This self-invented Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ, which the innovators of the present time celebrate with great pomp, has no evidence in the Quran, Hadith, or from the pious predecessors (Salaf-e-Saliheen)ؒ. It did not exist anywhere in the best of generations (Khair al-Qurun). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself, in whose name this Eid is celebrated, experienced this day 23 times after his declaration of prophethood, but he ﷺ never declared it an Eid. He did not establish special gatherings for it, nor did he command his noble companionsؓ to do so. Similarly, after his ﷺ passing, during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphsؓ and until the death of the last companion, Sayyiduna Abu Tufailؓ, this day came many times, but no companion arranged to celebrate it as an Eid.
Similarly, during the lifetimes of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah be pleased with them), this day came several times, but none of these Imams declared it as Eid or organized any celebration for it, nor is there any mention of it in the books of any one of these Imams. If it were related to religion, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and the Imams of Hadith (may Allah be pleased with them) would certainly have mentioned it. Since they did not, it is undoubtedly an innovation (bid’ah), and innovation is rejected.
The History of the Invention of Eid Milad:
The Fatimid rulers, who were “Rafidhi in creed,” were the first to invent this innovation. Allama Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn Ali, known as al-Maqrizi, states:
﴿كان للخلفاء الفاطميين فى طول السنة اعياد ومواسم وهـى مـوسـم راس السنة ، وموسم اول العام ويوم عاشوراء، ومولد النبى ﷺ، ومولد على بن ابي طالب، و مولد الحسن، ومولد الحسين عليهما السلام ، و مولد فاطمة الزهراء عليها السلام و مولد الخليفة الحاضر﴾
“The Fatimid caliphs celebrated festivals and holidays over many years, and these festivals included the birth of the Prophet ﷺ on the day of Ashura at the beginning of the year, the birth of Ali, the birth of Hasan and Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them), the birth of Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), and the birth of the current caliph.”
The same point that this was an innovation of the Fatimid Caliphs has been mentioned by Allama Muhammad Bakhit al-Khanfi, Mufti of Egypt, in his book ”
“.
The Beginning of Milad in Arbil:
Imam Abu Muhammad Abdul Rahman bin Ismail, known as Abu Shama (may Allah have mercy on him), says:
﴿كان اول من فعل ذلك بالموصل الشيخ عمر بن محمد الملا احد الصالحين المشهورين، وبه اقتدى في ذلك صاحب اربل وغيره .﴾
“In the city of Mosul, the first person to innovate it was Umar bin Muhammad al-Mulla, who was among the famous Sufis, and the king of Arbil also followed him in this matter.”
Introduction of the King of Arbil:
His name was Abu Sa’id Kukburi bin Abi al-Hasan Ali bin Yakshaksin bin Muhammad, and his title was Al-Malik al-Mu’azzam Muzaffar al-Din. Imam Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
﴿واول من احدث فعل ذلك صاحب اربل الملك المظفر ابو سعید کوکبوی .﴾
“The first person (in Arbil) who innovated the bid’ah of Milad was the king of Arbil, Al-Malik al-Mu’azzam Abu Sa’id Kukburi.”
Allama Yaqut al-Hamawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
﴿فانه كثير الظلم، عسوف بالرعيه ، راغب في اخذ الاموال من غير وجها …. الخ﴾
“This king was a great oppressor, who exercised extreme tyranny over his subjects and was eager to unjustly seize people’s wealth.”
This extravagant and oppressive king found a mullah who provided material for the Milad gathering by cloaking Quranic and Sunnah texts with various false interpretations. This mullah compiled a book on the subject titled “التنویر فی مولد السراج المنير” and received a reward of one thousand dinars for it.
The name of this mullah is Umar ibn al-Hasan Abu al-Khattab ibn Dahiya al-Andalusi. Imam al-Dhahabi says:
﴿متهم في نقله .﴾
“He is a fabricator in his narration.”
Imam Ibn Najjar says:
﴿رايت الناس مجتمعين على كذبه ووضعه وادعائه سماع مالم يسمعه ولقاء من لم يلقه﴾
“I have seen people who unanimously agreed on his lies, fabricated hadiths, and his claims of hearing and meeting such people from whom he neither heard nor met.”
When Sheikh Taj al-Din Umar ibn Ali al-Fa Kahani (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about this Eid, he said:
﴿لا اعلم لهذا المولد اصلاً في كتاب ولا سنة ولا ينقل عمله عن احد من علماء الامة الذين هم القدوة في الدين، المتسكون بالاثار المتقدمين، بل هو بدعة احمدتها البطانون، وشهوة نفس اعتنى بها الاكالون﴾
“I do not know of any authentic origin of this Mawlid in the Book and Sunnah, and among the scholars of the Ummah who upheld the religion and the traces of the predecessors, none of them have transmitted its practice; rather, it is an innovation fabricated by those who are devoted to falsehood, driven by selfish desires and indulgence.”
❀ Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“The pious predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, did not organize gatherings for Milad, establish its requirements, or prevent obstacles and hindrances from it. And if it were merely a matter of goodness or a preferable act, then the pious predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, were more deserving of it than us; they were more strict in the companionship and reverence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and more eager in good deeds. The excellence of companionship and reverence of the Prophet ﷺ lies in obeying him outwardly and inwardly, submitting humbly to his commands, reviving his Sunnah, spreading the commands with which he was sent, and striving with heart, hand, and tongue in these matters. This was the method of the Ansar and Muhajireen, who were the foremost and those who followed them well.”
Review of the Arguments of Those Who Advocate Milad
First Argument:
It is in Sahih Bukhari that Urwah said:
So Bud Abul Lahab was a slave woman, and Abul Lahab had freed her, so she breastfed the Prophet ﷺ. When Abu Lahab died, someone from his family saw him in a bad state in a dream, so he asked:
What did you find? Abu Lahab said:
I found no peace after you, except that because Thawbiyah was freed, I am given a little milk from her. (He pointed towards the thumb and index finger.) From this narration, it is understood that when a disbeliever frees a slave girl in happiness at the birth of the Prophet ﷺ, then there will be some relief in his punishment. So what is the status of a Muslim?
✔ Review:
◈ Firstly:
The religion of Islam is not established by anything other than revelation. The matter mentioned in this hadith is a dream, and that too not of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.
A dream:
If for our brothers this dream is a legal proof, then are they ready to accept this dream as well? Muhammad bin Hammad says:
I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a dream and said:
O Messenger of Allah! What do you say about the speech of Abu Hanifa and his companions regarding seeing (visions)? Should I follow their speech and act upon it? You ﷺ said: No, no, no, he said three times. Then I said:
Should I see the hadith of you ﷺ and your companions and act upon it? You ﷺ said:
Yes, yes, yes, he said three times. Then I said:
O Messenger of Allah! Teach me a supplication so that I may pray through it. You ﷺ taught me a supplication and repeated it three times, but when I woke up, I forgot that supplication.
A Moment of Reflection:
So, if this dream is taken as a legal proof, are our brothers ready to repent from Hanafi jurisprudence and attach themselves to the Quran and Sunnah?
◈ Secondly:
The deeds of the frivolous will not benefit them on the Day of Resurrection, as stated in the Holy Quran:
﴿وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَّنثُورًا﴾
“And whatever deeds they did, We will turn them into scattered particles.”
There will be no alleviation in the punishment of the disbelievers. It is stated:
﴿إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِينَ فِي عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ ﴿٧٤﴾ لَا يُفَتَّرُ عَنْهُمْ وَهُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾﴾
“Indeed, the criminals will remain in the Hellfire forever. It will not be lightened for them, and they will be in despair therein.”
﴿تَبَّتْ یَدَاۤ اَبِیْ لَهَبٍ وَّ تَبَّ﴾
“May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and may he be ruined.”
This verse of the Holy Quran also refutes the claim that Abu Lahab said, “I suck water with my finger,” which is not correct, because the finger is part of his hands, and Allah Almighty said, “May his two hands be ruined.” Now, should we believe Abu Lahab or the Quran? Decide for yourself.
Second Argument:
Celebrating the birth of the Prophet is an expression of joy for the arrival of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in this world, and Allah Almighty has commanded to celebrate happiness. As it is in the Quran:
﴿قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾
“Say! They should rejoice in the grace and mercy of Allah, which is better than all that they accumulate.”
✔ Review:
◈ Firstly:
In this noble verse, the grace and mercy refer to the Holy Quran, which is supported by the preceding verse. Imam Ibn Jarir Tabari, Hafiz Ibn Kathir, Imam Baghawi, Imam Qurtubi, Ibn Arabi, and many other commentators have given this interpretation. None of the scholars of Tafsir have interpreted this mercy as the birth of the Prophet ﷺ.
◈ Secondly:
Using the Quranic verse “فلیفرحوا” to justify celebrating and rejoicing over the birth of the Prophet ﷺ is actually a distortion of the meaning in the Quran. Tell me, which commentator or translator has written that “فلیفرحوا” means to celebrate, hold processions, dance bhangra, play music, bring buses, trucks, trailers, bullock carts, and camels to the field, create the atmosphere of the Green Dome, roam the streets riding camels, and recite polytheistic praises?
◈ Thirdly:
The real mercy for the people is the mission and prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ.
❀ The command of Allah Almighty is:
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ﴾
“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.”
So the meaning of happiness will be to firmly hold onto the religion brought by you ﷺ and to avoid adding anything to it, and to accept the commands of Islam wholeheartedly. To truly fulfill the rights of you ﷺ. This is your love, obedience, and expression of happiness.
Third Argument:
It is necessary to thank Allah Almighty for the blessings He has bestowed. And the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the greatest blessing and immense favor. Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ﴾
“And remember the favor of your Lord.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself honored his birthday and used to fast on Mondays as gratitude for this great blessing. It is narrated from Abu Qatada رضي الله عنه that he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about fasting on Monday, and he ﷺ said:
“On this day I was born and on this day revelation was sent down to me.”
✔ Summary:
◈ Firstly:
Thanking Allah Almighty is an act of worship, the method of which was shown by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself. Sometimes, he would perform the prostration of gratitude, and sometimes he would recite the phrase “الحمدللہ” to express thanks. He showed gratitude for being blessed with prophethood and messengership by fasting on Monday. Just as the fast of the Day of Ashura was a form of gratitude for the salvation of Prophet Musa (Moses) and the destruction of Pharaoh. Therefore, the way in which the Prophet ﷺ expressed gratitude for his birth, we too should express happiness for this blessing through fasting.
◈ Secondly:
Remember that the Prophet ﷺ did not order gatherings or celebrations on his birthday.
◈ Thirdly:
Fasting on the blessed day of his birth is proof that this is not an “Eid” day. If it were an Eid day, he would never fast on it because the Prophet ﷺ forbade fasting on the days of Eid. Sayyiduna Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه says:
﴿أن رسول الله ﷺ: نهى عن صيام يومين: يوم الأضحى ويوم الفطر﴾
“Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade fasting on the days of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.”
A Moment of Reflection:
The month in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was born is Rabi’ al-Awwal, and in it, he also passed away. It is more reasonable to grieve than to celebrate in this month. There is no doubt that being overwhelmed by emotions and the claims of love for the Prophet led the ignorant masses towards these prohibitions, but how can the claim of love be considered true when the command of the Messenger of Allah is being opposed? Two contradictory things can never coexist. While Allah Almighty has set the measure of love for you ﷺ as following your Sunnah.
﴿قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
May Allah Almighty protect every Muslim from all kinds of misguidance, deviation, customs, and innovations, and grant the ability to become a true lover of the Messenger ﷺ and to act upon the Quran and Sunnah. (Ameen)
Dr. Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, writes in his book At-Tawheed, p. 231, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
﴿التتبعن سنن من كان قبلكم .﴾
“You will surely follow the ways of the previous nations.”
Celebration and Processions of Milad in Rabi’ al-Awwal:
Celebrating Milad is a superficial imitation of the Christians. This is because Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him), which is not a practice in Islam. However, many ignorant Muslims and misguided scholars have started celebrating the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal every year with festivals and processions under the name of Milad Sharif. Some even hold such gatherings inside mosques, while others organize them with great pomp in their homes, fields, or markets, attended by large numbers of unlearned people. They do all this in imitation and copying of the Christians. Just as the Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him), Muslims also celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and imitate them in every aspect of the Milad. Such festivals and processions are innovations and superstitions, and besides imitating the Christians, thousands of kinds of polytheistic acts are committed and forbidden deeds are perpetrated. Such poetic praises are presented in which there is exaggeration in the rights of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), then supplications are made to him (peace be upon him) as if he is present, calls are made to cling to the cloak of Ghaus-e-Azam, while the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself said:
﴿لا تطرونى كما أطرت النصارى ابن مريم ، فإنما عبد فقولوا: عبد الله ورسوله .﴾
“Look! Do not exaggerate in my praise as the Christians exaggerated in the praise of the son of Mary. Indeed, I am a servant, so say, ‘The servant of Allah and His Messenger.'”
Belief of the People of Milad:
The word “Itraa” means to exaggerate in praise and commendation. In the celebrations and processions of Milad-un-Nabi, people generally believe that the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself attends these gatherings. Besides this, other evils include that people collectively recite Naats, there is full arrangement for singing and music, the recitations of Sufi chants and stories are done. Various innovations (bid’ahs) are committed, there is intermingling of men and women, which causes temptation and corruption. There is a complete risk of people falling into immoral acts. Even if these gatherings are free from all evils, the mere fact of people gathering for this purpose, eating and drinking collectively, and expressing joy and happiness is itself an innovation and a new thing introduced into the religion, while the words of the noble Hadith are:
﴿كل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالة﴾
“Every new thing is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.”
And gradually, it is certain that such gatherings will lead to the emergence of immoralities and evils, as usually happens.
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah’s (RA) stance:
In this regard, Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“Nowadays, the way people celebrate Milad Sharif is either by imitating the Christians, because they celebrate the birth of Hazrat Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام, or they do it out of love and reverence for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. However, there is disagreement among historians and biographers about the exact date of the Prophet’s ﷺ birth. Such a Milad was never celebrated by our pious predecessors. If it were something good and beneficial, our noble ancestors would certainly have done it, because they revered the Prophet ﷺ and loved him more than we do. They used to sacrifice their lives to follow the commands of the Prophet ﷺ and to revive every single Sunnah. They were more eager for righteousness than we are. This is because, for them, love and reverence for the Prophet ﷺ meant following him ﷺ, reviving his Sunnahs, promoting Islam, and engaging in Jihad with heart, tongue, and hand. This was the method of the early predecessors, the Muhajireen and Ansar, and their true followers. Numerous books and pamphlets have been written rejecting this innovation, both in the past and in the present era. In reality, besides being an innovation, Milad Sharif opens the door to celebrating the birthdays of other saints and pious people, which leads to various evils and corruption.”
