Celebrating Our Birthday is also Not Allowed
The evidence in the Quraan and Sunnah indicates that celebrating birthdays is a kind of bidah or innovation in religion, which has no basis in the pure shareeah. It is not permitted to accept invitations to birthday celebrations, because this involves supporting and encouraging bidah. Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Or have they partners with Allaah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has not allowed...?"[al-Shoora 42:21]
"Then We have put you (O Muhammad) on a plain way of (Our) commandment. So follow that, and follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allaah (if He wants to puish you). Verily, the zaalimoon (wrongdoers) are awliyaa (protectors, helpers, etc.) to one another, but Allaah is the Wali (Protector, Helper) of the muttaqoon (pious)."[al-Jaathiyah 45:18-19]
"Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow not any awliyaa (protectors, helpers, etc.) besides Him. Little do you remember!" [al-Araaf 7:3]
According to saheeh reports, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does something that is a not part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) will have it rejected" (reported by Muslim in his Saheeh);
and "The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (pbuh) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The most evil of things are those which have been newly invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray."
There are many other ahaadeeth that convey the same meaning.
Besides being bidah and having no basis in shareeah, these birthday celebrations also involve imitation of the Jews and Christians in their birthday celebrations. The Prophet (pbuh) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, warning us against following their ways and traditions: "You would follow the ways of those who came before you step by step, to such an extent that if they were to enter a lizard´s hole, you would enter it too." They said, "O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?" He said, "Who else?"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them."
Mawlid al-Nabi (the Prophets birthday)
Attending a feast for a childs
birthday and eating that food
Celebrating birthdays is an innovation in the religion of Allaah, and it is not permissible to do this. It is not permissible to eat the food that has been prepared for this occasion. Their claim that the food for the birthday celebration is for the guests does not make it excusable to eat it. Hospitality is subject to its own rulings, and matters are judged according to the intentions behind them. It is very clear that the food is being prepared for this innovated occasion, and eating this food is one of the things that helps them to persist in doing this. It is a kind of co-operation in sin and transgression. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in Al Birr and At Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression" [al-Maaidah 5:2]
Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr
With regard to al-salaah al-naariyah, this is one of the innovated Sufi prayers; it is not permissible to attend those gatherings or to take part in them.
There is no festival in Islamic shareeah that is called "The Prophet´s Birthday". Neither the Sahaabah nor the Taabieen nor the four imams nor anyone else recognized such a day as part of their religion. Rather this festival was introduced by some ignorant Baatini innovators, then the people began to follow this innovation but the imams have denounced it in every time and place.
Based on this, everything that the people do specially for this day is regarded as haraam, innovated actions, because they intend thereby to keep alive a festival that has been introduced into our religion, such as holding parties, offering food and so on.
The commands in the Qur'aan and Sunnah to follow that which has been prescribed by Allaah and His Messenger and the prohibition against introducing innovations into the religion are well known. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to mankind): "If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quraan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins"
"[Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) to these idolaters (pagan Arabs) of your folk:] Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur´aan and Prophet Muhammad´s Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyaa´ (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allaah), besides Him (Allaah). Little do you remember!"
"And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path"
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected." According to a version narrated by Muslim: "Whoever does any deed that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected."
Among the innovations that people have introduced is celebration of the Prophet´s birthday (Mawlid) in the month of Rabee al-Awwal. There are various ways in which they celebrate this occasion:
Some of them simply gather to read the story of his birth, or they listen to speeches and qaseedahs (odes) on this occasion.
Some of them do not limit themselves to what we have mentioned, rather their gatherings include haraam and evil things such as men mixing freely with women, dancing and music, or acts of shirk such as seeking the help of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and calling upon him or seeking his support against their enemies, and so on.
Whatever kinds of celebrations they are and whatever form they take, they are undoubtedly bidah and haraam innovations that were introduced long after the time of the best generations.
The first one who introduced this innovation was Abu Sa´eed Kawkaboori, the king of Irbil, at the end of the sixth or beginning of the seventh century AH, as was mentioned by the historians such as Ibn Katheer, Ibn Khalqaan and others.
Abu Shaamah said: The first one who did that in Mosul was Shaykh `Umar ibn Muhammad al-Mulla, one of the well known righteous men, and the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example.
Al-Sabt said: Some of those who attended the feast given by the king on some of the Mawlids said that this feast included five thousand roasted heads, ten thousand chickens, one hundred thousand bowls and thirty thousand plates of sweets. And the Sufis sang from Zuhr until Fajr, and he himself danced with them.
When the first of Safar came, they would adorn those domes with all kinds of fine adornments, and in every dome there was a group of singers and a group of puppeteers and musical players, and they did not leave any dome but they installed a group there.
But most of what these innovators do on this day is making food of various kinds and distributing it and inviting people to eat. If a Muslim joins in this action, eats their food and sits in their gatherings, then undoubtedly he is taking part in keeping the innovation alive, and is cooperating in it, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah"
Hence the fatwas of the scholars state that it is haraam to eat food that is distributed on this day and on other innovated festivals.
Adil khan There is nothing in the Quraan to say that we should celebrate the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do this or command anyone to do it, either during his lifetime or after his death. Indeed, he told them not to exaggerate about him as the Christians had exaggerated about Jesus (upon whom be peace).
He said: "Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, `The slave of Allaah and His Messenger.´" (Reported by al-Bukhaari).
What has been reported is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to celebration.
He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said: "That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission or when I was first given Revelation." (Reported by Muslim, al-Nisaa´i and Abu Dawood).
Moreover, we know that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) were the people who loved the Prophet most. Was it reported that Abu Bakr, who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet (pbuh) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Was it reported that Umar, who ruled for twelve years, or Uthmaan, did this? Was it reported that Ali, his relative and foster son, did this? Was it reported that any of the Sahaabah did this? No, by Allaah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray.
Did any of the imaams - Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafi, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen - do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? By Allaah, no! It was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a saheeh hadeeth: "The best of mankind are my generation (or my century), then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care if their testimony comes before their oath or vice versa (i.e., they will not take such matter seriously)."(Reported by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi).
The celebration of the Prophet birthday appeared many centuries later, when many of the features of true religion had vanished and bid´ah had become widespread.
Thus this celebration became a sign of one´s love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? But can it be possible that the Sahaabah, the imaams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of it, and it was only those who came later who were aware of its importance?! What the Quraan tells us is that love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): `If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Say: `Obey Allaah and the Messenger.´ But if they turn away, then Allaah does not like the disbelievers." [Aal `Imraan 3:31-32]
The first aayah explains that love is just a claim, but the proof of sincerity is following what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) brought.
Hence Allaah ended the aayah with a very stern warning in which those who refuse to obey are described as kaafirs, and Allah does not love the disbelievers. We ask Allaah to keep us safe from that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us of the danger of not obeying him, and the danger of adding to what he brought.
The celebration of Mawlid or his birthday is indeed an addition to what he brought - as all the scholars agree. He said: "Thebest of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray." (Reported by Muslim and al-Nisaa´i).
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