Refuting Doubts About Celebrating the Mawlid: A Response to Common Questions

Why Muslims Should Not Celebrate the Mawlid: A Look at the Evidence and Precedents

Responding to doubts regarding the Mawlid

If someone was to say: Why do you not celebrate the Mawlid of the Prophet ﷺ?

Then say: Did the Prophet ﷺ celebrate it? Or did Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān or Alī celebrate it? Rather did anyone from the righteous predecessors celebrate it?

He will say: No!

Then say: Then why do you celebrate on this day which no one has preceded in from the people of guidance?

He will say: However, there is in it good! Is it from innovation to do good?!

Then say: Good is in the Qur’ān and Sunnah, and that which the Prophet ﷺ legislated. If it was good, the companions would have preceded us to it. 

Either you have found a guidance better than the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, or you are upon clear deviation!

If he was to say: Are we going to be punished because we celebrate the mawlid of the Prophet ﷺ?

Then we say: This doubt has been refuted by the leader of the tābi’īn, who is Abū Muhammad Sa’eed ibn Musayyab as was reported by Al-Bayhaqī (2/466), Abdurrazzāq in his Musannaf (3/52) and Ad-Dārimī in his Sunan (1/482) that he saw a man praying more than 2 units of prayer after sunrise, and he was doing much rukū’ and sujūd. So he prohibited him. 

The man said to him: O Abā Muhammad! Will Allāh punish me because of prayer?!

He said: 

“No! However he will punish you for opposing the Sunnah!”

So this is a شبهة واهية (weak doubt) that has already been refuted by our Salaf رضوان الله تعالى عليهم

If they were to say: Then tell me, what do you do on the 12th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal every year?

Then reply: Before I answer, it’s important for you to know a few things:

Firstly, the historians differed on which day the Prophet ﷺ was born. Some said:

 • 2nd of Rabī’ Al-Awwal 

 • 8th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal 

 • 9th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal 

 • 10th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal 

 • 12th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal 

 • 17th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal 

 • 18th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal 

Rather, they differed in the month he was born in. Was he born in Ramadān or Rabī’ Al-Awwal?

Secondly, the historians mention the Prophet ﷺ died on Yawm Al Ithnayn [Monday] 12th of Rabī’ Al-Awwal. So the day the Prophet ﷺ was born [as they claim] was the day he died. So why is rejoicing/celebrating given precedence over grief on that day, when he died on that day? Rather, some scholars mention that this was deliberately done by the Fātimiyūn to celebrate the death of the Prophet ﷺ!

Thirdly, the companions did not celebrate his birthday, and you yourselves acknowledge this! So we say as Imām Mālik رحمه الله said:

“What was not [considered] from the religion then will not be [considered] from the religion today!”

[Al-I’tisām: 18]

Imām Mālik said that in the second century, which is from the generations which the Prophet mentioned them to be from the best, so what do you think about the 15th century?

You have no one who preceded you in this affair except the Fātimiyūn, who falsely ascribe themselves to Fātimah رضي الله عنها, as proven by Adh-Dhahabī. Also, Abū Shāmah mentions that their lineage either goes back to a Majūsī or a Jew. For this reason the scholars refer to them as Ubaydiyyūn which is an ascription to Ubaydullāh Al-Mahdī who was from the first rulers of this group.

Not to mention, that they are disbelievers ascribing to Islām. They would claim the knowledge of the unseen, claim prophethood and worthiness of worship, openly speak ill of some of the prophets, permit alcohol, insult the companions and so on. And they hijacked this tradition from the Christians. 

So what evil predecessors do you have to follow and imitate!

فَأَیۡنَ تَذۡهَبُونَ

{Then where are you going?}

[Takwīr: 26]

#innovation