Arguments of those who celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
(1) ﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ﴾
“And We sent Moses with Our signs, saying, ‘Bring your people out of darkness into the light, and remind them of the favors of Allah; indeed, in that are signs for every patient and grateful person.'”
(2) ﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ﴾
“(O Messenger) Have you not seen those who denied the favor of Allah and brought their people into the ruinous home?”
(3) ﴿وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ﴾
“And mention the favor of your Lord upon you.”
(4) ﴿قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِّأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا وَآيَةً مِّنكَ ۖ وَارْزُقْنَا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ﴾
The son of Mary, Jesus, said: “O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table spread from the heaven, so that it may be a feast for us and for those before and after us, and a sign from You; and provide for us, for You are the best of providers.”
(5) ﴿قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾
(O Messenger) Say: “(This) is from the grace of Allah and His mercy; so let them rejoice in it, and it is better than what they accumulate.”
(6) Regarding Surah As-Saff, Ayah number 6, it is said that in it Jesus (peace be upon him) gave glad tidings of the arrival of the Prophet, and similarly, in the gatherings of Eid Milad, we evoke the joy of the Prophet’s arrival.
(7) To prove their act according to Sunnah, they deceive themselves and their followers by saying that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) used to fast on his birth celebration and said, “I was born on this day, that is Monday,” thus celebrating the birth itself.
(8) They say that Abu Lahab freed his slave girl Thuwaybah in celebration of the Prophet’s birth, and because of this act, he receives water in Hell; thus, it is proven that celebrating the Prophet’s birth is a cause of reward.
(9) They say that in Milad Sharif, we narrate the biography of the Prophet and praise him through Na’at, and the Companions used to do this too, so how can our celebrating Milad be considered an innovation?
(10) They say we celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) out of love for him, and those who do not do so have no love for the Prophet and are deprived.
(11) In the interpretation of Allah’s command ﴿الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ﴾, a saying of Abdullah ibn Abbas and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) is used as evidence, and how it is used will be seen in the response.
The points you have just read in the previous lines are among the most important and powerful arguments of those who celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ. Now, I will write their answers in order. InshaAllah, a detailed and research-based response to each argument will be written. I request all readers to read with patience, fairness, calmness, and contemplation, and not to consider this as a traditional debate but as a research. Read repeatedly until all the answers to the arguments are complete, and reflect on how the Quran and Hadith should be understood and how they are understood and explained.
May Allah Almighty grant us all the ability to know, understand, accept with courage and bravery, and act upon what is according to His and His Messenger Muhammad’s ﷺ teachings, and may our end be upon that.
The first argument of those who celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
Those who celebrate Eid Milad and those who celebrate it, our Kalima-reciting brothers, use a part of Surah Ibrahim, verse 5 as evidence, saying that ﴿وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ ۚ﴾ meaning “And remind them of Allah’s favors,” was the command under which the Children of Israel used to fast, and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) also used to fast for this (they mean here the fast of Ashura, i.e., the fast of the tenth of Muharram), and since the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is a blessing of Allah, therefore we celebrate the birth of the Prophet.
Answer:
The complete verse is as follows:
﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ﴾
And We sent Moses with Our signs, [saying], “Bring out your people from darkness into the light and remind them of the days of Allah.” Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.
If the verses following this verse are read, it becomes clear how Moses (peace be upon him) acted upon Allah’s command, whether he reminded his people of Allah’s favors or commanded them to celebrate Eid? And if one also looks at what the most authentic books of Tafsir have explained about this, then the philosophy of these people would be exposed.
Imam Muhammad bin Ahmad, known as Imam Al-Qurtubi, in his famous Tafsir “Al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Qur’an” writes in the explanation of this verse:
وقد تسمى النعم الأيام
Blessings are also called days.
And Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Muqatil (bin Hayyan) said:
بوقائع الله فى الأمم السالفة
“The events that happened to previous nations by Allah’s command.”
And Saeed bin Jubair narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas, who narrated from Ubayy bin Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with them all) that Ubayy bin Ka’b said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say: إنه بينما موسى عليه السلام فى قومه يذكرهم بأيام الله وأيام الله نعماؤه وبلاؤه Once Moses (peace be upon him) was reminding his people of the days of Allah, and the days of Allah are blessings and favors from Him.
And this (Hadith) is a heart-softening and faith-strengthening admonition, an admonition free from all kinds of innovations, and pure from every misguidance and doubt.
Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated in the Tafsir of this verse the statement of Imam Mujahid and Imam Qatadah who said:
﴿وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ﴾ أي: بأياديه ونعمه عليهم، فى إخراجه إياهم من أسر فرعون وقهره و ظلمه وغشه، وإنجائه إياهم من عدوهم، وفلقه لهم البحر، و تظليله إياهم بالغمام، وإنزاله عليهم المن والسلوى، إلى غير ذلك من النعم : ﴿وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ﴾ meaning remind them of Allah’s help and favors, that Allah saved them from the oppression of Pharaoh, protected them from their enemies, parted the sea for them and made a path through it, shaded them with clouds, sent down manna and quails upon them, and other such favors.
Consider carefully, what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) interprets as the days of Allah in this verse. Did he ever say to celebrate the birth or did he himself celebrate it? Why do those who use this as proof for celebrating the Milad of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) not remember Allah’s commands such as ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ۔ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَن تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ۔﴾ O you who have believed, do not put [yourselves] forward before Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.
Then these people connect this verse with the fast of the tenth of Muharram, saying ﴿وَ ذَكِّرْهُمْ بِاَيّٰىمِ اللّٰهِ﴾ meaning “And remind them of Allah’s favors,” under which the Children of Israel used to fast, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) also used to fast for this.
Yes, it is true that the Children of Israel used to fast on the day when Allah saved them from Pharaoh, which is the tenth of Muharram, and why did the Children of Israel fast on that day? Did they do it while celebrating Eid or while thanking Allah? They did what Moses (peace be upon him) commanded them to do. At the beginning of this discussion, it was written, “If the verses following this verse are read, it becomes clear how Moses (peace be upon him) acted upon Allah’s command, whether he reminded his people of Allah’s favors or commanded them to celebrate Eid??”
Observe, dear readers, in the verses following verse 5, Allah Almighty informs us ﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنجَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُم بَلَاءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ . وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ . وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ إِن تَكْفُرُوا أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ .﴾ And when Moses said to his people, “Remember the favor of Allah upon you when He saved you from the people of Pharaoh, who were afflicting you with the worst torment, slaughtering your sons and keeping your women alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord. And when your Lord declared that if you are grateful, He would surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, His punishment is severe.” And Moses said, “If you disbelieve, you and whoever is on the earth entirely – indeed, Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy.”
So, while thanking Allah for His favors, those people used to fast on the tenth of Muharram! They did not celebrate an “Eid.”
If these people studied the hadiths about the fast of the tenth of Muharram, they would not have erred in understanding that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) used to fast this day ﴿وَ ذَكِّرْهُمْ بِاَيّٰىمِ اللّٰهِ﴾ following the command. Let us study these hadiths:
(1) عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال قدم النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم المدينة فرأى اليهود تصوم يوم عاشوراء فقال Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) came to Medina, the Jews used to fast the tenth of Muharram. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) asked, ما هذا ؟: What is this? قالوا هذا يوم صالح هذا يوه نعى الله بني إسرائيل من عدوهم فصامه موسى They told him it was a virtuous day on which Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy (Pharaoh), so Moses (peace be upon him) fasted on this day.” قال So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said فأنا أحق بموسي مينكم “I have more right to Moses than you.” فصامه وأمر بصيامه And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) fasted on this day and ordered fasting on it.
(2) عن أبى موسى رضى الله عنه قال كان يوم عاشوراء تعده اليهود عيدا ، قال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Jews considered the tenth of Muharram a day of celebration, so the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said فصوموه أنتم You fast on this day.”
From this blessed hadith, we also learn that making occasions of happiness into Eid is among the customs of the Jews, which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) denied and instead commanded worship of Allah as gratitude for happiness and practiced it himself. He did not permit making and celebrating Eids like the Jews.
(3) عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال ” ما رأيت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يتحرى صيام يوم فضله على غيره إلا هذا اليوم يوم عاشوراء وهذا الشهر يعني شهر رمضان”
Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) considering the fast of the tenth of Muharram more virtuous than any other voluntary fast, and no other month more virtuous than this month except Ramadan.”
(4) Abu Qatada (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a long hadith that the second Caliph, the Commander of the Faithful Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) about the fast of Ashura (tenth of Muharram), and he replied احتسب على الله أن يكفر السنة الماضية I hope Allah will forgive the sins of the past year through this fast of Ashura.
(5) Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha, Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, and Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with them all) narrated that:
(a) عن نافع عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما أنه ذكر عند رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم عاشوراء فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يوما يصومه أهل الجاهلية فمن أحب منكم أن يصومه فليصه ومن كره فليدعه
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said about the fast of Ashura: “The people of ignorance used to fast on this tenth of Muharram, so whoever wishes may fast on this day and whoever wishes may not.”
(b) عن جابر بن سمرة رضى الله عنه قال كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يأمرنا بصيام يوم عاشوراء ويحثنا عليه ويتعاهدنا عنده فلما فرض رمضان لم يأمرنا ولم ينهنا ولم يتعاهدنا عنده
Before the fasts of Ramadan became obligatory, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) used to order us to fast the tenth of Muharram and encouraged it, and he used to take a pledge from us regarding it. When the fasts of Ramadan became obligatory, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) neither ordered us to fast it nor forbade it, nor did he take any pledge from us about it.
(6) عن حميد بن عبد الرحمن أنه سمع معاوية بن أبى سفيان رضي الله عنهما يوم عاشوراء عام حج على المنبر يقول ” يا أهل المدينة أين علماؤكم ؟ ” سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول هذا يوم عاشوراء ولم يكتب الله عليكم صيامه وأنا صائم فمن شاء فليصم ومن شاء فليفطر
Hamid bin Abdur Rahman narrated that in the year when Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Hajj, he heard Muawiyah on the pulpit on the day of Ashura saying: “O people of Medina, where are your scholars? I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say: This is the day of the tenth of Muharram, and Allah has not made fasting obligatory on you on this day, and I am fasting. So whoever wishes may fast and whoever wishes may break the fast.”
(7) عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أفضل الصيام بعد رمضان شهر الله المحرم وأفضل الصلاة بعد الفريضة صلاة الليل
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: After Ramadan, the most virtuous fasts are those in Muharram, and after the obligatory prayers, the most virtuous prayer is the night prayer.
Reflect on these hadiths; nowhere is there any indication or proof that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) fasted this day based on this verse. Rather, after the fasts of Ramadan became obligatory, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) did not even encourage this fast, as mentioned in the fifth hadith above. Rather, we find clear evidence that this fast was observed even in the days of ignorance, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) fasted it and ordered fasting on it before Ramadan became obligatory, and after Ramadan became obligatory, he neither encouraged nor forbade it, as stated in the hadiths above. As for the matter of fasting this day in joy for the salvation of Moses (peace be upon him), the correct understanding is that it was observed as gratitude, not as a celebration. And if it is called a celebration, at most it is evidence that fasting can be done out of happiness for something. Therefore, those who consider this day as the birth date of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), although historically it is not established, as will be discussed later, should on the basis of this misconception fast on this day themselves and have all their followers fast.
Reflect on the above hadiths, especially the first hadith, which clearly shows that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) migrated to Medina, he saw the Jews fasting on this day and asked, “What is this?” From this question of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), it is evident that before the migration to Medina, the fast he used to observe on this day was not in joy for the salvation of Moses (peace be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) did not even know that the tenth of Muharram was the day of Moses’ salvation. This hadith is one of many proofs that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was not knowledgeable of the unseen. However, this is not our topic at the moment.
And it is also quite interesting that these people probably do not know that Surah Ibrahim is a Makki Surah except for two or one narration that it has three verses, which are verses 28, 29, and 30. For more details, see Imam Muhammad bin Ali Al-Shawkani’s Tafsir “Fath al-Qadeer” and Imam Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Qurtubi’s Tafsir “Al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Qur’an.”
So, the verse which our brothers use as proof for “Eid Milad al-Nabi (peace be upon him and his family)” and connect the matter of the fast of Ashura with this proof, in the light of authentic hadiths and the sayings of the Companions, Tabi‘in, and Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, it is proven that this verse has no relation to the fast of Ashura because this verse was revealed in Mecca, and before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) migrated to Medina, he did not know the fast of this day as related to Moses (peace be upon him), and before the revelation of this verse, the Quraysh of Mecca also used to fast this day, as clearly mentioned in the fifth hadith above, فماذا بعد الحق إلا الضلال
The Second Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ and His Family
Those brothers of ours who celebrate and promote Eid Milad say that in the interpretation of Surah Ibrahim, verse 28, the statement of Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, is quoted that the blessing refers to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. Then, based on this statement of Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, these people have fabricated the philosophy that expressing gratitude for the blessing is thankfulness, and not being thankful is disbelief, and when gratitude is shown, there will be happiness. Therefore, whatever we do is the happiness of expressing gratitude for the blessing.
Answer:
Surah Ibrahim, verse 28 is as follows: ﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ﴾ (O Messenger) Have you not seen those who denied the blessing of Allah and thereby caused their people to perish in the ruinous abode?
Allah knows where these people have taken this statement of Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, because in at least one hundred and fifty well-known books of Tafsir, Hadith, History, Seerah, and Fiqh, I have not seen this statement anywhere. However, in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Imam Ibn Kathir has said:
وإن كان المعنى يعم جميع الكفار؛ فإن الله تعالى بعث محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم رحمة للعالمين، ونعمة للناس، فمن قبلها وقام بشكرها دخل الجنة، و من ردها وكفرها دخل النار This applies to every disbeliever because Allah Almighty sent Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, as a mercy to all the worlds and a blessing to all mankind. So whoever accepts him and is thankful to him will enter Paradise, and whoever does not accept him and denies him will enter Hell.
Allah knows whether calling the above statement of Imam Ibn Kathir as the interpretation narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, is due to the ignorance or prejudice of these wordy brothers. Even if, for argument’s sake, it is accepted that the aforementioned statement was said by Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, then where is the evidence that Abdullah ibn Abbas or his father, that is, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, or any other companion ever “celebrated” the birth day of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, in any way? According to the philosophy just explained above, did the companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, commit disbelief in the blessing?
The third argument of those who celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ :
As a third argument, these people say that in Surah Ad-Duha, verse number eleven 11, Allah Almighty has commanded His Messenger, peace be upon him and his family, to express gratitude for His blessings, and expression cannot happen without mention. This verse contains the command to mention. Now the question is: Is the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, a blessing from Allah or not? If he is, and certainly he is, indeed greater than all other blessings, then why would he not be mentioned?
Answer:
If my fellow Kalima reciters read the entire Surah Ad-Duha, then before verse number eleven ﴿وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ﴾ “And proclaim the favors of your Lord,” they should understand from the preceding verses that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, attentively reminds His Messenger, peace be upon him and his family, of His blessings and before commanding him to mention these blessings, He gives two other commands:
﴿فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ . وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ .﴾ “So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him]. And as for the petitioner, do not repel [him].”
After these two commands, Allah Almighty commands to mention His blessings.
If mentioning blessings means celebrating the Prophet’s birthday (Eid Milad-un-Nabi), then why did the Prophet himself, peace be upon him and his family, and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, not do so?
My fellow Kalima reciters who use this verse as proof for their philosophy, if they had taken the trouble to look for the interpretation of the Quran in the Hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, or in the traditions of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, or studied any of the exegeses narrated by the leaders of the Ummah, it would have become clear to them that the logic and philosophy they are presenting is unreliable and rejected, because it is against the Sunnah. Yes, it is against the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, against the Sunnah of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them. At the very least, they could have seen how the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, and all his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, acted upon the commands of Allah contained in these verses, and thus they would not have fallen prey to such philosophies.
One should ask them: Did the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, and after him the companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, and after them the Tabi‘in, the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and for six hundred years no scholar, no Imam, no Muhaddith, no mufassir, no faqih, no one at all ever understand that the commands of Allah meant celebrating the Prophet’s birthday? And whoever first understood this interpretation then became superior to all of them in knowledge of the Quran and in rank? انا لله وانا اليه راجعوان
The Fourth Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
As the fourth argument, Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 14 is cited, stating that Jesus (peace be upon him) prayed: O Allah, send down a table spread with food from the heaven; the day it comes down will be a day of celebration for us and for those who come after us. Consider that the meaning of this verse is that the day the food comes down is a day of happiness, and Christians have been celebrating this day until now. So why should not Muslims celebrate the day the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came?
Answer:
Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 114 is as follows:
﴿قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِّأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا وَآيَةً مِّنكَ ۖ وَارْزُقْنَا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ﴾ The son of Mary, Jesus, said: O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be a feast for us, for those before us, and for those after us; and a sign from You; and provide for us, for You are the best of providers.
This verse may be a reason for Christians to celebrate the day the table was sent down, but it is not a reason for Muslims to celebrate “Eid Milad-un-Nabi (the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family).” It is extremely surprising and even distressing that these people do not know this fundamental principle that no ruling of Shariah is taken based on the actions of previous nations except for those actions which have been maintained by Allah and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).
(Studying my article “The Shariah Ruling on Previous Shariahs” will, God willing, be beneficial regarding the rulings of previous Shariahs.)
Perhaps they also do not know that according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, that is, those who follow the Sunnah and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), none of them ever considered the previous nations or previous Shariahs as evidence for Islamic practices except for what Allah or the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) permitted. And what is not permitted is forbidden because it is established in the “Science of Usul al-Fiqh” that:
باب العبادات و الديانات والتقربات متلقاة عن الله و رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم فليس لأحد أن يجعل شيا أعبادة أو قربة إلا بدليل شرعي “That is, acts of worship, beliefs, and attaining nearness to Allah are only through what Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) have prescribed; therefore, it is not permissible for anyone to make something a means of worship or attaining nearness to Allah without any evidence in the Shariah.”
This rule answers all those who have used the deeds of previous nations or messengers (peace be upon them) as evidence for their Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations. And if these people know this fundamental principle and deliberately deceive themselves and their followers, then this is a greater calamity than ignorance. There is no third option for them. Someone should tell them that Christians do not celebrate the descent of any table spread with food as a cause of happiness, and even if they did, it is forbidden for us to imitate them, as our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), may Allah be pleased with him, said:
من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) has given a clear ruling; therefore, those whom people imitate will be among them. May Allah protect us from imitating non-Muslims in every way.
The Fifth Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
Those who celebrate and promote Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ, my Kalima-reciting brothers, say that in Surah Yunus, verse number 58, Allah Almighty has commanded to be happy upon receiving His mercy because the verse uses the imperative form, and the Prophet ﷺ is the greatest mercy of Allah; therefore, rejoicing on his birth is a command from Allah. And if we follow this command of Allah Almighty, then what is wrong with it?
Answer:
The meaning of Surah Yunus, verse number 58 is completed by the preceding verse, i.e., verse number 57, and both verses are as follows: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ . قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ .﴾ O people, a reminder has come to you from your Lord, and healing for what is in the breasts, and guidance and mercy for the believers. (O Messenger) Say, (this) is from the bounty of Allah and His mercy; so let the Muslims rejoice in it, and it is better than what they accumulate.
There is no doubt that in verse number 58, Allah Almighty has commanded to be happy with His mercy, but the question remains: Did the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, or the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), or the Followers (Tabi‘in), or the Followers of the Followers (Taba‘ Tabi‘in), or any of the Imams of the Ummah for centuries after them ever celebrate or encourage celebrating “Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ” based on the command given in this verse?
Let us see what the interpretation of this verse is from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). If those who celebrate and promote Milad had seen the interpretation of this verse in any authentic tafsir, they would not have fallen prey to this philosophically fabricated interpretation, which they use as evidence for their practice.
Imam Al-Bayhaqi narrated in “Shu‘ab al-Iman” with various chains of narration from Abdullah ibn Abbas and Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with them) that:
” قل بفضل الله و برحمته فبذلك فليفرحوا قال : فضل الله القرآن، ورحمته الإسلام قل بفضل الله وبرحمته فبذلك فليفرحوا Regarding this, it was said that the bounty of Allah is the Qur’an and the mercy of Allah is Islam.
And in another narration:
فضل الله الإسلام، ورحمته أن جعلكم من أهل القرآن The bounty of Allah is Islam, and the mercy is that Allah has made you among the people of the Qur’an (i.e., Muslims).
And there is a narration that: The Book of Allah and Islam are far better than what they accumulate.
Meaning, these things are far better than the wealth and possessions of this world; therefore, one should not be distressed by the hardships or poverty of this world but should be happy upon receiving these two blessings. Imam Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of this verse, narrated an incident of the second rightly guided caliph, Amir al-Mu’minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that when Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) received tribute from Iraq, he went with one of his slaves towards that wealth and began counting the camels. The number of camels was very large, so Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: الحمد لله تعالىٰ
Then his slave said:
This is the bounty and mercy of Allah.
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
You have lied; this is not what Allah mentioned in ﴿قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾ “(O Messenger) Say, (this) is from the bounty of Allah and His mercy; so let them rejoice in it, and it is better than what they accumulate.” Rather, this is from ﴿مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾ “what they accumulate.”
Dear readers, consider carefully: if in this verse the bounty and mercy of Allah meant the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and rejoicing meant celebrating his birth, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself would have commanded it, and we would have found this practice verbally and practically from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Instead of explaining the above interpretation to his slave, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would have explained that ﴿فَضْلِ اللّٰهِ وَ بِرَحْمَتِهٖ﴾ refers not to this booty but to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and that the rejoicing is the celebration of his birth.
To use the phrase “so rejoice” ﴿فَلْيَفْرَحُوْا﴾ as evidence, our Kalima-reciting brothers also bring some cursed arguments regarding the imperative form used in ﴿فَلْيَفْرَحُوْا﴾. Let us also examine this linguistically: the verse commands to be happy, not to celebrate happiness, and there is a difference between the two. If it were about celebrating happiness, it would have been ﴿فَلْيَفْرَحُوْا﴾ instead of فليحتفلوا. So, the command is to be happy, not to celebrate happiness.
Allah does not like those who rejoice without His permission in any matter, let alone celebrate happiness in a way for which there is no authentic evidence in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah.
In Surah Al-Qasas, verse 76, Allah Almighty mentions the incident of Qarun’s people advising him: ﴿لَا تَفْرَحْ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَرِحِينَ﴾ Do not be happy with the wealth of the world; Allah does not like those who are happy.
Thus, it is certain that where, how, and on what to be happy is determined by Allah and the Messenger ﷺ within the prescribed limits and according to their commands, not according to one’s own desires, logic, or philosophy. As Allah Almighty permitted rejoicing in Surah Al-Imran, verse 170, saying:
﴿فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ﴾ Those who, by Allah’s grace, have been given something, rejoice in it.
And in the verse under discussion, similarly, Allah Almighty commands to be happy with what He has granted by His grace and mercy. Being happy does not mean commanding or permitting any new belief, worship, or habit.
Imam Al-Qurtubi wrote in his tafsir of ﴿قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللّٰهِ وَ بِرَحْمَتِهٖ فَبِذٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوْاؕ-هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُوْنَ﴾:
الفرح لذة فى القلب بإدارك المحبوب Happiness is the state that arises in the heart upon receiving something desirable.
And one of the linguistic authorities, Imam Muhammad ibn Makram, wrote in “Lisan al-Arab” that فرح ، هو نقيض الحزن happiness is the state that arises from the absence of grief, and Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Ra’uf Al-Manawi wrote in “Al-Tawqif ‘ala Muhimmat al-Ta‘rifat” that الفرح لذة فى القلب لنيل المشتهى happiness is the pleasure that arises in the heart upon obtaining a desired thing.
From the Companions’ interpretation and linguistic explanation, it is clear that happiness is a state of the heart, not performing any specific act on a particular day in a particular way, except that which Allah and the Messenger ﷺ have permitted and blessed. What is not permitted is forbidden because this is established in the “Usul al-Fiqh” (principles of Islamic jurisprudence), as mentioned a few pages earlier.
The Sixth Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
Those of our Kalima-reciting brothers who celebrate and promote Eid Milad say about Surah As-Saff, verse number 6, that “in it, the glad tidings of the arrival of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) have been given, and we also, in the gatherings of Eid Milad, evoke the feeling of joy for the arrival of the Prophet (peace be upon him).”
Answer:
Surah As-Saff, verse number 6 is:
﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ﴾ And when Jesus said to the Children of Israel, “Indeed, I am the messenger of Allah to you, confirming what was before me of the Torah and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.” (Then Allah Almighty speaks about the attitude of the Children of Israel after the arrival of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him) And when this messenger (Ahmad, peace be upon him) came to them with clear signs, they said, “This is obvious magic.”
The difference between celebrating happiness and being happy has already been discussed, and giving glad tidings of something is a completely different matter from both.
Moreover, the event mentioned in this verse, like many other events, is one of the incidents of previous Prophets (peace be upon them), and the command to use the events of previous nations or Prophets (peace be upon them) as evidence has also been mentioned. And even if it is assumed that every event of previous nations or Prophets (peace be upon them) can be used as evidence, still!!! What evidence is there in the statement of Jesus (peace be upon him) on the basis of which the birth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) should be celebrated as an Eid? Is there even an indication anywhere that the glad tidings of the coming of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) should be made into an Eid after his birth or after his death? If that were so, then I repeat the question: Did neither the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), nor the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all), nor the Followers, nor the Followers of the Followers, nor the Imams of the Ummah and scholars of Islam understand for centuries what evidence this verse contains and what should be done in light of this verse?
Seventh Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
To my Kalima-reciting brothers who promote and celebrate Eid Milad, they claim to prove their act according to Sunnah by saying that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) used to fast on the day of his birth and said, “I was born on this day,” i.e., Monday, and that celebrating the birth itself is a joy.
Answer:
Part of their statement is correct that the day of the birth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) is Monday, and he used to fast on Mondays. Denying this is disbelief because in
, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said:
ذاك يوم ولدت فيه ويوم بعثت أو أنزل على فيه “I was born on this day, and on this day revelation was sent down to me,” or (he said) “I was sent as a messenger on this day.”
But where is it stated that on this day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), his companions (may Allah be pleased with them), any one companion, the Tabi‘in, the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, or any of the Imams of the Ummah celebrated any Eid? And where is it stated that the reason for the Prophet’s fasting on this day was the joy of his birth? Why do those who promote Eid Milad speak contrary to the truth? You will, God willing, judge this well yourselves when you learn why the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) used to fast on Monday. Please attentively observe these few narrations of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family):
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates about the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) that he said: تعرض أعمال الناس فى كل جمعة مرتين يوم الاثنين ويوم الخميس فيغفر لكن عبد مؤمن إلا عبدا بينه وبين أخيه شحناه فيقال اتركوا أو اركوا هذين حتى يفينا “On Mondays and Thursdays, the deeds of the servants are presented before Allah, and Allah forgives every believer who does not associate anyone with Allah, except those who harbor enmity among themselves. It is said (regarding them), ‘Give them respite until they reconcile.'”
Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was asked why he fasted on Mondays and Thursdays. He replied: “On Mondays and Thursdays, Allah forgives the servants except those who sever ties with each other (i.e., those who are angry and abandon each other). For those who sever ties, it is said to give them respite until they reconcile.”
Imam Ahmad al-Kinani declared this hadith authentic.
After the above-mentioned hadiths, it is not difficult for any sane person to understand that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) did not fast on Monday out of joy for his birth, but because on that day the deeds of the servants are presented before Allah.
If the reason for fasting on Monday was the birth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), then at least he would have encouraged it. After the above two hadiths, also carefully observe this hadith:
Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih
from Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked about the fasting of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). The Prophet became angry (seeing the Prophet angry), Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We are pleased with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion, and Muhammad as our Messenger, and our pledge is a true pledge.”
Abu Qatadah said that then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was asked about fasting continuously (fasting all the time), and he said: لا صامر ولا أفطر “Whoever does that should not fast but break his fast.”
Then Abu Qatadah said that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was asked about fasting two days and breaking fast one day, and he said: ومن يطيق ذلك “Who can do that?”
Then he was asked about fasting one day and breaking fast two days, and he said: ليت ان الله قوانا لذلك “May Allah give us the strength to do that.”
Then he was asked about fasting one day and breaking fast two days alternately, and he said: ذلك صوم اخي داؤد (عليه السلام) “This is the fasting of my brother Dawud (peace be upon him).”
Then he was asked about fasting on Monday, and he said: ذلك يوم ولدت فيه ويولد بعثت فيه “On this day I was born and on this day I was sent (i.e., given prophethood).”
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: صوم ثلاثة من كل شهر، و رمضان إلى رمضان صوم الدهر “Fasting three days every month from Ramadan to Ramadan is like fasting continuously.”
Then he was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah, and he said: يكفر السنة الماضية و الباقية “It expiates the sins of the previous year and the current year.”
Then he was asked about fasting on the tenth of Muharram, and he said: يكفر السنة الماضية “It expiates the sins of the previous year.”
The wording of this hadith clearly shows that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was asked about various voluntary fasts and he explained their reasons. At the end, he said that fasting three days every month from Ramadan to Ramadan is like fasting continuously. That is, no special encouragement or extra reward was mentioned for fasting on Monday, unlike the fasting of Arafah and Ashura, whose benefits were explained to encourage them. So, this hadith at most permits fasting on Monday but does not support celebrating the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).
According to the philosophy stated by those who promote and celebrate Milad, it should be that all their leaders and followers fast every Monday according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), especially on the day they consider the birth of the Prophet. On that day, instead of abandoning the distinction between halal and haram and celebrating with drums, dancing, qawwali, and songs, and instead of disobeying the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and eating the wealth of everyone through donations in the Prophet’s name, they should fast and break their fast with their own lawful earnings. But this does not happen because it is difficult for the nafs (self), and the nafs prefers the first actions. Thus, in the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), those acts are done which fulfill personal desires. Among those who promote and celebrate Milad, some do not consider these superstitions permissible, but in their own arranged gatherings, they change some names and styles to satisfy their nafs in another way.
The Eighth Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
Those who celebrate the Milad and my brothers who recite the Kalima say that Abu Lahab, in joy of the birth of the Prophet, freed his slave girl Thuwaybah, and because of this act, he receives water in Hell, thus proving that celebrating the birth of the Prophet is a cause of reward.
Answer:
This statement is mentioned along with
, and it is not a hadith but rather the saying of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr that و ثويبة لابى لهب وكان ابولهب اعتقها فارضعت النبى صلى الله عليه و على آله وسلم ، فلما مات ابو لهب أريه بعض اهله بشر حيبة ، قال له : ماذا لقيت قال ابولهب : لم الق بعدكم ، غير ان سقيت فى هذه بعتاقتى ثويبة. Imam al-Bayhaqi has narrated this with slight wording differences in
, his narrated words are لم الق بعد كم رخاء ، غير اني سقيت فى هذه منى بعتاقتى ثويبة و اشار الي النقيرة التى بين الإبهام و التى تليها من الاصابع. Imam Abu Awana also narrated this incident with these words in his Musnad under the chapter
لم الق بعدكم راحة ، غير اني سقيت فى هذه النقيرة التى بين الإبهام والتي تليها بعتقى ثويبة.
The very first and fundamental point is that this is not a hadith but a statement of a Tabi’i (successor of the companions), which Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned without a chain (isnad), which is called a Mu’allaq (suspended narration). Even a humble student like me knows that what Imam Bukhari narrated as Mu’allaq in Sahih al-Bukhari does not meet his conditions of authenticity. Leaving aside whether this narration was authentic according to Imam Bukhari or not, consider that at most this implies that Allah Almighty showed some leniency in Abu Lahab’s punishment because he freed his slave girl, just as Abu Talib’s punishment was reduced. No one can deny that Abu Lahab was a disbeliever and died in that state. When he freed his slave girl Thuwaybah, who brought the glad tidings of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it was not because the Prophet was born, but because he was happy that his deceased brother Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib’s son was born. If he had been happy about his nephew being the Prophet, then after the declaration of prophethood, Abu Lahab would have been among the first to believe, not one of the greatest opponents of the Prophet.
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, while explaining this matter in
, wrote that Al-Suhaili said that this dream was seen by Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him). Then after a few lines, he wrote that this report is Marasil (unconnected), meaning Urwah ibn al-Zubayr did not mention from whom he heard this. Even if it is assumed that this report is not Marasil, it still describes a dream, and the one who saw this dream was a disbeliever at the time, not a Muslim.
I say that even if it is accepted that Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) saw this dream after accepting Islam, the ruling of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah regarding dreams is that no action should be taken based on dreams. This is a religious issue related to both belief and worship. To know the ruling of any religious matter, it is necessary to have evidence from one of the following:
(1) Quran (2) Authentic Hadith (3) The practices and sayings of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). “Athar” means sign or footprint, and in the terminology of Hadith science, the sayings and actions of the Companions are called “Athar.” Some scholars also apply “Athar” to Hadith, and the opposite is also used. (4) Consensus (Ijma) (5) Ijtihad or Qiyas (analogy).
There is no scope for Ijtihad or Qiyas in matters of worship and belief. For these, a clear text from the Quran or authentic Hadith is necessary. If no clear text is found in the Quran or Hadith, then attention is given to consensus and the practices of the Companions. None of these sources contain any indication for celebrating the Prophet’s birthday. Trying to interpret something according to one’s own desires does not change the reality. The discussion is about the sources of religious rulings. The Sufis try to use inspiration or dreams as evidence for religious rulings, and as proof, they present the Prophet’s saying: الرويا الصالحة جزء من ستة واربعين جزءا من النبوة “A good dream is one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood.” This Hadith is certainly authentic, but! Here some questions arise: Whose good dream? Every person’s dream? And is every dream considered a part of Prophethood? Let us find answers to these questions from the sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet said:
الرؤيا الصالحة جزء من ستة واربعين جزءا من النبوة A good dream is one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood. This Hadith is certainly authentic, but!
Here some questions arise: Whose good dream? Every person’s dream?
And is every dream considered a part of Prophethood?
Let us find answers to these questions from the sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said الرؤيا الحسنة من الرجل الصالح جزء من ستة واربعين جزءا من النبوة “The dream of a believer is one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood.”
the first Hadith, and he said: “The vision of a believer is one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood.”
.
In both these Hadiths, the answers to our above questions are given: neither every person’s dream is acceptable nor every dream, but only the good dream of a pious, believing person, not of a disbeliever, polytheist, innovator, or sinful Muslim.
Imam Ibn Hajar, in his explanation of Sahih al-Bukhari in Fath al-Bari, quoted Imam al-Qurtubi’s statement that only a truthful, pious, God-fearing Muslim is the one whose condition corresponds to that of the Prophets. Therefore, among the things that Allah gave the Prophets to honor them is that He informs them of unseen matters. So Allah grants this honor (i.e., shows true dreams) to a truthful, pious, God-fearing Muslim child. But a disbeliever, sinful Muslim, or one whose condition is mixed cannot attain this honor. Even if such a person sees a true dream, it is like a very liar sometimes telling the truth. It is also not correct that every person who tells unseen matters has a part of Prophethood, as magicians and astrologers do.
Thus, it is clear that the true dream of a disbeliever, polytheist, innovator, or sinful Muslim cannot be proof of their greatness, let alone be used as evidence for any belief or worship in religion. True dreams were also seen by the prisoner companions of Yusuf (Joseph) and the king of that land, and all three were disbelievers. Now only Allah knows how a dream seen by Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) in a state of disbelief can be evidence for those who celebrate the Prophet’s birthday.
At most, this dream can be taken as evidence that even a disbeliever will benefit in the Hereafter from his good deeds, and whether this is correct or not is not our topic now. It has become clear to us through authentic Hadiths that if a truthful, pious, God-fearing believer is shown a true dream by Allah, it is one of the parts of Prophethood. It has also become clear that the sources from which the Shariah’s rulings are always taken according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah do not include dreams or inspirations.
In the previous pages, I have repeatedly used the words Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. Let me briefly explain them so that readers do not misunderstand. InshaAllah, “Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah” refers to those who adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the manner of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Those who adopt their own fabricated acts of worship, beliefs, or interpretations are not Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, nor are those who chant slogans of Quran and Hadith but do not follow the path of the Companions in understanding and acting upon them, instead following their own Imams and spiritual guides.
May Allah grant us all the ability not to fall into stubbornness and prejudice and to understand the commands and sayings of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) according to the sayings and actions of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all), and whatever is not in accordance with that, may we abandon it out of love for the Prophet (peace be upon him).
” مبتداء كتاب النكاح و ما يشاكله “
Eid Milad-un-Nabi is a bad celebration: The ninth argument against those who celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family
Those who organize and celebrate Milad, my Kalima-reciting brothers say that “In Milad Sharif, we narrate the Seerah of the Holy Prophet and praise him through Na’at, and this was also done by the Sahabah, so how has our celebrating Milad become an innovation (Bid’ah)?”
Answer:
Yes, it is true that the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them all, used to praise and recite Na’at for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. But have those who organize and celebrate Milad ever thought whether the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, used to do this specifically on the day of the birth of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him? Or did they designate any special time, method, or place for it? Or did they recite Na’at in the style, rhythm, and melody of singers and devotees? Certainly, the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, did not do this. And if the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, did not do this, then those people doing so is certainly an innovation (Bid’ah). As for reciting Na’at in praise of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, every Muslim who loves him does that, but not with polytheism and disbelief, as is seen in some Na’at recitations. For example, consider this couplet, which is part of such a Na’at that goes against the methodology of the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, and is done according to their own logic and philosophy:
He who was the level of the Throne, becoming God, descended into Medina as Mustafa.
And it does not stop there; there are many such couplets and sayings filled with explicit disbelief and polytheism, but the Muslim brothers and sisters who write, read, and listen to them do not know their reality.
إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون ، Did the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, praise the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in such a way that they made him God?
Do my Kalima-reciting brothers love the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, more than the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them?
If yes, then why do they not follow the Sunnah like the Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, but instead do things for which there is no evidence in the Sunnah, as has become clear from the discussion and research so far, and, God willing, I will clarify further ahead.
The Tenth Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
Those who organize and celebrate Milad (the birth of the Prophet) and those who celebrate it, my brothers who recite the Kalima, say that we celebrate the happiness of the birth of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, out of love for him, and those who do not do so have no love for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family; they are deprived. They even use much harsher words, which I do not consider appropriate to mention.
Answer:
Only Allah knows the condition of hearts. We are very happy about the birth of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, because Allah Almighty sent him to convey His religion to us, and made the religion a means to bring every good for this world and the Hereafter to us. But when the reality comes forth that Allah Almighty has taken our beloved Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, away from this world, that he, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, has passed away, and the revelation and the chain of divine communication has ceased, then all happiness departs. The grief of the death of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, is greater than the joy of his birth, so much so that the heart is crushed.
May Allah make us all among those whose lives are spent in exact following of the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and protect us from every innovation. May He not make us among those who, due to practicing innovations, will be removed from the blessed pond of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, on the Day of Judgment, and for whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, will supplicate against.
Before concluding, please consider this blessed Hadith and reflect on the philosophy of good innovation (bid’ah hasanah):
It is narrated from Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: اني فرحكم على الحوض من مرعى شرب ومن شرب لم يطباء ابد اليردن على أقوا ما أعرفهم ويعرفون ثم يحال بيني وبينهم فأقول إنهم منى ، فيقال إنك لا تدرى ما أحدثوا بعدك ، فأقول سحقا سحقا لمن غير بعدي “I will be the first to be at the pond (Al-Kawthar). Whoever comes to me will drink from it, and whoever drinks will never be thirsty again. Some people will come to me at the pond, and I will recognize them, and they will recognize me (that these are my followers and I am their Messenger). Then a barrier will be placed between them and me, and I will say, ‘These are from me’ (meaning they are my followers, as narrated in Sahih Muslim). Then Allah will say, ‘You do not know what new things they did after you.’ I will say, ‘Go away, go away, whoever changed after me.'”
و قال ابن عباس سحقا بعدا سحيق بعيد سحقة ، واسحقه أبعده And Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: سحقا meaning “be far away.”
Dear readers, calmly reflect on these sayings of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. See that the response given to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, by Allah teaches us that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, does not know the deeds of his Ummah after him, and Allah will remove those who do new deeds from the pond of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, regardless of whether the new deeds are good or bad. Nor did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, mention any intercession with Allah to leave those who do good new deeds, i.e., “good innovations” (bid’ah hasanah). Reflect on this: there is a big difference between religious innovation and worldly innovation, or in other words, between legal innovation (bid’ah shar’iyyah) and linguistic innovation (bid’ah lughawiyyah), and even those who understand this difference do not accept the division of innovations into “good and bad.”
Some discussion on the topic of innovation has already taken place and is also available in written form. I do not want to divert the subject of this book by bringing this topic here, but I will say that to understand the matter of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and every similar matter, we certainly need to know and understand all the information about innovation.
If someone asks them, then, may Allah forbid, did the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, and those after them—the Tabi‘in, Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and the scholars and Imams of the Ummah for six hundred years—not have love for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family?
Did the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, fail to understand the philosophy of love to the extent that they celebrated the birth of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, on this basis? Or did the Tabi‘in or Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, that is, glory be to Allah, the organizers and celebrators of Eid Milad, my brothers who recite the Kalima, understand the correct meaning of love for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, while the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, the Tabi‘in, Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and the scholars and Imams of the Ummah for six hundred years remained in error?
And I further say:
No, no, this is not love; it is expenditure and words: What kind of love is this, in which there is disobedience to the beloved?
The Companions gave love and loyalty a new, eternal fervor: And your love is neglect of their deeds.
(Note carefully that in these couplets, the word “love” is used in accordance with the theme of the book, not in its literal linguistic sense.)
The Eleventh Argument of Those Who Celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ
Those who celebrate Eid Milad and then say, my Kalima-reciting brothers say that Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) recited the verse ﴿الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ﴾. Then a Jew said: If this verse had been revealed to us, we would have celebrated that day as Eid. Upon this, Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: This verse was revealed on the very day when there were two Eids (Friday and the Day of Arafah).
In Mirqat Sharh Mishkat, under this hadith, with references to Tabarani and others, the exact same question and answer is also narrated from Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). It is noteworthy that neither of these noble companions said that only Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are established in Islam and that celebrating any third Eid is an innovation and forbidden. Rather, besides Friday, they also declared the Day of Arafah as Eid and clearly stated that indeed, on the day when Allah grants a special blessing, it is permissible and correct to celebrate that day as Eid as a remembrance, to express gratitude and joy. Furthermore, the esteemed Muhaddith Mulla Ali Qari (may Allah have mercy on him) also narrated on this occasion that the word “Eid” is used for every day of happiness. In short, when it is clear and evident that Friday is an Eid, Arafah is an Eid, the day of the revelation of the verse is an Eid, every day of blessing and gift is an Eid, and every day of happiness is an Eid, then what doubt remains about the Day of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (peace and blessings be upon him) being an Eid?
Answer:
The incident attributed to Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) by those mentioned is actually the event of Amir al-Mu’minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), as narrated in the six books and Zawaid. The narration about Abdullah ibn Abbas is only found in “Sunan al-Tirmidhi,” and Imam Tirmidhi himself said that this narration is Hasan Gharib (good but rare).
Principally, the narration that is more authentic should be taken as evidence, but what can I say when the narration from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim is casually written in “Mirqat Sharh Mishkat” under this hadith with references to Tabarani and others, stating the exact same question and answer from Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? What is the attempt to prove here? Whereas the author of Mirqat first mentioned the incident of Amir al-Mu’minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) with reference to Bukhari, then with reference to Tabarani, but our brothers cut, rearrange, and write it differently. Only Allah knows the state of hearts; anyone with insight can understand what is visible.
Regardless of whether this incident belongs to Amir al-Mu’minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) or Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the point to consider is: Did either of these two companions say in response to the Jew that yes, we also make this day an Eid? Did anyone think or understand that if the Day of Arafah can be an Eid, then the day of the Prophet’s Milad (peace and blessings be upon him) can also be an Eid, or that any day of happiness or blessing can be celebrated as Eid, so why not act upon it themselves?
I have already addressed the third, fourth, and fifth arguments regarding celebrating Eid upon receiving mercy and blessings.
Dear readers, consider the response of these two companions (may Allah be pleased with them): The Jew said, “If this verse had been revealed to us, we would have made that day an Eid.” They counted the day for that Jew and told him that we know on which day this verse was revealed, but our Eids are fixed; we cannot create any other Eid on our own.
Moreover, it is very strange that the esteemed Muhaddith Mulla Ali al-Qari al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) uses the word “Eid” for every day of happiness and uses this as evidence for Eid Milad.
Regardless of the literal and Shariah meaning of the word “Eid,” and regardless of the fact that adopting any act of religion, worship, or belief requires a clear command from Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), not just anyone’s statement, and regardless of the fact that being an Eid and celebrating Eid are two different states, which differ both linguistically and legally—this discussion will be for another time, InshaAllah.
Here, I only want to express regret over how the brothers who promote Eid Milad have incompletely and out of context quoted the words of Allama Mulla Ali al-Qari (may Allah have mercy on him) to justify their practice and claim it as evidence.
in which Allama Mulla Ali al-Qari (may Allah have mercy on him), while explaining the narration of Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), wrote:
قال الطيبي فى جواب ابن عباس لليهودي إشارة إلى الزيادة فى الجواب يعني ما تخذناه عيدا واحدا بل عيدين و تكرير اليوم تقرير لاستقلال كل يوم بها سمي به واضافة يوم إلى عيدين كاضافة اليوم إلى الجمعة أى يوم الفرح المجموع والمعنى يوم الفرح الذى يعودون مرة بعد أخرى فيه إلى السرور قال الراغب العيد ما يعاود مرة بعد أخرى وخص فى الشريعة بيوم الفطر ويوم النحر ولما كان ذلك اليوم مجعولا للسر ورفى الشريعة كما نبه النبى بقوله أيام بعولاللسرور منى أيام أكل وشرب و بعال صار يستعمل العيد فى كل يوم فيه مسرة
There is nowhere here any statement that can be used as evidence for Eid Milad. If there were, Allama Mulla Ali al-Qari (may Allah have mercy on him) would have mentioned it, rather than merely explaining the meaning and concept of the word “Eid.” Allama passed away in 1014 AH, and at that time the innovation of Eid Milad was present among Muslims, and he was also Hanafi by school of thought. Yet, he did not hint that this verse or the sayings of Abdullah ibn Abbas or Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) could be evidence for Eid Milad. Alas, in stubbornness and prejudice, their own scholars are wronged by presenting their words in a way they never said.
If those who use parts of Allama Mulla Ali al-Qari’s (may Allah have mercy on him) above words as evidence present the full statement, it will become clear to every follower how scholars’ words are twisted to support personal opinions and claims.
My Muslim brothers who promote and celebrate Eid Milad, at least consider this: If their stated logic—that every day of happiness and blessing is an Eid—were correct, then the companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the Tabi‘in, the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and the scholars and Imams of the Ummah for centuries would have celebrated every day of happiness and blessing as Eid. Half the year would have been Eid days. The end of false claimants of prophethood, the destruction of those who refused to pay Zakat, the conquest of every new city and country, the mass conversion of people to Islam—all these were blessings from Allah. Think how many Eids there would have been?
But none of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the Tabi‘in, the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, nor any of the scholars and Imams of the Ummah for centuries ever celebrated such an Eid.
I have no doubt that the majority of those who promote Eid Milad do so out of love for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but it is regrettable that this noble feeling is being misused inappropriately, and they are unaware of it.
Think: Is love for the Beloved shown by obedience according to his preference or otherwise?
Think: If on the Day of Judgment the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asks you why you did something in religion that neither he did, nor his rightly guided caliphs, nor any of his companions did, what will you answer?
Why did you accept interpretations and explanations of Allah’s commands and my sayings that I did not give, neither verbally nor practically, nor did any of my companions?
The responsibility of interpreting Allah’s words was entrusted to me, and by Allah’s command, I fulfilled it. Then why did you take new interpretations and new forms of worship from elsewhere?
What will you answer? Or will you say, “Our scholars used to say so,” or “It was written in our books,” or “We used to think that if it could be so, why not do it”?
Believe that after the completion of Allah’s Shariah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was called back from this transient world, and no further revelation was sent down after him, nor did he leave any inner or familial Shariah. Allah’s every command was clearly and explicitly stated verbally and practically. If you believe this, and I hope you do, then celebrating Eid Milad is nowhere in his teachings.
The demand of love is obedience and compliance. Accept what is in accordance with his teachings and abandon what is not. This is true love for him (peace and blessings be upon him).
