Question: Some people justify Eid Milad by citing certain verses of the Holy Quran. How valid is their effort? Kindly explain.
Answer: Muslims are expected to rejoice over the Prophethood, migration, preaching, jihad, compassion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) towards the Ummah, and other aspects of his life. This joy is not limited to just one day or night out of the 360 days of the year, but should be present at all times, in every era and situation. It is a great excess that although we are Muslims, we celebrate joy and festivals only one day a year, and for the rest of the year, we neither remember the sayings and actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), nor see his example in our lives. Instead, every aspect of our life reflects the customs and traditions of Jews, Christians, and Hindus, and only on one day of the year do we, in the name of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), imitate non-Muslim nations, acting contrary to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
✿ Verse of the Quran:
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّـهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا
“Say, ‘In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy—in that let them rejoice.'”
↰ Using فليفرحو to argue for celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is actually a distortion of the Quran. Because what lexicon defines فليفرحو as “celebrate” in the sense of organizing processions, dancing bhangra, playing music, decorating buses, trucks, and trailers, creating an atmosphere like the Green Dome, riding camels around the streets, and reciting polytheistic praises? Tell me, which commentator or translator has written that its meaning is such?
↰ Our master Abu Saeed Khudri, our master Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما, Hilal bin Siyaf, Qatadah, Zaid bin Aslam, and Dhahak رحمه الله and others have interpreted this favor and mercy with Islam and the Holy Quran, which is also supported by the preceding verse. Imam Ibn Jarir, Imam Ibn Kathir, Imam Baghawi, Imam Qurtubi, Ibn Arabi, and many other commentators have given the same interpretation. None of the interpretations of the Imams mention that this mercy refers to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. It is clear that the real mercy for the people is the Prophethood and mission of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم.
✿ Allah the Exalted says:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ
“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.”
↰ This verse is clear evidence that the Prophethood of the Noble Prophet ﷺ is a mercy for the worlds. And in Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that Sayyiduna Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked to curse the polytheists, but he ﷺ said: اني لم ابعث لعانا وانما بعثت رحمة “I have not been sent to curse people but as a mercy.”
↰ Both this verse and hadith clarify that the mission of the Noble Prophet ﷺ is mercy for the worlds. The second argument based on the narration from Sahih Bukhari is also invalid. The first reason is that the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah is that Islam is established only through revelation, and what is mentioned in Bukhari’s hadith is a dream, and not the dream of the Noble Prophet ﷺ which is revelation, but the dream of Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib رضي الله عنه, and it was before his acceptance of Islam. How can religion be established from the dream of a disbeliever, especially when he narrated it while still in disbelief? The second reason is that a disbeliever does not receive reward for good deeds after death.
✿ Allah Almighty says:
وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَى مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا
“And We will turn to whatever deeds they did and make them as scattered dust.”
✿ In another verse it is stated:
أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَائِهِ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا
“Those are the ones who disbelieved in the signs of their Lord and in meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless. On the Day of Resurrection, We will not assign any weight to them.”
↰ If Abu Lahab was happy upon hearing about the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it was a natural happiness because every person is happy at the birth of a child of their relatives, and happiness that is not for the sake of Allah has no reward. Moreover, did he celebrate that happiness every year or only once? The texts of the Holy Quran also prove that there will be no reduction in the punishment of the disbelievers.
✿ The command of Allah Almighty is:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ ٭ وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُمْ مَا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ نَصِيرٍ
“And those who disbelieved will have the fire of Hell; it will not be decreed upon them that they should die, nor will its torment be lightened for them. Thus do We recompense every ungrateful one. They will cry out therein, ‘Our Lord, take us out; we will do righteousness other than what we used to do.’ (Allah will say) Did We not give you life long enough for whoever would remember to remember, and the warner came to you? So taste [the punishment], and there is not for the wrongdoers any helper.”
✿ In another verse it is stated:
إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِينَ فِي عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ * لَا يُفَتَّرُ عَنْهُمْ وَهُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ
“Indeed, the criminals will abide in the Hellfire forever; it will not be lightened for them, and they will be despairing therein.”
↰ If anyone truly thinks that these arguments establish a religious ruling to celebrate and rejoice over the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, then did the Imam of the Prophets himself and his more than one hundred thousand companions (may Allah be pleased with them) not understand this? If they did understand it, then why did they not celebrate this? Furthermore, in this narration, Abu Lahab said: “I suck water with my finger.” While the finger is a part of his hand, and Allah Almighty has stated in the Holy Quran:
تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ
“May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he.”
↰ This verse of the Holy Quran also refutes that. Now decide whether to accept the statement of Abu Lahab or the Quran. Remember! Rejoicing over the Prophet ﷺ does not mean introducing things into Islam that have no connection with the religion. Because that would mean that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was negligent in conveying the religion. (May Allah protect us)
↰ Rather, happiness means that you firmly hold onto the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and avoid adding anything to it, and sincerely accept the commands of Islam with heart and soul. This is the love, obedience, and following of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
