The companion ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

عن عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال : ((خمس بخمس: ما نقض قوم العهد إلا سُلّط عليهم عدوهم، وما حكموا بغير ما أنزل الله إلا فشا فيهم الفقر، ولا ظهرت فيهم الفاحشة الا فشا فيهم الموت، ولا طففوا المكيال إلا منعوا النبات وأخذوا بالسنين، ولا منعوا الزكاة إلا حبس عنهم القطر)) [رواه الطبراني وهو حسن، انظر: صحيح الجامع 3240].

وفي رواية: ((ولم ينقضوا عهد الله وعهد رسوله إلا سلط الله عليهم عدوا من غيرهم فأخذوا بعض ما كان في أيديهم، وما لم تحكم أئمتهم بكتاب الله عز وجل ويتحروا فيما أنزل الله إلا جعل الله بأسهم بينهم شديداً)).

 “Five matters result when five things happen: If people break their covenant with Allaah, He will send an enemy against them; If they rule by other than the Law of Allaah, poverty will spread among them; If they become deceptive in trade, Allaah will deprive them of crops and they will be struck with famine; And if they withhold the payment of Zakaah, they will be struck with drought.” (Tabaraani). In another narration he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “If they break the covenant of Allaah and His Messenger, Allaah will send an external enemy against them who will seize some of their possessions; If they do not rule by the Book of Allaah, nor attempt to implement everything in it, Allaah will spread enmity among them.”

In a few days time, the newspapers, radio and television stations in most of the Muslim countries will broadcast the events of celebrating Al-Mawlid, which is the claimed birthday of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. These celebrations are usually held in huge canopies for the commemoration of this occasion on the twelfth of Rabee’ Al-Awwal of every year.

If we were to judge these celebrations according to Islamic criteria, we would discover that they should be classified as misguided innovations in the religion of Islaam. It is forbidden for any Muslim to participate in these celebrations for the following reasons:

1)   The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam never celebrated this during his lifetime, nor did his companions after his death. We must know that all goodness lies in following the way of the Salaf, or the first three generations of Muslims, and all evil lies in the innovations of those who came after them. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to follow the way of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. There are many evidences in this regard:

·        Allaah says:

الذي خلق الموت والحياة ليبلوكم أيكم أحسن عملاً [الملك]

“[He] who has created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed …” (Al-Mulk: 2)

Al Fudhayl Ibn ‘Iyaadh, may Allaah have mercy on him, commented upon this verse by saying: ““the best in deed” means the most sincere and correct.” Then he said: “If the deed was sincere in intention but incorrect in action, it will not be accepted (by Allaah), and if it was correct in action but insincere in intention, then it will also be unacceptable. The correct deed is the one which coincides with the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and is performed purely for the sake of Allaah. Then he recited the verse:

فمن كان يرجو لقاء ربه فليعمل عملاً صالحاً ولا يشرك بعبادة ربه أحداً [الكهف]

 “…whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.” (Al-Kahf: 110).

·     ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

((من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد))

 “He who performs any deed which is not according to what we are upon (i.e., the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and his companions) then it is rejected.” (Muslim).

Al-‘Irbaadh Ibn Saariyah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

((إنه من يعش منكم فسيرى اختلافاً كثيراً، فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدي، عضوا عليها بالنواجذ، وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل بدعة ضلالة))

 “He who lives long enough will see many things which he will not recognise, therefore, hold on to my Sunnah and that of the rightly guided caliphs who succeed me; bite onto it (i.e., the Sunnah) with your molars. Stay away from innovations, because every innovation is misguidance.” (Ahmad, Abu Daawood and Tirmidhi).

·        ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, said:

اتبعوا ولا تبتدعوا فقد كفيتم

“Follow (the way of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed (in guidance).”

·        Imaam Maalik, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:

السنة سفينة نوح، من ركبها نجا، ومن تخلف عنها هلك ، ولا يصلح آخر هذه الأمة إلا بما صلح به أولها.

 “The Sunnah is like the rescue ship of Noah, whoever who gets on board will be saved and whoever is left behind is doomed. That which made the former part of the Muslim nation guided is the only thing that will make the latter part of it guided.”

·        Shaah Al-Karmaani, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:

من عمّر ظاهره باتباع السنة، وباطنه بالمراقبة، وتنزه عن أكل الحرام لم تخطئ له فراسة. وكان شاه لا تخطئ له فراسة.

“Whoever beautifies themselves externally by adhering to the Sunnah and internally by being mindful of Allaah, and purifies themselves from earning unlawful provisions, their insight will rarely be wrong." History testifies to the fact that Al-Karmaani’s insight was rarely wrong.

2)  This event has no firm historical foundation with regard to the exact date on which it occurred. The books of history have narrated vast differences between the scholars of Islaam regarding the birth-date of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. They cannot agree on whether it was on the second, eighth, tenth, twelfth, seventeenth or twenty-second of this month. Also, there is no evidence which makes any of these opinions more correct than others.

Moreover, it is an irony that those who celebrate Al-Mawlid are partial to astronomical calculations; they consider it the only acceptable method in determining, for example, the first day of Ramadaan. Yet, if we were to use this method of calculation to determine the birth-date of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, then this would show that it definitely was not on the twelfth of Rabee’ Al-Awwal. This is because we know for certain due to accurate historical sources that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was born on a Monday. Therefore, according to astronomical calculations, he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was born on either the  second, ninth, sixteenth or the twenty-third of Rabee’ Al-Awwal, which is not the twelfth as they claim.

The fact that there is such controversy regarding this date is irrefutable proof that neither the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam nor his companions, ever attached any importance to this event whatsoever when it came every year.

3)  We know for sure that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam died on the twelfth of Rabee’ Al-Awwal in the eleventh Hijri year. Therefore, surely this makes that day worthier of sadness than happiness?

4)  Celebrating birthdays is a Christian tradition. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “He who resembles a people is from them”. It is the Christians who initiated the celebration of birthdays and this custom was adopted by the Muslims when their adherence to Islaam became weak and resembling the disbelievers became widespread among them.

5)  These festivals involve many prohibitions and some of them even lead to associating partners in the worship of Allaah. In some of these festivals, poems such as the famous Al-Burdah poem are recited. Here are some of its verses which refer to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam:

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

فإن من جودك الدنيا وضرتها         ومن علومك علم اللـوح والقلم

You are the most honourable of all creation

I have none but you to resort to when adversities befall me

From your generosity you have provided this world and the Hereafter

Your know what is in the preserved tablet and you know the divine decree

There are many other poems which include seeking refuge with Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, seeking his aid and attributing knowledge of the unseen to him. This is despite the fact that Allaah says that which translates as:

 قل لا أملك لنفسي نفعاً ولا ضراً إلا ما شاء الله ولو كنت أعلم الغيب لاستكثرت من الخير وما مسني السوء [الأعراف:188]

 “Say: ‘I [i.e., Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam] hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allaah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe.’” (Al-A’raaf: 188).

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, as narrated by ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him:

((لا تطروني كما أطرت النصارى المسيح بن مريم، وإنما أنا عبد فقولوا: عبد الله ورسوله))

 “Do not exaggerate in praising me like the Christians have praised ‘Eesaa Ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary). I am but a slave, so call me the slave of Allaah and His Messenger.” (Bukhaari & Muslim). Moreover, some of these festivals include dancing, music and free-mixing between men and women. These are nothing but actions of those who take their religion as a form of amusement and distraction.

6)  Every innovation removes a Sunnah - and the innovation of Al-Mawlid has eradicated much of the Sunnah. Those who celebrate Al-Mawlid think that by doing so, they have fulfilled their duty towards the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Therefore, you find many of them, after celebrating Al-Mawlid abandoning prayers, committing sins and prohibitions and abandoning their real obligations towards the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

 O Muslims! The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam has rights upon his nation. These rights are a way for us to express our gratitude to him for the effort he exerted in conveying Allaah's message to us. He was merciful and compassionate towards the believers, just as Allaah described him to be. Through him, Allaah unsealed and unlocked people’s hearts and opened the ears which were hitherto deaf to guidance. Allaah says:

كما أرسلنا فيكم رسولاً يتلو عليكم آياتنا ويزكيكم ويعلمكم الكتاب والحكمة ويعلمكم ما لم تكونوا تعلمون [البقرة:151]

“Just as [other bounties] We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom [i.e., the Sunnah] and teaching you that which you did not know.” (Al-Baqarah: 151).  

Among the rights of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam upon his nation are that they:

·        Believe in, honour and support him.

·        Accept what he came with to be true and not to doubt him in any matter whatsoever. He sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was the most truthful and trustworthy person ever, even his enemies, the tribe of Quraysh, attested to this when one of them said to Heraclius, the Roman Ruler: "We have never experienced him to lie" to which Heraclius replied: "If he does  not lie to people, then he would never lie about Allaah."

Evidences for the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam are not restricted to the miracles that he came with, for everybody who claimed prophethood after him has been exposed as an unmistakable liar. "Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "Anybody who conceals evil, Allaah will expose it on his face, and by slips of his tongue."