What is the ruling on celebrating the anniversary of the Prophet's migration?

Question:
The listener, Fayyad Ibrahim, a man from Riyadh, sent a question saying: What is the ruling on celebrating the anniversary of the noble migration of the Prophet, and all the great Islamic occasions, such as the Night of Ascension and the Night of Decree, and the middle night of Sha'ban? May Allah reward you and preserve you for the sake of Islam and the Muslims.

Answer:
The legal principle is that acts of worship are based on divine legislation; no one has the right to invent an act of worship that the Shari'ah has not authorized. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: [Surah al-Shura: 21]. And He says: : [Surah al-Jathiyah: 18]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning: Islam. meaning: it is rejected. It is agreed upon that it is authentic. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning: it is rejected. Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it in his Sahih, and al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned it in his Sahih with a broken chain, affirming it.
Celebrations are acts of worship, so nothing is permissible in them except what is indicated by evidence. Celebrating the Night of Decree in the last ten nights of Ramadan is prescribed; Allah has legislated for us to honor these nights, to spend their nights in worship, remembrance, obedience, and recitation, and to fast their days; because these are nights of Ramadan in which the Night of Decree is sought. It is prescribed for Muslims to honor them with prayer and worship in the mosques, and for women in their homes; all of this is prescribed.
As for celebrating the Prophet's birthday, or any birthday, such as the birthday of al-Badawi, or the birthday of al-Husayn, or the birthday of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), these celebrations are among the religious innovations that people have invented, and they are not prescribed. Even if many people in many cities do them, they do not become a recommended practice by the action of people. There is no good religious innovation in Islam; rather, all innovations are blameworthy, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he used to preach on Friday (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: Imam Muslim included it in his Sahih. Al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) added with a sound chain: .
All innovations are misguidance. If some people call some innovations "good innovations," that is a speculative opinion with no evidence for it. It is not permissible to oppose the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with the saying of any person. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) judged innovations to be misguidance, so we have no right to exclude anything from this matter except with a legal proof; because this is a general, decisive statement: .
Likewise, celebrating the Night of the Ascension and the Night of the Middle of Sha'ban, and celebrating the Prophet's migration, or the conquest of Makkah, or the Day of Badr, all of this is among the religious innovations; because these matters existed during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he did not celebrate them. If they had been a means of drawing near to Allah, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would have celebrated them, or he would have ordered the Companions to do so, or the Companions would have done it after him. Since none of this happened, we know that they are religious innovations and not prescribed. These celebrations are not justified by the fact that so-and-so did them, or that the people of such-and-such a town did them; none of that justifies it. The only proof is what Allah and His Messenger said, or what the Salaf of the Ummah agreed upon, or what the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) did.
It is established that this celebration only appeared in the fourth century—meaning the celebration of the Prophet's birthday—when the Fatimids ruled the Maghreb, Egypt, and some Islamic lands, and they were Shi'ah. Then some people followed them after that. It is not fitting for the people of Islam to imitate the people of innovation in their innovations. Rather, it is obligatory for the people of Islam and the followers of the Sunnah to fight the religious innovations, to declare them blameworthy, and not to agree to their practice, following the example of the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Rightly Guided Caliphs and his satisfied Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) , and then the Salaf after them in the blessed centuries. This is what we believe and profess as a legal matter, and we advise our Muslim brothers with it and recommend it to them wherever they are.
And we ask Allah for us and for all Muslims success in what pleases Him, safety from the causes of His anger, steadfastness upon the Sunnah, and caution against religious innovation. Indeed, He is All-Hearing, Near.