The Truth About Eid Milad-un-Nabi: An Innovation in Islam
The celebration of Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ is considered an innovation (Bid’ah) in the light of the Quran and Sunnah. There is numerous evidence for this, but I will prove it as an innovation in the light of the book “Jaa al-Haqq.” First, understand that “Jaa al-Haqq” is a respected book among the Barelvis, authored by Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi.
First Evidence: Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi states:
“لَمْ یَفْعَلْہُ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْقُرُونِ الثَّلَاثَۃِ، إِنَّمَا حَدَثَ بَعْدُ”
(Milad Sharif was not celebrated in any of the three eras; it was invented later.)
(Jaa al-Haqq: 1/236)
This implies that Eid Milad-un-Nabi was neither celebrated during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, nor during the time of the Companions, nor during the time of the Tabi’een and Tabi’ Tabi’een.
Second Evidence: While defining innovation (Bid’ah), Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi writes on page 204 of his famous book “Jaa al-Haqq”:
“Those beliefs or actions which were not present during the apparent life of the Prophet ﷺ and were invented later.”
In summary, any belief or action that was not present during the time of the Prophet ﷺ falls under the category of Bid’ah. As mentioned above, Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi has acknowledged that Milad Sharif is a later invention. Thus, he admits in his own book that Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ is an innovation.
Maqbool Ahmad Salafi