Abdulrasaq Bilal (Ibnul Arobiy)

All praises and adorations are due to Allah, the Most High, and we send salutations and benedictions upon the noblest of mankind, Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, whom Allah sent to the whole of mankind as a warner and a giver of glad tidings.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon his household, companions, and those who tread his path until the Day of Recompense.

One of the most debated discussions in recent times is the topic of celebrating Mawlid An-Nabi, which simply refers to the birth of the Prophet (alayhi as-salam).

Many people are confused about this matter, and this is why this write-up has been prepared to shed more light on the topic based on what is clear from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger.

It is crystal clear that every Muslim loves and exalts the Prophet, and no one who believes in Allah and the Last Day will belittle the status of the Noble Prophet(alayhi salam).

He is our evidence and guide, and we have been commanded to worship Allah by following him.

The religion was sent through him, and it is with his teachings that the religion must be practiced.

Believing in him is a pillar of faith, and going against him leads to damnation and destruction.

Believing in him is an act of worship, and belief and total subservience to the Prophet will not be complete until four conditions are fulfilled:

1. Obeying his commands.
2. Staying away from what he prohibits.
3. Believing in every authentic narration that comes from him.
4. Worshipping Allah only with what he has legislated.

Once a Muslim completes these four conditions, it could be said that he has fulfilled the conditions of believing in the Messenger.

If he believes in some and leaves out others, then he has a fault in his belief in the Messenger.

Before we look at celebrating the Mawlid of the Prophet, I want you to revisit the four conditions for believing in the Messenger.

The fourth condition says: “Worshipping Allah only with what Allah and His Messenger have legislated.”

This basically means that worshipping Allah must fulfil the condition of mutābaʿah (followership), i.e., one must only worship Allah with what Allah and His Messenger have established as a means of worship.

Allah says in Suratul Mulk:

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

“He who created death and life that He may test you as to which of you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.”

Al-Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, commenting on this verse, said: “Allah did not say: which of you has the most deeds, but rather: which of you is best in deeds.”

ʿIbādah (acts of worship) is not graded by quantity, but by quality, as the verse explicitly mentions.

The scholars of Islam have established from this verse that for an act to be regarded as worship, it has to fulfil two conditions:

1. Sincerity: The action must be done solely for the sake of Allah, not for praise or validation from others.

2. Followership: It must be done in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet. Any act that lacks precedent from the Prophet and his companions is not regarded as ʿibādah.

The evidence for the first condition lies in the verse:

وما أمروا إلا ليعبدوا الله مخلصين له الدين حنفاء

“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth.”

The evidence for the second condition lies in the hadith reported by our mother, ʿA’ishah (radiyallahu ʿanha), where the Prophet (alayhi as-salam) said:

“Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our command will have it rejected.”

Understanding these two conditions is very crucial for a Muslim before doing any act of worship seeking nearness to Allah.

Every act of worship you want to perform must first pass this examination:

• Are you sincere?

• is there evidence for it from the Qur’an and the Sunnah?

If both questions can be answered positively, then proceed with the action.

If not, refrain from wasting your energy and strength on futile actions.

Now, to the issue of celebrating Mawlid An-Nabi.

Those who celebrate it intend to seek nearness to Allah by it, and even if some of them might be sincere in their love for the Messenger, they ultimately cannot fulfil the second condition of having evidence for such an act from the Prophet(alayhi salam). None of the companions, nor the three generations after them, celebrated the Mawlid.

Our religion is based on narrations transmitted with chains back to Allah.

If an act of worship lacks a chain of transmission back to Allah, then it is invalid. Allah says in Surah Ash-Shūrā:

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةُ الْفَصْلِ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

“Or have they partners who have legislated for them in religion that which Allah has not permitted? But if not for the decisive word, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.”

A Muslim must only worship Allah with what He has legislated in order to attain His pleasure.

Celebrating birthdays in general is an alien practice adopted from the religion of the disbelievers.

A Muslim who cares about his Ākhirah should not imitate the practices of the disbelievers but should only practice the religion as ordained by Allah and His Messenger.

We ask Allah to forgive us and make us inhabitants of Jannah.