A Debate on the Ruling of Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday.

The questioner: This, my sir, is with friends from the people of Makkah, and the people of Makkah are afflicted with the disease of the Mawlid.

The Shaykh: What disease?

The questioner: The disease of the Mawlid, the Mawlid celebrations, and that there are prayers upon the Prophet and nothing else. So yesterday I had a conversation with him, and I told him that in my opinion, the danger of the Mawlid is greater than moral crimes, because it is outside of what our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), commanded. And our teacher, Shaykh Numan (may Allah have mercy on him), taught us that every action must be sincere for the face of Allah and in accordance with what the Messenger of Allah said; otherwise, it is not acceptable, or it is exposed to not being accepted. So I wanted you to do us the favor, all of us, so that we may benefit, because we live in an environment that is all like this. We hear from you two words that benefit a person in his religion, so that he is affected by the Mawlid, thinking there is nothing wrong with it, only prayers of Allah upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Shaykh: Although your father quotes you correctly, I would like to hear from you, if you wish, before I take over the conversation with you.

The questioner: We have here in the town, do you know Sayyid Muhammad Ali al-Maliki? I have not heard from him personally, but it is known that he says that mentioning the Prophet in the Prophet's Mawlid has hadiths that prove that the spirit of the Prophet issues for this mention.

The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar, this is a problem, this supports what the father said.

The questioner: Do you see how I, praise be to Allah, have no innovations or shirk, by the grace of Allah, nothing. But what I was surprised by is that... the one who is in the Mawlid, or the one who holds the Prophet's Mawlid, is more [dangerous] than moral crimes, that is what I do not know.

The Shaykh: Okay, perhaps when your father heard you say—do not rush me—you denied this exaggeration that celebrating the Mawlid is more dangerous than moral crimes. And if people are surrounded by a group of people of innovation and deviation from the Book and the Sunnah, they should be called gently, with wisdom and good exhortation. So if we now remove this exaggeration from the father's words or from anyone else's, and we do not say from the start that celebrating the Prophet's Mawlid is more dangerous than all crimes, we remove this statement. But are you convinced that celebrating the Prophet's Mawlid is not permissible in the religion of Islam? If you are convinced, forgive your father for that exaggeration. And if you are not convinced, do not take the exaggeration, take what is less than it, and you are not convinced of it, assuming that. So are you convinced that this celebration that people are doing today is not permissible by the Shari'ah? I do not say it is a crime, and I do not say it is more sinful than major sins, but are you convinced that this is not from the religion of Allah, and that it is from the newly invented matters, or are you not convinced?

The questioner: There are two types of people, meaning the one who is like Sayyid Muhammad, or what I hear from him, do you see? There is something acceptable, but some people interpreted things into 'azimah and slaughters, and these things.

The Shaykh: Excuse me, I am forced to interrupt you, because you have deviated from answering my question. I asked you, are you convinced or not? And you started talking aboutThe Shaykh : Muhammad,The Shaykh : Muhammad is not in our hands, and if he were, I would have spoken to him in a different manner. Are you convinced that this celebration of the noble Prophet's Mawlid is not from the religion at all? The answer is yes or no, one of two things.

The questioner: There are two types, people who are convinced of it and people who are not convinced of it, meaning.

The Shaykh: I am not talking about people, I am saying the celebration in itself, the celebration of the noble Prophet's Mawlid.

The questioner: By Allah, O Shaykh, I am convinced of it.

The Shaykh: Ah, that is the answer. Now I ask, is the celebration of the Prophet's Mawlid good or evil?

The questioner : Good.

The Shaykh: Good. Okay, does this good remain unknown to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh: I am not asking you to be convinced now to say no, but you must exaggerate and say this is impossible. It is impossible that this good, if it is good or otherwise, remains hidden from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions. And we did not know faith and Islam except through the way of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So how can we know a good that he did not know? This is impossible, correct?

The questioner: Okay, one minute, Professor.

The Shaykh: Take two minutes instead of one minute.
Abu Layla: ... for him, Professor.

The Shaykh: No, we do not hold him accountable... go ahead.

The questioner: This is after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), this is an honor for him.

The Shaykh: Leave it, this is a philosophy we know, we hear it from many people and we have read it in their books. But when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called people, did he call them to all of Islam or did he call them to tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?

The questioner: Tawhid.

The Shaykh: First he called them to tawhid, then he made the prayers obligatory, then he made fasting obligatory, then he made Hajj obligatory, and so on. Therefore, you must follow this Shari'ah Sunnah step by step. We have now agreed that it is impossible for there to be a good that we have and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) does not know, is that not so?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: And therefore, you should be patient with me, perhaps Allah has tested you with me now.

The questioner: What a blessing.

The Shaykh: Meaning you must have a long temper with me, may Allah reward you with good. I said a moment ago a word in which no two people differ and no two camels butt heads, which is that all good we have known through the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Is there any doubt or suspicion in this statement?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh: I believe that whoever doubts this is not a Muslim. From the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that support this statement, his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): , If the Mawlid is good, and it is from what brings us closer to Allah, it should be that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has guided us to it, correct or not? I do not want you to agree without being convinced of every word I say, and you have absolute freedom and authority to say, please, I am not convinced of this point. So does it mean you stopped at something I said so far, or are you following me completely?

The questioner: Yes, I am with you completely.

The Shaykh: May Allah reward you with good. If he did not leave anything that brings you closer to Allah without commanding you to it, we say, since you mentionedThe Shaykh : So-and-so, we say all the shaykhs, this Mawlid is good in your opinion. So either the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) guided us to it, or he did not guide us to it. If they say he guided us to it, we say to them, bring your proof if you are truthful, and they will never be able to find a way to do that. We have read the writings of the 'Alawi and non-'Alawi in this regard, they do not provide any evidence except that this is a good Sunnah.
Abu Layla: A good bid'ah (religious innovation).

The Shaykh: A good bid'ah, well done. They say that this is a good bid'ah, meaning all of them, those who celebrate and those who deny the celebration, they agree that this Mawlid was not in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), nor in the time of the noble Companions, nor in the time of the famous Imams. They all agree, but they say what is wrong with it, as you said, praying upon the Messenger and the like. We say, if it was good, here too is a word we must agree with you on or differ on, then we circle around it, and we follow the truth that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) wants for us. If this good was good, they would have preceded us to it. You know the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) Do you know this and is it necessary?

The questioner: No, by Allah, I do not know it.

The Shaykh: , meaning the era in which the Messenger and the Companions were, this is the best of people meaning the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), the followers of the Tabi'un. This is the text of the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is in the two Sahihs, in al-Bukhari and Muslim. And this is a point, so there is no disagreement among all Muslims, they are all agreed that the best of people after the Messenger of Allah are the Companions, and the best of the Companions are the four Caliphs, and the best of the four Caliphs is Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, then 'Ali. This is agreed upon by all Muslims. So are you among those who were given intellect and understanding, and in that is the blessing, if Allah wills? Do you imagine that there could be a good that we precede them to in knowledge and action? Can this be?

The questioner: By Allah, O Shaykh, it is possible from the side of knowledge, meaning Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), meaning the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from that time said to the people following him that... do you see how

The Shaykh : Excuse me, we have recorded a deviation number one on your record. We hope we do not have to record a deviation number two. The first deviation was when I asked you... you got sidetracked on the topic.The Shaykh : Al-'Alawi, I am asking you now, and I am speaking with you.

The questioner : From the perspective of knowledge.

The Shaykh : Allow me, allow me. I did not ask you only about the perspective of knowledge. I mentioned two things, so you must answer regarding both: from the perspective of knowledge, and now. This deviation of yours actually benefited me, meaning, of course, that knowledge is religious knowledge, not medicine, for example. I am saying that the doctor here knows more than Ibn Sina in his time, because he came after many long centuries and many, many experiments. But this does not make him righteous in the sight of Allah, nor does it bring him closer to the generations attested to as the best. However, it does make him knowledgeable in science. We are speaking of religious knowledge, may Allah bless you. You must keep this in mind. When I say to you, "Do you think that we, in the end times, can be more knowledgeable," I mean religious knowledge, not experimental science, such as geography, astronomy, and physics. We do not mean all of that. Suppose, in this time, there is a person who disbelieves in Allah and His Messenger and is an associate of partners with Allah, but he is the most knowledgeable person in any of these sciences, such as astronomy and geography. Does that bring him closer to Allah?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : So we are not speaking in this field now. We are speaking of the knowledge by which we seek to draw near to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. We said regarding the celebration of the noble Prophet's birthday. So the question returns now, and I hope to receive a clear answer without a second deviation. We have not recorded a second deviation on you. Can you, with the intellect, understanding, intelligence, and sound fitrah (innate natural disposition) you have been given, be convinced that we, in the end times, can be more knowledgeable than the Companions, the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), and the mujtahid (a scholar qualified to derive rulings) imams in religious knowledge? I say this specifically. And can we be quicker to act upon good and draw near to Allah than these righteous Salaf (the earliest generations)? Does this enter your mind?

The questioner : Just one minute, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Two minutes, please go ahead.

The questioner : Now, as for religious knowledge, do you mean the interpretation of the Qur'an?

The Shaykh : I mean the interpretation of the Qur'an.

The questioner : The interpretation of the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the Prophet's way) is more than that.

The Shaykh : Allow me, allow me. Half of the speech, as they say in our region of Sham, has no answer. You are asking me, and I am obligated to answer. I say they are more knowledgeable than us in the interpretation of the Qur'an, and they are more knowledgeable than us in the interpretation of the hadith (a report of the Prophet's words or deeds) of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. In the end, they are more knowledgeable than us about the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Islam. Do you have any doubt about this?

The questioner : Now, I am telling you, as for the interpretation of the Qur'an, my lord, you are now... more than the time of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, because... now, for example, the Qur'anic verse "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate" . If at that time the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, had told them that the earth revolves, would anyone have believed it? They would not have believed it, so he left it to the understanding of people and to science, and they look at these things.

The Shaykh : So you are forcing us, and no blame, for a second deviation, or else blame, which I did not fear. And you will not be able to, my brother. I am asking about the whole, not a part. I may be more knowledgeable than...The Shaykh : ...in the authenticity of a hadith, but he may be more knowledgeable than me in the interpretation of the Qur'an. But is he more knowledgeable in the Shari'ah and Islam, or is Zayd? You cannot say, "He is more knowledgeable than me in interpretation, and I am more knowledgeable than him in hadith." We are asking a general question: Islam as a whole. Who is more knowledgeable about it?

The questioner : Of course, the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions.

The Shaykh : That is what we wanted from you, may Allah bless you. Then, the interpretation you are going on about has no relation to action; it has a relation to thought and understanding. So the example you gave .

The questioner : The earth or the mountains?

The Shaykh : It is the mountains, not the earth. Ah, and if you wish, we spoke with you about this verse and proved to you that those who say this indicates that the earth revolves are wrong, because this verse relates to the Day of Resurrection, . In any case, we are not on this point. And I concede to you, for the sake of argument, that a man from the later generations may know a cosmic scientific truth more than a Companion or a Tabi'i, and so on. But this, may Allah bless you, has no relation to the knowledge of righteous action that brings one closer to Allah. Today, these sciences, these astronomical and geographical sciences, I tell you frankly, the disbelievers are more knowledgeable about them than we are, correct?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : But what do they benefit from that? Nothing. We do not want to delve into this nothing. We want to speak about everything that brings us closer to Allah. So we want to speak about the noble Prophet's birthday. This is good, and we agreed that if this were good, our righteous Salaf, and at their head Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would have been more knowledgeable about it than us, and quicker to act upon it, if it were good. Is there any doubt in this statement?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : So do not deviate from this topic and bring us astronomical matters that have no relation to a person in terms of his desire to draw near to Allah by righteous action. So now, I told you a word, I hope you do not forget it. It is agreed upon by the two differing groups, those who deny the birthday celebration and those who approve of it, that this birthday was not in the time of the Messenger. You should know this fact, and it is possible that you do not know it.

The questioner : I know it.

The Shaykh : You know it, good. So if this birthday was not... meaning this good was not in the time of the Messenger, the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the mujtahid imams, how was this good hidden from them? We must say one of two things: either they knew this good as we know it, and they are more knowledgeable than us, or they did not know this good. So how did we know it? If we say they knew it, why did they not act upon it? Are we closer to Allah? This is a fact like the sun at noon. No one who wants the truth, without following the fathers, ancestors, desires, and interests, and so on, if asked this question: this good that you call good, it is one of two things, there is no third. Either the righteous Salaf all knew it, or they did not know it. Let...The Shaykh : ...so-and-so choose whatever he wishes. We do not impose our opinions on people at all. . So now, take full freedom. Say they knew it, say they did not know it, and see what the result is. I answer you: if we say that this good was known by the Salaf, then we say, why did they not act upon it? And you say they did not act upon it, and you say they did not act upon it, correct? Do they not say this?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Good. This good that you claim is good, and they did not act upon it, I ask you now: did they know it was good? Is there a third thing? Either they knew it was good, or they did not know it was good. Is there a third thing in your opinion? Is there a third thing?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : Either they knew it was good, or they did not know it was good. Let us assume the best scenario regarding their opinion. What is the best scenario? They knew it, is that not so? They knew that celebrating the birthday of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is good. The question that cannot be avoided comes: Why did they not act upon this good? Rather, I exaggerate with you to awaken your consciousness: Why did they not err once? Why did not a number of them, a scholar among them, a righteous person among them, celebrate this good? Why? Does it enter your mind? This good is never acted upon by anyone? And they were in the millions, and they were more knowledgeable than us, and more righteous than us, and closer to Allah. You know the saying of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, as I think: Do you see how much the difference is between us and them? , because they struggled in the path of Allah, and with the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and they received knowledge from him fresh and new, without these many intermediaries between us and him, peace and blessings be upon him, as he, peace and blessings be upon him, indicated this meaning in the authentic hadith . Fresh and new means fresh and new. So these righteous Salaf, and at their head the noble Companions, we can never imagine that they were ignorant of a good that brings us closer to Allah and that we know. And if we say they knew it as we know it, we cannot ever imagine that they neglected acting upon this good. Perhaps this point that I am going on about has become clear to you, if Allah wills.

The questioner : Praise be to Allah.

The Shaykh : Is that clear?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. Regarding another matter, there are many hadiths and verses that clarify that Islam is complete. I believe you are aware of this fact and believe in it, and there is no difference between a scholar, a student of knowledge, and a layperson in knowing this truth: that Islam is complete and is not like the religion of the Jews and Christians, which is subject to change and alteration every day. I remind you of the words of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: Now comes the question: This Prophet's birthday celebration is another method to convince people that this birthday is not a good thing. The first method was explained previously: if it were good, the righteous Salaf would have known it, and they are more knowledgeable and more worshipful than us. If it were good, they would have known it and practiced it, and they would not have abandoned or left it. The second method is this: if this birthday were good, it would be part of Islam. So we ask: Are we all denying this birthday and affirming it? Are we in agreement, like the previous agreement, that this birthday did not exist in the time of the Messenger of Allah? We agreed on this fact. Now, are we in agreement that if this birthday is good, it is part of Islam, and if it is not good, it is not part of Islam? This is a second approach that I hope will also make it easier for you to understand from me. If this birthday is good, it is part of Islam; and if it is not good, it is not part of Islam in any way. At that point... we say... today this verse from the Qur'an was revealed: and there is no celebration of the Prophet's birthday. So, in your view, would it exist? I hope you will be frank with me. Do not think that I am one of the sheikhs who remain silent with students, or with the general public. You remain silent because you do not know, or because you do not understand. Take your complete freedom, as if you are speaking with a person like you, younger and less knowledgeable than you. Be completely at ease. If you are not convinced, tell me you are not convinced. This is now a second path: if this birthday is from good, it is from Islam; and if it is not from good, it is not from Islam. And if we agree that this good did not exist on the day this verse was revealed, it is very self-evident that it is not part of Islam in any way. Is that clear?

The questioner: Is it clear?

The Shaykh : I confirm what I am saying with a report from Imam Malik, the Imam of the City of Migration, the Imam of Madinah. You must know something about him. Imam Malik is the second of the four Imams. The first Imam is Abu Hanifah al-Nu'man ibn Thabit (may Allah have mercy on him). The second Imam is Malik ibn Anas, who was the Imam of the people of Madinah. The third Imam is Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on them all). The fourth Imam is Ahmad ibn Hanbal. This is Imam Malik ibn Anas. Listen to what he said: "Whoever innovates in Islam an innovation," just one, not many innovations, "whoever innovates in Islam an innovation that he considers good, has claimed that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) betrayed the message." This is a very serious matter. "Whoever innovates in Islam an innovation that he considers—he thinks it is—good, has claimed that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) betrayed the message." What is the evidence, O Imam? He said: Read the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: A little water. "Whoever innovates in Islam an innovation that he considers good, has claimed that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) betrayed the message." Read the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: . That is the end of his statement, which is written in gold ink. He said: "What was not a religion at that time will not be a religion today." "What was not a religion at that time will not be a religion today." When did he say this? In the second century of the Hijrah, in the century that is among the three centuries renowned for their excellence. So what about the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries? "What was not a religion at that time will not be a religion today." This statement is written in gold ink, but unfortunately we are heedless. Heedless of the Book of Allah and the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and of the sayings of the Imams whom we claim to follow. But alas, alas, the distance between us and them in following their example is as far as the east and west. This is the Imam of the City of Migration saying in clear Arabic: "What was not a religion at that time will not be a religion today." Today, celebrating the Noble Prophet's Birthday is a religion. If it were not so, this dispute would not have arisen between the scholars who hold fast to the Sunnah and the scholars who defend the innovation. If this were not part of the religion, this dispute would never have occurred. How can this be a religion when it was not in the time of the Messenger, nor in the time of the Companions, nor in the time of the Successors, nor in the time of the Successors of the Successors? Imam Malik is from the Successors of the Successors, and he is among those included in . Those who follow the Companions are the Successors, and those who follow the Successors are the Successors of the Successors. Among them is Imam Malik. He says: What was not a religion on the day this verse was revealed, , what was not a religion at that time, will not be a religion today. And from the end of his statement: "The end of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning." By what was its beginning rectified? By innovating in the religion and drawing near to Allah with things by which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not draw near, and he is the one who said—do not forget—: . Why did the Messenger of Allah not order us to celebrate his birthday? Here is a question and there is an answer that will please you, if Allah wills, and you will see the opposite of what you hear. There is a celebration of the Prophet's Birthday that is prescribed, in opposition to this celebration which is not prescribed, because this celebration was not in the time of the Messenger. But there was a celebration that existed in the time of the Messenger, with a vast difference, a wide gulf between the two celebrations. First, the prescribed celebration is a form of worship agreed upon by all Muslims. Second, this celebration is repeated every week, whereas their celebration is once a year. This is a second difference between the prescribed celebration, which is a form of worship by consensus. You will learn what this form of worship is shortly. Second, this form of worship is repeated, and this celebration is repeated every week, not once a year. I am not saying this as a philosophical argument. Allah has not sent down any authority for it. Rather, I am narrating to you a Hadith from the most authentic books after the Book of Allah, and after Sahih al-Bukhari, which is the book Sahih al-Imam Muslim. Perhaps you know something about Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and that they narrate the authentic, established Hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Imam Muslim narrates in his Sahih, through his chain of narration, from a man among the great Companions, Abu Qatadah al-Ansari. This noble Companion said: A man came while he was listening to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about fasting on Monday? He said: - Look at the answer. He did not say to him "recommended" or "prescribed" in such brief, concise words, but he answered him with an answer that included the answer to what he was asking about, and more. The answer and the cause or wisdom. So he answered the question: ما تقول في صوم يوم الاثنين ، قال : ذاك يوم ولدت فيه ، وأنزل القرآن عليّ فيه What do you say about fasting on Monday? He said: That is the day I was born, and the day the Qur'an was revealed to me.. What is the meaning of this statement? It is as if he is saying: How do you ask me about fasting on this day, when Allah created me in it and revealed the revelation to me in it? You should fast on Monday in gratitude to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for creating me in it and creating me anew when He revealed the revelation to me in it. You should fast on Monday. This is on the same basis as the Jews fasting on the Day of Ashura. Perhaps you all know that fasting on Ashura, before the obligation of the month of Ramadan was revealed, was obligatory for the Muslims. Allah made fasting on the Day of Ashura obligatory for the Muslims before the obligation of fasting in Ramadan was revealed. And it came in some Hadiths: أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لما هاجر من مكة إلى المدينة رأى اليهود هناك سكان المدينة يصومون يوم عاشوراء فسألهم عن ذلك قال اليهود : هذا يوم نجى الله فيه موسى وقومه من فرعون وجنده ، فصمناه شكرا لله أن أنقذ الله موسى وقومه من فرعون وجنده ، فقال عليه السلام: نحن أحق بموسى منكم When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) emigrated from Makkah to al-Madinah, he saw the Jews there, the inhabitants of al-Madinah, fasting on the Day of Ashura. He asked them about it, and the Jews said: This is the day in which Allah saved Moses and his people from Pharaoh and his army, so we fasted it in gratitude to Allah for saving Moses and his people from Pharaoh and his army. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: We have more right to Moses than you.. So he fasted it and ordered its fasting, so it became obligatory, until the month of Ramadan was revealed, in which the Qur'an was revealed. Then فمن شهد منكم الشهر فليصمه So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it[Al-Baqarah 2:185]. The Lady Aisha says: فلما نزل فرض رمضان كان من شاء أن يصوم يوم عاشوراء صام ومن شاء ترك When the obligation of Ramadan was revealed, whoever wished to fast the Day of Ashura fasted it, and whoever wished to leave it off left it off.. Because the obligation of fasting on the Day of Ashura was abrogated by the obligation of fasting in the month of Ramadan, and the recommendation remained. The point is: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) participated with the Jews before the obligation of the month of Ramadan in fasting on the Day of Ashura. Why? In gratitude to Allah that Allah saved Musa and his people from Pharaoh and his hosts. So we also have the door of gratitude to Allah opened to us, that He created Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) on Monday and revealed the revelation on Monday. Now I ask you: These people who celebrate this birthday, which we have known is not a path of good, I know that many of them, or a few of them, fast on Monday just as they fast on Thursday. But do you see that most Muslims fast on Monday? Most Muslims do not fast on Monday. Most Muslims celebrate the Prophet's Birthday once a year. Is this not a reversal of the facts? Nevertheless, I want to say something else. Most Muslims do not fast on Monday. So most Muslims do not celebrate the birth of the Messenger on Monday, but they celebrate once a year. These people fit the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, to the Jews: أتستبدلون الذي أدنى بالذي هو خير Do you exchange that which is inferior for that which is superior?. This is the good: fasting, and it is agreed upon by all Muslims, fasting on Monday. So they do not fast on Monday, the majority. We come to those Muslims who fast on Monday, and they are a few. A very few. Do they know the secret and the wisdom in the prescription of fasting on Monday? They do not know. So where are these Shaykhs who make a great fuss about this being a celebration of the Prophet's Birthday, and that there is good in it and sending blessings upon the Messenger, and so on? Why do they not remind people of what is first agreed upon by Muslims, which is to fast on Monday? Then why do they not alert them that this fasting is the prescribed celebration of the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? Allah was truthful when He said to the Jews: أتستبدلون الذي هو أدنى بالذي هو خير Would you exchange what is better for what is less?[Al-Baqarah 2:61]. And the Messenger of Allah was truthful when he said: لتتبعن سنن من قبلكم ، شبرا بشبر وذراعا بذراع حتى لو دخلوا جحر ضبلدخلتموه You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a mastigure, you too will go there.Sahih al-Bukhari 3456. And in a very serious narration, established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): حتى لو كان فيهم من يأتي أمه على قارعة الطريق لكان فيكم من يفعل ذلك Even if there were among them someone who would have intercourse with his mother on the roadside, there would be among you someone who would do that.. So if we follow the ways of the Jews, the Jews replaced what is lower with what is better. We also did this in many matters. We replaced the celebration of the Prophet's Birthday, every year, with what is better, which is the celebration every Monday. And consider now the difference: every month there are four celebrations. We turned away from all of this with one celebration. If only it had a basis. If only it were from the good. Then it becomes clear to you, if Allah wills, that this celebration which the masses of people do today has no basis in the religion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And the prescribed celebration is that you fast every Monday if you are healthy and love the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). You do not celebrate this celebration because Allah did not prescribe it through the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so it is not a path of good. Rather, you fast every Monday, and you note the secret in it: gratitude to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for creating your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on this day, and revealing the Qur'an and the revelation by which we were guided on this day. As for the masses of Muslims turning away from this fasting and this prescribed celebration to that non-prescribed celebration, this is a reversal of the legal facts and an imitation of the Jews who replaced what is lower with what is better. After this, we take a step to the words of the father. We described his words as containing exaggeration, but the truth, according to the people of knowledge, is that there is no exaggeration. Why? Because the saying of the one who says "this is good and that is not good" is legislation in the religion of Allah. And if it is legislation in the religion of Allah from him and not from Allah and His Messenger, then it is true of him the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: أم لهم شركاء شرعوا لهم من الدين ما لم يأذن به الله Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented?[Ash-Shuraa 42:21]. Do you see the danger? It lies here. And from here comes the saying of the father that this is worse than the crimes that people commit. Why is it worse from another angle? The one who commits zina and the one who steals knows that he is a criminal. One day it is hoped that he will repent to Allah and say: My Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment. But the one who innovates in the religion of Allah legislates in the religion of Allah what Allah has not sent down any authority for, on one hand. And on the other hand, it never occurs to him that he will repent from this. How can he repent when he thinks that, as Allah said: هل ننبئكم بالأخسرين أعمالا ، الذين ضل سعيهم في الحياة الدنيا وهم يحسبون أنهم يحسنون صنعا ⁽¹⁰³⁾ Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? ⁽¹⁰⁴⁾ [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work."[Al-Kahf 18:103-104]. Therefore, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, and with this word or this Hadith I conclude the answer to the previous question, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): أبى الله تبارك وتعالى أن يقبل توبة مبتدع Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, refused to accept the repentance of an innovator.. Or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said. And this refusal is a cosmic refusal, as I mentioned earlier. That is, it does not occur to this person to repent to Allah because he does not know himself, that he is in error with Allah, and transgressing the Shari'ah of Allah. And therefore, this innovator does not repent. And therefore, these people who celebrate and these people who call to these celebrations with ornate words, these people will die upon this innovation in the religion of Allah. And you have heard the previous verse أم لهم شركاء شرعوا لهم من الدين ما لم يأذن به الله Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented?[Ash-Shuraa 42:21]. Then there is the other verse which has a close connection to this verse, and it is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, regarding the Christians: اتخذوا أحبارهم ورهبانهم أربابا من دون الله They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah[At-Tawbah 9:31]. When this verse was revealed, 'Adi ibn Hatim, who had been a Christian and then Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, guided him and he became a Muslim, meaning he knew Christianity and knew the Christians, was confused by this verse because it speaks about the Christians, and he was one of them. اتخذوا أحبارهم ورهبانهم أربابا من دون الله قال : كيف هذا يا رسول الله، قال : ألستم كنتم إذا حرموا لكم حراما حرمتموه ، وإذا حللوا لكم حلالا حللتموه ؟ قال : أما هذا فقد كان ، قال عليه السلام: فذاك اتخاذكم إياهم أربابا من دون الله They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah. He said: How is that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Are you not the ones who, when they forbade you something, you forbade it, and when they permitted you something, you permitted it? He said: This has indeed happened. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That is your taking them as lords besides Allah.. So any Shaykh who says this is forbidden without evidence from the Book of Allah or the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, or says to you this is good without evidence from the Book of Allah or from the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, has made himself a legislator with Allah, and has made the people who followed him in this saying without proof from Allah take him as a god besides Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. And this clarifies the danger of innovation in the religion, and that this innovation is worse than the crimes that Muslims know are crimes. This is what I think the noble father intends.

The questioner : But I have a main point... which is that Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that if one claims that the Messenger of Allah betrayed the message, then I believe and think that the celebrants believe that... betraying the message is a greater crime than zina or disbelief, is that right?

The Shaykh يا أيها الرسول بلغ ما أنزل إليك من ربك وإن لم تفعل فما بلغت رسالته والله يعصمك من الناس O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people[Al-Ma'idah 5:67], it has come in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that a man from the senior Tabi'un came to the Lady Aisha...

The questioner : Is there a question?

The Shaykh : Take your freedom in it; we have a phrase in the Levant: "The carpet of Ahmad is wide and accommodates everyone." Take your freedom, that is fine.


The questioner : Is reading the biography of the Messenger (peace be upon him) not an honor to him?

The Shaykh : Does anyone forbid you from reading his biography?

The questioner : Is this not an honor to him?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Is there a reward from Allah for it or not?

The Shaykh : It is all good, you do not benefit from this question, and therefore I cut off your path and said to you: does anyone prevent you from reading his biography? Do not rush, Professor, but I am asking you a question now,

The questioner:..

The Shaykh : It is this, so do not rush, Professor. Is it permissible in the religion of Allah that we take a worship... which has a bit of precision, do not blame me, but I am expanding with you as you are expanding with me, if Allah wills. If there is a prescribed worship and good, but the Messenger did not set for it a specific time and place, and did not make for it a specific manner, leaving the matter to people, is it permissible in the religion of Allah that we take this worship and put it in a specific place that the Messenger did not place it in, or... and give it a specific manner that the Messenger did not do? Is it permissible, as you know? Tell me, I know, I do not know. There is no shame in the religion. I say in many matters "I do not know," and I am not upset by the phrase "I do not know," because when I say "I do not know," I remember the saying of the Lord of the Worlds: وما أوتيتم من العلم إلا قليلا And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."[Al-Isra 17:85] Did you understand my question? Do you have an answer, or should I explain it further to you?

The questioner : Ah, by Allah, explain it further to me because I do not have an answer?

The Shaykh : Okay, sending blessings upon the Messenger (peace be upon him) has an issue in that it is one of the acts of worship and that من صلى عليّ مرة واحدة صلى الله عليه بها عشرا Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah will send blessings upon him ten times. Is there an issue? This is a prescribed matter. Okay, if a Muslim, after reading al-Fatihah and reading the surah, and all that remains between him and that is to bow, said: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad," did he err in this prayer or did he hit the mark?

The questioner : He did not err...

The Shaykh : This is the problem. You must say he erred.

The questioner : Must I say he erred?

The Shaykh : Yes, because I did not ask you if a person who sent blessings upon the Prophet erred. I asked you if he sent blessings upon the Prophet in such a place. There is a difference between the two. I am telling you: a man read al-Fatihah and a surah in prayer, and all that remained before him was bowing. Before he bowed, and after he read al-Fatihah and the surah, he said: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad." What is your opinion? Did he hit the mark or did he err?

Another questioner : He innovated.

The Shaykh : Let him speak at his ease, meaning the carpet of Ahmad, ha, take your ease?

The questioner : I mean, Shaykh, by logic, meaning

The Shaykh : Ah, by logic, I am now speaking to you by logic.

The questioner : It is permissible. I am on the fitrah of the human being, I see that it is permissible, there is nothing wrong with it.

The Shaykh : Okay, if a person bowed and said "Subhan Rabbi al-Azim" three times or more, as Allah wills, and then said "Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad, Allah al-Samad, He did not beget nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him," did he err or did he hit the mark?

The questioner : He did not err.

The Shaykh : He did not err, now askThe Shaykh : the one you have involved yourself in, and you have not found it but heard about it, that this Mawlid is good and is celebrated, he will tell you this is an error.

The questioner : I did not understand what you said?

The Shaykh : Ask any Shaykh you wish from the people of knowledge, what is the ruling on one who sends blessings upon the Messenger before bowing? What is the ruling on one who reads "Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad" in bowing? He will tell you he erred, and he has intellect and you have intellect, and he has logic and you have logic, and I have logic as you have logic. But now let us stand a little at the word "logic." Look, humans are counted in the millions, if not billions. Look, is there one intellect that agrees with another? Or do intellects differ?

The questioner : Yes, intellects differ in things.

The Shaykh : Okay, who is the judge in this difference that occurs between people in some things? Is it not the Shari'ah?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay, now we come to his saying (peace be upon him): صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayersSahih al-Bukhari 6008 Have you ever heard this hadith?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay, if you know that the Messenger prayed for twenty-three years, and every day five obligatory prayers, and as Allah wills, many voluntary prayers, especially in standing in night prayer, and he did not once send blessings upon the Prophet, meaning upon himself, before bowing. Will you stick to your previous answer or correct it and say no, this is not permissible like that?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And likewise, you retract your statement that if he read "Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad" while bowing, he erred, because the Messenger did not read the Qur'an in bowing, but rather he glorified Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Are you not, when you know this knowledge, retracting from your previous statement?

The questioner : Of course.

The Shaykh : If knowledge is the light and the way to know what is permissible and what is not permissible, and by analogy there are hundreds of thousands of examples, it is not sufficient, may Allah reward you, to judge by your intellect, or your father's intellect, or my intellect, or the builder's intellect, or the intellect of all humans in the religion of Allah. The religion is revelation from the sky, we received it through the path of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we do not add a letter to it and we do not subtract, when you heard from the previous verse اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم This day I have perfected for you your religion[Al-Ma'idah 5:3] I gave you an example with prayer because this is clearer, but the Muslim in all his life, whether in prayer, in the house, in the shop, in the factory, and so on, he lives in the circle of Islam, so it is not permissible for him to deviate from it by a hair's breadth, a hair's breadth, because Islam encompasses the whole world with its rulings, whether in prayer or outside of prayer.