By Mufti Menk
Bismillah – In these past days I got many many messages asking about whether celebrating the maulud is halal or haram. So I decided to share my thoughts on that.
Islamic scholars are divided on this matter. Some say it is halal to celebrate it, while some say it is haram.
The fact is none of them hears directly from the mouth of the Prophet or from Quran that celebrating Maulud is halal or Haram. All the scholars are using Ijtihad or Ijma to base their arguments.
So, for someone like me or you who is in the centre and cannot understand which opinion to follow, here is a simple logic.
Ask yourself these questions, then make your own assessment. You don’t have to be Mufti or Shaikh to be able to know the answer, even a donkey from forest knows what to do here.
Question:
The messenger PBUH lived for 63 years in this world, did he for once celebrate his birthday? NO.
The Quran was revealed for a period of 23 years, did Allah forget to send down a verse instructing the Prophet or Muslims to celebrate the Messenger’s birthday? NO.
Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali, were the best of men to ever lived after the Prophet, they loved the Prophet more than any other person, dead or alive, did anyone of them celebrate the birthday of the Messenger while he was alive or dead? NO.
Fatima lived for many years during her life time, did she for once, celebrate the birthday of her father. do you love the Prophet more than Fatima? NO.
Al Hassan and Al Hussain, the two grandchildren of the Messenger, they lived for a long time after the demise of their grandfather, did they for once celebrate the birthday of the Prophet? NO.
After Quran, Sahih Bukhari is the most authentic book in Islam, it is the highest authority as far as the sayings of the Prophets and his actions are concerned, did Imam Bukhari in any place mention Maulud? NO.
Brothers and sisters, those are simple questions and I did not make up the information, you can check any book of history or hadith and you will confirm it.
No one including the Prophet celebrated his birthday, not even Allah instructs anyone of them to celebrate it. So who are you to come and tell us that Maulud is prescribed for us, from where did you get the prescription?
Do you love the Messenger more than Allah?
Do you love the Messenger more than his friends (Companions) or his daughter or his grandchildren ?
Why are you introducing an ibada after the Messenger has already said: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” – [Surah Al-Ma’idah | Ayah 3]” meaning Islam is complete. When did you start receiving revelations from Allah?
I will conclude with the hadith of the Prophet: “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.” [At-Tirmidhi]
May Allah guide us all and protect us from the whispers of shaitan.