On the cause with an example, and explaining the innovation of celebrating the Prophet's birthday.
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The Shaykh : If it agrees with the Shari'ah in the cause. If a person innovates a worship with a cause that is not legislated, it is invalid and rejected, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 1718b And this has examples; it has examples:
Among them: We hear some people, when they perfume themselves with incense or oil, say, "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad," making perfumery a cause for what? A cause for sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We say this worship is rejected against you. Why? Because you restricted it with a cause that is not a legislated cause. Be careful, O brothers.
If he says, "Does not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) love perfume?" Answer. Yes, and is it so? Yes, good, yes, he loves perfume. If I perfume myself or am perfumed, I remember the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). We say, if that is the case, then if you drink, send blessings upon the Prophet; if you eat, send blessings upon the Prophet; if you come to your family, send blessings upon the Prophet. And if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) perfumed himself and did not send blessings upon the Prophet, it is known that sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by the cause of perfume is a sending of blessings that has no basis. Be careful, good.
Also from that—and we are in a lesson now—also from that is what is called the Prophet's birthday, the birthday celebration. What is intended by it? It is intended to honor the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), to show love for him, and to elevate his mention. There is no doubt that this is a great worship, love for the Messenger is worship. In fact, faith is not complete until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is more beloved to you than yourself, your child, your parent, and all of mankind. And we testify to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), speaking by His grace upon us, that the Messenger of Allah, that the love of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is stronger than our love for ourselves, our children, and our parents. And you are all, if Allah wills, what? On this. There is no doubt in this. Honoring the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), there is no doubt also that we honor the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and his words are above all words, and his Sunnah is above all Sunnah, and his guidance is above all guidance, and we do not precede him in honoring him (peace and blessings be upon him). Is that not so, you? Good.
Elevating his mention. There is no doubt that the mention of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) on our tongues is sweeter than the mention of every created being. There is no doubt, and we praise Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for this. And there is no doubt also that we elevate the mention of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the highest place, in what? In the adhan, O my brothers. Does not the mu'adhdhin say, "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"? Yes. So this is elevating his mention. It is said, there is no doubt that loving the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is worship, honoring him is worship, and elevating his mention is worship. But how do we make in his Shari'ah what He did not legislate for us? Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) establish a festival for his birthday? Answer, O brothers. No, good. Did Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was more beloved to him than all of mankind, did he establish a festival for the birth of the Messenger during his caliphate? No. 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, all the Companions, the Tabi'un, no.
The Tabi'un of the Tabi'un, no. When did this innovation occur? In the fourth century of the Hijra. O Glorified is Allah, three centuries of the Muslim community were ignorant that this is prescribed? Or is it said that they knew it but they opposed it? All of this is impossible. The Muslim community was not ignorant, they are not ignorant, that this is prescribed, if it were prescribed. And they are not opposing it by not performing it, if it were prescribed. So the fact that the best centuries, about which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 3651, the fact that they did not do this indicates clearly that it is not what? It is not from the Sunnah. It is not from the Sunnah, and the effort in it is wasted... honoring the Messenger. So what is the sign of honoring? That we do not precede him, that we do not introduce into his religion what is not from it. This is part of honoring him. If we want to mention the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), we say, praise be to Allah, the mention of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is in every worship we worship with—be careful, O boy—the mention of the Messenger in every worship we worship with. How is that? Because all worships must have sincerity and following. So if you stand to pray and you feel that you are following the Messenger, is this a mention of the Messenger or not? I ask you, O brother, stand up.
The student: A mention.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: A mention.
The Shaykh : Good, perfect. So all the worships that we perform are a remembrance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And the aspect of that, O brother? Our brother, you, and even if you are of advanced age, you are a student of knowledge now, right? Answer. Every worship we perform is a remembrance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah bless you. Because we follow the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). We feel now that if we pray, we emulate the Messenger, and so with all worships. So do we need to not establish his remembrance except in one night? We are not in need of that.
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردAmong them: We hear some people, when they perfume themselves with incense or oil, say, "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad," making perfumery a cause for what? A cause for sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We say this worship is rejected against you. Why? Because you restricted it with a cause that is not a legislated cause. Be careful, O brothers.
If he says, "Does not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) love perfume?" Answer. Yes, and is it so? Yes, good, yes, he loves perfume. If I perfume myself or am perfumed, I remember the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). We say, if that is the case, then if you drink, send blessings upon the Prophet; if you eat, send blessings upon the Prophet; if you come to your family, send blessings upon the Prophet. And if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) perfumed himself and did not send blessings upon the Prophet, it is known that sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by the cause of perfume is a sending of blessings that has no basis. Be careful, good.
Also from that—and we are in a lesson now—also from that is what is called the Prophet's birthday, the birthday celebration. What is intended by it? It is intended to honor the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), to show love for him, and to elevate his mention. There is no doubt that this is a great worship, love for the Messenger is worship. In fact, faith is not complete until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is more beloved to you than yourself, your child, your parent, and all of mankind. And we testify to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), speaking by His grace upon us, that the Messenger of Allah, that the love of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is stronger than our love for ourselves, our children, and our parents. And you are all, if Allah wills, what? On this. There is no doubt in this. Honoring the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), there is no doubt also that we honor the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and his words are above all words, and his Sunnah is above all Sunnah, and his guidance is above all guidance, and we do not precede him in honoring him (peace and blessings be upon him). Is that not so, you? Good.
Elevating his mention. There is no doubt that the mention of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) on our tongues is sweeter than the mention of every created being. There is no doubt, and we praise Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for this. And there is no doubt also that we elevate the mention of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the highest place, in what? In the adhan, O my brothers. Does not the mu'adhdhin say, "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"? Yes. So this is elevating his mention. It is said, there is no doubt that loving the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is worship, honoring him is worship, and elevating his mention is worship. But how do we make in his Shari'ah what He did not legislate for us? Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) establish a festival for his birthday? Answer, O brothers. No, good. Did Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was more beloved to him than all of mankind, did he establish a festival for the birth of the Messenger during his caliphate? No. 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, all the Companions, the Tabi'un, no.
The Tabi'un of the Tabi'un, no. When did this innovation occur? In the fourth century of the Hijra. O Glorified is Allah, three centuries of the Muslim community were ignorant that this is prescribed? Or is it said that they knew it but they opposed it? All of this is impossible. The Muslim community was not ignorant, they are not ignorant, that this is prescribed, if it were prescribed. And they are not opposing it by not performing it, if it were prescribed. So the fact that the best centuries, about which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter
خير الناس قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهمThe student: A mention.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: A mention.
The Shaykh : Good, perfect. So all the worships that we perform are a remembrance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And the aspect of that, O brother? Our brother, you, and even if you are of advanced age, you are a student of knowledge now, right? Answer. Every worship we perform is a remembrance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah bless you. Because we follow the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). We feel now that if we pray, we emulate the Messenger, and so with all worships. So do we need to not establish his remembrance except in one night? We are not in need of that.