It is a celebration which resembles the Christians' celebration of Christ's birth (Christmas). Ignorant Muslims and deviant scholars celebrate in the month of Rabi al-Awwal, the Messenger's birthday. Some hold this function in mosques, and some at homes while others in designated places that are prepared for tis purpose. Large numbers attend such celebration, copying the Christians in their Bid'ah of celebrating Christmas. Besides the fact, it is an innovation resembling the Christians, such celebration also include some polytheistic practices and objectionable things such as reciting litanies that include excessive praising of the Messenger of Allah sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. They also include supplicating the Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallamto the exclusion of Allah, and seeking help and relief from him. The Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallamforbade revering him excessively saying:
لا تطروني كما أطرت النصارى ابن مريم, إنما أنا عبد فقولوا عبد الله ورسوله"Do not adulate me as the Christians adulated the son of Maryam, I am only human, therefore, call me the slave of Allah and His Messenger."
Those who celebrate the birthday of the Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam probably believe that the Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam attends their functions. Among the objectionable things that take place in such celebrations is reciting litanies in congregations accompanied by drum beating, and the rest of teh innovated Sufi litanies. Such celebrations allow mixing of men with women, which is a cause of Fitnah and leads to committing fornication. Even if such functions are free from these objectionable things, and were restricted to gatherings, eating and expressing joy as they claim,it is still a Bid'ah which is innovated, and according to the Hadith:
وكل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالة
"Every innovated practice is Bid'ah, and every Bid'ah is a means of deviation."
It can also be conducive to objectionable things, which take place in other functions.
We said that this celebration is Bid'ah because it has no base in the Book nor the Sunnah, nor in the practice of the Pious Predecessors and the favored generations. Such celebrations evolved, subsequent to the fourth century of Hijrah. It was innovated and devised by the Shi'ite Fatimid. Imam Abu Hafs Taj ad-Din al-Fakihani, may Allah grant him His mercy, said:
"To proceed, it has been repeatedly asked by blessed group of people inquiring about the legitimacy of the functions that some people hold in the month of Rabi al-Awwal which they call al-Mawlid (Milad), whether it has a base in the deen. They request a clear answer to their query in general and clarification in particular. I said, while asking Allah to grant me success: "I have no knowledge of a base for such functions, neither in the Book nor in the Sunnah, nor any of the Scholars who adhere to the traditions of the predecessors, who are the examples for the Ummah to follow in matters of deen, was reported to have celebrated it. Rather, it is a Bid'ah, innovated by the forgers, and a desire through which greedy people became rich." " [1]
Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah grant him His mercy, said: "Similar to this is what some people do, they celebrate the birthday of teh Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam either to resemble the Christians' celebration of the birthday of Jesus, whom Allah saved from evil, or out of their love and adulation to the Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Although people are at variance with regard to the actual date of the Prophet's birthday. Such functions were not held by the Pious Predecessors. Were such functions to be a good thing, the Pious Predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, would have been more deserving that us in holding it. They loved and revered the Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallammore than we love and revere him, and they were keener than ourselves in seeking goodness. His true love and reverence can be materialized in following and obeying him, and adhering to his commands, and reviving his Sunnah internally and externally. It can also be materialized by propagating the message with which he was sent, and struggling by heart, hand and tongue for that purpose. This is the way of the Pious Predecessors and the Muhajireen and Ansar, and those who followed them in piety." [2]
Books and epistles in the past and present were written to denounce and refute this Bid'ah, besides it being a Bid'ah and resembling the Christians, it is also conducive to holding other birthday celebrations, sch as the birthday of the awliya', 'Shaikh' and leaders, and would open many gates of evil. [3]
[Taken from Kitaab at-Tawheed (The Book of Tawheed) compiled by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, published by Darussalam Publishers and Distributors, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.]
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