The exact date of the birth and death of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is not known. It was Allah’s wisdom that this knowledge was not given to the servants. It should be noted that in Islam, no specific practice is prescribed regarding the day of birth or the day of death.
❀ Sheikh Abdul Qadir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ولد نبينا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم فيه
Our Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born on the 10th of Muharram.
This difference of opinion is acknowledged, but the question is: those who celebrate the Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, according to them, what is the date of the Prophet’s ﷺ death?
❀ Imam Barelvi Ahmad Raza Khan says:
The birth of the Prophet ﷺ is on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, which was a Monday, and his noble death also occurred on this day.
❀ Regarding the death of the Prophet ﷺ, he also says:
The well-known and accepted opinion of the majority is that the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal is the date.
Imam Barelvi Ahmad Raza Khan’s research is that the birth and death of the Holy Prophet ﷺ both occurred on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal. Some time ago, people used to call the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal the day of death and held a Khatm Sharif (prayer gathering).
On the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were overwhelmed with grief; sorrow had exhausted them. Their sadness over the separation from their beloved Prophet ﷺ was immense, which can be somewhat understood from a hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him:
لما كان اليوم الذى دخل فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم المدينة أضاء منها كل شيء، فلما كان اليوم الذى مات فيه أظلم منها كل شيء، وما نفضنا عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الأيدي وإنا لفي دفنه حتى أنكرنا قلوبنا
When the Holy Prophet ﷺ migrated to Madinah Munawwarah, everything in Madinah shone with happiness, but on the day the Prophet ﷺ passed away, everything in Madinah became dark with grief. We ourselves were burying the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; the soil had not yet been swept, and our hearts were not ready to accept this tragic event.
❀ Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
إسناده صحيح على شرط الصحيحين
Its chain of narration is authentic according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim.
Imam Bayhaqi
dedicated a chapter to this hadith:
باب ما جاء فى عظم المصيبة التى نزلت بالمسلمين بوفاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
Describing the severe shock experienced by Muslims due to the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
❀ Another narration from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, is reported in these words:
شهدته يوم دخل المدينة فما رأيت يوما قط، كان أحسن ولا أضوأ من يوم دخل علينا فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وشهدته يوم موته، فما رأيت يوما كان أقبح، ولا أظلم من يوم مات فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
The day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Madinah, I was in Madinah. It was such a beautiful day that I have never seen a more beautiful and bright day. And the day the Prophet ﷺ passed away, I was also there. I have never seen a more dreadful and darker day in terms of grief.
A Weak Hadith:
❀ However, the narration containing these words:
لما قبض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، أظلمت المدينة، حتى لم ينظر بعضنا إلى بعض، وكان أحدنا يبسط يده، فلا يبصرها، فما فرغنا من دفنه حتى أنكرنا قلوبنا
On the day the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) passed away, such darkness prevailed in Madinah that we could not see each other. If anyone among us stretched out his hand, it was not visible. We had finished the burial of the Prophet (peace be upon him), but our hearts did not accept it.
The chain of narration is very weak. Muhammad bin Yunus Al-Karimi is severely criticized and abandoned.
A Fabricated Hadith Attributed to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه:
لما رمس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جاءت فاطمة رضي الله عنها فوقفت على قبره وأخذت قبضة من تراب القبر، فوضعته على عينيها وبكت وأنشأت تقول: ماذا على من شم تربة أحمد … ألا يشم مدى الزمان غواليا صبت على مصائب لو أنها …. صبت على الأيام عدن لياليا
When the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was buried, Fatimah رضي الله عنها stood by the Prophet’s grave. She took a handful of soil from the Prophet’s grave and placed it on her eyes, then began to weep and recite these verses: Whoever has smelled the blessed soil of the grave of the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, no calamity will befall him in the future times.
The grief that has fallen upon me due to the death of the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is such that if those days had continued, they would have turned into nights.
The narration is weak.
① The identity and authentication of Muhammad ibn Musa could not be established.
② Ahmad ibn Muhammad Katib is not authenticated.
③ Tahir ibn Yahya ibn Husayn ibn Ja’far is unknown.
④ The life details of Yahya ibn Husayn ibn Ja’far are not found.
⑤ No biography of Husayn ibn Ja’far ibn Husayn ibn Ubayd Allah was found.
⑥ Abu Ja’far Baqir رحمه الله has no direct transmission from Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه, so it is also considered mursal (disconnected).
❀ Hafiz Zahbi رحمه الله says:
مما ينسب إلى فاطمة، ولا يصح
The narration attributed to Sayyida Fatimah رضي الله عنها is not authentic.
❀ Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها describes the grief of Rafiq Ghar, the companion of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in presence and travel, and the first Caliph Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه:
إن أبا بكر دخل على النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بعد وفاته، فوضع فمه بين عينيه، وضع يديه على صدغيه، وقال: وانبياه، واخليلاه، واصفياه
After the death of the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه came. He placed his face between the eyes of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and his hands on the Prophet’s temples. He said: Alas, my Prophet, alas, my friend, alas, my companion!
Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه, as brave and courageous as he was, fell to his knees in deep sorrow upon hearing the verses of grief about the death of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم:
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما narrates:
إن أبا بكر خرج وعمر بن الخطاب يكلم الناس فقال: اجلس يا عمر، فأبى عمر أن يجلس، فأقبل الناس إليه، وتركوا عمر، فقال أبو بكر: أما بعد فمن كان منكم يعبد محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم، فإن محمدا قد مات، ومن كان منكم يعبد الله فإن الله حي لا يموت، قال الله: ﴿وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: الشَّاكِرِينَ﴾
وقال : والله لكأن الناس لم يعلموا أن الله أنزل هذه الآية حتى تلاها أبو بكر، فتلقاها منه الناس كلهم، فما أسمع بشرا من الناس إلا يتلوها، فأخبرني سعيد بن المسيب، أن عمر قال : والله ما إلا أن سمعت أبا بكر تلاها فعقرت، حتى ما تقلني رجلاي، وحتى أهويت إلى الأرض حين سمعته تلاها، علمت أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قد مات
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه came. At that time, Sayyiduna Umar Farooq رضي الله عنه was talking to the people. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: Umar! Please sit down. But Sayyiduna Umar Farooq رضي الله عنه did not sit. People left Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه and came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. After delivering the prescribed sermon, he said:
Whoever worshipped Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم should know that Sayyiduna Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has passed away, and whoever worships Allah, Allah is always alive and never dies. Allah Himself has said:
﴿وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿الشَّاكِرِينَ﴾
Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is only a messenger. Many messengers have passed before him.
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما says: By Allah! It felt as if no one had any prior knowledge about the revelation of this verse. People learned this verse from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. People kept listening and reciting.
The narrator of the hadith, Imam Zahri Saeed ibn Musayyib, reports that Sayyiduna Umar Farooq رضي الله عنه said: By Allah! I regained consciousness when I heard Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه reciting this verse. I was overwhelmed and felt as if my feet would not bear my weight and I would fall to the ground. When I heard the recitation of these verses, I became certain that the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم had indeed passed away.
❀ Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه, the beloved of the Prophet and the grief of Sayyida Fatimah Batool رضي الله عنها, describes her sorrow in these words:
لما دفنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ورجعنا قالت فاطمة: يا أنس، أطابت أنفسكم أن دفنتم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى التراب ورجعتم
When we finished the burial of the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and returned, Sayyida Fatimah رضي الله عنها said: Anas! How could you bear to bury the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم under the soil and then return yourselves?
And we celebrate that day! Even if unknowingly, but this disgrace is happening because of us? Not only that, but under the pretext of Eid Milad, countless innovations, superstitions, mistakes, dozens of prohibitions and evils have been born. The image of the Prophet’s shrine, polytheistic na’ts (poetry in praise), standing at the end of the gathering with the belief that the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم himself is present in the gathering (seeking refuge in Allah), distributing sweets, cooking large pots, building doors and hills, decorating buildings with lights, putting up flags with pictures of the Prophet’s blessed sandals, wearing special clothes, taking photographs, organizing dance and ecstasy sessions, staying awake at night, collective nawafil (voluntary prayers), collective fasting, collective Quran recitation, mixing of men and women, young boys participating in processions and women watching them, fireworks, torch-bearing processions which are Christian customs, playing music, obscenity and nudity, immorality and wickedness, show-offs and hypocrisy, fabricated stories and false narrations, expressing polytheistic and kufr beliefs about Prophets, angels, and the companions رضي الله عنهم, qawwali, frivolity, wasting wealth, time, and even now these programs lead to unrest, fights, and even murder and destruction. For God’s sake! Prevent these evils which can only be stopped by abandoning the innovation of Milad.
