Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
◈ It must first be understood that the exact date of the Noble Prophet ﷺ’s birth is not definitively established.
◈ According to the research of some contemporary scholars, the night of his birth was the 9th of Rabiʿ al-Awwal, not the 12th.
◈ Therefore, celebrating Eid Milad al-Nabi on the 12th of Rabiʿ al-Awwal has no sound historical basis.
◈ In Islamic law, there is no concept of celebrating Eid Milad al-Nabi.
◈ If such an act were beloved to Allah ﷻ and a form of worship:
✿ The Prophet ﷺ himself would have observed it.
✿ He would have instructed his Ummah to do so.
◈ Since the Prophet ﷺ neither celebrated it nor commanded it, this cannot be part of the religion.
Qur’anic Evidence:
﴿إِنّا نَحنُ نَزَّلنَا الذِّكرَ وَإِنّا لَهُ لَحـفِظونَ﴾ — Sūrat al-Ḥijr
“Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian.”
◈ The method of worship and attaining closeness to Allah ﷻ is only that which the Prophet ﷺ taught.
◈ No person can invent a new method for drawing near to Allah ﷻ.
◈ Doing so constitutes bidʿah (innovation), which is disobedience and disrespect towards Allah ﷻ.
The Religion is Complete:
﴿اليَومَ أَكمَلتُ لَكُم دينَكُم وَأَتمَمتُ عَلَيكُم نِعمَتى﴾ — Sūrat al-Māʾidah
“Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you.”
◈ If Eid Milad were part of the religion, it would have been practised before the Prophet ﷺ’s passing.
◈ Any religious ritual introduced later cannot be part of the completed religion.
◈ Undoubtedly, loving and honouring the Prophet ﷺ is an essential part of faith.
◈ Faith is incomplete until the Prophet ﷺ is more beloved than one’s own life, wealth, and family.
◈ Emotional attachment to him is an act of worship.
However:
◈ Since celebrating Eid Milad is intended as an act of honour and drawing closer to Allah, it falls under the category of worship.
◈ Worship must only be done in ways legislated by Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
◈ Since this practice has no basis in the Sunnah, it is bidʿah and ḥarām.
◈ Reciting naʿts with excessive exaggeration regarding the Prophet ﷺ.
◈ Some poetry (naʿūdhu billāh) elevates him above Allah ﷻ.
◈ Standing at the mention of his birth out of belief that his soul is present — an unfounded and un-Islamic belief.
The Prophet ﷺ disliked people standing for him:
◈ He disapproved of being stood for.
◈ The Companions, despite their immense love for him, did not stand up upon seeing him.
(Ref: Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Adab, Ḥadīths 2754, 2755)
◈ Eid Milad did not exist during the best three generations.
◈ It emerged later and includes other prohibited matters such as:
✿ Mixing of men and women
✿ Un-Islamic songs, exaggerated naʿts, wasteful customs
◈ Eid Milad al-Nabi is historically baseless and religiously an innovation (bidʿah) and prohibited.
◈ Neither the Prophet ﷺ, nor the Companions, nor the Tābiʿīn, nor the Tabiʿ al-Tābiʿīn celebrated it.
◈ This practice causes distortion in the religion and leads to distance from the Sunnah.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
1. The Exact Date of the Prophet ﷺ’s Birth is Unknown
◈ It must first be understood that the exact date of the Noble Prophet ﷺ’s birth is not definitively established.
◈ According to the research of some contemporary scholars, the night of his birth was the 9th of Rabiʿ al-Awwal, not the 12th.
◈ Therefore, celebrating Eid Milad al-Nabi on the 12th of Rabiʿ al-Awwal has no sound historical basis.
2. No Existence of Eid Milad in the Shari'ah
◈ In Islamic law, there is no concept of celebrating Eid Milad al-Nabi.
◈ If such an act were beloved to Allah ﷻ and a form of worship:
✿ The Prophet ﷺ himself would have observed it.
✿ He would have instructed his Ummah to do so.
◈ Since the Prophet ﷺ neither celebrated it nor commanded it, this cannot be part of the religion.
Qur’anic Evidence:
﴿إِنّا نَحنُ نَزَّلنَا الذِّكرَ وَإِنّا لَهُ لَحـفِظونَ﴾ — Sūrat al-Ḥijr
“Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian.”
3. Introducing New Ways in Religion is Unacceptable
◈ The method of worship and attaining closeness to Allah ﷻ is only that which the Prophet ﷺ taught.
◈ No person can invent a new method for drawing near to Allah ﷻ.
◈ Doing so constitutes bidʿah (innovation), which is disobedience and disrespect towards Allah ﷻ.
The Religion is Complete:
﴿اليَومَ أَكمَلتُ لَكُم دينَكُم وَأَتمَمتُ عَلَيكُم نِعمَتى﴾ — Sūrat al-Māʾidah
“Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you.”
◈ If Eid Milad were part of the religion, it would have been practised before the Prophet ﷺ’s passing.
◈ Any religious ritual introduced later cannot be part of the completed religion.
4. Love and Honour for the Prophet ﷺ is Worship
◈ Undoubtedly, loving and honouring the Prophet ﷺ is an essential part of faith.
◈ Faith is incomplete until the Prophet ﷺ is more beloved than one’s own life, wealth, and family.
◈ Emotional attachment to him is an act of worship.
However:
◈ Since celebrating Eid Milad is intended as an act of honour and drawing closer to Allah, it falls under the category of worship.
◈ Worship must only be done in ways legislated by Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
◈ Since this practice has no basis in the Sunnah, it is bidʿah and ḥarām.
5. Common Prohibitions Found in Eid Milad Gatherings
◈ Reciting naʿts with excessive exaggeration regarding the Prophet ﷺ.
◈ Some poetry (naʿūdhu billāh) elevates him above Allah ﷻ.
◈ Standing at the mention of his birth out of belief that his soul is present — an unfounded and un-Islamic belief.
The Prophet ﷺ disliked people standing for him:
◈ He disapproved of being stood for.
◈ The Companions, despite their immense love for him, did not stand up upon seeing him.
(Ref: Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Adab, Ḥadīths 2754, 2755)
6. No Existence in the First Three Generations
◈ Eid Milad did not exist during the best three generations.
◈ It emerged later and includes other prohibited matters such as:
✿ Mixing of men and women
✿ Un-Islamic songs, exaggerated naʿts, wasteful customs
Conclusion
◈ Eid Milad al-Nabi is historically baseless and religiously an innovation (bidʿah) and prohibited.
◈ Neither the Prophet ﷺ, nor the Companions, nor the Tābiʿīn, nor the Tabiʿ al-Tābiʿīn celebrated it.
◈ This practice causes distortion in the religion and leads to distance from the Sunnah.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
