It is not permissible to celebrate the birthdays of the prophets and the righteous
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Question:
This questioner from Sudan has used the initials (M. M. A) for his name. He asks: Is it permissible to celebrate the Prophet's birthday? We ask for your guidance in light of this question.
Answer:
We have previously given many answers in this program and in others, and we have written extensively on the matter. This celebration is a religious innovation (bid'ah). Celebrating birthdays is a religious innovation (bid'ah) according to the scholars, and according to the scholars of verification, it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) regarding the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and others. Therefore, it is not permissible to celebrate birthdays, neither the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor that of any other prophet or righteous person. What people do for the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or al-Badawi, or Shaykh Abdul Qadir, or al-Hasan, or al-Husayn, or anyone else, is all a religious innovation (bid'ah) and it is not permissible to do it.
The obligatory thing is to be pleased with them and to follow their good path, to increase in sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and to follow his way, to encourage adherence to his Sunnah, to teach his religion, and to fulfill his right by obeying his commands and leaving his prohibitions, and to proceed according to his methodology (peace and blessings be upon him). This is what is obligatory upon the believer. Allah the Exalted said:[Ali 'Imran 3:31] He did not say, "Take a birthday for me and celebrate it for me." He said: [Al Imran: 31]. So the sign of love is following him, obeying his commands, and leaving his prohibitions.
As for holding birthday celebrations and religious innovations (bid'ah) for which Allah has not sent down any authority, this is not permissible. Rather, it is one of the means to associating partners with Allah (shirk). Many of those who hold birthday celebrations fall into associating partners with Allah (shirk) by calling upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and seeking aid from him. Some of them fall into religious innovation (bid'ah) by seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) via his status and his right, and this is not permissible.
As for seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) by loving him and believing in him, there is nothing wrong with that. "O Allah, I ask You by my love for Your Prophet and my faith in Your Prophet to forgive me." This is permissible. But seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) by the status of the Prophet or the right of the Prophet is a religious innovation (bid'ah) for which there is no evidence. Rather, it is one of the religious innovations (bid'ah). Seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) by loving him, believing in him, and proceeding according to his methodology is a legislated means of seeking nearness.
The point is that celebrating birthdays is a religious innovation (bid'ah), whether it is the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or the birthday of any other prophet, or the righteous, or the Companions, or anyone else; it is all a religious innovation (bid'ah). Likewise, celebrating the middle night of Sha'ban, or the twenty-seventh night of Rajab which they call the Night of the Ascension and the Journey, is a religious innovation (bid'ah). Or celebrating the first night of Rajab, the first Friday night of Rajab which they call the Prayer of Longings (Salat al-Raghayib), is a religious innovation (bid'ah).
The point is that any celebration that Allah has not legislated to draw near to Him is a religious innovation (bid'ah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most truthful of people and the most sincere of people. He taught the Ummah all good and called them to all good, and he did not celebrate his birthday during his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him). He stayed in Madinah for ten years, and he was the leader of the believers and their commander, with no rival, and he did not celebrate his birthday, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him.
Then al-Siddiq after him, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, then 'Ali, then the caliphs after them did not celebrate his birthday. If it had been good, they would have preceded us to it. And all the preferred generations did not celebrate birthdays. Rather, the Rafidah innovated it in the fourth century, the Banu 'Ubayd al-Qadah, the Fatimids. Then some Muslims followed them out of ignorance and lack of insight. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
This questioner from Sudan has used the initials (M. M. A) for his name. He asks: Is it permissible to celebrate the Prophet's birthday? We ask for your guidance in light of this question.
Answer:
We have previously given many answers in this program and in others, and we have written extensively on the matter. This celebration is a religious innovation (bid'ah). Celebrating birthdays is a religious innovation (bid'ah) according to the scholars, and according to the scholars of verification, it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) regarding the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and others. Therefore, it is not permissible to celebrate birthdays, neither the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor that of any other prophet or righteous person. What people do for the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or al-Badawi, or Shaykh Abdul Qadir, or al-Hasan, or al-Husayn, or anyone else, is all a religious innovation (bid'ah) and it is not permissible to do it.
The obligatory thing is to be pleased with them and to follow their good path, to increase in sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and to follow his way, to encourage adherence to his Sunnah, to teach his religion, and to fulfill his right by obeying his commands and leaving his prohibitions, and to proceed according to his methodology (peace and blessings be upon him). This is what is obligatory upon the believer. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me
قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِيIf you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you
إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُAs for holding birthday celebrations and religious innovations (bid'ah) for which Allah has not sent down any authority, this is not permissible. Rather, it is one of the means to associating partners with Allah (shirk). Many of those who hold birthday celebrations fall into associating partners with Allah (shirk) by calling upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and seeking aid from him. Some of them fall into religious innovation (bid'ah) by seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) via his status and his right, and this is not permissible.
As for seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) by loving him and believing in him, there is nothing wrong with that. "O Allah, I ask You by my love for Your Prophet and my faith in Your Prophet to forgive me." This is permissible. But seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) by the status of the Prophet or the right of the Prophet is a religious innovation (bid'ah) for which there is no evidence. Rather, it is one of the religious innovations (bid'ah). Seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul) by loving him, believing in him, and proceeding according to his methodology is a legislated means of seeking nearness.
The point is that celebrating birthdays is a religious innovation (bid'ah), whether it is the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or the birthday of any other prophet, or the righteous, or the Companions, or anyone else; it is all a religious innovation (bid'ah). Likewise, celebrating the middle night of Sha'ban, or the twenty-seventh night of Rajab which they call the Night of the Ascension and the Journey, is a religious innovation (bid'ah). Or celebrating the first night of Rajab, the first Friday night of Rajab which they call the Prayer of Longings (Salat al-Raghayib), is a religious innovation (bid'ah).
The point is that any celebration that Allah has not legislated to draw near to Him is a religious innovation (bid'ah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most truthful of people and the most sincere of people. He taught the Ummah all good and called them to all good, and he did not celebrate his birthday during his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him). He stayed in Madinah for ten years, and he was the leader of the believers and their commander, with no rival, and he did not celebrate his birthday, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him.
Then al-Siddiq after him, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, then 'Ali, then the caliphs after them did not celebrate his birthday. If it had been good, they would have preceded us to it. And all the preferred generations did not celebrate birthdays. Rather, the Rafidah innovated it in the fourth century, the Banu 'Ubayd al-Qadah, the Fatimids. Then some Muslims followed them out of ignorance and lack of insight. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.