The Fiqh of the Month of Rabi` al-Awwal
AMJAonline Jurisprudence Section
All praise is for Allah and may peace and blessing be on the Messenger of Allah, his family, companions and whoever follows his guidance. To proceed:
Many Muslims await the month of Rabi` al-Awwal to celebrate the Moulid, or the birth of the best of all Adam`s children, our leader, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). However, there are several well-established facts that we feel must be in the hands of all Muslims, especially at this time of year—facts you need to have insight into the religion.
1.The religion of Islam was perfected before the death of our prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the favor was completed, and all praise, bounty and grace is for Allah. The Almighty has said, {This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.}[1]
2. Our true, straight religion did not leave anything without explanation and clarification. Allah Most High has said, {And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur`an) as an exposition of everything...}[2] Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has also said, {Allah has sent down to you the Book (the Qur`an), and al-Hikmah (the wisdom of the Prophet`s Sunnah—legal ways), and taught you that which you knew not. And ever great is the grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad).}[3] Thus, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) left his ummah (nation) on the "white path", in which right and wrong are equally clear—"Its night is like its day," as they say—and no one deviates from it except that he is ruined. He explained what the ummah needs in every single one of its affairs, to such an extent that Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said about him, "When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) left us, not a bird would flap his wings in the air except that he had recounted to us knowledge about it." He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Nothing remains that would bring [you] closer to Paradise or take you away [you] from the Hellfire, but that He has explained it to you." Imam at-Tabrani (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Mu`ajam al-Kabir, and Shaikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them) said in his As-Silsilat us-Sahihah that this has a corroborating, traceable (marfou`) narration through `Amr ibn al-Muttalib, with the wording, "I have not left anything that Allah has ordered you to do except that I have ordered you to do it. And I have not left anything that Allah has forbidden you to do, except that I have forbidden you to do it." Its chain of transmitters is missing a link, but it is of acceptable authenticity (mursal hasan).
3 Worship does not become a good deed except when it is sincere and follows the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Al-Fudail ibn `Iyad said concerning the Words of Allah, {that He might try you, which of you is the best in deeds}[4], "[this means] the most sincere and the most correct [deeds]. They asked, `O Abu `Ali, what [do you mean by] the most sincere and the most correct?` He replied, `A deed, if it is sincere, but incorrect, is not acceptable, and if it is correct, but insincere, it is not acceptable—not until it is sincere and correct. To be sincere is that it is for the sake of Allah, and to be correct is that it is according to the Sunnah.`" Following the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is not achieved unless the deed agrees with Shari`ah (Islamic Law) in six things: reason, type, quantity, manner, time and place, as mentioned by the late sheikh, Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him). Sincerity (ikhlas) is the opposite of idolatry (shirk)—manifest or concealed, major or minor—just as following (mutaba`ah) and correctness (sawab) is the opposite of innovation (bid`a), which can sometimes reach the level of shirk, as Allah Almighty says, {Or have they partners with Allah (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed?}[5]
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Whoever invents, in this affair of ours, what is not from it, it is rejected." (Agreed upon) This is also reported by Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) with the wording, "Whoever does a deed which our affair is not upon, it is rejected."
4 No one hates the day the Prophet, the best of all creation (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), was born, except a disbeliever, rejecter or hypocrite. It must be known with absolute certainty that the Muslim must necessarily be grateful for the blessing of the birth of our beloved prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) because this was a source of bounty and grace, as Allah Almighty has said, {Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a messenger (Muhammad, sAws) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur`an), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur`an) and al-Hikmah (the wisdom of the Sunnah)…}[6] The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave thanks for the blessing of his own birth by fasting that day of the week. When asked why he chose to fast on Mondays, he replied, "That is the day on which I was born, the day I was sent with a mission or on which the revelation was sent to me…" Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Sahih.
This was his way (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) of giving thanks for his blessings—by fasting, just as he fasted the day of `Ashura` and ordered the Muslims to fast on that day as well. In an agreed upon, authentic hadith, when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived in Madina, he found them fasting on a [particular] day, namely `Ashura`. They said, "This is a great day. It is the day Allah saved Moses and drowned Pharaoh`s people, so Moses fasted in gratitude to Allah." The Prophet then said, "I am more entitled to Moses than you." So he fasted on that day and ordered the people to fast on it. This was the way he marked the occasion (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). This way holds no cause for dispute or doubt.
5.The birthday of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is not agreed upon among the scholars of Islam. In fact, the difference of opinion in this respect is substantial. This was one of the reasons that his companions preferred to mark the beginning of the Islamic calendar with the event of the Hijra (the Prophet`s migration to Madina). Al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Fath ul-Bari (7/268), "The dates they agreed upon by which to measure the passage of time were four: the birth of the Prophet, the beginning of his mission, his migration to Madina and his death. In the end, they decided on the Hijra, because his date of birth and the beginning of his prophecy were both subject to debate. The date of his death was not chosen because of the associated grief and sorrow. Instead, they agreed on the Hijra…" Strangely enough, the date people have chosen to celebrate the Prophet`s birth—the twelfth of Rabi` al-Awwal—is actually the date of his death (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)!
6. No one has any textual evidence (even among those who permit the celebration of the Moulid), not from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), his noble companions—the people who loved the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) most—nor from the first and best three centuries of Muslims; there is absolutely no trace of celebration in this invented way, and these centuries were superior to all that came thereafter, as attested to by the Prophet himself (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in an agreed upon, authentic hadith.
7. True love for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is in obeying him and following in his footsteps, in terms of belief, word and deed, both inwardly and outwardly. Allah Almighty has said, {Say (O Muhammad to mankind), "If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."}[7] In fact, a Muslim`s faith is not complete until he loves Allah`s Apostle (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) more than his wealth, children and self, as has been established in the agreed upon, authentic hadith of the same meaning. When `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confessed to this, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Now, o `Umar." Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Sahih.
8. Holidays in Islam are limited in number, as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in the agreed upon, authentic hadith, "Verily, every people have a holiday, and this is our holiday." He was referring to `Eid ul-Fitr (the feast marking the end of the month of Ramadan). He also said, "The day of `Arafah (during the pilgrimage), the Day of Sacrifice (`Eid ul-Adha) and the days of Tashriq are our holiday—we the people of Islam—and they are days of eating and drinking." This has been related by Imam Abu Dawud, Imam at-Tirmidhi and Imam an-Nasa`i, and it has been authenticated by Shaikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them all). When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived in Madina, and the people of Madina had two days in which they would play, he said, "When I came to you, you had two days in which you used to play. Verily, Allah has replaced them with two days that are better than those two: `Eid ul-Fitr and the Day of Sacrifice." Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Dawud and Imam an-Nasa`i reported this, and Shaikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them all) judged it authentic. Also, Friday, the day of the community prayer, is the weekly holiday for Muslims, as stated by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), "Verily, on this day, two holidays have been combined for you." Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Sahih. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) reported something similar from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in his Musnad, "Verily, Friday is a feast day…"
9. Shaikh ul-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) follows the hadith of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), "Verily, Allah has replaced these two for you with something better than them: `Eid ul-Adha and `Eid ul-Fitr", by saying, "Replacing a thing necessitates abandoning what is replaced, for you cannot combine the replacement and the replaced. This is one aspect; the other aspect is that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was careful to benefit his ummah (nation), bringing them joy in this world and the Hereafter. Yet, he did not command his relatives or his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) to gather, celebrate or have fun in commemoration of his birthday. Nor did he recommend marking the anniversary of the Night Journey and his Ascension into the Heavens, the seventeenth of Ramadan, or any of the other events people celebrate these days. Neither should a Muslim share in any of the other numerous special occasions, even if there is a reason or need for that, and even if there is nothing to prevent a celebration or gathering. Likewise, we should understand that the superiority of times, places and seasons of worship must be referred back to Allah Almighty, since He, in His Exalted Majesty, has said, {And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses; no choice have they (in any matter). Glorified be Allah, and Exalted above all that they associate as partners (with Him).}[8]
10 Our principle in accepting information and dealing with disputes is to obey Allah and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). For this reason, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, ordered us in His perfect and precise book (the Qur`an), that we must refer any disagreements back to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of our prophet, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He has said, {O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.}[9] This is a principle of Islamic Law which must be followed when there is any disagreement; it is agreed upon and is obligatory.
11 Cutting off all pretexts for innovation and idolatry is an obligation. There are many proofs for this: the prohibition of excessive praise for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the prohibition of swearing by other than Allah Almighty, the prohibition of taking graves as mosques, the prohibition of celebrating at the grave of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and his objection when one man said, "What Allah wills and what you will." He explained, "You have made me equal to Allah; instead, you should say, `What Allah alone wills.`" Imam Ahmad reported this in his Musnad and al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them both) declared it authentic.
12.The majority of scholars have agreed in calling the celebration of the Moulid bid`a (innovation) and have not allowed it. The few who have permitted it did so only on condition that it not involve anything forbidden or excessive, mixed gatherings containing both men and women together, or other forms of prohibited activities, sufficing to remember the life story of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Among the majority of scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) are:
1. Shaikh ul-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah
2. Al-`Alama, Shaikh Tajuddin, known as al-Fakahani
3. Prof. Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Haffar
4. Al-`Alama Ibn ul-Haj
5. Imam ash-Shatibi
6. Shaikh Rashid Rida
7. Shaikh Abu at-Tayyib Muhammad Shams ul-Haqq al-Adhim Abadi
8. Shaikh Bashir ud-Din
9. Shaikh al-`Alama Muhammad Bakhit al-Muti`i
10. Shaikh Ali Mahfouz
11. Shaikh Muhammad Abd us-Salam Khidr
May Allah bless, honor and send peace on our master, Muhammad, his family and companions, and all praise is for Allah, Lord of all that exists.
Muhammad Abd ul-`Aziz Abu an-Naja
Sharia` Researcher, AMJA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Al-Ma`idah 5: 3
[2] An-Nahl 16: 89
[3] An-Nisa` 4: 113
[4] Hud 11: 7, al-Mulk 67: 2
[5] Ash-Shura 42: 21
[6] Al-`Imran 3: 164
[7] Al-`Imran 3: 31
[8] Al-Qasas 28: 68
[9] An-Nisa` 4: 59
http://www.amjaonline.com/en_d_details.php?id=37
AMJAonline Jurisprudence Section
All praise is for Allah and may peace and blessing be on the Messenger of Allah, his family, companions and whoever follows his guidance. To proceed:
Many Muslims await the month of Rabi` al-Awwal to celebrate the Moulid, or the birth of the best of all Adam`s children, our leader, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). However, there are several well-established facts that we feel must be in the hands of all Muslims, especially at this time of year—facts you need to have insight into the religion.
1.The religion of Islam was perfected before the death of our prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the favor was completed, and all praise, bounty and grace is for Allah. The Almighty has said, {This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.}[1]
2. Our true, straight religion did not leave anything without explanation and clarification. Allah Most High has said, {And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur`an) as an exposition of everything...}[2] Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has also said, {Allah has sent down to you the Book (the Qur`an), and al-Hikmah (the wisdom of the Prophet`s Sunnah—legal ways), and taught you that which you knew not. And ever great is the grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad).}[3] Thus, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) left his ummah (nation) on the "white path", in which right and wrong are equally clear—"Its night is like its day," as they say—and no one deviates from it except that he is ruined. He explained what the ummah needs in every single one of its affairs, to such an extent that Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said about him, "When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) left us, not a bird would flap his wings in the air except that he had recounted to us knowledge about it." He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Nothing remains that would bring [you] closer to Paradise or take you away [you] from the Hellfire, but that He has explained it to you." Imam at-Tabrani (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Mu`ajam al-Kabir, and Shaikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them) said in his As-Silsilat us-Sahihah that this has a corroborating, traceable (marfou`) narration through `Amr ibn al-Muttalib, with the wording, "I have not left anything that Allah has ordered you to do except that I have ordered you to do it. And I have not left anything that Allah has forbidden you to do, except that I have forbidden you to do it." Its chain of transmitters is missing a link, but it is of acceptable authenticity (mursal hasan).
3 Worship does not become a good deed except when it is sincere and follows the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Al-Fudail ibn `Iyad said concerning the Words of Allah, {that He might try you, which of you is the best in deeds}[4], "[this means] the most sincere and the most correct [deeds]. They asked, `O Abu `Ali, what [do you mean by] the most sincere and the most correct?` He replied, `A deed, if it is sincere, but incorrect, is not acceptable, and if it is correct, but insincere, it is not acceptable—not until it is sincere and correct. To be sincere is that it is for the sake of Allah, and to be correct is that it is according to the Sunnah.`" Following the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is not achieved unless the deed agrees with Shari`ah (Islamic Law) in six things: reason, type, quantity, manner, time and place, as mentioned by the late sheikh, Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him). Sincerity (ikhlas) is the opposite of idolatry (shirk)—manifest or concealed, major or minor—just as following (mutaba`ah) and correctness (sawab) is the opposite of innovation (bid`a), which can sometimes reach the level of shirk, as Allah Almighty says, {Or have they partners with Allah (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed?}[5]
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Whoever invents, in this affair of ours, what is not from it, it is rejected." (Agreed upon) This is also reported by Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) with the wording, "Whoever does a deed which our affair is not upon, it is rejected."
4 No one hates the day the Prophet, the best of all creation (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), was born, except a disbeliever, rejecter or hypocrite. It must be known with absolute certainty that the Muslim must necessarily be grateful for the blessing of the birth of our beloved prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) because this was a source of bounty and grace, as Allah Almighty has said, {Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a messenger (Muhammad, sAws) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur`an), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur`an) and al-Hikmah (the wisdom of the Sunnah)…}[6] The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave thanks for the blessing of his own birth by fasting that day of the week. When asked why he chose to fast on Mondays, he replied, "That is the day on which I was born, the day I was sent with a mission or on which the revelation was sent to me…" Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Sahih.
This was his way (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) of giving thanks for his blessings—by fasting, just as he fasted the day of `Ashura` and ordered the Muslims to fast on that day as well. In an agreed upon, authentic hadith, when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived in Madina, he found them fasting on a [particular] day, namely `Ashura`. They said, "This is a great day. It is the day Allah saved Moses and drowned Pharaoh`s people, so Moses fasted in gratitude to Allah." The Prophet then said, "I am more entitled to Moses than you." So he fasted on that day and ordered the people to fast on it. This was the way he marked the occasion (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). This way holds no cause for dispute or doubt.
5.The birthday of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is not agreed upon among the scholars of Islam. In fact, the difference of opinion in this respect is substantial. This was one of the reasons that his companions preferred to mark the beginning of the Islamic calendar with the event of the Hijra (the Prophet`s migration to Madina). Al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Fath ul-Bari (7/268), "The dates they agreed upon by which to measure the passage of time were four: the birth of the Prophet, the beginning of his mission, his migration to Madina and his death. In the end, they decided on the Hijra, because his date of birth and the beginning of his prophecy were both subject to debate. The date of his death was not chosen because of the associated grief and sorrow. Instead, they agreed on the Hijra…" Strangely enough, the date people have chosen to celebrate the Prophet`s birth—the twelfth of Rabi` al-Awwal—is actually the date of his death (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)!
6. No one has any textual evidence (even among those who permit the celebration of the Moulid), not from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), his noble companions—the people who loved the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) most—nor from the first and best three centuries of Muslims; there is absolutely no trace of celebration in this invented way, and these centuries were superior to all that came thereafter, as attested to by the Prophet himself (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in an agreed upon, authentic hadith.
7. True love for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is in obeying him and following in his footsteps, in terms of belief, word and deed, both inwardly and outwardly. Allah Almighty has said, {Say (O Muhammad to mankind), "If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."}[7] In fact, a Muslim`s faith is not complete until he loves Allah`s Apostle (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) more than his wealth, children and self, as has been established in the agreed upon, authentic hadith of the same meaning. When `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confessed to this, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Now, o `Umar." Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Sahih.
8. Holidays in Islam are limited in number, as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in the agreed upon, authentic hadith, "Verily, every people have a holiday, and this is our holiday." He was referring to `Eid ul-Fitr (the feast marking the end of the month of Ramadan). He also said, "The day of `Arafah (during the pilgrimage), the Day of Sacrifice (`Eid ul-Adha) and the days of Tashriq are our holiday—we the people of Islam—and they are days of eating and drinking." This has been related by Imam Abu Dawud, Imam at-Tirmidhi and Imam an-Nasa`i, and it has been authenticated by Shaikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them all). When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived in Madina, and the people of Madina had two days in which they would play, he said, "When I came to you, you had two days in which you used to play. Verily, Allah has replaced them with two days that are better than those two: `Eid ul-Fitr and the Day of Sacrifice." Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Dawud and Imam an-Nasa`i reported this, and Shaikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them all) judged it authentic. Also, Friday, the day of the community prayer, is the weekly holiday for Muslims, as stated by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), "Verily, on this day, two holidays have been combined for you." Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reported this in his Sahih. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) reported something similar from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in his Musnad, "Verily, Friday is a feast day…"
9. Shaikh ul-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) follows the hadith of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), "Verily, Allah has replaced these two for you with something better than them: `Eid ul-Adha and `Eid ul-Fitr", by saying, "Replacing a thing necessitates abandoning what is replaced, for you cannot combine the replacement and the replaced. This is one aspect; the other aspect is that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was careful to benefit his ummah (nation), bringing them joy in this world and the Hereafter. Yet, he did not command his relatives or his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) to gather, celebrate or have fun in commemoration of his birthday. Nor did he recommend marking the anniversary of the Night Journey and his Ascension into the Heavens, the seventeenth of Ramadan, or any of the other events people celebrate these days. Neither should a Muslim share in any of the other numerous special occasions, even if there is a reason or need for that, and even if there is nothing to prevent a celebration or gathering. Likewise, we should understand that the superiority of times, places and seasons of worship must be referred back to Allah Almighty, since He, in His Exalted Majesty, has said, {And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses; no choice have they (in any matter). Glorified be Allah, and Exalted above all that they associate as partners (with Him).}[8]
10 Our principle in accepting information and dealing with disputes is to obey Allah and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). For this reason, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, ordered us in His perfect and precise book (the Qur`an), that we must refer any disagreements back to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of our prophet, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He has said, {O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.}[9] This is a principle of Islamic Law which must be followed when there is any disagreement; it is agreed upon and is obligatory.
11 Cutting off all pretexts for innovation and idolatry is an obligation. There are many proofs for this: the prohibition of excessive praise for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the prohibition of swearing by other than Allah Almighty, the prohibition of taking graves as mosques, the prohibition of celebrating at the grave of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and his objection when one man said, "What Allah wills and what you will." He explained, "You have made me equal to Allah; instead, you should say, `What Allah alone wills.`" Imam Ahmad reported this in his Musnad and al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on them both) declared it authentic.
12.The majority of scholars have agreed in calling the celebration of the Moulid bid`a (innovation) and have not allowed it. The few who have permitted it did so only on condition that it not involve anything forbidden or excessive, mixed gatherings containing both men and women together, or other forms of prohibited activities, sufficing to remember the life story of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Among the majority of scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) are:
1. Shaikh ul-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah
2. Al-`Alama, Shaikh Tajuddin, known as al-Fakahani
3. Prof. Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Haffar
4. Al-`Alama Ibn ul-Haj
5. Imam ash-Shatibi
6. Shaikh Rashid Rida
7. Shaikh Abu at-Tayyib Muhammad Shams ul-Haqq al-Adhim Abadi
8. Shaikh Bashir ud-Din
9. Shaikh al-`Alama Muhammad Bakhit al-Muti`i
10. Shaikh Ali Mahfouz
11. Shaikh Muhammad Abd us-Salam Khidr
May Allah bless, honor and send peace on our master, Muhammad, his family and companions, and all praise is for Allah, Lord of all that exists.
Muhammad Abd ul-`Aziz Abu an-Naja
Sharia` Researcher, AMJA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Al-Ma`idah 5: 3
[2] An-Nahl 16: 89
[3] An-Nisa` 4: 113
[4] Hud 11: 7, al-Mulk 67: 2
[5] Ash-Shura 42: 21
[6] Al-`Imran 3: 164
[7] Al-`Imran 3: 31
[8] Al-Qasas 28: 68
[9] An-Nisa` 4: 59
http://www.amjaonline.com/en_d_details.php?id=37