The Ruling on Celebrating the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) Birthday

A message was received by the program from Khartoum, Sudan, sent by one of the brothers there. He says: Abdul Hadi Bashir from the People's Armed Forces. Our brother asks and says: What is the ruling in Islam regarding the celebration of the Noble Prophet's Birthday? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: The scholars have written about the celebration of the Mawlid and clarified its ruling, explaining that celebrating Mawlid is a religious innovation (bid'ah) with no basis in the Shari'ah. We have written about this many years ago, clarifying that celebrating the Mawlid is among the innovations introduced by people. According to some historians, the first to introduce it were the known Rafidah (Twelver Shi'ah) Shi'ah, the rulers of Egypt and the Maghreb in the fourth and fifth centuries. They were the first to introduce it in the fourth century, establishing a celebration for the birth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and for the birth of Fatimah, al-Husayn, and al-Hasan, and for the birth of their ruler. Then people followed one another in this, and groups of Muslims in many Islamic countries introduced it, imitating those who came before them. Otherwise, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do this, nor did he order it. Likewise, his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not do it, nor did the Rightly Guided Caliphs, nor did the rest of his Companions (peace and blessings be upon him) do it, nor did the Companions of the blessed centuries—the second and third centuries—do it. It only occurred in the fourth century, as mentioned earlier, and those who introduced it were the Shi'ah, the Rafidah, who are not a model to follow in this or in anything else. Therefore, what the believer should do is emulate the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and follow their path in not introducing innovations, including the Mawlid, for it has no basis in the Shari'ah. Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and remembering his Sunnah is always required. Muslims should always remember him (peace and blessings be upon him), follow his Sunnah, honor it, encourage it, and call to it at all times—in their lessons, in their sermons, in their schools, in their institutes, and elsewhere. This is what Allah has prescribed for them, (Glorified and Exalted is He).
And Allah has elevated his mention, and prescribed for the servants to follow his Sunnah and to honor his commands and prohibitions, (peace and blessings be upon him). He is called upon with his mention five times every day, in the adhan and the iqamah: "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." And the Muslims pray upon him and bear witness to his messengership in every prayer, twice: in the first tashahhud and the last tashahhud, in the Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha' prayers, twice. And in the Fajr and Jumu'ah prayers likewise, and in their voluntary prayers, they bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) is mentioned among the Muslims in their prayers, in their adhan, in their iqamah, and elsewhere. He is not forgotten until a Mawlid is prepared for him; he is always remembered, (peace and blessings be upon him).
So it is obligatory for Muslims to follow his Sunnah, to honor his commands and prohibitions, to be content with what has been prescribed, and to beware of innovations. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning: it is rejected. And he used to say in his Friday sermon, (peace and blessings be upon him): And he said in the hadith of al-'Arba' ibn Sari'ah: .
So the celebration of Mawlid, all of them are innovations, and among them is his (peace and blessings be upon him) Mawlid. The Ummah should abandon these innovations and strive to follow his Sunnah, to honor his commands and prohibitions, to hasten to the guidance he (peace and blessings be upon him) brought, and to stay away from the falsehood he prohibited. This is how the love for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is, this is how his honor is, and this is how his remembrance is, which benefits the servant in this world and the Hereafter, not through innovations and superstitions.
And a group of scholars have warned about this innovation, such as al-Shatibi and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and others. They warned about this innovation and clarified that it is an error and that it is an innovation. Muslims should always abandon innovations and beware of them, and advise one another to revive the Sunnah, to be upright upon it, to follow it, and to beware of what contradicts it. We ask Allah for success and guidance for everyone.