The Ruling on Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday
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So let us look at this celebration: when did it occur? Is it consistent with reality? Is it consistent with the Shari'ah? So that its ruling becomes clear. And it is obligatory for a person to act in accordance with what the evidence requires.
As for reality, it is not correct from a historical standpoint; because it is not established that the birth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal. Rather, what is established according to astronomical calculation is that it was on the ninth day of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, not on the twelfth. And thus, the celebration of this day is invalid from a historical standpoint.
Then we say: If the day of his birth is established, do we have any benefit from his birth before he became a Messenger guiding people to the truth? No.
For this reason, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Imran: 164] It did not say: "When a Messenger was born among them!" It said: [Al-Imran: 164] So the blessing is, in reality, by the sending of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), not by his birth; because he (peace and blessings be upon him) was unlettered, not reading or writing,Rather, Allah said to him: [Ash-Shura: 52] So he was not a Prophet or a Messenger until after his mission (peace and blessings be upon him). As for before that, he was not a Prophet or a Messenger. So the celebration, if there were a celebration, would be for his mission, not his birth. And it is known that the first of the Qur'an to be revealed to him was revealed in the month of Ramadan, not in the month of Rabi'.
From a legal standpoint, this celebration is not established. Rather, it is from religious innovations (bid'ah), and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. It is not established; because the way to establish that a matter is prescribed is the Book or the Sunnah or the practice of the Companions. Is there in the Book a command or recommendation to celebrate his birth? It does not exist. Is that in the Sunnah? It does not exist. The most that is there is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about fasting on Monday,So he said: (That is the day I was born, the day I was sent, and the day it was revealed to me) And this is a mention of the virtue of Monday, not the virtue of the birth. So this day was a blessed day in which these things occurred, so its fasting was prescribed.
Did it come from the practice of the Companions that they celebrated his birth?
No.
Was that in the era of those who followed them in goodness?Answer: No.
Was it in the era of those who followed the followers?Answer: No.
So the three centuries all passed without celebrating this innovation.
It occurred in the fourth Hijri century, whether out of good intention or not, but it is an innovation. It is something to which Allah did not call in the Book, and the Messenger did not do it, nor the Caliphs after him, nor the Companions, nor those who followed them in goodness, nor their followers. So how does a latecomer of this Ummah come and act upon it?Third: If they say: This is a means of nearness to Allah, because we do not go beyond sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioning his virtues and excellences?So the answer is that we say: If it had been good, they would have preceded us to it. Were the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his Caliphs, his Companions, the followers, and their followers ignorant of this means of nearness, or knowledgeable?! If it is said: If they were ignorant, then they are charged with ignorance, and this is a defect in them. And this person claims to be more guided than the Messenger and his Companions; because he was guided to the truth and they were not guided to it.And if it is said: If they were not ignorant,It is said: Then: they are concealers and arrogant who did not explain this to the Ummah, and did not act upon it. So for not explaining it to the Ummah, they are concealers of the truth, and for not acting upon it, they are arrogant regarding the truth.What person would dare to say: Is the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) a concealer or arrogant?! No one dares to say that. These people's innovation necessitates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is either ignorant that it is from the truth, or a concealer of explaining it to people, or arrogant about acting upon it. All of this is false! A believer cannot describe the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with this, but it is a necessary consequence of the innovation.
Then we say: Did the religion become complete with the death of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or not?Answer: It became complete.Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah: 3] "I have perfected for you your religion!" This innovation, which its innovators claim is from the religion, necessitates that the religion did not become complete with the death of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); that this innovation remained for it. And this necessitates a great loss,And this is a denial of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 3] Because according to the action of these people, the religion did not become complete. So the religion would be incomplete until these people came and innovated this innovation and completed it with it.If they say: No.
The religion is complete, and we have not brought anything except sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioning his virtues, and reviving his memory.We say: This is not correct; because what is known of these celebrations is that they contain great exaggeration which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, and that they sing the words of al-Busiri addressing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
O most noble of creation! I have no one to take refuge in but You when the general calamity befalls
So what do you say about this verse?If he says: I have no one to take refuge in but You when the general calamity befalls; such as earthquakes, storms, lightning, diseases, and wars. I have no one to take refuge in but You!! And this phrase, as you know, is a restriction (I have no one but You) Where is Allah?! The implication of this verse is that there is no deity to call upon for aid, (I have no one to take refuge in but You when the general calamity befalls).
If you are not taking my hand on the Day of Resurrection in forgiveness, then say: O slip of the foot
For from your generosity is the world and its neighbor, and from your knowledge is the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and the Pen
(The world) is what we live in, and (its twin) is the Hereafter. This is from the generosity of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and not all generosity is from Him. So what remains for Allah?! Nothing, As long as the world and the Hereafter are from the generosity of the Messenger, then: Allah has no cause in them!
For from your generosity is the world and its neighbor, and from your knowledge is the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and the Pen
Also, from His knowledge is the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and the Pen. Does the Messenger know what is in the Preserved Tablet? No.
And this is a denial of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-An'am: 50] So the matter is serious, very, very serious. And if it had not become customary for some people who use it, it would have been severe for every person.
Then we say: If you say: That is a revival of the memory of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), do you not remember him except on this night? If you are so, it means that you have no righteous deed, and you have no Adhan, no Tashahhud, no Dhikr during Wudu, or otherwise. Because the remembrance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is at all times and moments.The adhan contains the mention of the Messenger: I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.The prayer contains the mention of the Messenger in the tashahhud: I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. Rather, every act of worship contains the remembrance of the Messenger, because worship is not valid unless there is sincerity and following in it. Following necessitates that you feel that in this act of worship you are following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And if you feel this feeling, is there a memory or not? Yes, there is a memory. And according to their words, there is no memory of the Messenger except in this innovation. Glory be to Allah! You remember the Messenger in all areas. Every righteous deed reminds you of the Messenger.
As for reality, it is not correct from a historical standpoint; because it is not established that the birth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal. Rather, what is established according to astronomical calculation is that it was on the ninth day of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, not on the twelfth. And thus, the celebration of this day is invalid from a historical standpoint.
Then we say: If the day of his birth is established, do we have any benefit from his birth before he became a Messenger guiding people to the truth? No.
For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:
Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاًWhen He sent
إِذْ بَعَثَYou did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants
مَا كُنْتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلا الْأِيمَانُ وَلَكِنْ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُوراً نَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ نَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَاFrom a legal standpoint, this celebration is not established. Rather, it is from religious innovations (bid'ah), and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. It is not established; because the way to establish that a matter is prescribed is the Book or the Sunnah or the practice of the Companions. Is there in the Book a command or recommendation to celebrate his birth? It does not exist. Is that in the Sunnah? It does not exist. The most that is there is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about fasting on Monday,So he said: (That is the day I was born, the day I was sent, and the day it was revealed to me) And this is a mention of the virtue of Monday, not the virtue of the birth. So this day was a blessed day in which these things occurred, so its fasting was prescribed.
Did it come from the practice of the Companions that they celebrated his birth?
No.
Was that in the era of those who followed them in goodness?Answer: No.
Was it in the era of those who followed the followers?Answer: No.
So the three centuries all passed without celebrating this innovation.
It occurred in the fourth Hijri century, whether out of good intention or not, but it is an innovation. It is something to which Allah did not call in the Book, and the Messenger did not do it, nor the Caliphs after him, nor the Companions, nor those who followed them in goodness, nor their followers. So how does a latecomer of this Ummah come and act upon it?Third: If they say: This is a means of nearness to Allah, because we do not go beyond sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioning his virtues and excellences?So the answer is that we say: If it had been good, they would have preceded us to it. Were the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his Caliphs, his Companions, the followers, and their followers ignorant of this means of nearness, or knowledgeable?! If it is said: If they were ignorant, then they are charged with ignorance, and this is a defect in them. And this person claims to be more guided than the Messenger and his Companions; because he was guided to the truth and they were not guided to it.And if it is said: If they were not ignorant,It is said: Then: they are concealers and arrogant who did not explain this to the Ummah, and did not act upon it. So for not explaining it to the Ummah, they are concealers of the truth, and for not acting upon it, they are arrogant regarding the truth.What person would dare to say: Is the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) a concealer or arrogant?! No one dares to say that. These people's innovation necessitates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is either ignorant that it is from the truth, or a concealer of explaining it to people, or arrogant about acting upon it. All of this is false! A believer cannot describe the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with this, but it is a necessary consequence of the innovation.
Then we say: Did the religion become complete with the death of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or not?Answer: It became complete.Allah the Exalted said:
This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلامَ دِيناًThis day I have perfected for you your religion
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْThe religion is complete, and we have not brought anything except sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioning his virtues, and reviving his memory.We say: This is not correct; because what is known of these celebrations is that they contain great exaggeration which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, and that they sing the words of al-Busiri addressing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
O most noble of creation! I have no one to take refuge in but You when the general calamity befalls
So what do you say about this verse?If he says: I have no one to take refuge in but You when the general calamity befalls; such as earthquakes, storms, lightning, diseases, and wars. I have no one to take refuge in but You!! And this phrase, as you know, is a restriction (I have no one but You) Where is Allah?! The implication of this verse is that there is no deity to call upon for aid, (I have no one to take refuge in but You when the general calamity befalls).
If you are not taking my hand on the Day of Resurrection in forgiveness, then say: O slip of the foot
For from your generosity is the world and its neighbor, and from your knowledge is the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and the Pen
(The world) is what we live in, and (its twin) is the Hereafter. This is from the generosity of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and not all generosity is from Him. So what remains for Allah?! Nothing, As long as the world and the Hereafter are from the generosity of the Messenger, then: Allah has no cause in them!
For from your generosity is the world and its neighbor, and from your knowledge is the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and the Pen
Also, from His knowledge is the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and the Pen. Does the Messenger know what is in the Preserved Tablet? No.
And this is a denial of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel
قُلْ لا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌThen we say: If you say: That is a revival of the memory of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), do you not remember him except on this night? If you are so, it means that you have no righteous deed, and you have no Adhan, no Tashahhud, no Dhikr during Wudu, or otherwise. Because the remembrance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is at all times and moments.The adhan contains the mention of the Messenger: I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.The prayer contains the mention of the Messenger in the tashahhud: I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. Rather, every act of worship contains the remembrance of the Messenger, because worship is not valid unless there is sincerity and following in it. Following necessitates that you feel that in this act of worship you are following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And if you feel this feeling, is there a memory or not? Yes, there is a memory. And according to their words, there is no memory of the Messenger except in this innovation. Glory be to Allah! You remember the Messenger in all areas. Every righteous deed reminds you of the Messenger.