Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday
by Muhammad bin Saalih al ‘Uthaimeen
The eminent scholar Muhammad Salih bin Uthaimeen was asked concerning the celebration of the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (r), to which he responded:
To begin with, the exact day of birth of the Messenger of Allah (r) is not known with certainty. Rather, some contemporary researchers have confirmed that he died on the 9th of Rabee’ al-Awal and not the 12th (as is commonly believed), and thus there is no historical basis for specifying the 12th for celebration.
Furthermore, this celebration has no basis in the religious point of view, since if it was legislated, the Prophet (r) would have performed it or informed his nation to do so. If he had performed it or informed his nation to do so, it would be necessary for it to have been preserved, since Allah (I) says:
“Verily It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Remembrance of the Qur`an) and surely, We will guard and preserve it (from corruption).”
(al-Hijr: 9)
Since this was not narrated, we come to know that it is not from the religion of Allah. If it is not from the religion of Allah, then it is not allowed for us to worship Allah (U) and seek to come close to Him in this manner. If Allah (I) has made a particular path for us to follow to reach Him (and His pleasure), which is the path of the Messenger of Allah (r), how can it be permissible for us, while we are only slaves, to make another path which leads to Allah’s Pleasure from our own selves (and not revealed)? Indeed it is a great transgression against the right of Allah (U) to legislate in His religion that which is not part of it. Moreover, this entails a denial of what Allah (I) said in the Qur`an:
“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”
(al- Ma`idah: 3)
If this celebration was from the Perfection of the Religion, it must have been in existence before the death of the Messenger of Allah (r). If it is not from the Perfection of the Religion, then it is not possible that it be from the religion, since Allah (I) said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you.” Whoever claims that it is from the Perfection of the Religion which occurred after the death of the Messenger of Allah (r), then his claim amounts to a denial of this verse of the Qur`an. Without doubt those who celebrate the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (r), only desire to magnify, extol and praise the Messenger (r), show their love for him, and increase their enthusiasm to bring out their feelings in this celebration for the Prophet (r). All of this is a form of worship. The love of the Messenger (r) is a worship that is necessary for faith, since one’s faith is not complete until he loves the Messenger (r) more than his own self, his son, his father, and all of humanity. Magnification, exaltation and praise of the Messenger of Allah (r) for Allah’s sake is an act of worship and is from the religion, as is enthusiasm for the Messenger of Allah (r), since they draw one closer to Allah’s religion.
Thus it follows that celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (r) in order to draw near to Allah and to extol His Messenger (r) is regarded as an act of worship, and since it is an act of worship then it is never allowed to innovate anything new in religion which is not of it. Therefore, the celebration of the birthday is an innovation and prohibited. Also, we hear various reports that these celebrations contain many unlawful acts, which neither the religion, one’s senses, nor any reasonable intelligence deem permissible. They sing rhymes and poems which go to extremes in respect to the Messenger (r), so much so that they make him greater than Allah, and refuge is sought in Allah. We also hear about the foolishness of some of the participants, that when an orator tells the story of his birth and reaches the part of his delivery, they all stand up in attention together saying and believing that the soul and spirit of the Messenger of Allah (r), has appeared among them manifest, and that they stand out of respect. This is extreme folly and absurd superstition. Moreover, it is not mannerly to stand up for the Messenger of Allah (r) since he used to dislike that. The Sahaabah, who loved and extolled the Messenger (r) more than anyone else, would not stand for him while he was alive due to his hate for it, so how foolish is this baseless superstition?
The celebration of the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (r) is a blatant innovation which never occurred until after the three righteous generations following the death of the Messenger of Allah (r), and it is full of undesired and wicked things which oppose the basis of the religion of Islam, moreover the mixing and integration of men and women together in one area and many other objectionable acts.
[Reference: Majmoo‘ah Fataawaa, Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaimeen vol. 2/ p.297-300]
by Muhammad bin Saalih al ‘Uthaimeen
The eminent scholar Muhammad Salih bin Uthaimeen was asked concerning the celebration of the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (r), to which he responded:
To begin with, the exact day of birth of the Messenger of Allah (r) is not known with certainty. Rather, some contemporary researchers have confirmed that he died on the 9th of Rabee’ al-Awal and not the 12th (as is commonly believed), and thus there is no historical basis for specifying the 12th for celebration.
Furthermore, this celebration has no basis in the religious point of view, since if it was legislated, the Prophet (r) would have performed it or informed his nation to do so. If he had performed it or informed his nation to do so, it would be necessary for it to have been preserved, since Allah (I) says:
“Verily It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Remembrance of the Qur`an) and surely, We will guard and preserve it (from corruption).”
(al-Hijr: 9)
Since this was not narrated, we come to know that it is not from the religion of Allah. If it is not from the religion of Allah, then it is not allowed for us to worship Allah (U) and seek to come close to Him in this manner. If Allah (I) has made a particular path for us to follow to reach Him (and His pleasure), which is the path of the Messenger of Allah (r), how can it be permissible for us, while we are only slaves, to make another path which leads to Allah’s Pleasure from our own selves (and not revealed)? Indeed it is a great transgression against the right of Allah (U) to legislate in His religion that which is not part of it. Moreover, this entails a denial of what Allah (I) said in the Qur`an:
“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”
(al- Ma`idah: 3)
If this celebration was from the Perfection of the Religion, it must have been in existence before the death of the Messenger of Allah (r). If it is not from the Perfection of the Religion, then it is not possible that it be from the religion, since Allah (I) said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you.” Whoever claims that it is from the Perfection of the Religion which occurred after the death of the Messenger of Allah (r), then his claim amounts to a denial of this verse of the Qur`an. Without doubt those who celebrate the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (r), only desire to magnify, extol and praise the Messenger (r), show their love for him, and increase their enthusiasm to bring out their feelings in this celebration for the Prophet (r). All of this is a form of worship. The love of the Messenger (r) is a worship that is necessary for faith, since one’s faith is not complete until he loves the Messenger (r) more than his own self, his son, his father, and all of humanity. Magnification, exaltation and praise of the Messenger of Allah (r) for Allah’s sake is an act of worship and is from the religion, as is enthusiasm for the Messenger of Allah (r), since they draw one closer to Allah’s religion.
Thus it follows that celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (r) in order to draw near to Allah and to extol His Messenger (r) is regarded as an act of worship, and since it is an act of worship then it is never allowed to innovate anything new in religion which is not of it. Therefore, the celebration of the birthday is an innovation and prohibited. Also, we hear various reports that these celebrations contain many unlawful acts, which neither the religion, one’s senses, nor any reasonable intelligence deem permissible. They sing rhymes and poems which go to extremes in respect to the Messenger (r), so much so that they make him greater than Allah, and refuge is sought in Allah. We also hear about the foolishness of some of the participants, that when an orator tells the story of his birth and reaches the part of his delivery, they all stand up in attention together saying and believing that the soul and spirit of the Messenger of Allah (r), has appeared among them manifest, and that they stand out of respect. This is extreme folly and absurd superstition. Moreover, it is not mannerly to stand up for the Messenger of Allah (r) since he used to dislike that. The Sahaabah, who loved and extolled the Messenger (r) more than anyone else, would not stand for him while he was alive due to his hate for it, so how foolish is this baseless superstition?
The celebration of the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (r) is a blatant innovation which never occurred until after the three righteous generations following the death of the Messenger of Allah (r), and it is full of undesired and wicked things which oppose the basis of the religion of Islam, moreover the mixing and integration of men and women together in one area and many other objectionable acts.
[Reference: Majmoo‘ah Fataawaa, Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaimeen vol. 2/ p.297-300]