What is the ruling on one who says that celebrating the Prophet's birthday is a means of uniting the hearts of the Ummah after they have become divided?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. In previous sessions, we learned about religious innovation and its ruling. We find that some people, in their celebrations of the noble Prophet's birthday, praise the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and say: "These celebrations are a means of uniting the hearts of Muslims after the Ummah has become divided." What is your answer to this?
The Shaykh : Our answer to those who say that celebrating the birthday is a means of uniting hearts and reviving the memory of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is:
First: We do not accept this. Those who gather in this manner disperse without any real cause, and hearts cannot possibly unite over a religious innovation in any way.
Second: This is inventing something that Allah has not prescribed. Allah the Exalted has established another gathering for uniting hearts. How many times do we gather in one of the houses of Allah every day?
Five times, and this achieves the uniting of hearts. So we are in no need of this religious innovation that they have invented and claimed that it brings about unity.
As for the memory of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), glory to Allah the Great! Does a person not have a memory of the Messenger except once a year?
Do we not remember the Messenger in every act of worship? In every act of worship, we remember the Messenger. For example, when you want to perform ablution, there are two things required in the ablution:
Sincerity for Allah, and secondly: following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So whenever you feel that you are following him, you are now remembering the Messenger.
You perform ablution as one who is following the Messenger, you pray as one who is following the Messenger. Then, the public remembrance, and praise be to Allah, at least five times a day we declare from the pulpits: "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." So we are in no need of this religious innovation. We respond to them with this, and we say: Glory to Allah, where are you from the Companions? Where are you from the Tabi'un? Where are you from the generation after the Tabi'un?
The three superior generations, which are the best of the Ummah, have passed, and none of them ever held this celebration. This celebration was not known until the fourth century, after the year 400. Yes?
The questioner : Is it a religious innovation?
The Shaykh : It is a religious innovation, there is no doubt in it. It is a blameworthy religious innovation. Every religious innovation is misguidance. Yes.
The Shaykh : Our answer to those who say that celebrating the birthday is a means of uniting hearts and reviving the memory of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is:
First: We do not accept this. Those who gather in this manner disperse without any real cause, and hearts cannot possibly unite over a religious innovation in any way.
Second: This is inventing something that Allah has not prescribed. Allah the Exalted has established another gathering for uniting hearts. How many times do we gather in one of the houses of Allah every day?
Five times, and this achieves the uniting of hearts. So we are in no need of this religious innovation that they have invented and claimed that it brings about unity.
As for the memory of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), glory to Allah the Great! Does a person not have a memory of the Messenger except once a year?
Do we not remember the Messenger in every act of worship? In every act of worship, we remember the Messenger. For example, when you want to perform ablution, there are two things required in the ablution:
Sincerity for Allah, and secondly: following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So whenever you feel that you are following him, you are now remembering the Messenger.
You perform ablution as one who is following the Messenger, you pray as one who is following the Messenger. Then, the public remembrance, and praise be to Allah, at least five times a day we declare from the pulpits: "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." So we are in no need of this religious innovation. We respond to them with this, and we say: Glory to Allah, where are you from the Companions? Where are you from the Tabi'un? Where are you from the generation after the Tabi'un?
The three superior generations, which are the best of the Ummah, have passed, and none of them ever held this celebration. This celebration was not known until the fourth century, after the year 400. Yes?
The questioner : Is it a religious innovation?
The Shaykh : It is a religious innovation, there is no doubt in it. It is a blameworthy religious innovation. Every religious innovation is misguidance. Yes.