The Shaykh’s explanation of some of the things the people of innovation do during the Mawlid and the nonsense they mention on this day.
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The Shaykh : And this is said only if the matter stops at what is called celebrating his birth (peace be upon him), meaning reciting the story of the Mawlid. But if things are added to this recitation, and many things indeed, among them that they recite from his story (may Allah’s prayers and blessings be upon him) the story of the Mawlid, first, what is not authentically attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and second, they mention of his attributes (peace be upon him) regarding his birth what is shared by most of humanity. Whereas, if there were to be a celebration, or if it were at least permissible regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), it would be obligatory to mention his virtues (may Allah’s prayers and blessings be upon him), his morals, his struggle in the path of Allah, and his turning the Arabian Peninsula from associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to the oneness of Allah, from the bad, corrupt morals of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance to Islamic morals. This is what was obligatory for them to do. But they followed the pattern of reciting sources, especially until recently, consisting of hymns and rhyming words. And among what is said in that, for example, what remains in my memory, and the time is long past, is: “His mother carried him for nine lunar months.” What is the benefit of mentioning this news, when every one of us is carried by his mother for nine lunar months?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is this. So the question is: Is the best of people and the master of people (peace and blessings be upon him) described by this characteristic which is shared even by the disbeliever? If the purpose of the Mawlid is to exit its goal with such low, weak words, some of them, for example, mention that he was born circumcised... and this is from the weak and fabricated hadiths. So they praise the Messenger (peace be upon him) in this way. We say that the celebration in its origin, if it contained no contradiction other than being an innovation, would suffice as an obligation to stay away from it for the two previous reasons: because it is an innovation, and because it is legislation. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not pleased for a person to legislate for creation what he wishes. How much more so when, over the years, things have been added to the Mawlid, things and things from what we mentioned, and the discussion would be long if we were to speak about it. So the exhortation for the Muslim here, and the advice, is to know that anything that was not in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and in the time of the righteous predecessors, no matter how people adorn it, no matter how they beautify it, and no matter how they say this is out of love for the Messenger, most of them are liars. They do not love the Messenger except in words, or in singing and pleasing the ear, and the like. No matter how they adorn these religious innovations, it is upon us to remain holding fast to what our righteous predecessors (may Allah be pleased with them all) were upon.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is this. So the question is: Is the best of people and the master of people (peace and blessings be upon him) described by this characteristic which is shared even by the disbeliever? If the purpose of the Mawlid is to exit its goal with such low, weak words, some of them, for example, mention that he was born circumcised... and this is from the weak and fabricated hadiths. So they praise the Messenger (peace be upon him) in this way. We say that the celebration in its origin, if it contained no contradiction other than being an innovation, would suffice as an obligation to stay away from it for the two previous reasons: because it is an innovation, and because it is legislation. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not pleased for a person to legislate for creation what he wishes. How much more so when, over the years, things have been added to the Mawlid, things and things from what we mentioned, and the discussion would be long if we were to speak about it. So the exhortation for the Muslim here, and the advice, is to know that anything that was not in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and in the time of the righteous predecessors, no matter how people adorn it, no matter how they beautify it, and no matter how they say this is out of love for the Messenger, most of them are liars. They do not love the Messenger except in words, or in singing and pleasing the ear, and the like. No matter how they adorn these religious innovations, it is upon us to remain holding fast to what our righteous predecessors (may Allah be pleased with them all) were upon.