Fatawa Of The Rightly Guided Imams On Mawlid.en

might be said

En : www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/mawlid_dubai.htm

Ar :http://www.sunnah.org/arabic/a_mawlid.htm

Should we celebrate Mawlid (The Prophet's (s) birthday)?
　

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

Should we celebrate Mawlid
(The Prophet's (s) birthday)?

Yes we should celebrate it every year
And every month and every week
And every hour and every moment.

Dr. `Isa al-Mani` al-Humayri, Department of Awqaaf, Dubai

Office of Religious Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Dubai
Administration of Ifta' and Research

We find nowadays publications filled with lies and deception which mislead many Muslims into thinking negatively about the honorable Mawlid of the Prophet. These publications claim that to celebrate the Mawlid is an act of innovation that goes against Islam. This is far from the truth, and it is therefore necessary for those who can speak clearly to help clarify and reverse the doubts surrounding this most blessed day. It is with this humble intention that I present the following proofs in support of celebrating our beloved Prophet's birthday.

The Prophet said, "He who innovates something in this matter of ours that is not of it will have it rejected." He also said, "Beware of innovations, for every innovation (kul bida`) is misguidance."

Those opposed to Mawlid cite this saying and hold that the word every (kul) is a term of generalization, including all types of innovations, with no exception, and that therefore, celebrating Mawlid is misguidance. By daring to say that, they accuse the scholars of Islam of innovation. At the top of the list of those they have accused, then, is our Master `Umar (r). Those in opposition to Mawlid quickly reply to this, "But we did not mean the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad."

It follows, then, that the meaning of every (kul) cannot be taken in its general sense. Therefore, although the Prophet may not have said to celebrate his blessed birthday, it is nonetheless not innovation to do so. For, as the following examples show, there were many actions and practices instituted by his close followers after his time that are not deemed innovation.

Compiling the Qu'ran.
(From a Prophetic saying related by Zaid Ibn Thabit.(r)) "The Prophet died and the Qu'ran had not been compiled anywhere. `Umar (r) suggested to Abu Bakr (r) to compile the Qu'ran in one book. When a large number of Companions were killed in the battle of Yamama, Abu Bakr wondered, "How could we do something that the Prophet did not do?' `Umar said, "By Allah, it is good.' `Umar persisted in asking Abu Bakr until Allah expanded his chest for it (Allah made him agree and accept these suggestions) and he sent for Zaid Ibn Thabit and assigned him to compile the Qu'ran." Zaid said, "By Allah if they had asked me to move a mountain, it would not have been more difficult than to compile the Qur'an." He also said, "How could you do something that the Prophet did not do?" Abu Bakr said, "It is good, and `Umar kept coming back to me until Allah expanded my chest for the matter." The saying is narrated in Sahih Al Bukhari.

The Maqam of Ibrahim (as) in relation to the Ka'ba.
(Al Bayhaqi narrated with a strong chain of narrators from Aisha.) "The Maqam during the time of the Prophet and Abu Bakr was attached to the House, then `Umar moved it back." Al Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in Al Fath, "The Companions did not oppose `Umar, neither did those who came after them, thus it became unanimous agreement." He was the first to build the enclosure (maqsura) on it, which still exists today.

Adding the first call to prayer on Friday.
(From Sahih Al Bukhari, from Al Sa'ib bin Yazid.) "During the time of the Prophet (s), Abu Bakr (r) and `Umar (r), the call to Friday prayer used to occur when the Imam sat on the pulpit. When it was Othman's (r) time, he added the third call (considered third in relation to the first adhan and theiqama. But it is named first because it proceeds the call to the Friday prayer.)"

Salutations on the Prophet composed and taught by our Master `Ali (r).
The salutations have been mentioned by Sa'id bin Mansoor and Ibn Jareer in Tahzeeb al Aathar, and by Ibn Abi Assim and Ya'qoob bin Shaiba inAkhbar `Ali and by Al Tabarani and others from Salamah Al Kindi.

The addition to the tashahhud by Ibn Mas'ud.
After "wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu," and the Mercy of Allah and Blessings, he used to say, "assalamu `alayna min Rabbina," peace upon us from our Lord. Narrated by Al Tabarani in Al Kabir, and the narrators are those of the sound transmitters, as it has been mentioned in Majma' Al Zawa'id.

The addition to the tashahhud by Abdullah Ibn `Umar.
He added the basmalah at the beginning of the tashahhud. He also added to the talbia, "labbaika wa sa'daika wal khayru bi yadayka wal raghba'u ilayika wal `amalu" This is mentioned in Bukhari, Muslim, et al.

These are some of the developments instituted by the Prophet's Companions, the scholars, and the honorable members of his nation, which did not exist during the time of the Prophet, and which they deemed good. Are they, then, misguided and guilty of bad innovation?

As for the claim that there is no such thing in religion as good innovation, here are some sayings of the brilliant scholars of Islam belying this claim.

Imam Nawawi said in Sahih Muslim (6-21)
"The Prophet's saying every innovation is a general-particular and it is a reference to most innovations. The linguists say, "Innovation is any act done without a previous pattern, and it is of five different kinds.'" Imam Nawawi also said in Tahzeeb al Asma' wal Sifaat, "Innovation in religious law is to originate anything which did not exist during the time of the Prophet, and it is divided into good and bad." He also said, "Al-muhdathat (pl. formuhdatha) is to originate something that has no roots in religious law. In the tradition of religious law it is called innovation, and if it has an origin within the religious law, then it is not innovation. Innovation in religious law is disagreeable, unlike in the language where everything that has been originated without a previous pattern is called innovation regardless of whether it is good or bad."

Shaykh Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani, the commentator on Al Bukhari, said,
"Anything that did not exist during the Prophet's time is called innovation, but some are good while others are not."

Abu Na'eem, narrated from Ibrahim Al Junaid, said, "I heard Ash-Shafi'i saying,
"Innovation is of two types; praiseworthy innovation and blameworthy innovation, and anything that disagrees with the Sunnah is blameworthy.'"

Imam Albayhaqi narrated in Manaqib Ash-Shafi'i that Ash-Shafi'i said,
"Innovations are of two types: that which contradicts the Qu'ran, the Sunnah, or unanimous agreement of the Muslims is a innovation of deception, while a good innovation does not contradict any of these things."

Al `Izz bin Abdussalam said, at the end of his book, Al Qawa'id,
"Innovation is divided into obligatory, forbidden, recommended, disagreeable and permissible, and the way to know which is which is to match it against the religious law."

Clearly we see from the opinions of these righteous scholars, that to define innovations in worship as wholly negative without exception is ignorant. For these pious knowers, among them Imam Nawawi and Ash-Shafi'i, declared that innovations could be divided into good and bad, based on their compliance or deviance with religious law.

Moreover, the following Prophetic saying is known even to common Muslims, let alone scholars: "He who inaugurates a good practice (sunnatun hasana) in Islam earns the reward of it, and of all who perform it after him, without diminishing their own rewards in the least." Therefore it is permissible for a Muslim to originate a good practice, even if the Prophet didn't do it, for the sake of doing good and cultivating the reward. The meaning of inaugurate a good practice (sanna sunnatun hasana) is to establish a practice through personal reasoning (ijtihad) and derivation (istinbat) from the rules of religious law or its general texts. The actions of the Prophet's Companions and the generation following them which we have stated above is the strongest evidence.

The ones prejudiced against celebrating the Prophet's birthday have paved the way for their falsehood by deceiving the less-learned among the Muslims. The prejudiced ones claim that Ibn Kathir writes in his Al Bidaya wal Nihaya (11-172) that the Fatimide-Obaidite state, which descends from the Jew, Obaidillah Bin Maimoon Al Kaddah, ruler of Egypt from 357-567 A.H., innovated the celebration of a number of days, among them, the celebration of the Prophet's birthday. This treacherous lie is a grave insult to the scholarship of Ibn Kathir and the scholarship of all Islam. For in truth, Ibn Kathir writes about the Prophet's birthday in Al bidaya wal nihaya [13-136] "The victorious king Abu Sa'id Kawkaburi, was one of the generous, distinguished masters, and the glorious kings; he left good impressions and used to observe the honorable Mawlid by having a great celebration. Moreover, he was chivalrous, brave, wise, a scholar, and just." Ibn Kathir continues, "And he used to spend three hundred thousand Dinars on the Mawlid." In support, Imam Al Dhahabi writes of Abu Sa'id Kawkaburi, in Siyar A'laam al nubala' [22-336] "He was humble, righteous, and loved religious learned men and scholars of Prophetic saying."

Following are some sayings of the rightly guided Imams regarding the Mawlid.

Imam Al Suyuti, from Alhawi lil fatawi, wrote a special chapter entitled "The Good Intention in Commemorating the Mawlid," at the beginning of which he said,
"There is a question being asked about commemorating the Mawlid of the Prophet in the month of Rabi' Al Awal: what is the religious legal ruling in this regard, is it good or bad? Does the one who celebrates get rewarded or not?" The answer according to me is as follows: To commemorate the Mawlid, which is basically gathering people together, reciting parts of the Qu'ran, narrating stories about the Prophet's birth and the signs that accompanied it, then serving food, and afterwards, departing, is one of the good innovations; and the one who practices it gets rewarded, because it involves venerating the status of the Prophet and expressing joy for his honorable birth.

Ibn Taymiyya said in his book Iqtida' Al Sirat Al Mustaqeem (pg. 266)
"Likewise, what some people have innovated, in competition with the Christians in celebrating the birth of Jesus, or out of love and veneration of the Prophet潀�128;璁徜ot; and he continues "潀�128;瘣災t the predecessors didn't do, even though there is a reason for it, and there is nothing against it." This is a saying of someone who set fanaticism aside and sought to please Allah and his Prophet. As far as we are concerned, we commemorate the Mawlid for no other reason but what Ibn Taymiya said, "Out of love and veneration of the Prophet." May Allah reward us according to this love and effort, and may Allah bless the one who said, "Let alone what the Christians claim about their Prophet, and you may praise Muhammad in any way you want and attribute to his essence all honors and to his status all greatness, for his merit has no limits that any expression by any speaker might reach."

In the same source previously mentioned, Al Suyuti said,
"Someone asked Ibn Hajar about commemorating the Mawlid. Ibn Hajar answered, "Basically, commemorating the Mawlid is an innovation that has not been transmitted by the righteous Muslims of the first three centuries. However, it involves good things and their opposites, therefore, whoever looks for the good and avoids the opposites then it is a good innovation.' It occurred to me (Al Suyuti) to trace it to its established origin, which has been confirmed in the two authentic books: Al Sahihain. When the Prophet arrived in Medina he found that the Jews fast the day of Aashura; when he inquired about it they said, "This is the day when Allah drowned the Pharaoh and saved Moses, therefore we fast it to show our gratitude to Allah.' From this we can conclude that thanks are being given to Allah on a specific day for sending bounty or preventing indignity or harm." Al Suyuti then commented, "What bounty is greater than the bounty of the coming of this Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy, on that day?"

"This is regarding the basis of Mawlid. As for the activities, there should be only the things that express thankfulness to Allah, such as what has been previously mentioned: reciting Qu'ran, eating food, giving charity, reciting poetry praising the Prophet or on piety which moves hearts and drives them to do good and work for the Hereafter."

These are the derivations that those opposed to Mawlid call false conclusions and invalid analogies.

Imam Mohammed bin Abu Bakr Abdullah Al Qaisi Al Dimashqi.
Jami' Al Athar fi Mawlid, Al Nabiy Al Mukhtar, Al lafz al ra'iq fi Mawlid khayr al khala'iq, and Mawlid al sadi fi Mawlid Al Hadi,

Imam Al `Iraqi.
Al Mawlid al heni fi al Mawlid al sani.

Mulla `Ali Al Qari.
Al Mawlid Al rawi fil Mawlid al Nabawi.

Imam Ibn Dahiya.
Al Tanweer fi Mawlid Al basheer Al Nadheer.

Imam Shamsu Din bin Nasir Al Dimashqi.
Mawlid al Sadi fi Mawlid Al Hadi. He is the one who said about the Prophet's estranged uncle, Abu Lahab, "This unbeliever who has been dispraised, "perish his hands" [111: 1], will stay in Hell forever. Yet, every Monday his torment is being reduced because of his joy at the birth of the Prophet." How much mercy can a servant expect who spends all his life joyous about the Prophet and dies believing in the Oneness of Allah?

Imam Shamsu Din Ibn Al Jazri.
Al Nashr fil Qira'at Al `Ashr, `Urf Al Ta'reef bil Mawlid al shareef.

Imam Ibn Al Jawzi
Imam Ibn Al Jawzi said about the honorable Mawlid, "It is security throughout the year, and glad tidings that all wishes and desires will be fulfilled."

Imam Abu Shama
Imam Abu Shama (Imam Nawawi's shaykh) in his book Al ba'ith ala Inkar Al bida` wal hawadith (pg.23) said, "One of the best innovations in our time is what is being done every year on the Prophet's birthday, such as giving charity, doing good deeds, displaying ornaments, and expressing joy, for that expresses the feelings of love and veneration for him in the hearts of those who are celebrating, and also, shows thankfulness to Allah for His bounty by sending His Messenger, the one who has been sent as a Mercy to the worlds."

Imam Al Shihab Al Qastalani
Imam Al Shihab Al Qastalani (Al Bukhari's commentator) in his book Al mawahib Al Ladunniya (1-148) said, "May Allah have mercy on the one who turns the nights of the month of the Prophet's birth into festivities in order to decrease the suffering of those whose hearts are filled with disease and sickness."

There are others who wrote and spoke about Mawlid, such as Imam Al Sakhawi, Imam Wajihu Din bin `Ali bin al Dayba' al Shaybani al Zubaidi, and many more, which we will not mention due to the limited space available. From these many evidences, it should be clear by now that celebrating the Mawlid is highly commendable and allowed. Surely we cannot simply shrug off as heretics the scholars and dignitaries of this nation who approved the commemoration of the Mawlid and wrote countless books on the subject. Are all these scholars, to whom the whole world is indebted for the beneficial books they have written on Prophetic sayings, jurisprudence, commentaries, and other sorts of knowledge, among the indecent who commit sins and evil? Are they, as those opposed to Mawlid claim, imitating the Christians in celebrating the birth of Jesus? Are they claiming that the Prophet did not convey to the nation what they should do? We leave answers to these questions up to you.

And yet we must continue to examine the errors which those opposed to Mawlid utter. They say "If celebrating the Mawlid is from the religion, then the Prophet would have made it clear to the nation, or would have done it in his lifetime, or it would have been done by the Companions." No one can say that the Prophet did not do it out of his humbleness, for this is speaking evil of him, so they cannot use this argument.

Furthermore, that the Prophet and his Companions did not do a certain thing does not mean they made that thing prohibited. The proof is in the Prophet's saying, "Whoever establishes, in Islam, a good practice..." cited earlier. This is the strongest evidence that gives encouragement to innovate whatever practices have foundations in religious law, even if the Prophet and his Companions did not do them. Al Shafi'i said, "Anything that has a foundation in religious law is not an innovation even if the Companions did not do it, because their refraining from doing it might have been for a certain excuse they had at the time, or they left it for something better, or perhaps not all of them knew about it." Therefore, whoever prohibits anything based on the concept that the Prophet did not do it, his claim has no proof and must be rejected.

Thus we say to the rejecters of Mawlid: based on the rule you have attempted to found, that is, that whoever does anything that the Prophet or his Companions did not do is committing innovation, it would follow that the Prophet did not complete the religion for his nation, and that the Prophet did not convey to the nation what they should do. No one says this or believes this except a heretic defecting from the religion of Allah. To the doubters of Mawlid we declare, "Based on what you say, we convict you." For you have innovated in the basics of worship a large number of things that the Prophet did not do潀�128;潀�128;�𩵚or did his Companions, the Generation after the Companions, or the Generation after them. For instance:

Congregating people behind one Imam to pray Salat al Tahajjud after Salat Al Tarawih, in the two Holy Mosques and other mosques.

Reciting the Prayer of Completion of the Qu'ran in Salat al Tarawih and also in Salat al Tahajjud.

Designating the 27th night of Ramadan to complete reading the entire Qu'ran in the two Holy Mosques.

A caller saying, after Salat al Tarawih, in the Qiyam prayer, "May Allah reward you."

Founding organizations which did not exist in the time of the Prophet, such as Islamic universities, societies for committing the Qu'ran to memory, and offices for missionary work, and committees for enjoining good and forbidding evil. We are not objecting to these things, since they are forms of good innovation. We merely list these innovations to point out that those who oppose Mawlid clearly contradict their own rule stating that anything that neither the Prophet nor his Companions did is innovation. And since they claim that all innovation is bad, they themselves are guilty.

Yet another claim they make is to say that those who commemorate the Mawlid are mostly indecent and immoral. This is a vulgar statement and it only reflects the character of the one saying it. Are all the distinguished scholars that we have mentioned, from the point of view of those opposed to Mawlid, indecent and immoral? We won't be surprised if this is what they believe. This is a most serious slander. We say, as the poet said, "When Allah wants to spread a virtue that has been hidden, He would let a tongue of an envious person know about it."

Those opposed to Mawlid, may Allah guide them, have confused some expressions, and claim that some religious scholars associate partners with Allah. Take for example the plea of Imam Al Busiery to Prophet Muhammad, "Oh, most generous of creation, I have no one to resort to, save You, when the prevailing event takes place." They must examine carefully the saying of Imam Al Busiery: inda hulul il amim, when the prevailing event takes place. What is al Amim? It means that which prevails over the whole universe, and all of creation, in referring to the Day of Judgment. Imam Al Busiery is asking intercession from the Prophet on the Day of Judgment because on that Day we will have no one to resort to, or appeal to. Imam Al Busiery seeks his intercession to Allah through the Prophet, for when all other Messengers and Prophets will be saying, "Myself, myself," the Prophet will be saying, "I am the one for it, I am for it [the Intercession]" It becomes even more clear now that the doubts of those opposed to Mawlid are unfounded, just as their charges of associating partners with Allah are unfounded. This is due to their blindness, both physical and spiritual.

Another similar example can be found in the well-known saying transmitted by the distinguished Imam Al Kamal bin Al Hammam Al Hanafi, author of Fath il Qadeer fi manasik al Farisi, and Sharh al Mukhtar min al sada al ahnaf. When Imam Abu Hanifa visited Medina, he stood in front of the honorable grave of the Prophet and said, "O, most honorable of the Two Weighty Ones (humankind and jinn)! O, treasure of mankind, shower your generosity upon me and please me with your pleasure. I am aspiring for your generosity, and there is no one for Abu Hanifa in the world but you." Again, we must not misinterpret this entreaty, but realize its true meaning.

Yet another misconception those opposed to Mawlid hold can be seen in their statements such as these: "What occurs during Mawlid is mixing between men and women, singing and playing musical instruments, and drinking alcohol." I myself know this to be a lie, for I have attended many Mawlids and have not seen any mixing, and never heard any musical instruments. And as for drunkenness, yes, I have seen it, but not that of worldly people. We found people intoxicated with the love of the Prophet, a state surpassing even the agony of death, which we know overcame our master Bilal at the time of his death. In the midst of this sweet stupor he was saying, "Tomorrow I shall meet the loved ones, Muhammad and his Companions."

To continue, those opposed to Mawlid say, "The day of the Prophet's birth is the same day of the week as his death. Therefore, joy on this day is no more appropriate than sorrow, and if religion is according to one's opinion, then this day should be a day of mourning and sorrow." This kind of lame eloquence, is answered by the Imam Jalal al Din al Suyuti, in Al hawi lil fatawi (pg.193), "The Prophet's birth is the greatest bounty, and his death is the greatest calamity. Religious law urges us to express thankfulness for bounties, and be patient and remain calm during calamities. Religious law has commanded us to sacrifice an animal on the birth of a child [and distribute the meat to the needy], which is an expression of gratitude and happiness with the newborn, while it did not command us to sacrifice at the time of death. Also, it prohibited wailing and showing grief. Therefore, the rules of Divine Law indicate that it is recommended to show joy during the month of the Prophet's birth, and not to show sorrow for his death."

Furthermore, Ibn Rajab, in his book Al lata'if, dispraising the rejecters of Mawlid based on the above argument, said, "Some designated the day of Aashura as a funeral ceremony for the murder of Al Hussein. But neither Allah nor His Prophet commanded that the days of the prophets' great trials or deaths should be declared days of mourning, let alone those with lesser rank."

We conclude this article with a saying of the Prophet, which has been narrated by Abu Ya'la, from Hudhaifa and about which Ibn Kathir said, "It's chain of transmission is good." Abu Ya'la said, "The Prophet has said, "One of the things that concerns me about my nation is a man who studied the Qu'ran, and when its grace started to show on him and he had the appearance of a Muslim, he detached himself from it, and threw it behind his back, and went after his neighbor with a sword and accused him of associating partners with Allah.' I then asked, "Oh, Prophet of Allah, which one is more guilty of associating partners with Allah, the accused or the accuser?' The Prophet said, "It is the accuser.'"

Completed, with all Praises to Allah and salutations and peace be upon our master Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and his Companions.

Copyright The Muslim Magazine, 1998

　

Should we celebrate Mawlid (The Prophet's (s) birthday)?

ar :http://www.sunnah.org/arabic/a_mawlid.htm

Fatawa Of The Rightly Guided Imams On Mawlid
　

　

mam Al-Suyuti

I Ibn Taymiyya

the basis of Mawlid

the activities of Mawlid

others who wrote about Mawlid

the Mufti of Mecca on Mawlid

one of the best innovations

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali

　

　

Some Sayings Of The Rightly Guided Imams On Mawlid
Al-Suyuti, Ibn Taymiyya, the Mufti of Mecca and many others

　

　

Imam Al-Suyuti

Imam Al-Suyuti, from Alhawi lil-Fatawi wrote a special chapter entitled "The Good Intention In Commemorating The Mawlid," at the beginning of which he said, "There is a question being asked about commemorating the mawlid of the Prophet  in the month of Rabi' al-Awal: What is the religious legal ruling in this regard, is it good or bad? Does the one who celebrates get rewarded or not?"
The answer according to me is as follows: To commemorate the mawlid which is basically gathering people together, reciting parts of the Quran, narrating stories about the Prophet's birth  and signs that accompanied it, then serving food and afterwards departing, is one of the good innovations ; and the one who practices it gets rewarded, because it involves venerating the status of the Prophet  and expressing joy for his honorable birth.

In the same source previously mentioned, Al Suyuti said, "Someone asked Ibn Hajar about commemorating the Mawlid. Ibn Hajar answered:
As for the origin of the practice of commemorating the Prophet's birth , it is an innovation ( bida'a ) that has not been conveyed to us from any of the pious early muslims of the first three centuries, despite which it has included both features that are praisweorthy and features that are not. If one takes care to include in such a commemoration only things that are praiseworthy and avoids those that are otherwise, it is a praiseworthy innovation, while if ones does not, it is not. An authentic primary textual basis from which its legal validity is inferable has occured to me, namely the rigourously authenticated ( sahih ) hadith in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim that ' the Prophet  came to Medina and found the Jews fasting on the tenth of Muharram ( 'Ashura ' ), so he asked them about it and they replied
'It is the day on which Allah drowned Pharaoh and rescued Moses, so we fast in it to thanks to Allah Most high',
which indicates the validity of giving thanks to Allah for the blessings He has bestowed on a particular day in providing a benefit, or averting an affliction, repeating one's thanks on the anniversary of that day every year, giving thanks to Allah takingany various forms of worship such as prostration, fasting, giving charity or reciting the Koran."
Al Suyuti then further writes, "Then what blessing is greater than the birth of the Prophet , the Prophet of Mercy, on this day?"

(Quotation from Al Suyuti continues at )

Al Suyuti also statet:
In light of which, one should take care to commemorate it on the day itself in order to conform to the above story of Moses and the tenth of Muharram, those who do not view the matter thus do not mind commemorating it on any other day of the month, while some have expanded its time to any of the day of the year, whatever exception may be taken at such a view.
Reference :
al Suyuti, Jalal al Din.
al Hawi li al fatawi al fiqh was ulum al tafsir was al hadith wa al usul wa al nahw wa al i wa sa'ir al funun. 2 vols. 1352/1933 - 34 Reprint Beirut : Dar al Kutub al Ilmiyya, 1403/1983. Quoted in The Reliance of the Traveller ( Ahmad ibn Naqib al Misri ) A Classical Manual of Islamic Sacred Law translated by Noah Ha Mim Keller ( 1991 ) page w58.0 --> w59.0
　

"This is regarding the basis of Mawlid. As for the activities, there should be only the things that express thankfulness to Allah, such as what has been previously mentioned: reciting Quran, eating food, giving charity, reciting poetry praising the Prophet or on piety which moves hearts and drives them to do good and work for the Hereafter."
These are the derivations that those opposed to Mawlid call false conclusions and invalid analogies.
Imam Mohammed bin Abu Bakr Abdullah Al Qaisi Al Dimashqi.
Jami' Al Athar fi Mawlid, Al Nabiy Al Mukhtar, Al lafz al ra'iq fi Mawlid khayr al khala'iq, and Mawlid al sadi fi Mawlid Al Hadi,
Imam Al `Iraqi.
Al Mawlid al heni fi al Mawlid al sani.
Mulla `Ali Al Qari.
Al Mawlid Al rawi fil Mawlid al Nabawi.
Imam Ibn Dahiya.
Al Tanweer fi Mawlid Al basheer Al Nadheer.
Imam Shamsu Din bin Nasir Al Dimashqi.
Mawlid al Sadi fi Mawlid Al Hadi. He is the one who said about the Prophets estranged uncle, Abu Lahab, "This unbeliever who has been dispraised, {"perish his hands" } [111: 1], will stay in Hell forever. Yet, every Monday his torment is being reduced because of his joy at the birth of the Prophet." How much mercy can a servant expect who spends all his life joyous about the Prophet  and dies believing in the Oneness of Allah?
Imam Shamsu Din Ibn Al Jazri.
Al Nashr fil Qira'at Al `Ashr, `Urf Al Ta'reef bil Mawlid al shareef.

　

　

　

　

　

Ibn Taymiyya
　

Ibn Taymiyya said in his book Iqtida' Al Sirat Al Mustaqeem (Cairo, al-Fiqqi 1950 edition, pages 294 and 297)

"What some people innovated, either to emulate the Christians who celebrate the birth of `Isa (as) or out of love for the Prophet  and in order to exalt him:
Allah MAY reward them for such love and effort but not for the innovations [...]. So one MAY magnify the birthdate of the Prophet  upon him blessings and peace, AND treat it as a festival, perhaps obtaining IMMENSE REWARD for it because of his good intentions in honoring the Messenger of Allah."
(ma yuhdithuhu ba`du al-naasi immaa mudaahaatan lil-nasaara fi meelaadi `Isaa `alayhi as-Salam wa'imma mahabbatan lil- Nabiyyi SallAllahu `alayhi wa Sallam wata`zeeman lahu, wAllaahu qad yutheebuhum `ala haadhihi al-mahabbati wal- ijtihaadi laa `ala al-bida`i [...]. Fata`zeemu al-mawlidi wattikhaadhuhu mawsiman qad yaf`aluhu ba`du al-naasi wayakunu lahu feehi ajrun `azeemun lihusni qasdihi wata`zeemihi lirasulillaah).
This text is found in the 2nd edition (1369/1950) of Muhammad Hamid al-Fiqqi at Cairo's Matba`at al-Sunnat al-Muhammadiyya.
This is a saying of someone who set fanaticism aside and sought to please Allah and his Prophet . As far as we are concerned, we commemorate the Mawlid for no other reason but what Ibn Taymiya said, "Out of love and veneration of the Prophet." May Allah reward us according to this love and effort.
　

　

　

　

　

Imam Ibn Al Jawzi
　

Imam Ibn Al Jawzi said about the honorable Mawlid, "It is security throughout the year, and glad tidings that all wishes and desires will be fulfilled."
　

　

　

　

　

Imam Abu Shama
　

　

Imam Abu Shama (Imam Nawawi's shaykh) in his book Al ba'ith ala Inkar Al bida` wal hawadith (pg.23) said, "One of the best innovations  in our time is what is being done every year on the Prophets birthday, such as giving charity, doing good deeds, displaying ornaments, and expressing joy, for that expresses the feelings of love and veneration for him in the hearts of those who are celebrating, and also, shows thankfulness to Allah for His bounty by sending His Messenger, the one who has been sent as a Mercy to the worlds."

　

　

Imam Al Shihab Al Qastalani

Imam Al Shihab Al Qastalani (Al Bukhari's commentator) in his book Al mawahib Al Ladunniya (1-148) said, "May Allah have mercy on the one who turns the nights of the month of the Prophets birth into festivities in order to decrease the suffering of those whose hearts are filled with disease and sickness."

　

　

Other Shuyukh On Mawlid

There are others who wrote and spoke about Mawlid, such as Imam Al Sakhawi, Imam Wajihu Din bin `Ali bin al Dayba' al Shaybani al Zubaidi, and many more , which we will not mention due to the limited space available. From these many evidences, it should be clear by now that celebrating the Mawlid is highly commendable and allowed. Surely we cannot simply shrug off as heretics the scholars and dignitaries of this nation who approved the commemoration of the Mawlid and wrote countless books on the subject. Are all these scholars, to whom the whole world is indebted for the beneficial books they have written on Prophetic sayings, jurisprudence, commentaries, and other sorts of knowledge, among the indecent who commit sins and evil? Are they, as those opposed to Mawlid claim, imitating the Christians in celebrating the birth of Jesus? Are they claiming that the Prophet did not convey to the nation what they should do? We leave answers to these questions up to you.
Peace & Blessings upon Sayyidina Muhammad ,
his Family, and his Companions.

　

Dr. `Isa al-Mani` al-Humayri, Department of Awqaaf, Dubai
Office of Religious Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Dubai Administration of Ifta' and Research

　

　

Al Suyuti also statet:
　

In light of which, one should take care to commemorate it on the day itself in order to conform to the above story of Moses and the tenth of Muharram, those who do not view the matter thus do not mind commemorating it on any other day of the month, while some have expanded its time to any of the day of the year, whatever exception may be taken at such a view.
Reference :
al Suyuti, Jalal al Din.
al Hawi li al fatawi al fiqh was ulum al tafsir was al hadith wa al usul wa al nahw wa al i wa sa'ir al funun. 2 vols. 1352/1933 - 34 Reprint Beirut : Dar al Kutub al Ilmiyya, 1403/1983. Quoted in The Reliance of the Traveller ( Ahmad ibn Naqib al Misri ) A Classical Manual of Islamic Sacred Law translated by Noah Ha Mim Keller ( 1991 ) page w58.0 --> w59.0

　

　

　

The Mufti of Mecca
　

The Mufti of Mecca on Mawlid
According to the Mufti of Mecca Ahmad ibn Zayni Dahlan, in his book al-Sira al-nabawiyya wa al-athar al-muhammadiyya, page 51: "To celebrate the Mawlid and to remember the Prophet  is accepted by all the Ulama of the Muslims." Most of the following quotations are taken from that work.
　

　

Other Scholars' Opinions On The Mawlid

Imam Subki
　

Imam Subki said, "When we were celebrating the Prophet's birthday , a great uns (familiarity) comes to our heart, and we feel something special."

　

　

Ash-Shawkani
　

Imam Shawkani in his book al-Badr at-tali`, said, "It is permissible to celebrate the Prophet's birthday." He mentioned that Mullah `Ali Qari held the same opinion in a book entitled al-Mawrid ar-Rawi fi al-Mawlid al-Nabawi, written specifically to support the celebration of the Prophet's birthday.
　

　

　

　

Imam Abu Shama
　

Imam Abu Shama, the sheikh of Imam Nawawi, said in his book on innovations entitled: al-Ba`ith `ala inkar al-bida` wa al-hawadith:
The best innovation in our day is the remembrance of the Prophet's birthday. On that day, people give much donations, make much worship, show much love to the Prophet, and give much thanks to Allah Almighty for sending them His Messenger to keep them on the Sunna and Shari`a of Islam.
　

　

　

Imam Sakhawi

Imam Sakhawi said, "The Mawlid was begun three centuries after the Prophet, and all Muslim nations celebrated it, and all `ulama accepted it, by worshipping Allah alone, by giving donations and by reading the Prophet's Sira."
　

　

　

Ibn Hajar al-Haytami

Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami said , "As Jews celebrated the day of `Ashura by fasting to thank Allah, we also have to celebrate the day of Mawlid," and he quoted the aforementioned hadith, "When the Prophet came to Madina..." Ibn Hajar continues, "One gives thanks to Allah for the favor that He gave on a particular day either through a great good, or through the averting of a disaster. That day is celebrated every year thereafter. Thanksgiving entails various forms of worship like prostration, fast, charity, and recitation of Qur'an, and what greater good is there than the advent of that Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy , on the day of Mawlid?"

　

　

　

Ibn al-Jawzi
Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597) wrote a booklet of poems and sira to be read at mawlid celebrations. It is entitled Mawlid al-`arus and begins with the words: al-hamdu lillah al-ladhi abraza min ghurrati `arusi al-hadrati subhan mustanira: "Praise be to Allah Who has manifested from the radiance of the bridegroom of His presence a lightgiving daybreak..."

Other articles

　

　

Gathering For The Mawlid
During The Month Of Rabi` al-Awwal

Question:
Is it permissible to gather during the month of Rabi` al-Awwal to remember the birth of the noble Prophet  Allah bless him and give him peace)?

Answer:
In his Lata'if al-Ma`arif, a book on what Muslims should do for each month and season of the years, the great hadith master Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali held three lessons. The first two lessons concerned the birth of the Prophet and the third and final lessons concerning his death. Allah bless him and his family and give them peace. As a bare minimum, this shows that Ibn Rajab considered teaching about the life of the Prophet  Allah bless him and give him peace) during the month of Rabi` al-Awwal to be something not only permissible, but of such importance that it should be done in public. While virtually no Muslims denies the permissibility of studying the biography of the Prophet  Allah bless him and give him peace), a vocal minority claims that this is a [blameworthy] innovation. fn1 Mentioning the birth and death of the Prophet  Allah bless him and give him peace as things that Muslims should do during the month of Rabi` al-Awwal is a clear indication from Ibn Rajab that it is permissible:

1. to learn about the birth and death of the Prophet  Allah bless him and give him peace)

2. to gather in public to do so

3. to emphasis doing it during Rabi` al-Awwal is permissible

While specific modalities of education about, reminding of, and commemoration of these things may take different rulings, they cannot be declared categorically impermissible.
[See: Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Lata'if al-Ma`arif. Damascus: Dar Ibn Kathir. 1999/1420 AH. pp158-216]
And Allah knows best.

Wa al-salamu `alaykum,
Musa
fn1: There are two taxonomies regarding things for which were not done during the time of the Prophet Allah bless him and give him peace). The most popular taxonomy places these things into five categories: obligatory, praiseworthy, neutral, offensive, and impermissible. The other taxonomy declares these things as being praiseworthy sunnahs or blameworthy innovations. It is confusing to simply say "innovation".

　

see also related texts:
　

see also:
•   Love Of The Prophet And Following His Example

Love Of The Prophet
And Following His Example
　

by GF Haddad ©
[ extended with chapter 7. Additional Proofs, OKN ]

Chapters:

1. The Obligation to Increase the Love and Honor of the
     Prophet
2. Allah Said: Invoke Blessings on the Prophet
3. Allah Said: Rejoice in the Prophet
4. The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate Its Central Character
5. Who was our Beloved Prophet ?
6. The Danger of Opposing His Command
7. Additional Proofs
7. (1) Concerning Respect and Love For The Prophet
7. (2) Even Love of the Companions Is a Sign of Belief
7. (3) To increase our Love for Allah and his Messenger
7. (4) The above is elucidated by the following hadiths

1. The Obligation to Increase the Love and Honor of the Prophet

Allah asks the Prophet  to remind his Nation that it is essential for those who claim to love God, to love His Prophet  :
"Say to them: If you love God, follow (and love and honor) me, and God will love you" (3:31). [see also (2)]
This obligation to love the Prophet  means to obey him, to remember him, to follow his example, and to be proud of him as Allah is proud of him, since Allah has boasted about him in His Holy Book by saying:
"Truly you are of a magnificient character" (al-Qalam 4).
. Love of the Prophet  is what differentiates the believers in the perfection of their imaan. In an authentic hadith related in Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet  said:
"None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves his children, his parents, and all people." In another hadith in Bukhari he said: "None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves himself."
Perfection of faith is dependent on love of the Prophet  because Allah and His angels are constantly raising his honor, as is meant in the verse:
"Allah and His angels are praying on the Prophet"  (33:56).
The Divine order that immediately follows in the verse:
"O believers, pray on him,"
makes it clear that the quality of being a believer is dependent on and manifested by praying on the Prophet.
O Allah! Send peace and blessings on the Prophet, his family, and his companions. see also (3) .

2. Allah Said: Invoke Blessings on the Prophet
　

We are encouraged to pray on the Prophet  and to praise him, which is an obligation on us through Allah's order in the verse:
"Allah and His angels are praying on (and praising) the Prophet  ;
O believers! pray on (and praise) him and send him utmost greetings" (al-Ahzab 56). see also (1)

3. Allah Said: Rejoice in the Prophet

To express happiness for the Prophet  coming to us is an obligation given by Allah through Qur'an, as Allah said in Qur'an:
"Of the favor and mercy of Allah let them rejoice" Sura Yunus (10) 58
This order came because joy makes the heart grateful for the mercy of Allah. And What greater mercy did Allah give than the Prophet himself  , of whom Allah says,
"We did not send you except as a mercy to human beings" (Al-Anbiya' 107).
Because the Prophet  was sent as a mercy to all mankind, it is incumbent not only upon Muslims, but upon all human beings to rejoice in his person. Unfortunately, today too, there are some people who reject Allah's order to rejoice in His Prophet  .

4. The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate Its Central Character

We are asked to know about our Prophet , about his life, about his miracles, about his birth, about his manners, about his faith, about his signs (ayat wa dala'il), about his seclusions, about his worship, and is not this knowledge an obligation for every Muslim? What is better than acquiring knowledge of his life? This will make Allah happy with us because then we will be able to know the Prophet  better, and be readier to take him as an example for ourselves, to correct ourselves, and to imitate him and thus gain salvation in this life and in the next.

5. Who was our Beloved Prophet  ?

The Prophet Allah, Rasulullah  was neither tall nor was he short (he was of medium stature). In complexion, he was neither very white like lime, nor very dark, nor brown which results in darkness (he was illuminant, more luminous than even the full moon on the 14th night). The hair of Rasulullah  was neither very straight nor very curly (but slightly wavy). When he attained the age of forty, Allah Most High granted him nubuwwah (prophethood). He lived for ten years in Makkah (see commentary) and in Madinah for ten years. He  passed away at the age of sixty years. At that time there were not more than twenty white hair on his mubaarak head and beard" Anas (r) reported it.
Commentary at jamiat.org.za

6. The Danger of Opposing His Command
　

Opposing his command and changing his sunna is misguidance and innovation. It is threatened by Allah with utter privation and punishment. Allah says:
"Whoever splits from the Messenger  after the guidance is clear to him and follows other than the path of the believers, We shall entrust him to what he has turned to and expose him unto Hell - an evil retreat!" Sura Women (4) 115
The Prophet  said: "Anyone who dislikes my sunna is not of me."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
.
7. Additional Proofs

(1) Concerning Respect and Love For The Prophet
　

The Community [of Muslim Scholars] is unanimous concerning the obligation to magnify and exalt the Prophet  , his Family, and his Companions. It was the practice of the Pious Predecessors and the Imams of the past that whenever the Prophet  was mentioned in their presence they were seized by reverence, humbleness, stillness, and dignity.
   Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (this is Ja'far al-Sadiq) would turn pale whenever he heard the Prophet  mentioned. Imam Malik would not mention a hadith except in a state of ritual purity. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr al-Siddiq would turn red and stammer whenever he heard the Prophet mentioned  .
   As for 'Amir ibn 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awamm al-Asadi (one of the early sufis), he would weep until his eyes had no tears left in them. When a hadith was mentioned in their presence they would lower their voices. Malik said: "His sacredness (hurmat)  in death is as his inviolability in life."
The Mathematician Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Khatib, also known as Ibn Qunfudh al-Qusantini al-Maliki (d. 810 H) in his book "Wasilat al-islam bi al-nabi 'alayhi al-salat wa al-salam" (The Means to Islam Through the Prophet ; Beirut: Dar al-gharb al-islami, 1404/1984 p. 145-146.)
.

(2) Even Love of the Companions Is a Sign of Belief

Another hadith which shows that even love of the companions of the Prophet , such as Abu Hurayra is a sign of belief, according to the exact wording of the Prophet  that Allah make Abu Hurayra beloved to the believers.
Abu Hurayra gave the following account of his mother's conversion:
I came to the Prophet  weeping one day and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have been inviting my mother to Islam and she has been refusing. Today I asked her again, and she said something about you which I hated to hear. Ask Allah to guide Abu Hurayra's mother!" Whereupon the Prophet  said: "O Allah! Guide Abu Hurayra's mother."
   Then I returned home cheered up by the Prophet's  supplication. When I arrived at the door of the house I found it closed. Hearing my footsteps, my mother said: "Abu Hurayra, do not come in yet." I could hear the sound of water. She washed herself and wore her robe (dir') and headcover (khim_r) then she opened the door and said: "Abu Hurayra! I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's servant and messenger!"
   I returned at once to the Prophet , weeping for joy, and said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, good news! Allah has answered your request and guided my mother!" He glorified and praised Allah, thanking Him and saying good things. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Ask Allah that He make me and my mother beloved to his believing servants and that He make them beloved to us."
   The Prophet  said: "O Allah! Make Your little servant here - meaning Abu Hurayra - and his mother beloved to Your believing servants, and make the believers beloved to the two of them." Not one believer is brought into existence who hears about me without seeing me except he loves me.
Narrated by Muslim and Ahmad. Also Ibn Hajar in al-Isaba (7:435, 7:512) and others.
This hadith is similar to another sound hadith of the Prophet  addressing the Commander of the Believers 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (r):
"None loves you except a believer, and none hates you except a hypocrite."Narrated by Muslim, al-Nasa'i, and Ahmad
.

(3) Another hadith emphasizing to increase our Love for Allah(ta'âla) and his Messenger

A man asked the Prophet  about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, "When will the Hour be?" The Prophet  said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle. " The Prophet  said, "You will be with those whom you love." We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., "You will be with those whom you love.") Therefore, I love the Prophet  , Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. Anas narrated it. Comment (4)

(4) The above is elucidated by the following hadiths:

"Among those of my Community who love me most intensely are certain people who will come after me and who would give away their family and property in exchange for seeing me." Muslim narrated it in his Sahih, book of "Paradise and its bliss and people."
A man came to the Prophet  and said: "Messenger of Allah, I love you more than my family and my possessions. I remember you and I cannot wait until I can come and look at you. I remember that I will die and you will die and I know that when you enter the Garden, you will be raised up high with the Prophets. When I enter it, I will not see you." Allah then revealed:
"Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those whom He has favored: the Prophets (peace be upon them all), the True Saints, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. Ah! What an excellent company." (4:69)
The Prophet  called the man and recited the verse to him.
Tabarani and Ibn Mardawayh narrated it from A'isha and Ibn 'Abbas, and Qadi 'Iyad cited it in al-Shifa' as well as Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (1:310) and al-Baghawi in his.
It is further elucidated by the hadith of 'Umar ...
... whereby a man was punished by the Prophet  because of wine-drinking. One day when he was brought to him and he gave orders and had him beaten, one of those present said: "O Allah, curse him. How often he is brought!" The Prophet  said: "Do not curse him. I swear by Allah that I know he loves Allah and His Messenger ." (Al-Bukhari)

Other related texts on the Prophet  :

- From The Life Of Prophet Mohammed
- The Prophet - A Mercy to the Worlds
- The Light of the Prophet, GF Haddad
- On Loving the Prophet
- The Prophetic Title: "Best Of Creation"
- The Prophet in Barzakh
- On the Life of the Prophet in His Grave
- The Names Of The Prophet
- The Farewell Speech of the Prophet

Some external links:

ourworld.compuserve.com, ABewley/shifa - On the Necessity of Loving the Prophet, x L 20120706 , Ash-Shifa' by Qadi 'Iyad
- On the necessity to love the Prophet
www.theislam.com - ISLAM, The Light of My Life by M. H. Durrani, x L 20120706; Story of the conversion
   to Islam of a Christian preacher and his love for the Holy Prophet

　

external links:

•  Fatwa: Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday (Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr + Al-Qardawi)

Details of Fatwa

Title of Fatwa

Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday

Date of Fatwa

19/ April/ 2001

Date of Reply

19/ April/ 2001

Topic Of Fatwa

Miscellaneous

Question of Fatwa

As Salaamu `alaykum. Does celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, have any evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah? www.Sunnidawateislami.Com has answered that question in their question-answer column saying that it is allowed to celebrate the Prophet's birthday, the Qur`an has approved it and there is evidence from it in the Sunnah. When I discuss this matter with my family, I tell them it is Bid`ah (innovation). Am I right? I'd like you to please clarify this matter to me. I'd also like to know the correct date of birth of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the date he died.

Name of Mufti

Islam Online Fatwa Committee

Content of Reply

Wa`alykum as-salaamu wa rahmatul Allahi wa barakaatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah , and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr answers:

According to historians, the Fatimides were the first to celebrate the Prophet's birthday. Qalqashandi, in his book Subh Al-A`sha, says that the Fatimides used to make a huge celebration in Egypt and distribute large amounts of sweets for the occasion. Actually, the Fatimides used to celebrate the birthdays of other members of the Prophet's family and they also celebrated Christ's birthday.

However, all of these celebrations were stopped in 488 upon an order from Caliph Al-Musta`li billah appointed as prime minister Al-Afdal Shahindah, son of Commander-in-chief Badr Al-Jamaali, a powerful man who conformed to the Sunnah as stated by Ibn Al-Atheer in his book Al-Kamel, volume 8, page 302.

People stopped celebrating such occasions till Al-Ma'moon Al-Bataa'ihi came to power and issued an official decree in 517 enjoining the distribution of alms in 12th Rabee` Al-Awwal. Sanaa' Al-Malik was in charge of distributing them.

When the Ayoubides came to power, they stopped all Fatimide practices, but families used to celebrate the Prophet's birthday in their houses. Then it returned to be officially celebrated at the beginning of the seventh century in the city of Irbil upon a decree from its prince, Muzafar Al-Deen Abi Sa`d Kawakbri Ibn Zein Ed-Deen `Ali- Ibn Tabakatikin, who was a Sunni.

Muzafar gave great care and attention to such celebrations and ordered marquis to be erected starting from the beginning of Safar. Such tents, which were wonderfully decorated and extended from Al-Qal`a gate till the Khandaq gate. Muzafar used to go everyday after `Asr prayer to watch the festivities in these tents.

The celebration was sometimes held on the 8th of Rabee` Al-Awwal (and sometimes on the 12th) which used to be an official holiday so that the people could enjoy the festival. Two days before the actual celebration, Muzafar used to order the sheep, cows and camels to be slaughtered in the main avenue amidst cheerful festivities, then the meat would be cooked and distributed among the people.

Ibn Al-Haajj Abu `Abdullah Al-`Abdari says that such festivals were widespread in Egypt during his rein and condemned the innovations that used to take place during such festivals. (Al-Madkhal, volume 2, p 11, 12)

Many books were written on the Prophet's birthday in the seventh century such as the stories of Ibn Dahya, who died in Egypt in 633 AH, Muhy Ed-Deen Ibn Al-`Arabi, who died in Damascus in 683 AH, Ibn Taghrabik, who died in Egypt in 670 AH; and Ahmad Al-`Azli and his son Muhammad, who died in Sabata in 670 AH.

Due to the spread of innovation during such celebrations, scholars have denounced them and stated that they were groundless. Among those scholars is the Maliki jurist Taaj Ad-Deen `Umar Ibn Al-Lakhmi Al-Sakandari known as Al-Fakahaani, who died in 731 AH, wrote his thesis Al-Mawrid fil Kalaam `Ala-Mawlid on this issue and As-Syooti quotes it in his book Husn Al-Maqsid.

Sheikh Muhammad Fadl `Ashoor says that in the ninth century, scholars were divided over the issue. Some said it was permissible, others said it was not and it was recommended by As-Siyooti, Ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalaani and Ibn Hajar Al-Haythmi, yet they condemned the innovations that took place during such festivities. Their opinion was derived from the verse: "And remind them of the days of Allah" (Ibraheem: 5).

Explaining the previous verse, An-Nasaa`i and `Abdullaah Ibn Ahmad report in Zawayd Al-Musnad and Al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab Al-Iman reports on the authority of Ibn Ka`b that he said that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The days of Allah" are Allah's Blessings and Signs, and the Prophet's birth is a great bliss. (Al-Aloosi's Rooh Al-Ma`aani)

Muslim reports on the authority of Qatadah Al-Ansaari that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about fasting on Monday and he replied: "It is the day on which I was born and on which I received the Divine Revelation". It is also reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Jabir that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was born in the "year of the elephant" on the 12th of Rabee` Al-Awwal. He also received the Divine Revelation, ascended to the Heavens, migrated to Madinah and died on the 12th of Rabee` Al-Awwal.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says that the day he was born was a special day. Since it is well known from Shari`ah that Muslims should seize the opportunity in blessed days and do good deeds, Muslims should celebrate the Prophet's birthday so as to thank Allah for guiding them to Islam through Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

Therefore, celebrating the Prophet's birthday is permissible provided that it does not include committing any of the prohibited things. As for throwing banquets, this comes under the verse saying: "O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He whom ye worship.þ" (Al-Baqarah: 172)

My opinion is that celebrating such a religious occasion is recommended especially nowadays for youth have become forgetful of these religious occasions and their significance because they have indulged in other celebrations.

Celebrating such a great event should be done through reading more about the Prophet's Sunnah and life, building mosques, religious institutes and doing other forms of charity work that remind people of the Prophet's life and his struggle.

Therefore, it is permissible to celebrate the Prophet's birthday as an expression of our love to him and our endeavor to follow him as an example provided that these celebrations do not involve any of the prohibited things. Some prohibited things are improper intermingling between men and women, behaving improperly at mosques and partaking in innovations such as worshiping at tombs and other things that violate the teachings of Islam. If such previously mentioned violations surpass the religious benefit realized from these celebrations, then they should be stopped in order to prevent harm and wrongdoing as indicated in the Shari`ah.

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi adds:

We all know that the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not celebrate the Prophet's birthday, Hijrah or the Battle of Badr, because they witnessed such events during the lifetime of the Prophet who always remained in their hearts and minds.

Sa`d Ibn Abi Waqqaas said that they were keen on telling their children the stories of the Prophet's battles just as they were keen on teaching them the Qur'an. Therefore, they used to remind their children of what happened during the Prophet's lifetime so they did not need to hold such celebrations. However, the following generations began to forget such a glorious history and its significance. So such celebrations were held as a means of reviving great events and the values that we can learn from them.

Unfortunately, such celebrations include some innovations when they should actually be made to remind people of the Prophet's life and his call. Actually, celebrating the Prophet's birthday means celebrating the birth of Islam. Such an occasion is meant to remind people of how the Prophet lived.

Allah Almighty says: "Verily in the Messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the last Day, and remembereth Allah much." (Al-Ahzab: 21)þ

By celebrating the Prophet's Hijrah, we should teach them values such as sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Companions, the sacrifice of `Ali who slept in the Prophet's place on the night of the Hijrah, the sacrifice of Asmaa' as she ascended the Mountain of Thawr. We should teach them to plan the way the Prophet planned for his Hijrah, and how to trust in Allah as the Prophet did when Abu Bakr told him: "We could be seen so easily, the Prophet replied saying: "O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two when Allah is their third?" "Have no fear, for Allah is with us." (At-Tawbah: 40)

We need all these lessons and such celebrations are a revival of these lessons and values. I think that these celebrations, if done in the proper way, will serve a great purpose, getting Muslims closer to the teachings of Islam and to the Prophet's Sunnah and life.

As for celebrating `Ashooraa', the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, celebrated this day by fasting only. He asked the Jews why they fasted on that day and they told him that it was the day that Allah saved Moses and the people of Israel. The Prophet replied saying: "We have more of a right to Moses than you." So he fasted on that day and ordered the people to fast on that day. He also said near the end of his life: "By Allah, if I lived longer I would fast on the 9th of Muharram." That is, that he would fast on the 9th and the 10th in order to be different from the Jews who fast on the 10th only. However, some of the Sunnis celebrate `Ashura as if it were a feast. The Shi`ah consider it a day of sadness and mourning, but all such things are innovations and are completely un-Islamic.

As for the second part of the question, the exact date of the Prophet's birth is disputed , but it is most likely to be on Monday, 9th Rabee` Al-Awwal (20th or 22nd of April, 571 AC), the same year in which the invasion of the Elephants took place against the Ka`bah. And he, peace and blessings be upon him, passed away on Monday 12, Rabee` Al-Awwal in the eleventh year of Hijrah (8 June 632 AC.)

Allah Almighty knows best.

http://www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/islamonline_mawlid_fatwa.htm

　

　

　

About Bid'ah

　

The Concept of Bid'a
in the Islamic Shari'a

©Nuh Ha Mim Keller 1995

The following is the text of a talk given by Shaikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller at Nottingham and Trent University on Wednesday 25th January 1995.
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
There are few topics that generate as much controversy today in Islam as what is sunna and what is bida or reprehensible innovation, perhaps because of the times Muslims live in today and the challenges they face. Without a doubt, one of the greatest events in impact upon Muslims in the last thousand years is the end of the Islamic caliphate at the first of this century, an event that marked not only the passing of temporal, political authority, but in many respects the passing of the consensus of orthodox Sunni Islam as well. No one familiar with the classical literature in any of the Islamic legal sciences, whether Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir), hadith, or jurisprudence (fiqh), can fail to be struck by the fact that questions are asked today about basic fundamentals of Islamic Sacred Law (Sharia) and its ancillary disciplines that would not have been asked in the Islamic period not because Islamic scholars were not brilliant enough to produce the questions, but because they already knew the answers.
My talk tonight will aim to clarify some possible misunderstandings of the concept of innovation (bida) in Islam, in light of the prophetic hadith,
"Beware of matters newly begun, for every matter newly begun is innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in hell."
The sources I use are traditional Islamic sources, and my discussion will centre on three points:
The first point is that scholars say that the above hadith does not refer to all new things without restriction, but only to those which nothing in Sacred Law attests to the validity of. The use of the word "every" in the hadith does not indicate an absolute generalization, for there are many examples of similar generalizations in the Qur'an and sunna that are not applicable without restriction, but rather are qualified by restrictions found in other primary textual evidence.
The second point is that the sunna and way of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was to accept new acts initiated in Islam that were of the good and did not conflict with established principles of Sacred Law, and to reject things that were otherwise.
And our third and last point is that new matters in Islam may not be rejected merely because they did not exist in the first century, but must be evaluated and judged according to the comprehensive methodology of Sacred Law, by virtue of which it is and remains the final and universal moral code for all peoples until the end of time.
Our first point, that the hadith does not refer to all new things without restriction, but only to those which nothing in Sacred Law attests to the validity of, may at first seem strange, in view of the wording of the hadith, which says, "every matter newly begun is innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in hell." Now the word "bida" or "innovation" linguistically means anything new, So our first question must be about the generalizability of the word every in the hadith: does it literally mean that everything new in the world is haram or unlawful? The answer is no. Why?
In answer to this question, we may note that there are many similar generalities in the Qur'an and sunna, all of them admitting of some qualification, such as the word of Allah Most High in Surat al-Najm,
". . . A man can have nothing, except what he strives for" (Qur'an 53:39),
despite there being an overwhelming amount of evidence that a Muslim benefits from the spiritual works of others, for example, from his fellow Muslims, the prayers of angels for him, the funeral prayer over him, charity given by others in his name, and the supplications of believers for him;
Or consider the words of Allah to unbelievers in Surat al-Anbiya,
"Verily you and what you worship apart from Allah are the fuel of hell" (Qur'an 21:98),
"what you worship" being a general expression, while there is no doubt that Jesus, his mother, and the angels were all worshipped apart from Allah, but are not "the fuel of hell", so are not what is meant by the verse; Or the word of Allah Most High in Surat al-Anam about past nations who paid no heed to the warners who were sent to them,
"But when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We opened unto them the doors of everything" (Qur'an 6:44),
though the doors of mercy were not opened unto them; And the hadith related by Muslim that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
"No one who prays before sunrise and before sunset will enter hell",
which is a generalised expression that definitely does not mean what its outward generality implies, for someone who prays the dawn and midafternoon prayers and neglects all other prayers and obligatory works is certainly not meant. It is rather a generalization whose intended referent is particular, or a generalization that is qualified by other texts, for when there are fully authenticated hadiths, it is obligatory to reach an accord between them, because they are in reality as a single hadith, the statements that appear without further qualification being qualified by those that furnish the qualification, that the combined implications of all of them may be utilized.
Let us look for a moment at bida or innovation in the light of the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) concerning new matters. Sunna and innovation (bida) are two opposed terms in the language of the Lawgiver (Allah bless him and give him peace), such that neither can be defined without reference to the other, meaning that they are opposites, and things are made clear by their opposites. Many writers have sought to define innovation (bida) without defining the sunna, while it is primary, and have thus fallen into inextricable difficulties and conflicts with the primary textual evidence that contradicts their definition of innovation, whereas if they had first defined the sunna, they would have produced a criterion free of shortcomings.
Sunna, in both the language of the Arabs and the Sacred Law, means way, as is illustrated by the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace),
"He who inaugurates a good sunna in Islam [dis: Reliance of the Traveller p58.1(2)] ...And he who introduces a bad sunna in Islam...", sunna meaning way or custom. The way of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in giving guidance, accepting, and rejecting: this is the sunna. For "good sunna" and "bad sunna" mean a "good way" or "bad way", and cannot possibly mean anything else. Thus, the meaning of "sunna" is not what most students, let alone ordinary people, understand; namely, that it is the prophetic hadith (as when sunna is contrasted with "Kitab", i.e. Qur'an, in distinguishing textual sources), or the opposite of the obligatory (as when sunna, i.e. recommended, is contrasted with obligatory in legal contexts), since the former is a technical usage coined by hadith scholars, while the latter is a technical usage coined by legal scholars and specialists in fundamentals of jurisprudence. Both of these are usages of later origin that are not what is meant by sunna here. Rather, thesunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is his way of acting, ordering, accepting, and rejecting, and the way of his Rightly Guided Caliphs who followed his way acting, ordering, accepting, and rejecting. So practices that are newly begun must be examined in light of the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and his way and path in acceptance or rejection.
Now, there are a great number of hadiths, most of them in the rigorously authenticated (sahih) collections, showing that many of the prophetic Companions initiated new acts, forms of invocation (dhikr), supplications (dua), and so on, that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had never previously done or ordered to be done. Rather, the Companions did them because of their inference and conviction that such acts were of the good that Islam and the Prophet of Islam came with and in general terms urged the like of to be done, in accordance with the word of Allah Most High in Surat al-Hajj,
"And do the good, that haply you may succeed" (Qur'an 22:77),
and the hadith of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace),
"He who inaugurates a good sunna in Islam earns the reward of it and all who perform it after him without diminishing their own rewards in the slightest."
Though the original context of the hadith was giving charity, the interpretative principle established by the scholarly consensus (def: Reliance of the Traveller b7) of specialists in fundamentals of Sacred Law is that the point of primary texts lies in the generality of their lexical significance, not the specificity of their historical context, without this implying that just anyone may make provisions in the Sacred Law, for Islam is defined by principles and criteria, such that whatever one initiates as a sunna must be subject to its rules, strictures, and primary textual evidence.
From this investigative point of departure, one may observe that many of the prophetic Companions performed various acts through their own personal reasoning, (ijtihad), and that the sunna and way of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was both to accept those that were acts of worship and good deeds conformable with what the Sacred Law had established and not in conflict with it; and to reject those which were otherwise. This was his sunna and way, upon which his caliphal successors and Companions proceeded, and from which Islamic scholars (Allah be well pleased with them) have established the rule that any new matter must be judged according to the principles and primary texts of Sacred Law: whatever is attested to by the law as being good is acknowledged as good, and whatever is attested to by the law as being a contravention and bad is rejected as a blameworthy innovation (bida). They sometimes term the former a good innovation (bida hasana) in view of it lexically being termed an innovation , but legally speaking it is not really an innovation but rather an inferable sunna as long as the primary texts of the Sacred Law attest to its being acceptable.
We now turn to the primary textual evidence previously alluded to concerning the acts of the Companions and how the Prophet, (Allah bless him and give him peace) responded to them:
(1) Bukhari and Muslim relate from Abu Hurayra (Allah be well pleased with him) that at the dawn prayer the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to Bilal, "Bilal, tell me which of your acts in Islam you are most hopeful about, for I have heard the footfall of your sandals in paradise", and he replied, "I have done nothing I am more hopeful about than the fact that I do not perform ablution at any time of the night or day without praying with that ablution whatever has been destined for me to pray."
Ibn Hajar Asqalani says in Fath al-Bari that the hadith shows it is permissible to use personal reasoning (ijtihad) in choosing times for acts of worship, for Bilal reached the conclusions he mentioned by his own inference, and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) confirmed him therein.
Similar to this is the hadith in Bukhari about Khubayb (who asked to pray two rakas before being executed by idolaters in Mecca) who was the first to establish the sunna of two rak'as for those who are steadfast in going to their death. These hadiths are explicit evidence that Bilal and Khubayb used their own personal reasoning (ijtihad) in choosing the times of acts of worship, without any previous command or precedent from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) other than the general demand to perform the prayer.
(2) Bukhari and Muslim relate that Rifa'a ibn Rafi said, "When we were praying behind the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and he raised his head from bowing and said , "Allah hears whoever praises Him", a man behind him said, "Our Lord, Yours is the praise, abundantly, wholesomely, and blessedly therein." When he rose to leave, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) asked "who said it", and when the man replied that it was he, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "I saw thirty-odd angels each striving to be the one to write it." Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bari that the hadith indicates the permissibility of initiating new expressions of dhikr in the prayer other than the ones related through hadith texts, as long as they do not contradict those conveyed by the hadith [since the above words were a mere enhancement and addendum to the known, sunna dhikr].
(3) Bukhari relates from Aisha (Allah be well pleased with her) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) dispatched a man at the head of a military expedition who recited the Qur'an for his companions at prayer, finishing each recital with al-Ikhlas (Qur'an 112). When they returned, they mentioned this to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), who told them, "Ask him why he does this", and when they asked him, the man replied, "because it describes the All-merciful, and I love to recite it." The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to them, "Tell him Allah loves him." In spite of this, we do not know of any scholar who holds that doing the above is recommended, for the acts the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to do regularly are superior, though his confirming the like of this illustrates his sunna regarding his acceptance of various forms of obedience and acts of worship, and shows he did not consider the like of this to be a reprehensible innovation (bida), as do the bigots who vie with each other to be the first to brand acts as innovation and misguidance. Further, it will be noticed that all the preceding hadiths are about the prayer, which is the most important of bodily acts of worship, and of which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Pray as you have seen me pray", despite which he accepted the above examples of personal reasoning because they did not depart from the form defined by the Lawgiver, for every limit must be observed, while there is latitude in everything besides, as long as it is within the general category of being called for by Sacred Law. This is the sunna of the Prophet and his way (Allah bless him and give him peace) and is as clear as can be. Islamic scholars infer from it that every act for which there is evidence in Sacred Law that it is called for and which does not oppose an unequivocal primary text or entail harmful consequences is not included in the category of reprehensible innovation (bida), but rather is of the sunna, even if there should exist something whose performance is superior to it.
(4) Bukhari relates from Abu Said al-Khudri that a band of the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) departed on one of their journeys, alighting at the encampment of some desert Arabs whom they asked to be their hosts, but who refused to have them as guests. The leader of the encampment was stung by a scorpion, and his followers tried everything to cure him, and when all had failed, one said, "If you would approach the group camped near you, one of them might have something". So they came to them and said, "O band of men, our leader has been stung and weve tried everything. Do any of you have something for it?" and one of them replied, "Yes, by Allah, I recite healing words [ruqya, def: Reliance of the Travellerw17] over people, but by Allah, we asked you to be our hosts and you refused, so I will not recite anything unless you give us a fee". They then agreed upon a herd of sheep, so the man went and began spitting and reciting the Fatiha over the victim until he got up and walked as if he were a camel released from its hobble, nothing the matter with him. They paid the agreed upon fee, which some of the Companions wanted to divide up, but the man who had done the reciting told them, "Do not do so until we reach the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and tell him what has happened, to see what he may order us to do". They came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and told him what had occurred, and he said, "How did you know it was of the words which heal? You were right. Divide up the herd and give me a share."
The hadith is explicit that the Companion had no previous knowledge that reciting the Fatiha to heal (ruqya) was countenanced by Sacred Law, but rather did so because of his own personal reasoning (ijtihad), and since it did not contravene anything that had been legislated, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) confirmed him therein because it was of his sunna and way to accept and confirm what contained good and did not entail harm, even if it did not proceed from the acts of the Prophet himself (Allah bless him and give him peace) as a definitive precedent.
(5) Bukhari relates from Abu Said al-Khudri that one man heard another reciting al-Ikhlas (Qur'an 112) over and over again, so when morning came he went to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and sarcastically mentioned it to him. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "By Him in whose hand is my soul, it equals one-third of the Qur'an." Daraqutni recorded another version of this hadith in which the man said, "I have a neighbor who prays at night and does not recite anything but al-Ikhlas." The hadith shows that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) confirmed the persons restricting himself to this sura while praying at night, despite its not being what the Prophet himself did (Allah bless him and give him peace), for though the Prophets practice of reciting from the whole Qur'an was superior, the mans act was within the general parameters of the sunna and there was nothing blameworthy about it in any case.
(6) Ahmad and Ibn Hibban relates from Abdullah ibn Burayda that his father said, I entered the mosque with the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), where a man was at prayer, supplicating: "O Allah, I ask You by the fact that I testify You are Allah, there is no god but You, the One, the Ultimate, who did not beget and was not begotten, and to whom none is equal", and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "By Him in whose hand is my soul, he has asked Allah by His greatest name, which if He is asked by it He gives, and if supplicated He answers". It is plain that this supplication came spontaneously from the Companion, and since it conformed to what the Sacred Law calls for, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) confirmed it with the highest degree of approbation and acceptance, while it is not known that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had ever taught it to him (Adilla Ahl al-Sunna wa'al-Jamaa, 119-33).
We are now able to return to the hadith with which I began my talk tonight, in which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ". . . Beware of matters newly begun, for every innovation is misguidance". And understand it as expounded by a classic scholar of Islam, Sheikh Muhammad Jurdani, who said:
"Beware of matters newly begun", distance yourselves and be wary of matters newly innovated that did not previously exist", i.e. things invented in Islam that contravene the Sacred Law, "for every innovation is misguidance" meaning that every innovation is the opposite of the truth, i.e. falsehood, a hadith that has been related elsewhere as: "for every newly begun matter is innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in hell" meaning that everyone who is misguided, whether through himself or by following another, is in hell, the hadith referring to matters that are not good innovations with a basis in Sacred Law. It has been stated (by Izz ibn Abd al-Salam) that innovations (bida) fall under the five headings of the Sacred Law (n: i.e. the obligatory, unlawful, recommended, offensive, and permissible):
(1) The first category comprises innovations that are obligatory , such as recording the Qur'an and the laws of Islam in writing when it was feared that something might be lost from them; the study of the disciplines of Arabic that are necessary to understand the Qur'an and sunna such as grammar, word declension, and lexicography; hadith classification to distinguish between genuine and spurious prophetic traditions; and the philosophical refutations of arguments advanced by the Mu'tazilites and the like.
(2) The second category is that of unlawful innovations such as non- Islamic taxes and levies, giving positions of authority in Sacred Law to those unfit for them, and devoting ones time to learning the beliefs of heretical sects that contravene the tenets of faith of Ahl al-Sunna.
(3) The third category consists of recommended innovations such as building hostels and schools of Sacred Law, recording the research of Islamic schools of legal thought, writing books on beneficial subjects, extensive research into fundamentals and particular applications of Sacred Law, in-depth studies of Arabic linguistics, the reciting of wirds (def: Reliance of the Traveller w20) by those with a Sufi path, and commemorating the birth (mawlid), of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) and wearing ones best and rejoicing at it.
(4) The fourth category includes innovations that are offensive, such as embellishing mosques, decorating the Qur'an and having a backup man (muballigh) loudly repeat the spoken Allahu Akbar of the imam when the latter's voice is already clearly audible to those who are praying behind him.
(5) the fifth category is that of innovations that are permissible, such as sifting flour, using spoons and having more enjoyable food, drink and housing. (al Jawahir al-luluiyya fi sharh al-Arbain al-nawawiyya, 220-21).
I will conclude my remarks tonight with a translation of Sheikh Abdullah al-Ghimari, who said: In his al-Qawaid al-kubra, "Izz ibn Abd al-Salam classifies innovations (bida), according to their benefit, harm, or indifference, into the five categories of rulings: the obligatory, recommended, unlawful, offensive, and permissible; giving examples of each and mentioning the principles of Sacred Law that verify his classification. His words on the subject display his keen insight and comprehensive knowledge of both the principles of jurisprudence and the human advantages and disadvantages in view of which the Lawgiver has established the rulings of Sacred Law.
Because his classification of innovation (bida) was established on a firm basis in Islamic jurisprudence and legal principles, it was confirmed by Imam Nawawi, Ibn Hajar Asqalani, and the vast majority of Islamic scholars, who received his words with acceptance and viewed it obligatory to apply them to the new events and contingencies that occur with the changing times and the peoples who live in them. One may not support the denial of his classification by clinging to the hadith "Every innovation is misguidance", because the only form of innovation that is without exception misguidance is that concerning tenets of faith, like the innovations of the Mutazilites, Qadarites, Murjiites, and so on, that contradicted the beliefs of the early Muslims. This is the innovation of misguidance because it is harmful and devoid of benefit. As for innovation in works, meaning the occurrence of an act connected with worship or something else that did not exist in the first century of Islam, it must necessarily be judged according to the five categories mentioned by Izz ibn Abd al-Salam. To claim that such innovation is misguidance without further qualification is simply not applicable to it, for new things are among the exigencies brought into being by the passage of time and generations, and nothing that is new lacks a ruling of Allah Most High that is applicable to it, whether explicitly mentioned in primary texts, or inferable from them in some way. The only reason that Islamic law can be valid for every time and place and be the consummate and most perfect of all divine laws is because it comprises general methodological principles and universal criteria, together with the ability its scholars have been endowed with to understand its primary texts, the knowledge of types of analogy and parallelism, and the other excellences that characterize it. Were we to rule that every new act that has come into being after the first century of Islam is an innovation of misguidance without considering whether it entails benefit or harm, it would invalidate a large share of the fundamental bases of Sacred Law as well as those rulings established by analogical reasoning, and would narrow and limit the Sacred Laws vast and comprehensive scope. (Adilla Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamaa, 145-47).
Wa Jazakum Allahu khayran, wal-hamdu lillahi Rabbil Alamin.
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What Is Bid`a (Innovation)?
What Is Bid`a (Innovation)?

The Prophet  said,which mean
"... Beware of matters newly begun, for every innovation is misguidance."
Beware of matters newly begun
(Muhammad Jurdani:) meaning, "Distance yourselves and be wary of matters newly innovated that did not previously exist, i.e. things invented in Islam that contravene the Sacred Law,
for every innovation is misguidance
meaning that every innovation is the opposite of the truth, i.e. falsehood, a hadith that has been related elsewhere as:
for every newly begun matter is innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in hell
meaning that everyone who is misguided, whether through himself or by following another, is in hell, the hadith referring to matters that are not good innovations with a basis in Sacred Law. It has been stated (by `Izz ibn `Abd al-Salam) that innovations (bid`a) fall under the five headings of the Sacred Law (i.e. the obligatory, unlawful, recommended, offensive, and permissible):
(1) The first category comprises innovations that are obligatory, such as recording the Koran and laws of Islam in writing when it was feared that something might be lost from them; the study of the disciplines of Arabic that are necessary to understand the Koran and sunna such as grammar, word declension, and lexicography; hadith classification to distinguish between genuine and spurions prophetic traditions; and the philosophical refutations of arguments advanced by the Mu'tazilites and the like.
(2) The second category is that of unlawful innovations such as non-Islamic taxes and levies, giving positions of authority in Sacred Law to those unfit for them, and devoting one's time to learning the beliefs of heretical sects that contravene the tencts of faith of Ahl al-Sunna,
(3) The third category consists of recommended innovations such as building hostels and schools of Sacred Law, recording the research of Islamic schools of legal thought, writing books on beneficial subjects, extensive research into fundamentals and particular applications of Sacred Law, in-depth studies of Arabic linguistics, the reciting of wirds by those with a Sufi path (or circles of dhikr in which the movement of the participants increases their remembrance of Allah), and commemorating the birth (mawlid) of the prophet Muhammad  and wearing one's best and rejoicing at it.
(4) The fourth category includes innovations that are offensive, such as embellishing mosques, decorating the Koran, and having a backup man (muballigh) loudly repeat the spoken Allahu Akbar of the imam when the latter's voice is already clearly audible to those praying behind him.
(5) The fifth category is that of innovations that are permissible, such as sifting flour, using spoons, and having more enjoyable food, drink, and housing.
(al-Jawahir al-lu'lu'iyya fi sharh al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyya, 220-21)

Classes Of Innovation
('Abdullah Muhammad Ghimari:) In his al-Qawa'id al-kubra, 'Izz ibn'Abd al-Salam classifies innovations (bid'a), according to their benefit, harm, or indifference, into the five categories of rulings: the obligatory, recommended, unlawful, offensive, and permissible; giving examples of each and mentioning the principles of Sacred Law that verify his classification. His words on the subject display his keen insight and comprehensive knowledge of both the principles of jurisprudence and the human advantages and disadvantages in view of which the Lawgiver has established the rulings of Sacred Law.
Because his classification of innovation (bid'a) was established on a firm basis in Islamic jurisprudence and legal principles, it was confirmed by Imam Nawawi, Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani, and the vast majority of Islamic scholars, who received his words with acceptance and viewed it obligatory to apply them to the new events and contingencies that occur with the changing times and the peoples who live in them.
One may not support the denial of his classification by clinging to the hadith "Every innovation is misguidance," because the only form of innovation that is without exception misguidance is that concerning tenets of faith, like the innovations of the Mu'tazilites, Qadarites, Murji'ites, and so on, that contradicted the beliefs of the early Muslims. This is the innovation of misguidance because it is harmful and devoid of benefit.
As for innovation in works, meaning the occurrence of an act connected with worship or something else that did not exist in the first century of Islam, it must necessarily be judged according to the five categories mentioned by 'Izz ibn 'Abd al-Salam (see above).
To claim that such innovation is misguidance without further qualification is simply not applicable to it, for new things are among the exigencies brought into being by the passage of time and generations, and nothing that is new lacks a ruling of Allah Most High that is applicable to it, whether explicitly mentioned in primary texts, or inferable from them in some way.
The only reason that Islamic law can be valid for every time and place and be the consummate and most perfect of all divine laws is because it comprises general methodological principles and universal criteria, together with the ability its scholars have been endowed with to understand its primary texts, the knowledge of types of analogy and parallelism, and the other excellences that characterize it.
Were we to rule that every new act that has come into being after the first century of Islam is an innovation of misguidance without considering whether it entails benefit or harm, it would invalidate a large share of the fundamental bases of Sacred Law as well as those rulings established by analogical reasoning, and would narrow and limit the Sacred Law's vast and comprehensive scope (Adilla Ahl al-Sunna wa 121-Jama'a (y119), 145-47).RT-914-917

　

　

Fatwa in Arabic

　

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

دائرة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية- دبي

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

دائرة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية- دبي

إدارة الإفتاء والبحوث

هل نحتفل؟!!

نعم نحتفل في كل سنة

وفي كل شهر وفي كل أسبوع

وفي كل ساعة وفي كل لحظة

أخي الكريم:

بعد قرائتك للرسالة اهدها لغيرك للاستفادة منها

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله وكفى, والصلاة والسلام على خير خلقه الذين اصطفى, وعلى اله وصحبه ومن سار على نهجهم واقتفى.

يقول المولى عز وجل: (( يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله و قولوا قولا سديدا ))

ويقول المصطفى صلى الله عليه وعلىآله وسلم: (( من كان يؤمن بالله و اليوم الآخر فليقل خيرا أو ليصمت )).

أما بعد: فان الواجب على كل مسلم أن يبين الحقائق للناس حتى يسيروا على بصيرة وهدى, وليس على عمى وتضليل, فالحق أبلج كالشمس في رابعة النهار, وهذا أوان الشروع في الموضوع: فاننا نسمع ونرى في هذه الأيام تلك الوريقات والتي شحنت بالأكاذيب والأباطيل و التدليس على البسطاء وقليلي الفهم والعلم من عامة الناس, حول ما يختص بالمولد النبوي الشريف, فوجب على من لديه القدرة على التبيين أن يبين حتى لايدخل في الوعيد الوارد في طلبة العلم.

جهل وقلة علم!

يقول المصطفى صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: (( من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد )) ويقول: (( اياكم ومحدثات الأمور, فان كل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالة)).

قال (( المعارض )) ان لفظة (كل) الواردة في الحديث من ألفاظ العموم , تشمل جميع أنواع البدع بدون استثناء فهي ضلالة. وبقولهم وتجرئهم هذا هم يرمون علماء الأمة بالابتداع, وعلى رأسهم سيدنا عمر رضي الله عنه وأرضاه, فان قلتم اننا لم نقصد صحابة رسول الله, قلنا لكم : بل قصدتم, وذلك بقولكم الآخذ بتلابيبكم ((جميع أنواع البدع دون أستثناء)), فان قلتم ان النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم اقره على ذلك نقول لكم سوف نأتيكم بأفعال اخرى فعلها الصحابة و التابعون بعد وفاته صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, فهل تتهمونهم بالبدعة و الضلال أم ماذا؟؟!فإليكم أفعالهم رضي الله عنهم:

جمع القرآن: حديث زيد بن ثابت رضي الله عنه قال: (( قبض النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ولم يكن القرأن جمع في شئ)). نفول عمر هو الذي أشار على أبي بكر رضي الله عنه بجمع القرآن في مصحف حيث كثر القتل بين الصحابة في واقعة اليمامة، فتوقف أبو بكر وقال : كيف نفعل شيئا لم يفعله رسول الله صلى اله عليو وآله وسلم؟ قال عمر: هو والله خير( أنظر إلى قوله: هو والله خير)، فلم يزل عمر يراجعه حتى شرح الله صدره له، وبعث إلى زيد بن ثابت فكلفه بتتبع القرآن وجمعه، فال زيد: فوالله لو كلفوني نقل جبل من الجبال، ما كان أثقل علي مما كلفني به من جمع القرآن ثم قال: كيف تفعلون شيئا لم يفعله رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ قال : هو خير. فلم يزل أبو بكر يراجعني حتى شرح الله صدري. والقصة مبسوطة في صحيح البخاري.

مقام إبراهيم عن البيت: أخرج البيهقي بسند قوي عن عائشة قالت: إن المقام كان في زمن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وفي زمن أبي بكر ملتصقا بالبيت، ثم أخره عمر.

قال الحافظ ابن حجر في الفتح: ولم تنكر الصحابة فعل عمر، ولا من جاء بعدهم فصار إجماعا، وكذاك هو أول من عمل عليه المقصورة الموجودة الآن.

زيادة الاذان الأول يوم الجمعة: ففي صحيح البخاري عن السائب بن زيد قال: كان النداء يوم الجمعة أوله إذا جلس الإمام على المنبر على عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وأبي بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهم . فلما كان عثمان.. زاج الأذان الثالث. باعتبار إضافته إلى الأذان الاول و الإقامة، ويقال له أول باعتبار سبقه في الزمان على أذان الجمعة، ويقال له ثاني بإسقاط اعتبار الإقامة.

الصلاة على النبي: صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم التي أنشأها سيدنا علي ةضي الله عنه وكان نعلمها للناس. ذكرها سعيد بن منصور وابن جرير في تهذيب الآثار وابن أبي عاصم ويعقوب بي شيبة في أخبار علي، والطببراني و غيرهم عي سلامة الكندي.

مازاده ابن مسعود في التشهد: بعد(ورحمة الله وبركاته) كان يقول: السلام علينا من ربنا. رواه الطبراني في الكبير ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما في مجمع الزوائد.

زيادة عبد الله بن عمر البسملة في أول التشهد: وكذلك ما زاده في التلبية بقوله: (( لبيك وسعديك والخير بيديك والرغباء اليك والعمل..)) وهو مبسوط في صحيح البخاري، ومسلم، الخ من زيادة الصحابة وعلماء وفضلاء الأمة.

فكل هؤلاء ابتدعوا أشياء رأوها حسنة لم تكن في عهد المصطفى صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وهي في العبادات، فما قولكم فيهم؟ وهل هم من أهل الضلال والبدع المنكرة أم ماذا؟ (( نبئوني بعلم إن كنتم صادقين))

أما ادعاؤكم الباطل بأنه لا يوجد هناك في الدين شيئا يسمى بدعة حسنة فإليكم أقوال جهابذة علماء الأمة والذين يعول على كلامهم، فضلا عن حثالة ليس لها غرض إلا التفريق بين المسلمين وإشعال نار الفتن بينهم، في الوقت الذي نحن فيه بحاجة إلى جمع شتاتهم،

قال العلامة وحيد عصره وحجة وقته، وشارح صحيح مسلم الإمام الحافظ النووي رضي الله عنه في صحيح مسلم(6-21) ما نصه: قول النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: (( كل بدعة )) هذا عام مخصوص والمراد غالب البدع، وفال أهل اللغة: هي كل شئ عمل على غير مثال سابق، وهي منقسمة الى خمسة أقسام.

وقال كذلك في (تهذيب الأسماء واللغات) : البدعة بكسر الباء في الشرع هي إحداث ما لم نكن في عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وهي منقسمة الى حسنة وقبيحة. وقال أيضا: والمحدثات، بفتح الدال جمع محدثة، والمراد بها : ما أحدث وليس له أصل في الشرع.. ويسمى في عرف الشرع بدعة، وما كان له أصل يدل عليه الشرع فليس ببدعة، فالبدعة في عرف الشرع مذمومة بخلاف اللغة، فإن كل شئ أحدث على غير مثال يسمى بدعة سواء كان محمودا أو مذموما. أه

قال أمير المؤمنين في الحديث الحافظ شيخ الإسلام ابن حجر العسفلاني شارح البخاري المجمع على جلالة قدره ما نصه: (( وكل ما لم يكن في زمنه صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يسمى بدعة، لكن منها ما يكون حسن ومنها ما يكنون خلاف ذلك)) أه

وروى أبو نعيم عن إبراهيم الجنيد قال: سمعت الشافعي يقول: البدعة بدعتان: بدعة محمودة وبدعة مذمومة، فما وافق السنة فهو محمود، وما خالف السنة فهو مذموم.

وروى الإمام البيهقي في مناقب الشافعي رضي الله عنه، قال : المحدثات ضربان: ما أحدث مما يخالف كتابا أو سنة أو أثرا أو إجماعا فهذه بدعة الضلال، وما أحدث من الخير لا خلاف فيه لواحد من هذا. أه.

وقال سلطان العلماء العز بن عبد السلام رضي الله عنه: في اخر كتابه (القواعد) ما نصه: ((البدعة منقسمة إلى واجبة، ومحرمة، ومندوبة ،ومكروهة ومباحة))، قال: (( و الطريق في ذلك أن تعرض البدعة على قواعد الشريعة فإن دخلت في قواعد الإيجاب فواجبة، وأن دخلت في قواعد التحريم فمحرمة، أو الندب فمندوبة أو المكروه فمكروهة، أو المباح فمباحة)) أه فهؤلاء ممن ذكرنا قد قسموا البدعة إلى أقسامها المذكورة.

فانظر بالله عليك أخي المسلم: أين قولهم أن لفظة (كل) من ألفاظ العموم تشمل كل أنواع البدع دون هؤلاء الأئمة دون استثناء! . من قول هؤلاء الأئمة وعلى رأسهم الإمام الحافظ النووي حيث قال: إن لف (كل) هو عام مخصوص. وأين قولهم: إنه ليس ثم شئ في الدين يسمى بدعة حسنة وقول أئمة المسلمين كما رأيت وعلى رأسهم الإمام الجليل صاحب المذهب الإمام الشافعي رضي الله عنه؟ بل وقد تقرر عند العوام فضلا عن العلماء. من قوله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم كما في صحيح مسلم: (( من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها بعده من غير أن ينقص من أجورهم شئ..)) الحديث. أنه يسن للمسلم أن يأتي بسنة حسنة وإن لم يفعلها الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم من أجل زيادة الخير والأجر. ومعنى سن سنة: أي أنشأها باجتهاد واستنباط من قواعد الشرع أو عموم نصوصه. وما ذكرناه من أفعال الصحابة و التابعين هو أكبر دليل على ذلك.

نشأة الاحتفال بمولده صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:

مهد المغرضون لنشر باطلهم ولو بالتدليس كعادتهم على عامة المسمين وقليلي الفهم منهم،حيث قالوا بالحرف الواحد: (( إن الحافظ ابن كثير في البداية والنهاية (11-172) إن الدولة الفاطمية. العبيدية المنتسبة إلى عبيد الله بن ميمون القداح اليهودي. والتي حكمت مصر من سنة (357-567هج) أحدثوا احتفالات بأيام كثيرة، ومنها الاحتفال بمولد النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. أه

هذا ما نقلوه عن الحافظ ابن كثير.

وحسب المرجع الذي أشاروا إليه نقول لكم: كذبتم والله!! فإننا وجنا ما ادعيتموه على الحافظ وما نقلتموه عنه إنما هو غين الكذب والافتراء والتدليس والخيانة في النقول عن علماء الامة. وإن كنتم مصرين على ذلك فنقول لكم: أخرجوه لنا إن كنتم صادقين.

وأني أنتم من ادعائكم بأنكم ستناقشون هذه القضية بعدل وإنصاف وتجرد عن كل هوى بل إنه عين التعصب المخزي والهوى الممقوت. فكيف نأمن بعد ذلك يا أخي المسلم. لمثل هؤلاء في نقولهم عن علماء الأمة.

وإليك أخي المسلم الرأي الحقيقي للحافظ ابن كثير في عمل المولد ونشأته, والذي أخفاه من يدعي مناقشة الموضوع بعدل وأنصاف. قال الحافظ ابن كثير في (البداية والنهاية) 13-136 طبعة دار المعارف, ما نصه:

( الملك المظفر أبو سعيد كوكبري, أحد الأجواد و السادات الكبراء والملوك الأمجاد, له لآثار حسنة ( أنظر إلى قوله آثار حسنة) وكان يعمل المولد الشريف في ربيع الأول ويحتفل به احتفالا هائلا, وكان مع ذلك شهما شجاعا فاتكا عاقلا عالما عادلا,رحمه الله وأحسن مثواه )) إلى أن قال: (( وكان يصرف في المولد ثلاثمائة ألف دينار )) أه.

فانظر رحمك الله الى هذا المدح والثناء عليه من ابن كثير إذ أنه وصفه بأنه عالم، عادل، شهم, شجاع, إلى قوله: رحمه الله وأحسن مثواه، ولم يقل: زنديق، فاجر فاسق، مرتكب للفواحش والموبقات كما هي دعوى المعارض فيمن يقول بعمل المولد الشريف!! وأحيل القارئ إلى نفس المرجع فهناك كلام أعظم مما ذكرت في حق الإمام الجليل لم أنقله خوف الإطالة.

وانظر الى قول الإمام الحافظ الذهبي في (سير أعلام النبلاء) (22-336) عند ترجمة الملك المظفر ما نصه: كان متواضعا، خيرا سنيا، يحب الفقهاء والمحدثين)).

أقوال أئمة الهدى في الإحتفال بالمولد:

الإمام الحجة الحافظ السيوطي: عقد الإمام الحافظ السيوطي في كتابه ((الحاوي للفتاوى))بابا أسماه (حسن المقصد في عمل المولد) ص189، قال في أوله: وقع السؤال عن عمل المولد النبوى في شهر ربيع الأول، ما حكمه من حيث الشرع؟ وهل هو محمود أم مذموم؟ وهل يثاب فاعله أم لا؟

والحواب عندي ((أن أصل عمل المولد_ الذي هو اجتماع الناس وقراءة ما تيسر من القرآن، والأخبار الواردة في بداية أمر النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وما وقع له من الآيات، ثم يمد لهم سماط يأكلونه، وينصرفون من غير زيادة على ذلك_هو من البدع الحسنة التي يثاب عليها صاحبها لما فيها من تعظيم قدر النبي صلى الله علنه وآله وسلم وإظهار الفرح بمولده الشريف.

وقال ابن تيمية: قال في كتابه ( إقتضاء الصراط المستقيم) طبعة دار الحديث-ص 266 السطر الخامس من الأسفل) ما نصه: ((وكذلك ما يحدثه بعض الناس إما مضاهاة للنصارى في ميلاد عيسى عليه السلام وإما محبة للنبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وتعظيما له, و الله قد يثيبهم على هذا الاجتهاد..قال:

(( فإن هذا لم يفعله السلف، مع قيام المقتضى له، وعدم المانع منه)) اه. فهذا قول من ترك التعصب جانبا وتكلم بما يرضي الله و رسوله صلى الله غليه وسلم. أما نحن فلا نفعل المولد إلا كما قال شيخ الإسلام: ((محبة للنبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وتعظيما له)) والله قد يثيبنا على هذه المحبة و الاجتهاد ولله در القائل:

دع ما ادعته النصارى ..في نبيهم واحكم بما شئت مدحا فيه واحتكم

وانسب إلى ذاته ما شئت من شرف وانسب إلى قدره ما شئت من عظم

فإن فضل رسول الله ليس له حد فيعرب عنه .ناطق بفم

3.شيخ الإسلام وإمام الشراح الحافظ ابن حجر العسقلاني:

قال الحافظ السيوطي في نفس المرجع السابق ما نصه: ((وقد سئل شيخ الإسلام حافظ العصر أبو الفضل ابن حجر عن عمل المولد فأجاب بما نصه: أصل عمل المولد لدعة لم تنقل عن السلف الصالح من القرون الثلاثة، ولكنها مع ذلك اشتملت على محاسن وضدها، فمن تحرى في عملها المحاسن وتجنب ضدها كانت بدعة حسنة، وقد ظهر لي تخريجها على أصل ثابت، وهو ما ثبت في الصحيحين من أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قدم المدينة فوجد اليهود يصومون يوم عاشوراء فسألهم، فقالوا: هو يوم أغرق الله فيه فرعون, ونجى موسى، فنحن نصومه شكرا لله، فيستفاد منه فعل الشكر لله على ما من به في يوم معين من إسداء نعمة، أو دفع نقمة.. إلى أن قال : وأي نعمة أعظم من نعمة بروز هذا النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.. نبي الرحمة في ذلك اليوم، فهذا ما يتعلق بأصل عمله، وأما ما يعمل فيه: فينبغي أن يقتصر فيه على ما يفهم الشكر لله تعالى من نحو ما تقدم من التلاوة والإطعام والصدقة وإنشاد شئ من المدائح النبوية والزهدية المحركة للقلوب إلى فعل الخير والعمل للآخرة)) انتهى كلامه رحمه الله.

فهذه الاستنباطات هي التي قال عنها المعارض إنها استدلال باطل وقياس فاسد، وأنكرها، فليت شعري من الناكر ومن المنكور عليه!!

4.الإمام الحافظ محمد بن أبي بكر عبد الله القيسي الدمشقي:

حيث ألف كتبا في المولد الشريف وأسماها: (جامع الآثار في مولد النبي المختار) و (اللفظ الرائق في مولد خير الخلائق)، وكذلك (مورد الصادي في مولد الهادي) صلوات الله وسلامه عليه.

الإمام الحافظ العراقي:

وقد سمى كتابه في المولد النبوي (المورد الهني في المواد السني).

الحافظ ملا علي قاري:

فقد ألف كتابا في المولد النبوي العطر أسماه: (( المورد الروي في المولد النبوي)).

الإمام العالم ابن دحية:

وسمى كتابه: (التنوير في مولد البشير والنذير) صلى الله عليه وسلم.

الإمام شمس الدين بن ناصر الدمشقي:

وهو صاحب كتاب (مورد الصادي في مولد الهادي) صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو القائل في أبي لهب:

إذا كان هذا كافر جاء ذمه وتبت يداه في الجحيم مخلدا

أتى أنه في يوم الاثنين دائما يخفف عنه للسرور بأحمدا

فما الظن بالعبد الذي طول عمره بأحمد مسرورا ومات موحدا

الإمام الحافظ شمس الدين ابن الجزري:

إمام القراء وصاحب التصانيف التي منها: (النشر في القراءات العشر)، وسمى كتابه: ( عرف التعريف بالمولد الشريف).

الإمام الحافظ ابن الجوزي:

حيث قال في المواد الشريف: إنه أمان في ذلك العام، وبشرى عاجلة بنيل البغية والمرام.

الإمام أبو شامة (شيخ الحافظ النووي):

قال في كتابه (الباعث على إنكار البدع والحوادث_ص23) ما نصه: (( ومن احسن ما ابتدع في زماننا ما يفعل كل عام في اليوم الموافق لمولده صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم من الصدقات، والمعروف، وإظهار الزينة والسرور, فإن ذلك مشعر بمحبته صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وتعظيمه في قلب فاعل ذلك وشكرا لله تعالى على ما من به من إيجاد رسوله الذي أرسله رحمة للعالمين)) أه.

الأمام الشهاب أحمد القسطلاني (شارح البخاري):

حيث قال في كتابه: (المواهب اللدنية- 1-148-طبعة المكتب الإسلامي) ما نصه: ((فرحم الله امرءا اتخذ ليالي شهر مولده المبارك أعيادا، ليكون أشد علة على من في قلبه مرض وإعياء داء)) أه.

وكذلك ممن ألف وتكلم في المولد: الإمام الحافظ السخاوي، والإمام الحافظ وجيه الدين بن علي بن الديبع الشيباني الزبيدي.. وغيرهم الكثير ممن لا يتسع المجال لاستقصائهم.

فباله عليك أخي المسلم.. هل كل هذا الكم من علماء الأمة وفضلائها والذين يقولون بعمل المولد، وألفوا الكتب والمؤلفات في هذا الباب زنادقة أحفاد عبد الله بن سبأ اليهودي؟ وهل هؤلاء العلماء والذين ((يدين)) لهم العالم بأجمعه على ما صنفوه من الكتب النافعة في الحديث والفقه والشروحات وغيرها من العلوم هم من الفجار مرتكبي الفواحش والموبقات؟ وهل هم، كما يزعم المعارض، يشابهون النصارى في احتفالهم بميلاد عيسى عليه السلام؟ وهل هم يقولون بأن المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم ل يبلغ ما ينبغي للأمة أن تعمل به؟؟!

إننا نترك لك، أخي المسلم، الإجابة على هذه الأسئلة!!

إدعاء باطل:

قال المعارض: لو كان الإحتفال بالمولد من الدين لبينه الرسول سلى الله عليه وآله وسلم للأمة أو فعله في حياته أو فعله أصحابه رضي الله عنهم، ولا يقول قائل أن الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله نسلم لم يفعله تواضعا منه فإن هذا طعن فيه عليه الصلاة والسلام. انتهى كلام المعارض.

والجواب: إن كل ما لم يفعله الرسول صلى الله عليه وأله وسلم أو الصحابة من بعده لايعتبر تركهم له تحريما، والدليل على ذلك قول المصطفى صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: ((من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة .)) الحديث، وفيه أكبر دليل على الترغيب في إحداث كل ما له أصل من الشرع وإن لم يفعله المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم وصحابته رضوان الله عليهم. قال الشافعي رضي الله عنه: كل ما له مستند من الشرع فليس ببدعة ولو لم يعمل به السلف, لأن تركهم للعمل به قد يكون لعذر قام لهم في الوقت, أو لما هو أفضل منه، أو لعله لم يبلغ جميعهم علم به. أه

فمن زعم تحريم شئ بدعوى أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله نسلم لم يفعله فقد ادعى ما ليس له دليل، وكانت دعواه مردودة.

ونحن نقول لكم : بناء على القاعدة التي اصلتموها. وهي ان من أحدث ما لم يفعله رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أو صحابته قد ابتدع في الدين. يفهم أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لم يكمل الدين لهذه الأمة, ,أن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يبلغ ما ينبغي للأمة أن تعمل به وليقول أو يعتقد ذلك إلا زنديق مارق عن دين الله.

ونقول ((من فمك ندينك))

فقد أحدثتم في أصل العبادات مسائل كثيرة لم يفعلها صلى الله عليه واله وسلم ولا الصحابة ولا التابعون ولا حتى تابعي التابعين

فعلى سبيل المثال لا الحصر:

جمع الناس على إمام واحد لأداء صلاة التهجد بعد صلاة التراويح في الحرمين الشريفين وغيرهما من المساجد.

قراءة دعاء ختم القران في صلاة التراويح وكذلك في صلاة التهجد.

تخصيص ليلة (27) لختم القرآن في الحرمين.

قول المنادي بعد صلاة التراويح: (صلاة القيام أثابكم الله).

قول: إن التوحيد ينقسم إلى ثلاثة أقسام: توحيد ألوهية، وتوحيد ربوبية، وتوحيد أسماء وصفات. فهل هذا حيث شريف، او قول أحد من الصحابة أو الأئمة الأربعة؟!!

إلى غير ذلك مما لا يتسع المحال لذكره من تخصيص هيئات للأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر، وجامعات إسلامية، وجمعيات لتحفيظ القران، ومكاتب دعوة وإرشاد، وأسابيع احتفال المشايخ .، ومع ذلك فنحن لا ننكر هذه الأشياء إلا أنها من البدع الحسنة التي ينكر هؤلاء القوم على من يفعل أمثالها ثم يفعلونها.

ففعلكم لهذه المبتدعات التشريعية التي لم يفعلها الرسول صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فيه تعارض واضح مع قاعدتكم التي تقول: أن العبادات توقيفية وإن كل ما لم يفعله الرسول صللا الله عليه وسم ور أصحابه فهو بدعة (سيئة) فلربما تكونوا ممن أذن لكم بالتشريع من دون الناس!! وجنت على نفسها براقش!!.

إدعى المعارض أن أكثر من يحيي هذه الموالد من الفسقة والفجار وهذا كلام ساقط إن دل فإنما يدل على معدن قائله، وهو غيض من فيض، وليس لنا من جواب عليه إلا قول المولى عز وجل: ((قل هاتوا برهانكم إن كنتم صادقين))

وهل كل من ذكرناهم من الأئمة الأعلام في نظر المعارض من الفسقة والفجار؟! .

لا أستبعد أن يقول بذلك!!! سبحانك هذا بهتان عظيم. نقول كما قال القائل:

وإذا أراد الله نشر فضيلة طويت أتاح لها لسان حسود

إشكالات عند المعارض:

إستشكل المعارض، هداه الله، قعض الألفاظ وادعى أنها شركيات، ومنها قول العارف بالله الإمام البوصيري:

يا أكرم الخلق مالي من ألوذ به سواك عند حلول الحادث العمم

ولا ندري كيف حصل لديه هذا الإشكال، وكيف لم يتمعن في .. قول الإمام البوصيري ((عند حلول الحادث العمم)) وبدورنا نحن نسأل القارئ ما هو الحادث العمم؟!

(العمم) أي الذي يعم الكون بأسره من أنس وجن بل وجميع الخلائق ، فلن يخطر ببال أي أنسان إلا أن يكون هذا الحادث هو يوم القيامة وبعد إيضاح هذا الإشكال لدى المعارض والقارئ يكون المراد من قول الإمام البوصيري ه: طلب الشفاعة منه صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يوم القيامة وذلك لأنه ليس لنا أحد نلوذ به ونتوسل به ونستشفع به إلى الله سوى خير البرية عليه الصلاة والسلام في ذلك المقام الذي يقول فيه الرسل والأنبياء: نفسي نفسي، ويقول هو عليه الصلاة والسلام: أنا لها أنا لها . وبهذا يظهر أن ما استشكله المعارض مردود عليه ودال على جهله وذلك بسبب عمى البصر والبصيرة نسأل الله العافية.

ومثال آخر لمثل هذا القول المشكل عند العامة من الناس، ما نقله الإمام الجليل الكمال من الهمام الحنفي. صاحب فتح القدير قي مناسك الفارسي، وشرح المختار من السادة الأحناف. لما زار الإمام أبو حنيفة المدينة وقف أما القبر الشريف وقال:

يا أكرم الثقلين ياكنز الورى جد لي بجودك وارضني برضاك

أنا طامع في الحود منك ولم يكن لأبي حنيفة في الأنام سواك

نوايا خبيثة:

يقول المعارض: إنه يحصل في المولد إختلاط الرجال بالنساء، واستعمال الاغاني والمعازف وشرب المسكرات وقد كذب والله، حضرنا مئات الموالد فلم نر اختلاطا ولم نسمع معازف، أما شرب المسكرات فنعم رأينا سكرا ولكن ليس كسكر أهل الدنيا، وجدنا سكر المحبة لرسول الله صلى اله عليه وآله وسلم، ذلك السكر الذي يغلب حتى على سكرات الموت، كما حصل لسيدنا بلال رضي الله عنه عندما حضرته المنية حين امتزجت حلاوة المحبة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه واله وسلم مع سكرات الموت حتى غلبت عليها سكرات المحبة, فكان يقول وهو في تلك السكرات:

غدا ألقى الأحبة محمدا وصحبه

جهل فاضح:

يقول المعارض: إن يوم ولادته سلى الله عليه وآله وسلم هو نفس يوم وفاته فالفرح فيه ليس بأولى من الحزن، ولو كان الدين بالرأي لكان اتخاذ هذا النوم مأتما ويوم حزن.

ونقول: ما شاء الله على هذه الفصاحة العرجاء والتي سيجيبكم عليها الغمام العلامة جلال الدين السيوطي كما في (الحاوي للفتاوى ص 193) طبعة دار الكتب العلمية) حيث قال ما نصه: (( إن ولادته صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أعظم النعم، ووفاته أعظم المصائب لنا، والشريعة حثت على إظهار شكر النعم، والصبر والسكون عند المصائب، وقد أمة الشرع بالعقيقة عند الولادة وهي إظهار شكر وفرح بالمولود، ولم يأمر عند الموت بذبح (عقيقة) ور بغيره، بل نهى عن النياحة وإظهار الحزع، فدلت قواعد الشريعة على أنه يحسن في هذا الشهر إظهار الفرح بولادته صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم دون إظهار الحزن فيه بوفاته، وقد قال ابن رحب في كتابه (اللطائف) في ذم الرافضة حيث اتخذوا يوم عاشوراء مأتما لأحل مقال الحسين، ولم يأمر الله ور رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم باتخاذ أيام مصائب الأنبياء وموتهم مأتما فكيف ممن هو دونهم)),‎.

الخاتمة:

وفي الختام نختم قولنا هذا بحديث المصطفى صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم الذي أخرجه أبو يعلى عن حذيفة قال: (( قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه ولآله نسلم: مما أخاف عليكم رجل قرأ القرآن حتى إذا رؤيت بهجته عليه وكان رداءه الإسلام إنسلخ منه ونبذه وراء ظهره وسعى على جاره بالسيف ورماه بالشرك. قال: قلت: يا نبي الله! أيهما أولى بالشرك المرمى أو الرامي؟؟ قال : بل الرامي)) قال الحافظ ابن كثير: إسناده جيد.

تم بحمد الله

وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحته وسلم

　

　

Should we celebrate Mawlid (The Prophet's (s) birthday)?

en : www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/mawlid_dubai.htm

ar :http://www.sunnah.org/arabic/a_mawlid.htm