What is the ruling on holding Mawlid celebrations?

This message is addressed to you. Its sender, Abbas Abd al-Fattah from Islamic Egypt, says: May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, His Excellency Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baz. I have heard your answer to a question on *Nur 'ala al-Dirb* regarding the holding of Mawlid celebrations, such as the noble Mawlid of the Prophet, and you graciously answered that such Mawlid celebrations and others should not be held, based on what has come in the Book and the Sunnah, and that we must follow what Allah and His Messenger commanded and prohibited. I am personally fully convinced of this. However, we see in Islamic Egypt that the honorable scholars and Shaykhs attend these celebrations and Mawlid gatherings, such as those of al-Husayn, Sayyidah Zaynab, al-Badawi, and others. In fact, there are many in Upper Egypt as well. My first question is: What is the correct position on this matter?
Answer: The correct view is what you heard in the report of my previous answer, namely that these Mawlid celebrations that people observe are a religious innovation (bid'ah) with no basis. It is not befitting for a person of sound mind or a student of knowledge to be deceived by the actions of people, for the actions of people are not a standard to be measured by, nor are they a proof to be cited. Rather, the proof is only what Allah and His Messenger said. The sayings, actions, and celebrations of people are all judged by the Book and the Sunnah; whatever agrees with the Book of Allah or the authentic Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is what is followed and is the truth, and whatever contradicts them must be rejected, even if people do it. Allah the Exalted said: [Yusuf: 103], and He said: : [Al-An'am: 116], and He said: : [Saba: 20]. So the conclusion is that the actions and sayings of people are not the standard by which rulings are weighed and known; rather, the standard is what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [An-Nisa: 59], and what He, the Most High, said: [Ash-Shura: 10]. This is the standard. The standard is what Allah and His Messenger said. Therefore, celebrating the Mawlid has no basis in the Book of Allah or in the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Many centuries have passed for the Muslims during which they did not celebrate the Mawlid. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it in his lifetime, and he is the Seal of the Prophets, with no prophet after him to teach us. He is the Seal of the Prophets, and he is the most sincere of people (peace and blessings be upon him), the most knowledgeable of people, the most fearful of Allah, and the most pious of them toward Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If celebrating his Mawlid (peace and blessings be upon him) or other Mawlid celebrations had been a prescribed matter, he would have explained it to the Ummah (peace and blessings be upon him) or done it himself so that people could follow his example. Then, if he had left it off himself (peace and blessings be upon him) because it was not obligatory but was a recommended practice (sunnah) in itself, the Companions would have done it, taking it from his action or his saying (peace and blessings be upon him). But the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it, did not call to it, did not order it, and his Companions did not do it, neither the Rightly Guided Caliphs nor anyone else. Then came the second century, the century of the Tabi'un and the great followers of the Tabi'un, and they did not do it. Then came the third century after them, and they did not do it. This indicates that it is a religious innovation (bid'ah), based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): , . And he used to say in his sermon (peace and blessings be upon him): "As for what follows: ." This is how he used to say in his Friday sermon (peace and blessings be upon him).
If the celebrations of Mawlid had been a required matter or a prescribed matter, it would not have been missed by those noble, noble men, nor would those after them have attained it and been guided to it. For the previous centuries included the truth, and it is not possible for the truth to be in others while they are deprived of the truth. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . These centuries are that group: the first century, then the second, then the third. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This is the hadith. So it is never permissible for anyone to believe that the truth is missed by these noble, great centuries and then attained and possessed by those after them. This is not said by one who believes in Allah and the Last Day.
So the conclusion is that the celebrations of Mawlid—the Mawlid of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Mawlid of al-Husayn, the Mawlid of so-and-so, the Mawlid of al-Badawi, and so on—are all religious innovations (bid'ah) with no basis. They were introduced by those who introduced them in the fourth century and after, as mentioned by the author of *Al-Ibda' fi Mudarrat al-Ibda'* (The Innovation in the Harms of Innovation). He stated that those who began introducing them were the Fatimid rulers of Egypt, the rulers of the Maghreb, who claimed to be from the People of the House (Ahl al-Bayt) falsely, and they are not from them in any way. And Abu al-Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah, the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him), said: "Their outward appearance is Rafidah (Twelver Shi'ah), and their inward reality is pure disbelief (kufr)."
So the conclusion is that they are the ones who introduced this in the fourth century, and then others after them introduced it, from the Shi'ah and from non-Shi'ah who claim to follow the Sunnah, out of error and ignorance. It is not befitting for a rational person to be deceived by this matter which many people do. Also, these mosques are built on graves, and domes are placed on graves. Does one who believes in Allah say that this is a prescription, that it is a recommended practice (sunnah), and that it is a means of nearness? It is a blameworthy religious innovation (bid'ah), and yet it is found among people. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , which Muslim narrated in the Sahih.
And Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: . So Jabir informed that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited plastering graves and building on them. Yet now they are plastered, built upon, and domes and mosques are placed on them. Does one who knows the truth say that this is permissible, or that it is prescribed because people did it? Rather, it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) and one of the means of associating partners with Allah (shirk), even if people do it. Making mosques of graves, building on them, placing domes on them, and plastering them—all of this is forbidden (haram). All of it is among the means of associating partners with Allah (shirk), even if people do it.
Similarly, many ignorant people come to the exalted graves and call upon them, seek aid from their inhabitants, and ask for support from them. Does anyone say that this is permissible because people did this, or because many people did this? One who knows the religion does not say this. For calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead, and asking for support from the dead is the action of the first age of ignorance (jahiliyyah). It is the action of the people of associating partners with Allah (shirk) known previously, and it is major shirk. And yet many ignorant people do it at the graves, at the grave of al-Husayn, at the grave of someone other than al-Husayn, at the grave of al-Badawi, and perhaps some ignorant people do it at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah. Does one who believes in Allah say that this is permissible, or that it is a means of nearness, or that there is no harm in it? Rather, it is among the acts of associating partners with Allah (shirk), the worship of other than Allah, and the action of the first age of ignorance (jahiliyyah), even if many people do it. Every Muslim should understand this and be alert to this matter. Yes.