Ruling on Celebrating the Prophet's Biography on the Occasion of the Prophet's Birthday
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Q: Is it permissible for Muslims to hold a celebration in the mosque to remember the noble Prophetic biography on the night of 12 Rabi' al-Awwal, on the occasion of the noble Prophet's birthday, without making the day a holiday like a festival? We differed on this; some said it is a good innovation, and others said it is not a good innovation?
A: It is not permissible for Muslims to hold a celebration for the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of 12 Rabi' al-Awwal or on any other night, nor is it permissible for them to hold any celebration for the birthday of any other prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); because celebrating birthdays is an innovation introduced into the religion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not celebrate his own birthday during his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), and he is the one who conveyed the religion and legislated the laws from his Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He). He did not order it, nor did his Rightly Guided Caliphs, nor all his Companions, nor those who followed them in excellence in the blessed centuries, so it is known to be an innovation. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1718a It is agreed upon as authentic. In a narration by Muslim, which al-Bukhari suspended with certainty: Sahih Muslim 1718b.
Celebrating birthdays is not in accordance with his command (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it is something people introduced into his religion in the later centuries, so it is rejected. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his Friday sermon:Sahih Muslim 867a Muslim narrated it in his Sahih, and al-Nasa'i narrated it with a good chain and added: Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578Sahih (Darussalam).
Teaching his biography (peace and blessings be upon him) and the history of his life in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and in Islam in schools, mosques, and elsewhere is sufficient in place of celebrating his birthday (peace and blessings be upon him). This includes explaining what relates to his birth (peace and blessings be upon him) and the history of his death, without the need to introduce a celebration that Allah and His Messenger did not prescribe and for which there is no legal evidence. May Allah be our helper, and we ask Allah the Exalted for guidance and success for all Muslims to be content with the Sunnah and to beware of religious innovation.
A: It is not permissible for Muslims to hold a celebration for the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of 12 Rabi' al-Awwal or on any other night, nor is it permissible for them to hold any celebration for the birthday of any other prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); because celebrating birthdays is an innovation introduced into the religion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not celebrate his own birthday during his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), and he is the one who conveyed the religion and legislated the laws from his Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He). He did not order it, nor did his Rightly Guided Caliphs, nor all his Companions, nor those who followed them in excellence in the blessed centuries, so it is known to be an innovation. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردHe 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 ردCelebrating birthdays is not in accordance with his command (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it is something people introduced into his religion in the later centuries, so it is rejected. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his Friday sermon:
The best of the speech is embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best of the guidance is the guidance given by Muhammad. And the most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is error.
أما بعد، فإن خير الحديث كتاب الله، وخير الهدي هدي محمد ﷺ، وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالةand every going astray is in the Fire
وكل ضلالة في النارTeaching his biography (peace and blessings be upon him) and the history of his life in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and in Islam in schools, mosques, and elsewhere is sufficient in place of celebrating his birthday (peace and blessings be upon him). This includes explaining what relates to his birth (peace and blessings be upon him) and the history of his death, without the need to introduce a celebration that Allah and His Messenger did not prescribe and for which there is no legal evidence. May Allah be our helper, and we ask Allah the Exalted for guidance and success for all Muslims to be content with the Sunnah and to beware of religious innovation.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.