In this blog, I have written about Mawlid(the birthday of Prophet Muhammad SAW). Is it permissible to celebrate it and if it is how can it be celebrated?
Date of Birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW
There is debate on the date on which Prophet Muhammad PBUH was born some say he was born on the 2nd of Rabee al-awal some say he was born on 8th, some say he was born on 10th but the majority of the scholars of the Salaf say he was born on the 12th of Rabee al-awal in 571 CE the same year the incident of the Elephant took place. The Shia argue that he was born on the 17th of Rabee al-awal. Scholars such as Abu Mashar Nujayh ibn Abd ar-Rahman al-Madan, al-Waqidi and Ibn Abd al-Barr(May Allah be pleased with all of them) believe that the Prophet was born on the 2nd of Rabee al-Awal. Some scholars like Az-Zuhri and Ibn Hazm(May Allah be pleased with them)etc argue that he was born on the 8th of the month. Some of the scholars like Ibn Dihyah and Ibn Asakir from Abu Jafar al-Baqir(May Allah be pleased with them) state that he was born on the 10th of the month. While Scholars such as Ibn Ishaq, and Ibn Abi Shaybah also narrated from Affan from Saeed ibn Mina that Jabir and Ibn Abbas(May Allah be pleased with them say that he was born on the 12th of Rabee al-awal and this is also the view of the majority of the scholars.
Brief history of Mawlid
The first person to publicly celebrate Mawlid was Muzaffar ad-Din Gökböri who was the deputy and brother-in-law of Salahuddin Ayubi(May Allah have mercy on them as they were the ones who fought the crusaders). He organized a very impressive ceremony. A couple of centuries later Ottoman Caliph Murad III(1574-1595) declared it a public holiday.
Permissibility
Many scholars say that this is a bidaah(an act that is in opposition to the Quran and the Sunnah. They argue that Mawlid was not celebrated by Prophet Muhammad during his lifetime and his companions. The five rightly guided Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman, Ali and Hassan(May Allah be pleased with them) didn't celebrate this occasion. Neither did the early generations of Salaf including the four great Imams Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafii and Ahmad bin Hanbal(May Allah be pleased with them) celebrate it. They are right in their argument because we don't find any Sahih Hadith of any of the above doing this. Many argue that it is not a bidaah and it is just a way to show your love for Prophet Muhammad SAW. Many agree that it is a bidaah and they call it bidaah hasnah(good bidaah). With regards to bidaah, there is a Sahih Hadith in Sunan Nasai
Hadith no.149
It was narrated that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said:
"In his Khutbah the Messenger of Allah SAW used to praise Allah as He deserves to be praised, then he would say: 'Whomsoever Allah (SWT) guides, none can lead him astray, and whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide. The truest of word is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of things are those that are newly invented; every newly-invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire.' Then he said: 'The Hour and I have been sent like these two.' Whenever he mentioned the Hour, his cheeks would turn red, and he would raise his voice and become angry, as if he were warning of an approaching army and saying: 'An army is coming to attack you in the morning, or in the evening!' (Then he said): 'Whoever leaves behind wealth, it is for his family, and whoever leaves behind a debt or dependents, then these are my responsibility, and I am the most entitled to take care of the believers.'[Sunan Nasai 1578]
With the above-mentioned hadith, it should be clear how much of a risk it is to follow a bidaah.
Those who call it a bidaah Hassanah argue that we celebrate Mawlid just to show our love for Prophet Muhammad SAW. I am not doubting your intentions indeed you must have great love and respect for Prophet Muhammad SAW.
How to celebrate Mawlid?
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph the intentions of those who celebrate Mawlid can not be doubted but what should be the right way to celebrate the coming of Prophet Muhammad SAW? Surely blocking roads or conducting rallies can not be the right way to celebrate Mawlid as this can cause discomfort to the general public. With regards to causing harm or distress to others, there is Sahih Hadith.
Hadith no.150
Abu Al-Abbas Muhammad bin Yaqub narrated to us, Al-Abbas bin Muhammad Al-Duri narrated to us, Uthman bin Muhammad bin Uthman bin Rabiah bin Abi Abd Al-Rahman narrated to us, Abd Al-Aziz bin Muhammad Al-Darawardi narrated to us, on the authority of Amr bin Yahya Al-Mazini, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, may God be pleased with him, that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, He said:
“There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm. Whoever harms, Allah will harm him, and whoever makes things difficult, Allah will make things difficult for him.” This is a hadith with a sound chain of transmission according to the conditions of Imam Muslim. [Mustadrak al-Hakim 2345]
Now tell me isn't blocking roads or conducting rallies causing harm to others? Wouldn't it make the lives of other people difficult and cause them distress? What if someone needs instant medical treatment but can't go to the hospital or if someone immediately needs to go to a distant place or out of the city but can't reach there on time because the roads are blocked? Now who would be responsible for these difficulties and distress that others have to go through? It would be better to organize such events in mosques or indoor community centres so that they can not cause suffering to others.
In many Muslim countries, the celebration of Mawlid overshadows the celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha. This is obviously a bidaah because there are only two Eid according to Quran and Sunnah. These are the Eid ul-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha. These are the only two occasions of celebrations that have been recorded in the Sahih Hadith. Indeed the day of the arrival of Prophet Muhammad SAW is a great day but it shouldn't be celebrated in a way that contradicts the Quran and Sunnah.
Reciting verses of poems is a good way to celebrate the arrival of Prophet Muhammad SAW and show your love towards him. Discussions should be held on the stature of Prophet Muhammad SAW. Another thing which we should be careful about is that while reciting poems or organizing discussions about Prophet Muhammad SAW we shouldn't exaggerate the status of Prophet Muhammad SAW beyond the level which has been reported in the Quran and Sahih hadith. There are a number of verses of the Quran regarding this among them I have mentioned only one verse;
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “I am only a man like you, ˹but˺ it has been revealed to me that your God is only One God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with their Lord, let them do good deeds and associate none in the worship of their Lord.” [Surah al-Kahf verse 110]
There are a couple of Sahih hadith about this.
Hadith no.151
Narrated by Aisha(the wife of the Prophet): Allah's MMessenger SAW died while Abu Bakr was at a place called As-Sunah (Al-Aliya) Umar stood up and said, "By Allah! Allah's Messenger SAW is not dead!" 'Umar (later on) said, "By Allah! Nothing occurred to my mind except that." He said, "Verily! Allah will resurrect him and he will cut the hands and legs of some men." Then Abu Bakr came and uncovered the face of Allah's Messenger SAW, kissed him and said, "Let my mother and father be sacrificed for you, (O Allah's Messenger SAW), you are good in life and in death. By Allah in Whose Hands my life is, Allah will never make you taste death twice." Then he went out and said, "O oath-taker! Don't be hasty." When Abu Bakr spoke, 'Umar sat down. Abu Bakr praised and glorified Allah and said, No doubt! Whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped Allah, then Allah is Alive and shall never die." Then he recited Allah's Statement.:- "(O Muhammad) Verily you will die, and they also will die." (Surah Az-Zumr verse 30) He also recited:-
"Muhammad is no more than an Apostle; and indeed many Apostles have passed away, before him, If he dies Or is killed, will you then Turn back on your heels? And he who turns back On his heels, not the least Harm will he do to Allah And Allah will give reward to those Who are grateful."(Surah Al-Imran verse 144)
[Sahih al-Bukhari 3667]
Hadith no.152
Narrated by Aisha and Ibn Abbas(May Allah be pleased with them):
On his deathbed Allah's Messenger SAW put a sheet over his face and when he felt hot, he would remove it from his face. When in that state (of putting and removing the sheet) he said, "May Allah's Curse be on the Jews and the Christians for they build places of worship at the graves of their prophets." (By that) he intended to warn (the Muslim) from what they (i.e. Jews and Christians) had done. [Sahih Bukhari 3453]
Hadith no.153
Narrated Umar(May Allah be pleased with him):
I heard the Prophet SAW saying, "Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a Slave. So, call me the Slave of Allah and His Apostle." [Sahih al-Bukhari 3445]
While there is debate on which date Prophet Muhammad was born it is confirmed from a Sahih hadith that he was born on Monday;
Hadith no.154
Abu Qatada Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger SAW was asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said:
"It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me." [Sahih Muslim 1162e]
This Hadith confirms that he was born on Monday so if we really want to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad why not celebrate it every Monday by fasting on this day? This could be a great way to celebrate his birthday and to show your love towards Prophet Muhammad SAW. Not only this but it is also a Sunnah.
We should also conduct discussions of the pain and sufferings of Prophet Muhammad SAW and the sacrifices he made for the Muslims. How much pain and suffering he has endured for us. About this is a Sahih Hadith;
Hadith no.155
Ibn Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I visited the Prophet SAW while he was suffering(he was unwell or in pain). I said: "(O Messenger of Allah!) You suffer too much.'' He said, "Yes, I suffer as much as two men of you.'' [Riyaad As-Salihin 914]
The above hadith means that whenever he was unwell he used to suffer twice as much as a normal person used to. He would be unwell because of all the sacrifices he had made in his entire life. Another reason for this suffering is that he was worried about his Ummah and the Muslims that would come into this world till the day of resurrection. He was worried about what would become of them in this world and the world hereafter. That's why he Prophesied many incidents that would happen to the Ummah so that he could warn us about them. His pain was due to the sacrifice he had made for us. We should keep in mind that Prophet Muhammad SAW'S uncle Hamza(May Allah be pleased with him) was martyred in the Battle of Uhad. His uncle Abu Talib(May Allah be pleased with him, his wife Khadija(May Allah be pleased with him), all of his sons and all of his daughters except Hazrat Fatima(May Allah be pleased with all of them) died while he was alive and he had to bury them with his own hands. All of these were great sufferings for Prophet Muhammad SAW and he had to endure all this for us. That's why he is our role model. There have also been Sahih Hadith that Prophet Muhammad would cry and pray for Allah to have mercy on the Muslim Ummah.
We can't do anything to compensate or pay back all the suffering Prophet Muhammad had to undergo for his Ummah. The best we can do and how we can show our love to him is that we follow his Sunnah and act according to it at every point and every aspect of our lives. For example, we should eat and drink like how he used to eat and drink, we should wear what and how he used to wear. We should behave with our neighbours, guests, children, our siblings, parents and our other relatives in the same way he used to behave. Some people also organise feasts on the 12th Rabee al-awal for their relatives. This isn't wrong but the poor and needy who don't have anything to eat all year around are more worthy to be fed so while organizing such feats for your relatives people who are destitude should also be taken care of. In regards to this is a Sahih Hadith;
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr that a man asked the Messenger of Allah SAW:
Hadith no.156
“O Messenger of Allah, which (aspect) of Islam is the best?” He said: “Offering food (to the needy) and greeting with Salam those whom you know and those whom you do not know.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 3253]
Current Situation of the Muslim Ummah and how can we show our love for Prophet Muhammad SAW
We all know what pain and suffering Muslims are going through. Especially the Muslims of Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Xinjiang, Libya etc. Some nations are facing poverty and some of them are going through brutal genocide. Now my Question to you is what would Prophet Muhammad SAW have done if he were alive today? Would he be silent on the suffering of the Ummah? In regards to poverty wouldn't he order the rich Muslim countries to help those Muslim countries who are suffering from extreme poverty? In regards to what is happening in Palestine and the rest of the regions where Muslims are undergoing genocide would he have been silent on their massacre or would have called for all Muslim nations to send their armies(Jihaad) or to take any practical measures to stop the Massacre of our Muslim brothers and sisters? He would have led from the front and fought for the cause of Allah. He would have even risked his own life just to save the Muslims from the massacre that they are going through.
Hadith no.157
Narrated Abu Huraira:
"The Prophet SAW said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya' (army-unit) setting out in Allah's Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah's Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred. [Sahih al-Bukhari 2797]
The above-mentioned hadith shows the importance of Jihaad in the eyes of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his desire to embrace martyrdom. Rather than just talking and issuing statements Prophet Muhammad SAW would have united all the Muslim Ummah and ended all their internal quarells just like he did in the treaty of Madinah by uniting the Muhajireen and Ansar. There wouldn't have been as much corruption and poverty in the Muslim world as it is today. There would have been justice throughout the Muslim world. There would have been no sectarian or ethnic violence and no Muslim land would have been occupied. But Prophet Muhammad SAW is not alive any more but he is our role model. We as an Ummah need to respond to the present situation Muslims are going through in the same manner that Prophet Muhammad SAW would have responded if he were alive.
Conclusion
Prophet Muhammad SAW serves as a role model for Muslims both individually and collectively. As individuals in every point or situation in our life either good situations or bad situations we should act according to the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW so that we can succeed in this life and in the life hereafter. Similarly collectively as an Ummah, we should respond to the situation faced by Muslims in the same way Prophet Muhammad SAW and his rightly guided caliphs used to respond. This is the best way we can show our love to Prophet Muhammad SAW. We can get to know how Prophet Muhammad SAW used to do all the things which I have mentioned in this blog and many other things which he used to do by studying the Seerah and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad SAW. Studying the Quran and Hadith and acting according to it is the best way we can show our love and respect for Prophet Muhammad SAW. Rather than just raising slogans of love for Prophet Muhammad PBUH we should prove it practically by acting according to the Quran and Sunnah. If we are unable to do all this and act according to Sunnah then how would we face Prophet Muhammad SAW on the day of Resurrection?
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