Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad and Month of Rabee’ Al-Awwal

In this article, Sh. Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjed shows the Islamic ruling on celebrating the Prophetic birthday (peace be upon him) through the Prophetic traditions. He also tries to refute the specious arguments of those who consider it as permissible act through seven points.

Is it permissible to fast on the birthday of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on the basis of the hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim, al-Nasaa’i and Abu Dawood, which says that when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting on Mondays, he said: “That is the day on which I was born…” Also on the basis of this hadeeth, is it permissible for a person to fast on the day on which he was born, following thereby the example of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? Please explain.

It is well known that celebrating the prophets birthday is an innovation, A lot of people have Mawlids, but not to celebrate the prophets birthday but to teach about the prophet his life and so on so forth. If the event is not taking place on the prophets birthday is it still considered haram? Is it just the use of the word mawlid that causes the event to be considered haram? for example if I were to teach about the prophets life etc... but not associate the word Mawlid to it would it still be considered haram? In the same event people would be fed etc... I ask this because a wedding dinner will be held in the upcoming weekend on Saturday and since there will be a gathering of people the hosts decided to teach about the prophet after the dinner in the masjid. They called it a mawlid but neither does it fall on the day the prophet was born nor used to celebrate the birth of the prophet but instead to teach about the prophet. They are doing this instead of having dancing etc... so that people would benefit more from learning about the life of the prophet. Please advise. Secondly, If I were to have a gathering at the mosque just to teach about the life of the prophet and provide food to those who attend would this be considered haram?.

Is it haram to eat the special sweets made for the occasion of the prophet’s Birthday, a day before or after or on the same day? What is the ruling on buying these sweets especially that this type of sweets is related only to this occasion?.

Is it permissible to eat food that is distributed on the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Some people quote as evidence the idea that because Abu Lahb set free a slave woman on the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Allaah reduced the torment for him on that day.

On every last Sunday of the month, we get together with a group of 30 or more sisters and each of us reads two or three hizb (portions of Qur’aan) until we complete the Holy Qur’aan in one and a half or two hours. We have been told that this will count – in sha Allaah – as a completion of the Qur’aan for each one of us. Is that correct? After that we make du’aa’ and ask Allaah to give the reward for our reading to the rest of the believers, living and dead. Will the reward reach the dead? They quote as evidence for that the words of our master Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge or a righteous son who will pray for him.” On the festival of the Prophet’s birthday (al-mawlid al-nabawi), they hold a ribaat (vigil) which starts at 10 a.m. and lasts until 3 p.m. They start with prayers for forgiveness, praise of Allaah, tasbeeh and takbeer, and sending blessings upon our master Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) silently, then they read the Qur’aan, and some sisters fast on that day. Is singling out this day for all these acts of worship regarded as an innovation (bid’ah)? We also have a lengthy du’aa’ seeking blessing that we say at the time of suhoor, for those who are able to say it. It is called du’aa’ al-raabitah. It starts by sending blessings and salaams upon our master Muhammad and his party and the other Prophets, and the Mothers of the Believers, and the female companions of the Prophet, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Taabi’een, and the righteous close friends (awliya’) of Allaah, mentioning each of them by name. Is it correct that mentioning all these names will make their owners recognize us and call out to us in Paradise? Is this du’aa’ an innovation? I feel that it is, but most of the sisters disagree with me. Will I be punished by Allaah if I am wrong? How can I convince them if I am correct? This matter is making me lose sleep and every time I remember the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which says that every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a going-astray, and every going-astray will be in the Fire, my worry and grief get even worse.

What is the significance of the Prophet’s Birthday and when and how is it celebrated?

Is it permissible to have family gatherings – among brothers and cousins – and to eat together on special occasions and Eids (by special occasions I mean the Prophet’s birthday, ‘Ashoora’ etc)? What is the ruling on one who does that? And what about gatherings after someone had memorized or completed the Qur’aan?.

In this book, Shaikh Saleh al-Fawzan has enumerated several reasons behind the prohibition of celebrating the Mawlid, and explicitly clarified the major doubts raised up by the proponents of Mawlid; and this includes the claims that, Celebration of Mawlid is honouring the Prophet, Mawlid is celebrated by a large number of people in many towns and cities, Commemorating Mawlid renews the memories of the Prophet, Mawlid is a Bidah Husna (good innovation) because it is a means of showing gratitude towards Allah for sending the Prophet. The saying of Umar, ‘What a good Bidah is this?’ Celebration of Mawlid an-Nabawi is out of love for the Prophet and an expression of one’s love, which is permissible.

Ruling on buying special sweets sold on the Prophet’s birthday (Mawlid) by Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid.

Stated date of birth and the emergence of that invention latecomers in the Fatimid era.

Statement of the correct attitude towards the Muslim celebration of Muhammad’s birth.

Some suspicions about the celebration of birth and its response.

About the origin of celebrating the birthday

This book reveals who was the first one to innovate this celebration,his religious conditions and the evil intentions beyond spreading it.Also it shows the religious ruling towards it and refutes suspicions of those supporting celebration.