Eid A Miladunnabi: A Bidah that Muslims should be aware of

[BD-Shardul]

Many people repeatedly ask what is the Sharée status of
"Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee'. Moreover, What is the ruling of the Shariáh with
regard to standing up in reverence and reciting Salaat and salaam during the
customary Meelad proceedings?

Answer:

The establishment of ceremonial gatherings under the banner of
"Éid-un-Nabee" is prohibited according to the Shariáh. Attaching importance
and significance to such functions is purely Bidáh and an innovation in
Deen, because neither did Rasulullah himself indulge in it, nor did the
illustrious Khulafaa-e-Raashideen (Radhiyallaahu-Ánhum) organise such
functions. Similarly, neither did any of the other Sahaaba-e-Kiraam
(Radhiyallaahu-Ánhum) participate in such gatherings, nor is there any
incident on record during the blessed era of the taabi'een or tab'e
taabi'een (Rahmatullaahi Álayhim) that can, in any way, substantiate this
innovation. No proof whatsoever can be found, in spite of the fact that
these were people who were best acquainted with the Sunnah of Rasulullah
(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) and had total love for him. They were staunch
followers of the Shariáh.

Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) has in no unclear terms, said: -
"whoever introduces anything that is not part of Deen, into this Deen of
ours, it shall be rejected." (Bukhari/Muslim)

In another Hadith he says: -
"Hold steadfast onto my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided
Khulafaa, after me. Hold steadfast onto it firmly, and beware of
newly-introduced practices, for every new practice is an innovation and
every innovation leads one astray." (Abu Dawood/Tirmizi)

Severe warnings have been sounded in the above-mentioned Ahaadith with
regard to introducing and implementing innovations in Deen.

The holy Qur'an enjoins: -
"And whatsoever the messenger giveth you, take it. And whatsoever he
forbiddeth, abstain (from it). And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is
stern in reprisal." (59:7)

"Verily in the messenger of Allah, ye have a good example for him who
looketh unto Allah and the last day, and remembereth Allah much." (33:21)

"This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed my favour
unto you, and have chosen for you a religion, al-Islam." (5:3)

There are numerous other Aayaat and Ahaadith that can be quoted. But from no
Aayat or Ahaadith can the current form of "Eid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee
(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)', be proved. In spite of this, the people
that revel in establishing and participating in such functions, and regard
the same as a form of reward, insist on forging ahead with their carnal
ideals. This attitude of theirs causes some serious questions to be posed: -

Did Allah Ta'ala not perfect Deen-e-Islam for this Ummah?
Did Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) not disclose to us all the
facets and aspects of Islam that required being put into practice?

The bitter truth for the exponents of Bid'a is that it was only many
centuries after the righteous and golden era of Islam that people began t0
fabricate innovations under the h00d of "Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee (Sallallaaahu
Álayhi Wasallam)" and "Mahfeel-e-Meelad", which were, practices not ordained
by Allah Taãla to any of His Ambiyaa Álayhimus salaam.

Will such innovations grant proximity to Allah Taãla? Never! On the
contrary, these innovations should be a cause of great concern and alarm for
the Ummat-e-Muslimah! Na-oothu-billahi-min-thalika! We seek Allah Taãla's
refuge from innovations that tantamount to levelling mind-boggling
accusations against the pure and venerable personality of Rasulullah
(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) by innovating such practices, one is
indirectly suggesting that Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)
concealed from the Ummah, aspects of Deen that were of immense benefit t0
it. How can this be possible when Allah Ta'ala himself categorically
declares that he perfected this religion for us and completed his favour
upon us, which means that Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) conveyed
every single aspect of Deen to the Ummah and that he left no stone unturned
in showing us every road leads t0 Jannah and every road that takes one to
Jahannam so that we may adopt the former and avoid the latter.

Hence, it is mentioned in one Hadith: -
"It was the incumbent duty of every Nabee Álayhis-salaam to guide his Ummah
towards that which was beneficial for it and warn it against that which was
detrimental for it." (Muslim)

It is a known fact that Rasulullah is the most superior of all the Ambiyaa
Álaihimus-salaam and also that he is the seal of all the prophets
Álayhimus-salaam. He left no stone unturned in conveying Deen to us and
rendering precious advice to us. If the "Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee (Sallallaaahu
Álayhi Wasallam)" was a divinely inspired act, then surely Rasulullah would
have commanded the Muslimeen to it, or at least, either he or his beloved
Sahaaba (Radhiyallahu-Ánhum) would have practised it. When it cannot be
substantiated by any of their actions, then it is a crystal clear fact
"Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" or "Mahfeel-e-Meelad"
(call it what you may), has absolutely no relationship with Islam instead,
it is Bidáh (innovation) against which we have been soundly warned by
Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) as was noted from the tw0 Ahaadith
mentioned at the beginning of this discussion and, apart from them, many
more can be quoted to prove the fallacy of innovation in Islam. That is why,
in the light of these unambiguous proofs, the Úlama-e-Haqq have always
refuted and rejected the customary form of
"Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee•(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" and Mahfeel-e-Meelad
and have also always discouraged people from participating in such
gatherings.

If a careful and proper dissection of this "Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee
(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" is made, it will be found that, apart from
it being a manifestation of Bid'at, it also encompasses 0ther evils such as
the intermingling of sexes, usage of musical instruments and many other such
evils which wildly flaunted under the banner of "Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee
(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" and under the deception that reward is being
accrued. The most abhorring and shocking evils in these functions are the
acts of shirk that take place. With hollow claims of "Hubbe-Rasul
(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" (love for Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi
Wasallam)), entreaties and supplications are made to beings other than
Allah, namely to Ambiyaa Álaihimus-salaam and Auliaa-e-Kiraam
Rahmatullaahi-Álaaihum. The exponents of "Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee
(Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" also blindly acknowledge and believe that
Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) comes to this function and due to
this belief, they stand up in respect and veneration to welcome him. This
belief is a blatant fabrication and a sign of compound ignorance. The true
and down t0 earth fact is that Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)
does not arrive at any "Éid-e-Meelad-un Nabee (Sallallaaahu Álayhi
Wasallam)" function and that he is in his Rawdha-e-Mubarak (grave) at
Madinah Munawwarah and will emerge from it at the onset of Yawmul-Qiyaamah.
The following Aayaat and Hadith testify to this fact: -

The Qur'an, addressing Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam), announces
explicitly: -
"Lo! Thou wilt die, and Lo! They will die. Then Lo! On the day of
resurrecti0n, before your sustainer, you will dispute." (39:30,31)

At another juncture, Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) is addressed
together with the rest of mankind: -
"Then Lo! After that ye surely die, then Lo! On the day of resurrection ye
are raised (again)" (23:16)

Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) himself has said in a Hadith: -

"My grave will be the first to be opened on the day of Qiyaamah and I shall
be the first person to intercede and the first person whose intercession
shall be accepted."

The above mentioned Aayaat and Hadith as well as other similar Aayaat and
Ahaadith prove that all of mankind will be raised from their graves on the
day of Qiyaamah, with Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) being no
excepti0n. This is a belief that revolves around the consensus of opinion of
the entire Ummat-e-Muslimah, hence the need for all Muslims to believe that
Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) is in his Rawdha-e-Mubarak and
does not frequent any "Éid-e-Meelad-un-Nabee (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)"
programme. All Muslims must be made aware of this so that unsuspecting ones
do not fall prey to the Bid'at and innovations introduced into Deen by
ignoramuses of this Ummah.

We make Duáa to Allah Ta'ala that he keeps us on the correct Deen-ul-Islam
and that he gives guidance to those that goes astray.

May Allah Ta'ala's Durood and salaam descend upon Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu
Álayhi Wasallam).

The Importance of Durood and Salaam
Instead of squandering our money and time on futile acts 0f Bidáh let us
rather utilise our precious time, as much as possible on the recitation of
Durood and salaam upon our beloved Rasulullah, which is indeed, a highly
meritorious and virtuous act. The Qur'an enjoins: -
"Lo! Allah and his Malaaikah shower blessings on the Nabee 0 ye who believe
ask for the descent of blessings on him and salute him with a worthy
salutation." (34:56)

Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) has said: -
"Whosoever sends one Durood upon me, Allah Ta'ala will shower ten mercies
upon him." (Muslim)

Particularly on the day of Jumuáh one should increase the recitation of
Durood and salaam.

May Allah Taãla give us the guidance to recite Durood abundantly and grant
us 'Hubbe-Rasul (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam)" in the true sense of the
word.

Warning to Úlama
Hadhrat Muádh bin Jabal (Radhiyallaahu Ánhu) narrates the following Hadith,
'Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said, 'whenever a Bidáh
originates in my Ummah and the Úlama do not prevent it, the laánat of Allah,
of his angels and of mankind descend upon them (the Úlama who refrain from
prohibiting the innovation).' (Mishkãt).

From: http://islam.tc/ask-imam/index.php
The History of Milad (From wiki)

The earliest accounts for the observance of Mawlid can be found in eighth century Mecca, the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, when the house, in which he was born, was transformed into a place of prayer by Al-Khayzuran, the mother of Harun al-Rashid, the fifth and most famous Abbasid caliph.[5] Public celebrations of the birth of Muhammad did not occur until four centuries after the death of the Muhammad and was originally a festival of the Shia ruling class, not attended by the common people, with the first official Mawlid celebrations occurring in Egypt towards the end of the eleventh century.[2][5] The Fatimids, who were descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah, celebrated the birth of Muhammad as well as his daughter Fatimah, her husband Ali, and the ruling Fatimid caliph.[6] The early celebrations included elements of Christian and Sufic influence with animal sacrifices and torchlight processions along with public sermons and a feast.[7][6] The celebrations occurred during the day, in contrast to modern day observances, with the Fatimid ruler playing a key role in the ceremonies.[8] Emphasis was given to the Ahl al-Bayt with presentation of sermons and recitations of the Qur'an along with the award of gifts to officials in order to bolster support for the ruling caliph.[8]

The first public celebrations by Sunnis took place in twelfth century Syria, under the rule of Nur ad-Din, but there is no firm evidence to indicate the reason for the adoption of the Shi'ite festival by the Sunnis although some theorise the celebrations took hold to counter the Christian influence in places such as Spain and Morocco.[9] The practice was briefly halted by the Ayoubides when they came to power, and it became a family event,[10] but regained status as an official event again in 1207 when it was re-introduced by Muzaffar ad-din, the brother-in-law of Saladin, in Arbil, a town near Mosul, Iraq.[7][6] The practice spread throughout the Muslim world, assimilating local customs, to places such as Cairo, where folklore and Sufic practices greatly influenced the celebrations, and later in 1588 to the court of Murad III, Sultan of the Ottoman empire.[11][5] In 1910, it was given official status as a national festival throughout the Ottoman empire and is also an official holiday in many parts of the world.[5]

It has to be noted that the supporters of Milad un Nabi or any kind of Milad agree that Milad is a "Bidah' or a new addition/innovation in the deen al Islam. They try to say that a Bidah is OK as long as it doesn't violate the rules of Shariah. But actually, any bidah itself is violation of shariah, so there is no point of judging whether a bidah violates the shariah.

Bidah is a dangerous thing. If you listen to a Friday sermon, you will notice that
the imam warns about bidah right after the introduction.

[auntu]

great post.

sorry to react late.... I missed it.

this is the greatest didah now a days. pepole think doing milad is the parcticing islam.

[BanCricFan]

To understand the concept of Bidah in Islam one has to be familiar with its linguistic and theological definition. One also has to be educated in the sciences of religion, particularly, in the science of Maqasid al-shariah (the goal/objective of shariah).

Classical, traditional scholars have defined Bidah (innovation) as both good and bad in theological terms. In short, the concept of Maulid-un-nabi falls under 'good' innovation (Bidatul hasanah) except certain dubious practices associated with the Maulid in certain cultures. A fierce critic of bad innovations- Ibn Taymiyyah- was not against Maulid.

[BD-Shardul]

Originally Posted by BanCricFan
To understand the concept of Bidah in Islam one has to be familiar with its linguistic and theological definition. One also has to be educated in the sciences of religion, particularly, in the science of Maqasid al-shariah (the goal/objective of shariah).

Classical, traditional scholars have defined Bidah (innovation) as both good and bad in theological terms. In short, the concept of Maulid-un-nabi falls under 'good' innovation (Bidatul hasanah) except certain dubious practices associated with the Maulid in certain cultures. A fierce critic of bad innovations- Ibn Taymiyyah- was not against Maulid.

Can't agree with you here BanCricFan bhai. As far as I know from what I read, there could be no such thing as good innovation. Anything you add into the deen will be lebelled as bidah, and that is not permitted.

[BD-Shardul]

And BTW, have a look how people in BD celebrate Eid-E-Miladunnabi:

[BD-Shardul]

What these guys believe while celebrating Miladunnabi is that prophet comes when they recite durood loudly.

[WarWolf]

Originally Posted by BD-Shardul
Can't agree with you here BanCricFan bhai. As far as I know from what I read, there could be no such thing as good innovation. Anything you add into the deen will be lebelled as bidah, and that is not permitted.

I can't agree with you BD-Shardul. Due to change in time you need to have some kind of additions. Like Azaan in loud speakers. During the period of Rasulullah (Peace and blessings be upon him) there was not such a thing as mike. So it must be an addition. But you cannot say that this is bad.

BTW, I agree with you on the original point. Milad, the way we see it these days, is an addition which is mis-directed IMO. Thanks for opening such a nice thread.

[Electrequiem]

My Islamic knowledge is no where near you guys, but I try to educated myself about my faith as much as possible. Therefore, I want to know this:

Are you guys saying part-taking in ANY activities for Eid-e-Miladunnabi is wrong? What about a simple doa-mehfil to pay respect to the Prophet (pbuh)? Please let me know.

[WarWolf]

Originally Posted by Electrequiem
My Islamic knowledge is no where near you guys, but I try to educated myself about my faith as much as possible. Therefore, I want to know this:

Are you guys saying part-taking in ANY activities for Eid-e-Miladunnabi is wrong? What about a simple doa-mehfil to pay respect to the Prophet (pbuh)? Please let me know.

Nothing wrong if you arrange a doa-mehfil. In fact, this is encouraged. But the problem is the implementation of milad. I hope you have seen the pics posted by Bd-Shardul.

Allah and his Rasul (Peace and blessings be upon him) informed us how to pay respect to Rasulullah(Peace and blessings be upon him) . Reading darud-e-rasul is the suggested way. We need to do as we are instructed. Innovation and adding new things as prayer is most dangerous as they tend to divert us just like the earlier ones got diverted.

BTW, what is the point in standing in the milad?

[Electrequiem]

WarWolf ... I have seen the pictures. Yes, to me, they seem to be borderline shirk. Its too embellished, and the Prophet always suggested his followers to NOT be too corpulent in arranging religious occasions.

For this year Eid-e-Miladunnabi, our community (a very small Muslim population) gathered in the mosque, recited some darood and then did a final munazat ... and later ate some tabrookh which was brought in by some brothers/sisters. To us, Eid-E-Miladunnabi has always been this way.

The standing during the milad, I believe, is a tradition that has stemmed from the Sufi roots. If you look at a Sufi gathering, they don't simply stand and pray ... some even dance! It is a very mystic thing to watch, actually.

[WarWolf]

Originally Posted by Electrequiem
WarWolf ... I have seen the pictures. Yes, to me, they seem to be borderline shirk. Its too embellished, and the Prophet always suggested his followers to NOT be too corpulent in arranging religious occasions.

For this year Eid-e-Miladunnabi, our community (a very small Muslim population) gathered in the mosque, recited some darood and then did a final munazat ... and later ate some tabrookh which was brought in by some brothers/sisters. To us, Eid-E-Miladunnabi has always been this way.

The standing during the milad, I believe, is a tradition that has stemmed from the Sufi roots. If you look at a Sufi gathering, they don't simply stand and pray ... some even dance! It is a very mystic thing to watch, actually.

The discussion on Bid'a may be useful here.
The Concept of Bid'a In The Islamic Shari'ah

The discussion on Milad may be useful here.
RE: Milad -Is it permissible to celebrate the Prophet's birthday (Allah bless him and give peace)

[BanCricFan]

Originally Posted by WarWolf
The discussion on Bid'a may be useful here.
The Concept of Bid'a In The Islamic Shari'ah

The discussion on Milad may be useful here.
RE: Milad -Is it permissible to celebrate the Prophet's birthday (Allah bless him and give peace)

Thanks for the links, WarWolf! Hope this will help us to understand and appreciate the intricate and sophisticated nature of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) in an age when great many of us would like to have everything as black and white.

[BanCricFan]

Originally Posted by Electrequiem
WarWolf ... I have seen the pictures. Yes, to me, they seem to be borderline shirk. Its too embellished, and the Prophet always suggested his followers to NOT be too corpulent in arranging religious occasions.

For this year Eid-e-Miladunnabi, our community (a very small Muslim population) gathered in the mosque, recited some darood and then did a final munazat ... and later ate some tabrookh which was brought in by some brothers/sisters. To us, Eid-E-Miladunnabi has always been this way.

The standing during the milad, I believe, is a tradition that has stemmed from the Sufi roots. If you look at a Sufi gathering, they don't simply stand and pray ... some even dance! It is a very mystic thing to watch, actually.

Borderline shirk...sounds very crude, I'm afraid! I dont see anything wrong with those pics except some over-embellishments of the Mosque which is makruh at worse. On the contrary, I find the pics depicting some positive aspects of Muslim life- love of the beloved Prophet for example. Anything which reminds one of Allah and His beloved Prophet in this strange day and age can only be praiseworthy.

Dancing is not forbidden in Islam as long as certain adabs are observed. Rumi was a great exponent of rythemic and mystical whirling which leads to spiritual ecstasy. Many great scholars and saints (awliah) of Islam used to partake in spiritual music and dancing.

[Alien]

Originally Posted by BD-Shardul
Anything you add into the deen will be lebelled as bidah, and that is not permitted.

Does the same apply to Ijtema? Because I don't recall reading anywhere the Prophet (Pbuh) asking us to hold this kind of congregation.

[Electrequiem]

Originally Posted by BanCricFan
Borderline shirk...sounds very crude, I'm afraid! I dont see anything wrong with those pics except some over-embellishments of the Mosque which is makruh at worse. On the contrary, I find the pics depicting some positive aspects of Muslim life- love of the beloved Prophet for example. Anything which reminds one of Allah and His beloved Prophet in this strange day and age is praiseworthy.

Dancing is not forbidden in Islam as long as certain adabs are observed. Rumi was a great exponent of rythemic and mystical whirling which leads to spiritual ecstasy. Many great scholars and saints (awliah) of Islam used to partake in spiritual music and dancing.

Yes, BanCricFan bhai...sorry if it sounded a bit crude. What I meant was these images sort of reminded me of some festivities that I once saw in an Ahmadiyya mosque ... so you see why I used that word.

As per dancing is concerned, I never said anything was wrong with it. I agree with what you said. The sufi's route to spiritual enlightenment is a very interesting one, and if given a chance, I'd love to try it someday.

[BanCricFan]

Originally Posted by Electrequiem
Yes, BanCricFan bhai...sorry if it sounded a bit crude. What I meant was these images sort of reminded me of some festivities that I once saw in an Ahmadiyya mosque ... so you see why I used that word.

As per dancing is concerned, I never said anything was wrong with it. I agree with what you said. The sufi's route to spiritual enlightenment is a very interesting one, and if given a chance, I'd love to try it someday.

Electrequiem bhai, thanks for the clarifications! Well, I'm sure there are followers of Shaddhaliah or Naqshabandiah tariqahs in your part of the world. I can recommend Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, San Francisco. Although, they are an academic seminary but many Sufi teachers are associated with the institute.

[Banglatiger84]

Originally Posted by BanCricFan

Dancing is not forbidden in Islam as long as certain adabs are observed. Rumi was a great exponent of rythemic and mystical whirling which leads to spiritual ecstasy. Many great scholars and saints (awliah) of Islam used to partake in spiritual music and dancing.

While dancing is not forbidden in Islam, please dont confuse sufism with Islam. Islam also doesnt believe in saint concept, we have pious men, but they were men who we should respect because of their good deeds, and not label them as saint, which again has led to all sorts of unislamic practices such as Mazars etc.

Also Rumi was a legendary poet , not an Islamic scholar

[BanCricFan]

Originally Posted by Banglatiger84
While dancing is not forbidden in Islam, please dont confuse sufism with Islam. Islam also doesnt believe in saint concept, we have pious men, but they were men who we should respect because of their good deeds, and not label them as saint, which again has led to all sorts of unislamic practices such as Mazars etc.

Also Rumi was a legendary poet , not an Islamic scholar

Salam, Banglatiger84!

Nice to hear from you after such a long time. Hope all is well.

Why do you think I'm confusing Islam with 'sufism' or vice versa? What is your definition or understanding of 'sufism'? ...Bhaiyya, you seemed to have passed on some definitive verdicts on a few things as Islam doesn't believe in this or that. It sounds rather black and white and I find this a bit troublesome. Only a few things in Islam are 'Black and white' -without going into details. This is why we have the concept of Ijtihad (by Ulema)!

Are you familiar with the concept of 'wali allah' in Islam? Although, it literally means 'friend of Allah' but implies the sainthood of a person (not in a Roman Catholic sense, of course). You can assume any upright muslim to be a saint, infact, its recommendable! As I assume you're one of them.

May I ask what is so inherently wrong with mazars? Also, is it impossible for a 'legendery poet' to be a scholar also? ...Rumi was a 'Alim (scholar) of the highest order before a mystic or a poet. He had studied Fiqh, Usul, Hadith, Matn and other sciences with the best scholars of his time. He, infact, was a master of these sciences and had many famous students. Please do read his detailed biography. The author of the world renowned 'Mathnawi' can be anything but just a poet. Have you read the Mathnawi, my dear fella?

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by BanCricFan
May I ask what is so inherently wrong with mazars? ...

Salam BCF,
Are you joking or you are asking a serious question? In a general sense do you know what goes on there? I am assuming you read "lal Shalu" which was in our text. And the murids of the pirs, do you know what they do?
++++

Since early days there wasn't anything in the likes of miladunnabi, we should also avoid the celebration.

[uvaskaves]

In my opinion, a lot of concepts in Islam are quite "black and white," with ofcourse a few shades of gray here and there. I heard a lecture given by a Sheikh named Yusuf Estes, where he describes Islam as the complete surrender, submission, and obedience, with sincerety, to Allah. Very difficult for one to achieve on a consistent basis (talking for myself here), but sounded simple and made a lot of sense. Regarding bidah or innovation, the Sheikh put it into two categories. In terms of acts of worship (ibaada), everything is considered Haram or bidah, except that which has authentic proof from the Sunnah or the Quran. In terms of the worldly life (dunia), activities such as eating, drinking, watching tv, playing sports, etc., everything is considered Halal, unless there is authentic proof from the sunnah or the Quran that it is Haram. Thus, you end up with two extremes: On one side you have people who claim that everything is Bidah and Haram, withouth providing proof or evidence. One the other side you have people who introduce new acts of worhsip, without providing proof or evidence.

Concerning the topic of the thread:
"Celebrating the Prophet's birthday is bida (an innovation in the religion); the Prophet (saaws) did not instruct others to do it, and he didn't have companions around him doing it and then give any type of permission (including silent permission).

We are not to make distinction between any of the Prophets. Distinction in status, for instance. Like to say one is better than another. This leads to idol worship, similar to what the christians did when they began to worship Jesus instead of treat him as the Prophet he was. They just took it a step too far.. and kept running with it, up to what it is today.

The Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) has said: Do not over praise me as the Christians over-praised the son of Mary. I am His slave so say: 'Allah's slave and messenger' [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

What is important about each Prophet and/or Messenger is the MESSAGE."

Mawlid
Mawlid2

[BanCricFan]

For those who might be interested in Fiqh:

"Let us look for a moment at bida or innovation in the light of the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) concerning new matters. Sunna and innovation (bida) are two opposed terms in the language of the Lawgiver (Allah bless him and give him peace), such that neither can be defined without reference to the other, meaning that they are opposites, and things are made clear by their opposites. Many writers have sought to define innovation (bida) without defining the sunna, while it is primary, and have thus fallen into inextricable difficulties and conflicts with the primary textual evidence that contradicts their definition of innovation, whereas if they had first defined the sunna, they would have produced a criterion free of shortcomings.�

Sunna , in both the language of the Arabs and the Sacred Law, means way, as is illustrated by the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace),�
"He who inaugurates a good sunna in Islam [dis: Reliance of the Traveller p58.1(2)] ...And he who introduces a bad sunna in Islam...", sunna meaning way or custom. The way of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in giving guidance, accepting, and rejecting: this is the sunna. For "good sunna" and "bad sunna" mean a "good way" or "bad way", and cannot possibly mean anything else. Thus, the meaning of "sunna" is not what most students, let alone ordinary people, understand; namely, that it is the prophetic hadith (as when sunna is contrasted with "Kitab", i.e. Koran, in distinguishing textual sources), or the opposite of the obligatory (as when sunna, i.e. recommended, is contrasted with obligatory in legal contexts), since the former is a technical usage coined by hadith scholars, while the latter is a technical usage coined by legal scholars and specialists in fundamentals of jurisprudence. Both of these are usages of later origin that are not what is meant by sunna here. Rather, the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is his way of acting, ordering, accepting, and rejecting, and the way of his Rightly Guided Caliphs who followed his way acting, ordering, accepting, and rejecting. So practices that are newly begun must be examined in light of the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and his way and path in acceptance or rejection.�

Now, there are a great number of hadiths, most of them in the rigorously authenticated (sahih) collections, showing that many of the prophetic Companions initiated new acts, forms of invocation (dhikr), supplications (dua), and so on, that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had never previously done or ordered to be done. Rather, the Companions did them because of their inference and conviction that such acts were of the good that Islam and the Prophet of Islam came with and in general terms urged the like of to be done, in accordance with the word of Allah Most High in Suratal-Hajj,�
"And do the good, that haply you may succeed" (Koran 22:77),�
and the hadith of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace),�
"He who inaugurates a good sunna in Islam earns the reward of it and all who perform it after him without diminishing their own rewards in the slightest."�

Though the original context of the hadith was giving charity, the interpretative principle established by the scholarly consensus (def: Reliance of the Traveller b7) of specialists in fundamentals of Sacred Law is that the point of primary texts lies in the generality of their lexical significance, not the specificity of their historical context, without this implying that just anyone may make provisions in the Sacred Law, for Islam is defined by principles and criteria, such that whatever one initiates as a sunna must be subject to its rules, strictures, and primary textual evidence.�

From this investigative point of departure, one may observe that many of the prophetic Companions performed various acts through their own personal reasoning, (ijtihad), and that the sunna and way of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was both to accept those that were acts of worship and good deeds conformable with what the Sacred Law had established and not in conflict with it; and to reject those which were otherwise. This was his sunna and way, upon which his caliphal successors and Companions proceeded, and from which Islamic scholars (Allah be well pleased with them) have established the rule that any new matter must be judged according to the principles and primary texts of Sacred Law: whatever is attested to by the law as being good is acknowledged as good, and whatever is attested to by the law as being a contravention and bad is rejected as a blameworthy innovation (bida). They sometimes term the former a good innovation (bida hasana) in view of it lexically being termed an innovation , but legally speaking it is not really an innovation but rather an inferable sunna as long as the primary texts of the Sacred Law attest to its being acceptable.�"

http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.a...&ID=479&CATE=2

[BanCricFan]

Al `Izz bin Abdussalam said, at the end of his book, Al Qawa�id,
�Innovation is divided into obligatory, forbidden, recommended, disagreeable and permissible, and the way to know which is which is to match it against the religious law.�

Clearly we see from the opinions of these righteous scholars, that to define innovations in worship as wholly negative without exception is ignorant. For these pious knowers, among them Imam Nawawi and Ash-Shafi�i, declared that innovations could be divided into good and bad, based on their compliance or deviance with religious law.

Moreover, the following Prophetic saying is known even to common Muslims, let alone scholars: �He who inaugurates a good practice (sunnatun hasana) in Islam earns the reward of it, and of all who perform it after him, without diminishing their own rewards in the least.� Therefore it is permissible for a Muslim to originate a good practice, even if the Prophet didn�t do it, for the sake of doing good and cultivating the reward. The meaning of inaugurate a good practice (sanna sunnatun hasana) is to establish a practice through personal reasoning (ijtihad) and derivation (istinbat) from the rules of religious law or its general texts. The actions of the Prophet�s Companions and the generation following them which we have stated above is the strongest evidence.

The ones prejudiced against celebrating the Prophet�s birthday have paved the way for their falsehood by deceiving the less-learned among the Muslims. The prejudiced ones claim that Ibn Kathir writes in his Al Bidaya wal Nihaya (11-172) that the Fatimide-Obaidite state, which descends from the Jew, Obaidillah Bin Maimoon Al Kaddah, ruler of Egypt from 357-567 A.H., innovated the celebration of a number of days, among them, the celebration of the Prophet�s birthday. This treacherous lie is a grave insult to the scholarship of Ibn Kathir and the scholarship of all Islam. For in truth, Ibn Kathir writes about the Prophet�s birthday in Al bidaya wal nihaya [13-136] �The victorious king Abu Sa�id Kawkaburi, was one of the generous, distinguished masters, and the glorious kings; he left good impressions and used to observe the honorable Mawlid by having a great celebration. Moreover, he was chivalrous, brave, wise, a scholar, and just.� Ibn Kathir continues, �And he used to spend three hundred thousand Dinars on the Mawlid.� In support, Imam Al Dhahabi writes of Abu Sa�id Kawkaburi, in Siyar A�laam al nubala� [22-336] �He was humble, righteous, and loved religious learned men and scholars of Prophetic saying.�

Following are some sayings of the rightly guided Imams regarding the Mawlid.

Imam Al Suyuti,from Alhawi lil fatawi, wrote a special chapter entitled �The Good Intention in Commemorating the Mawlid,� at the beginning of which he said,
�There is a question being asked about commemorating the Mawlid of the Prophet in the month of Rabi� Al Awal: what is the religious legal ruling in this regard, is it good or bad? Does the one who celebrates get rewarded or not?� The answer according to me is as follows: 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 honorable birth.

Ibn Taymiyyasaid in his book Iqtida� Al Sirat Al Mustaqeem (pg. 266)
�Likewise, what some people have innovated, in competition with the Christians in celebrating the birth of Jesus, or out of love and veneration of the Prophet⦣128;?��uot; and he continues �⦣128;?��at the predecessors didn�t do, even though there is a reason for it, and there is nothing against it.� This is a saying of someone who set fanaticism aside and sought to please Allah and his Prophet. As far as we are concerned, we commemorate the Mawlid for no other reason but what Ibn Taymiya said, �Out of love and veneration of the Prophet.� May Allah reward us according to this love and effort, and may Allah bless the one who said, �Let alone what the Christians claim about their Prophet, and you may praise Muhammad in any way you want and attribute to his essence all honors and to his status all greatness, for his merit has no limits that any expression by any speaker might reach.�

In the same source previously mentioned, Al Suyuti said,
�Someone asked Ibn Hajar about commemorating the Mawlid. Ibn Hajar answered, �Basically, commemorating the Mawlid is an innovation that has not been transmitted by the righteous Muslims of the first three centuries. However, it involves good things and their opposites, therefore, whoever looks for the good and avoids the opposites then it is a good innovation.� It occurred to me (Al Suyuti) to trace it to its established origin, which has been confirmed in the two authentic books: Al Sahihain. When the Prophet arrived in Medina he found that the Jews fast the day of Aashura; when he inquired about it they said, �This is the day when Allah drowned the Pharaoh and saved Moses, therefore we fast it to show our gratitude to Allah.� From this we can conclude that thanks are being given to Allah on a specific day for sending bounty or preventing indignity or harm.� Al Suyuti then commented, �What bounty is greater than the bounty of the coming of this Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy, on that day?�

�This is regarding the basis of Mawlid. As for the activities, there should be only the things that express thankfulness to Allah, such as what has been previously mentioned: reciting Qu�ran, eating food, giving charity, reciting poetry praising the Prophet or on piety which moves hearts and drives them to do good and work for the Hereafter.�

http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.a...=1776&CATE=108

[BanCricFan]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Salam BCF,
Are you joking or you are asking a serious question? In a general sense do you know what goes on there? I am assuming you read "lal Shalu" which was in our text. And the murids of the pirs, do you know what they do?
++++

Since early days there wasn't anything in the likes of miladunnabi, we should also avoid the celebration.

Wa alaikum as-salam,

I'm quite serious, bro! There are lot of happenings in our Masjids as well...should we stop visiting our Masajid, too? There is nothing inherently wrong with Masjids, although, ignorant and unIslamic practices goes on there, too. We should always be mindful that we do not throw out the baby with the bath water!

Well, there are Murid and Murshid ...and gurus and psycopaths. Choose them well, I say!

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by BanCricFan
Wa alaikum as-salam,

I'm quite serious, bro! There are lot of happenings in our Masjids as well...should we stop visiting our Masajid, too? There is nothing inherently wrong with Masjids, although, ignorant and unIslamic practices goes on there, too. We should always be mindful that we do not throw out the baby with the bath water!

Well, there are Murid and Murshid ...and gurus and psycopaths. Choose them well, I say!

Anything associated with shirk should be avoided. Unless one is going to the Mazars to educate them, I suggest not to visit there. No dead man can do anything for us (for the alive ones) in this life. One can say prayers for the deseased from any where in the world. Now for the hereafter, there is only one man who can ask on behalf of us if we are true believers.

There is a reason why Muslim graveyards are recommended not to have a placue/name tags. Let alone make a shrine.

[WarWolf]

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