Wednesday 20 December 2006

Is Celebrating Maulidur Rasul Okay ?

Many people repeatedly ask what is the Shari'ah status of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW?

Moreover, What is the ruling of the Shari'ah with regard to standing up in reverence and reciting Salawat and Salaam during the customary Maulidur Rasul proceedings?


The answer from our reverred scholars of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah is as follows:

The establishment of ceremonial gatherings under the banner of "Maulidur Rasul" is prohibited according to the Shari'ah.

Attaching importance and significance to such functions is purely Bid'ah and an innovation in Deen, because neither did Rasulullah SAW himself indulge in it, nor did the illustrious Khulafa Ar-Rashideen organise such functions. Similarly, neither did any of the other Sahabah RA participate in such gatherings, nor is there any incident on record during the blessed era of the Tabi'in RA or Tabi-Tabi'in RA that can, in any way, substantiate this innovation.

No proof whatsoever can be found, in spite of the fact that these were people who were best acquainted with the Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW and had total love for him. They were staunch followers of the Shari'ah.

Rasulullah SAW has in no unclear terms, said:

"Whoever introduces anything that is not part of Deen, into this Deen of ours, it shall be rejected." (Bukhari and Muslim)

In another Hadith, Rasulullah SAW said:

"Hold steadfast onto my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Khulafa, after me. Hold steadfast onto it firmly, and beware of newly-introduced practices, for every new practice is an innovation and every innovation leads one astray." (Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi)

Severe warnings have been sounded in the above-mentioned Ahaadith with regard to introducing and implementing innovations in Deen.

The Holy Qur'an enjoins:

"And whatsoever the Messenger giveth you, take it. And whatsoever he forbiddeth, abstain (from it). And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is stern in reprisal." (Surah 59: Ayat 7)


"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." (Surah 33: Ayat 21)

"This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed my favour unto you, and have chosen for you a religion, al-Islam." (Surah 5: Ayat 3)

There are numerous other Ayats and Ahadith that can be quoted. But from no Ayat or Ahadith can the current form of celebration of Maulidur Rasul - be proved. In spite of this, the people that revel in establishing and participating in such functions, and regard the same as a form of reward, insist on forging ahead with their carnal ideals.

This attitude of theirs causes some serious questions to be posed:

Did Allah Ta'ala not perfect the religion of Islam for this Ummah?

Did Rasulullah SAW not disclose to us all the facets and aspects of Islam that required being put into practice?

The bitter truth for the exponents of Bid'ah is that it was only many centuries after the righteous and golden era of Islam that people began t0 fabricate innovations under the h00d of "Maulidur Rasul", which were, practices not ordained by Allah Ta'ala, neither to any of His Ambiya AS.

Will such innovations grant proximity to Allah Ta'ala? Never!

In the contrary, these innovations should be a cause of great concern and alarm for the Ummat. We seek Allah Ta'ala's refuge from innovations that tantamount to levelling mind-boggling accusations against the pure and venerable personality of Rasulullah SAW by innovating such practices, one is indirectly suggesting that Rasulullah SAW concealed from the Ummah, aspects of Deen that were of immense benefit t0 it. How can this be possible when Allah Ta'ala himself categorically declares that he perfected this religion for us and completed his favour upon us, which means that Rasulullah SAW conveyed every single aspect of Deen to the Ummah and that he left no stone unturned in showing us every road leads t0 Jannah and every road that takes one to Jahannam so that we may adopt the former and avoid the latter.

Hence, it is mentioned in one Hadith of Rasulullah SAW:

"It was the incumbent duty of every Nabi AS to guide his Ummah towards that which was beneficial for it and warn it against that which was detrimental for it." (Riwayat Muslim)

It is a known fact that RasulullahSAW is the most superior of all the Ambiya AS and also that he (SAW) is the seal of all the Prophets AS. He left no stone unturned in conveying Deen to us and rendering precious advice to us.

If the "Maulidur Rasul" celebration was a divinely inspired act, then surely Rasulullah SAW would have commanded the Muslims to it, or at least, either he or his beloved Sahabah RA would have practised it.

When it cannot be substantiated by any of their actions, then it is a crystal clear fact that the celebration of "Maulidur Rasul" has absolutely no relationship with Islam instead, it is Bid'ah (a cursed innovation) against which we have been soundly warned by Rasulullah SAW as was noted from the tw0 Ahadith mentioned at the beginning of this discussion and, apart from them, many more can be quoted to prove the fallacy of innovation in Islam.

That is why, in the light of these unambiguous proofs, the Ulama of Haq have always refuted and rejected the customary form of "Maulidur Rasul" and have also always discouraged people from participating in such gatherings. If a careful and proper dissection of this "Maulidur Rasul" events is made, it will be found that, apart from it being a manifestation of Bid'ah, it also encompasses other evils such as the intermingling of sexes, usage of musical instruments and many other such evils which wildly flaunted under the banner of "Maulidur Rasul" and under the deception that reward is being accrued.

In certain cultures, the most abhorring and shocking evils in these functions are the acts of shirk that take place. With hollow claims of "Hubbu Rasul" (love for Rasulullah SAW), entreaties and supplications are made to beings other than Allah, namely to the Ambiyaa AS and Awliya RA. The exponents of "Maulidur Rasul" also blindly acknowledge and believe that Rasulullah SAW comes to this function and due to this belief, they stand up in respect and veneration to welcome him. This belief is a blatant fabrication and a sign of compound ignorance. The true and down t0 earth fact is that Rasulullah SAW does not arrive at any "Mauliur Rasul" function and that he is in his grave in Madinah Munawwarah and will emerge from it at the onset of Yawmul-Qiyaamah.

The following Ayat and Hadith testify to this fact, whereby The Qur'an, addressing Rasulullah SAW announces explicitly:

"Lo! Thou wilt die, and Lo! They will die. Then Lo! On the day of resurrecti0n, before your sustainer, you will dispute." (Surah 39: Ayat 30 & 31)


At another juncture, Rasulullah SAW is addressed together with the rest of mankind:

"Then Lo! After that ye surely die, then Lo! On the day of resurrection ye are raised (again)" (Surah 23: Ayat 16)

Rasulullah SAW himself has said in a Hadith:

"My grave will be the first to be opened on the day of Qiyaamah and I shall be the first person to intercede and the first person whose intercession shall be accepted."

The above mentioned Ayat and Hadith as well as other similar Ayats and Ahaadith prove that all of mankind will be raised from their graves on the day of Qiyaamah, with Rasulullah SAW being no excepti0n. This is a belief that revolves around the consensus of opinion of the entire Ummah, hence the need for all Muslims to believe that Rasulullah SAW is in his (SAW) grave and does not frequent any "Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" Maulidur Rasul" programme.

All Muslims must be made aware of this so that unsuspecting ones do not fall prey to the Bid'ah and innovations introduced into Deen by ignoramuses of this Ummah. We make du'a to Allah Ta'ala that he keeps us on the correct Deen-ul-Islam and that he gives guidance to those that goes astray.

The Importance of Salawat and Salaam

Instead of squandering our money and time on futile acts 0f Bid'ah let us rather utilise our precious time, as much as possible on the recitation of Salawat and Salaam upon our beloved Rasulullah SAW, which is indeed, a highly meritorious and virtuous act.

The Qur'an enjoins:

"Lo! Allah and his Malaaikat shower blessings on the Nabi, 0 ye who believe ask for the descent of blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation." (Surah 34:Ayat 56)

Rasulullah SAW has said:

"Whosoever sends one Salawat upon me, Allah Ta'ala will shower ten mercies upon him." (Muslim)

And as a warning to the Ulama even, the Leader of the Ulama on the Day of Judgement - the Sahabi - Mu'adh bin Jabal RA narrates the following Hadith:

"Rasulullah SAW said: 'whenever a Bid'ah originates in my Ummah and the Ulama do not prevent it, the la'nat (curse) of Allah, of his angels and of mankind descend upon them (i.e. the Úlama who refrain from prohibiting the innovation).' "(Mishkaat)

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