A Detailed Statement on the Ruling Regarding Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday

The first message in this episode came from the listener Muhammad Ibrahim Abd al-Aleem, known as al-Tayyib. He is of Egyptian nationality and works in al-Kharj in the As-Sahna area of ad-Dal'am, as he says. His question is about celebrating the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal of every year. He says: "I know that it is a religious innovation, but I have heard people say that there is a good innovation or a recommended innovation. There are also people who hold celebrations every Hijri year in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal. I ask for clarification. May Allah reward you."
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and the final outcome is for the righteous. And may the prayers and peace be upon His servant and Messenger, His choice from among His creation, and His trustee over His revelation, our Prophet, our Imam, and our Master Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows his path and is guided by his guidance until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows: Celebrating the Prophet's birthday, may the best of prayers and peace be upon him, is a matter about which much has been spoken. We have written multiple works on it, which have been published in newspapers many times and distributed many times. Others among the scholars of knowledge have also written on it, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim*. Those scholars clarified that it is a religious innovation, and that its existence among some people does not justify it being a recommended practice, nor does it indicate its permissibility or its being legislated.
Al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) also explicitly stated this in his book *Al-I'tisam*, and our great scholar Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) also wrote a comprehensive treatise on this. By the praise of Allah, there is no doubt about this among those who know the principles of jurisprudence and the legal maxim regarding the perfection of the Shari'ah and the warning against religious innovations. This is only confusing for some people who have not thoroughly investigated the principles, nor have they adequately studied the methodology of the Salaf al-Salih. Rather, they were deceived by those who practiced the Mawlid among the people and imitated them, or they were deceived by those who said: "There is a good religious innovation in Islam." The correct position in this matter is that celebrating all Mawlid celebrations is a religious innovation, whether it is the Mawlid of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or the Mawlid of anyone else, such as the Mawlid of al-Badawi, or Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, or others. The Salaf al-Salih did not do this, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the teacher and guide (peace and blessings be upon him), did not celebrate his Mawlid. He conveyed the clear message and advised the Ummah. He did not leave any path that brings one closer to Allah and nearer to His mercy without explaining it to the Ummah and guiding them to it. He did not leave any path that distances one from the mercy of Allah and brings one closer to the Fire without explaining it to the Ummah and warning them against it. And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah: 3]. He (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away in Makkah after thirteen years, and in Madinah after ten years, and he did not celebrate this Mawlid, nor did he say to the Ummah: "Do that." Then his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not do it, neither the Rightly Guided Caliphs nor any other of the Companions. Then those who followed them in goodness from the Tabi'un and the followers of the Tabi'un from the preferred centuries, all of them were on this path and did not do anything of this, neither in speech nor in action. Then some people came in the fourth century, among those who are attributed to religious innovation from the Fatimid Shi'ah, who are known as the rulers of Egypt and the Maghreb, and they introduced this religious innovation. Then others followed them, some of the people of the Sunnah, out of ignorance of the truth, and imitation of those who followed this path, or by accepting doubts that do not lead to the truth.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the believer to take the truth with its evidence, and to seek what the Sunnah and the Book have brought, so that his ruling is based on clear proof and insight, and so that his conduct is on a straight methodology. And Allah the Exalted says: [Al-Shura: 10], and He (peace and blessings be upon him) says: [Al-Nisa: 59].
And if we look at what people do in their celebrations and refer it to the Great Qur'an, we do not find in it anything that indicates them. And if we refer that to the Sunnah, we do not find in it anything that indicates that, neither in action, nor in speech, nor in approval. So it is known thereby that celebrating the Prophet's birthday is a religious innovation without doubt, and it must be abandoned and it is not permissible to do it. And whoever does that among people is in one of two states: either he is ignorant and has not known the truth, so he is taught and guided; or he is stubborn in his desire and purpose, so he is called to the correct path and supplication is made for him for guidance and success. Neither of them is a proof, neither the ignorant one nor the stubborn one. Neither of them is a proof. Rather, the proof is in what Allah and His Messenger said, not in the saying of anyone else.
Then the statement that religious innovations are divided into good and bad, and into forbidden and obligatory, is a statement without evidence. The scholars of knowledge and certainty have refuted this and clarified the error of this classification. They argued against this with the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith: Meaning: so it is rejected. It is agreed upon as authentic. And Muslim narrated in his Sahih, may Allah have mercy on him, from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Meaning: so it is rejected. And in the authentic hadith from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to preach on Friday and say: And he did not say "the innovation in it is such and such, and in it is such and such," but rather he said: . And he said in the hadith of Al-'Arba' ibn Sari'ah: .
Religious innovations are in matters of religion, in matters of drawing near to Allah, not in matters of this world. As for matters of this world, in foods and drinks, people may introduce special methods in their foods, their meals, and their drinks. They make bread in a certain way, rice in a certain way, and other types in a certain way. They may vary in their food; there is no harm in this. The discussion is about acts of devotion and worship by which one draws near to Allah. This is the place of innovation. Likewise, in industries and weapons of war, people may introduce things to help them in war, such as bombs, cannons, and others. They introduce ships, airplanes, space ships, trains. There is nothing wrong with this. The discussion is about what one draws near to Allah with, and what people consider a devotion and obedience, hoping for its reward with Allah. This is the place of scrutiny. So whatever the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions did not do, and he, may Allah pray upon him and grant him peace, did not indicate or guide to, but rather people introduced it and inserted it into the religion of Allah, it is a religious innovation, whether so-and-so likes it or so-and-so is angry. And the truth is more deserving of being followed. From this category is what people have introduced of building mosques on graves and making domes over them. This is among the religious innovations by which much evil has occurred, until major shirk occurred and the graves were worshipped instead of Allah because of these religious innovations.
So it is obligatory for the believer to be mindful of what Allah has legislated and to take it, and he must be mindful of what people have innovated and to guard against it, even if it is magnified by those who are pointed to as people of ignorance, or blind imitation, or stubbornness. There is no consideration with Allah for people of blind imitation, nor for people of stubbornness, nor for people of ignorance. Rather, the scale with Allah is for whoever takes the evidence and argues with the evidence and seeks the truth with its evidence. This is the one who is considered in the scale and to whose saying one returns. And we ask Allah for guidance and success for everyone. Yes. Allah is the Helper.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.