for his Ummah, nor did his Rightly Guided Caliphs or the rest of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) do it. They were the people who understood his Shari'ah best, and the greatest of the believers in their love for him and their eagerness to follow him and honor him. If celebrating the Mawlid had been prescribed, they would have done it. It is not established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from them. Therefore, it is an invented innovation. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردthe shrine of a righteous person, and slaughtering sacrificial animals at it, is a shirk-based and pre-Islamic pagan innovation; because of what is in it of taking the shrine as a festival and bringing offerings to it, seeking blessing from it, as is apparent from the intention to visit it annually for circumcision at it, giving charity at it in money or other things, and slaughtering at it. From Thabit ibn al-Dahhak (may Allah be pleased with him) he said:
A man vowed to slaughter camels at Bawana, so he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: "Was there an idol among the idols of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance that was worshipped there?" They said: "No." He said: "Was there a festival among their festivals there?" They said: "No." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fulfill your vow, for there is no fulfillment of a vow in disobedience to Allah, nor in what the son of Adam does not own."
نذر رجل أن ينحر إبلاً ببوانة ، فسأل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال هل كان فيها وثن من أوثان الجاهلية يعبد، قالوا: لا، قال: فهل كان فيها عيد من أعيادهم؟ قالوا: لا، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أوف بنذرك، فإنه لا وفاء لنذر في معصية الله، ولا فيما لا يملك ابن آدمwith his hand, if he cannot, then with his tongue, if he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith. As it is established in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه، وذلك أضعف الإِيمان
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.