Milaad (birthday)?

Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

"The best speech is the Book of ALLAH (سبحانه وتعالى), and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. The most evil of thing are those which are newly invented(in Islam), and every innovation is going astray..
[Reported­ by Muslim and al-Nisaa ee].

We may claimed that, because of love we have to Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ is we do that. No! Our love to Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ cannot over the that of Sahab'a (companion) رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰعنه. We find not Sahab'a رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰعنه celebrated Mawlid, Included first four Caliphs, Taabi een, Imaams and others

Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

"The best of mankind are my generation(Cent­ury), then those who come after them, then those come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care of their testimony comes before their oath or vice-versal (The­y will not take it seriously)
[Reported by Bukhaari al-Muslim al-Tirmidhi]

Please brothers and sisters in Islam, beware of newly invented, for every newly invented matters is Bid'ah and every Bid'ah is going astrayed.

Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

"Stick to my Sunn'ah and Sunn'ah of my rightly guided Caliph, beware of Newly invented matter, for every newly invented matter is Bid'ah (Innovation) and every innovation is going astrayed..
[Tirimidhi]

And ALLAH (سبحانه وتعالى) knows best

Da'wah

Permissibility of Mawlid Based on the Quran:

1.) “So (as for) those who believe in him and honour him and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, these it is that are the successful.” (Surat A'raf: 157)

2.) ‘Say: Because of the (fadl) Blessings of Allah and His (rahma) Mercy you should celebrate (with happiness and pleasure). That is better than what (wealth) they amass.’ (Q.10:58).

3.) "And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds". (Q. 21:107)

4.) ‘Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when he sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad)’ (Q.3:164)

5.) ‘That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is the owner of Mighty Grace.’(Q.62:4)

6.) ‘And send salaam on him the day he (Yahya) was born, and the day he dies and the day he will be raised up to life (again).’ (Q.19:15)


Permissibility of Mawlid in Sunnah (Hadiths)

1.) In a Hadith narrated by Abu Qatada Ansari (rad), Allah's Messenger (SAW) was asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: ‘It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.’

References:

a.) Sahih Muslim, Book 6 – Fasting, Vol. 7, Page 323, Hadith 2807
b.) Asad al-Gaba fi Ma’arfat as-Sahaba, Vol. 1, Page 21-22, published in Lahore 1987
c.) Sunan al-Kubra lil Bayhaqi, Vol. 4, Page 286
d.) Musannaf Abd ar-Razzak, Vol. 4, Page 296, Hadith7865
e.) Sunan Abi Dawood, Vol. 7, Page 255, Hadith 2428
f.) Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 49, Page 195, Hadith 23200


2.) The Prophet (SAW) himself celebrated his birth. In a Hadith narrated by Anas, in the Sunan of Imam Bayhaqi, (v.9 p.300 no. 43), states that the Prophet (SAW) sacrificed some animals and performed an aqiqa for himself after the announcement of his Prophethood.

Imam Suyuti states that this was not an aqiqa done in the traditional sense since his grandfather had already performed it. It is not possible to repeat an act of Shari’ah once it is already done. Imam Suyuti states that the reason for the sacrifice of the animals was an act of thankfulness and a celebration done by the Prophet (SAW) for his birth. Imam Suyuti concludes that it is mustahab (advisable) for us to celebrate the mawlid in ijtima (collectively) since the Prophet (SAW) sacrificed animals and distributed the food and thus we too should have a gathering and distribute food and rejoice in a good manner (‘Husn Maqsid fî `Amal-il mawlid by Imâm Jalâl ad-Dîn Suyûtî, pp. 64-6).

Some critics may argue that since the Prophet’s original aqiqa was done in the period of jahliyyah he wanted to repeat it to ensure its proper performance. However this is not a valid argument because why were other acts not repeated by the Prophet (SAW)? For example why did he not repeat his nikah to Hadrat Khadija (rad) which was originally done prior to Prophethood?


3.) Imam Al Suyuti, from Alhawi lil fatawi, wrote a chapter entitled ‘The Good Intention in Commemorating the Mawlid’ in which he said, ‘To commemorate the Mawlid, which is basically gathering people together, reciting parts of the Qu'ran, narrating stories about the Prophet's birth and the signs that accompanied it, then serving food, and afterwards, departing, is one of the good innovations; and the one who practices it gets rewarded, because it involves venerating the status of the Prophet and expressing joy for his honourable birth.’


4.) Allama Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah, a renowned student of Imam Ibn Taymiyya, writes, in Madarij as-Salikin. ‘Listening to a good voice celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (SAW) or celebrating any of the holy days in our history gives peace to the heart, and gives the listener light from the Prophet (SAW) to his heart, and he will drink more from the Muhammadan spring’

5.) Ibn Kathir showing his appreciation of celebrating the Mawlid, mentions in Al Bidayah wan Nihayah the Islamic ruler Malik al-Muzzafar. He writes, ‘During Rabi ul Awwal he used to celebrate Mawlid with great celebration, Moreover, he was benevolent, brave, wise, a scholar, and a just person. Shaykh Abul Khattab wrote a book on Mawlid an Nabi for him and named it At-Tanwir fi Mawlid al Bashir al Nazeer, for which he gave him 1000 dinars. His rule stayed till the Rule of Salahiya and he captured Aka and he remained a man worthy of respect. Al-Sabt mentions that a person attending the gathering of Mawlid held by Muzzafar said: He used to fill the table with 5000 well cooked goats, 10,000 chickens, 100-thousand bowls (of milk) and 30,000 trays of sweets.’ This clearly indicates that the practise of Mawlid was commemorated by those who were authorities in Islam.