Question:Can Surah Yūnus, verse 58 be used as evidence for celebrating the Mawlid (birth of the Prophet ﷺ)? Please explain.
Answer by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir (ḥafiẓahullāh)◉ The Verse in Question
قُلۡ بِفَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحۡمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَفۡرَحُواْۖ هُوَ خَيۡرٞ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ
Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.
[Sūrah Yūnus: 58]
This verse is often quoted by some to justify celebrating the Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺ, interpreting “Fa-bi-dhālika falyafraḥū” as a command to rejoice at the Prophet’s birth, whom they identify as Allah’s “mercy” (per Sūrah al-Anbiyā: 107).
◉ Scholarly Refutations and Clarifications
Response by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir (ḥafiẓahullāh) has comprehensively addressed this point, particularly in his rebuttal to Ṭāhir al-Qādirī’s work on Mawlid, which is available on the Muḥaddith Forum website.
He clarifies that:
✔ This ayah is not specific to the Mawlid or to any celebration of the Prophet’s birth.
✔ Using this verse as proof for celebrating the Prophet’s birthday is a forced interpretation and lacks support from early scholars and juristic methodology.
Summary from Fatāwā Thanā’iyyah
In Fatāwā Thanā’iyyah, this verse is briefly analyzed in the context of Mawlid, highlighting:
① Ḥanafī juristic methodology mandates that rulings must be derived through established usūl (principles) of ijtihād, istinbāṭ, and istikhraaj—which non-mujtahids (muqallids) are not allowed to practice.
② Hence, using this verse as a basis for a religious ruling by a non-mujtahid, especially for justifying a non-established religious practice, is against Ḥanafī legal principles themselves.
Statement by Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī Thānwī رحمه الله
In his book Khiṭabāt-e-Mīlād, he writes:
➤ The door of ijtihād is closed from the 4th century Hijri onwards.
➤ All issues must be derived from the four accepted madhāhib.
➤ A muqallid (follower) has no right to independently extract rulings (istinbāṭ).
➤ Therefore, invoking personal interpretation from this verse to validate Mawlid falls outside the domain of acceptable scholarly methodology.
◉ Summary Judgment
✔ This verse encourages rejoicing upon Allah’s general mercy and guidance (interpreted by scholars as referring to Qur’an and Islam), not a justification for specific celebratory practices like Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺ, which:
✦ Did not exist in the early generations (Salaf).
✦ Has no explicit evidence from the Prophet ﷺ or his companions.
✦ Involves bidʿah (innovation) as per the view of many classical scholars.
✦ Its justification using this verse is invalid according to both Salafī and Ḥanafī methodologies.
Conclusion
❖ The use of Surah Yūnus: 58 as a basis for celebrating Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺ is:
✘ Methodologically flawed.
✘ Jurisprudentially incorrect.
✘ Outside the bounds of legitimate ijtihād for a muqallid.
➤ Wallāhu Aʿlam (Allah knows best)
