Chapter 3 of 335 min read

Chapter 2: The Birth of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ

الفصل الثاني: مولد رسول الله ﷺ

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was born on Monday, as was reported by Imaam Muslim in his sahih. Abu Qataadah رضي اهلل عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was asked about fasting on Mondays. He ﷺ said: ❝That is the day on which I was born and on which I was commissioned with Prophethood or the day on which I received Revelation.❞ 12 13 He ﷺ was born in the year of the elephant. This was reported by Al-Baihaqee (in Dalaail al-Nubuwwah) on the authority of Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما and there is a consensus about it as mentioned by Khaleefah Ibn Khayyaat. 14 12 sahih Muslim (1162) [TN: This is the hadith which many wrongly interpret to support Mawlid al-Nabawee (celebrating the Prophet’s birthday). The points that should be considered: 1) Imaam Muslim mentioned this hadith under: “The Book of FASTING”. If it was a day of Eid or celebration, why did he not mention it under: “The Book of Eid” or under: “The Book of Aqeeqah”? 2) The hadith encourages FASTING and not FEASTING or CELEBRATING. 3) Monday does not come once a year; rather, Monday comes every WEEK; four times a Month on an average and fifty-two times a Gregorian YEAR and even less in a Hijri YEAR. 4) The hadith clearly mentions the Merit of the DAY, i.e. “Monday” and not of a particular DATE. If it was so, then why did not the companions take a note of that DATE? That way there would not have been a doubt about the EXACT DATE of the Prophet’s birth. [Most of the reports which mention 12th Rabee` al-Awwal as the most likely DATE of the Prophet’s birth, also mention that 12th Rabee` alAwwal is the DATE of the Prophet’s DEATH. – So are they going to celebrate his birthday or mourn his death?] 5) The Companions knew the DATES of the two Eids. But why did they fail to take a note of the DATE when the Prophet ﷺ was born? Did they not understand Islaam better than us? 6) The MOST important point: If the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ was to be taken as a day of Eid or special occasion, then fasting in it would not have been allowed, like how it is not allowed to fast on the days of the two Eids. Even on Fridays, it is not allowed to fast on its own (unless a person fasts a day prior to it or after it). And this hadith CLEARLY mentions about FASTING and not FEASTING.] 13 Shaikh al-Albaanee said: As for the exact date of birth of the Prophet ﷺ, then there are conflicting reports regarding the date and the month which Ibn Katheer had mentioned in his book, and all are Mu`allaq – i.e. without a chain of narration. Some said that he ﷺ was born on the 8th of Rabee` al-Awwal. This was reported by Imaam Maalik with an authentic chain, on the authority of Jubair Ibn Mut`im who was a Taabi`ee, and this is why many historians accepted it to be true it and relied on it. But al-Haafidh al-Kabeer, Muhammad Ibn Moosaa alKhawarizmee said that this chain of narration is Maqtoo` (broken), and the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that he ﷺ was born on the 12th of Rabee` al-Awwal. And Allaah knows best. 14 Shaikh al-Albaanee said: al-Haakim also reported it in al-Mustadrak (4180) on the authority of Ibn `Abbaas ر ضي اهلل عنهما and he said: “It is authentic as per the condition of the Shaikhain”, and it is as he said. This is further supported by another narration, on the authority of Qais Ibn Makhramah رضي اهلل عنه who said: “I and the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ were born in the Year of the Elephant.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3619) and Musdatrak al-Haakim (4183, 5919)

The Prophet’s father, `Abdullaah, passed away while he ﷺ was still in his mother’s womb, as what has been widely accepted. In a hadith, he ﷺ said: ❝(I am) …the dream which my mother saw when she became pregnant with me, like as if a light was issued out of her and illuminated the palaces of Syria.❞ 15 and said: “This is authentic as per the condition of Imaam Muslim”, but this only reaches to the level of “Hasan”. See al-Saheehah (3152). 15 Reported by Ibn Is-haaq in “al-Seerah” (1/175) and from him al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (4174) and said it is authentic and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. I (al-Albaanee) say: “It is as they have said.” See al-Saheehah (1545, 1546, 1925) [TN: The complete hadith is as follows: Khaalid ibn Ma`daan narrated that the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “O Messenger of Allaah, tell us about yourself.” He ﷺ said: ❝I am the answer to the prayer of my father, Ibraaheem (عليه السالم), and the glad tidings of `Eesa (ع ليه السالم), and when my mother became pregnant with me, she saw something as if a light came out of her and illuminated the palaces of Busraa in the land of Syria.❞ [al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (4174) and said it is authentic and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. I (al-Albaanee) say: “It is as they have said.”] And from the narration of al-`Irbaadh Ibn Saariyah رضي اهلل عنه, that the mother of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ saw, when she gave birth to him, a light which illuminated the palaces of Syria. [Musnad Ahmad (17151) and alMustadrak of al-Haakim (3566) and said it is authentic and al-Dhahabee agreed with him.]

Chapter 3 of 335 min read

Chapter 2: The Birth of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ

الفصل الثاني: مولد رسول الله ﷺ

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was born on Monday, as was reported by Imaam Muslim in his sahih. Abu Qataadah رضي اهلل عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was asked about fasting on Mondays. He ﷺ said: ❝That is the day on which I was born and on which I was commissioned with Prophethood or the day on which I received Revelation.❞ 12 13 He ﷺ was born in the year of the elephant. This was reported by Al-Baihaqee (in Dalaail al-Nubuwwah) on the authority of Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما and there is a consensus about it as mentioned by Khaleefah Ibn Khayyaat. 14 12 sahih Muslim (1162) [TN: This is the hadith which many wrongly interpret to support Mawlid al-Nabawee (celebrating the Prophet’s birthday). The points that should be considered: 1) Imaam Muslim mentioned this hadith under: “The Book of FASTING”. If it was a day of Eid or celebration, why did he not mention it under: “The Book of Eid” or under: “The Book of Aqeeqah”? 2) The hadith encourages FASTING and not FEASTING or CELEBRATING. 3) Monday does not come once a year; rather, Monday comes every WEEK; four times a Month on an average and fifty-two times a Gregorian YEAR and even less in a Hijri YEAR. 4) The hadith clearly mentions the Merit of the DAY, i.e. “Monday” and not of a particular DATE. If it was so, then why did not the companions take a note of that DATE? That way there would not have been a doubt about the EXACT DATE of the Prophet’s birth. [Most of the reports which mention 12th Rabee` al-Awwal as the most likely DATE of the Prophet’s birth, also mention that 12th Rabee` alAwwal is the DATE of the Prophet’s DEATH. – So are they going to celebrate his birthday or mourn his death?] 5) The Companions knew the DATES of the two Eids. But why did they fail to take a note of the DATE when the Prophet ﷺ was born? Did they not understand Islaam better than us? 6) The MOST important point: If the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ was to be taken as a day of Eid or special occasion, then fasting in it would not have been allowed, like how it is not allowed to fast on the days of the two Eids. Even on Fridays, it is not allowed to fast on its own (unless a person fasts a day prior to it or after it). And this hadith CLEARLY mentions about FASTING and not FEASTING.] 13 Shaikh al-Albaanee said: As for the exact date of birth of the Prophet ﷺ, then there are conflicting reports regarding the date and the month which Ibn Katheer had mentioned in his book, and all are Mu`allaq – i.e. without a chain of narration. Some said that he ﷺ was born on the 8th of Rabee` al-Awwal. This was reported by Imaam Maalik with an authentic chain, on the authority of Jubair Ibn Mut`im who was a Taabi`ee, and this is why many historians accepted it to be true it and relied on it. But al-Haafidh al-Kabeer, Muhammad Ibn Moosaa alKhawarizmee said that this chain of narration is Maqtoo` (broken), and the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that he ﷺ was born on the 12th of Rabee` al-Awwal. And Allaah knows best. 14 Shaikh al-Albaanee said: al-Haakim also reported it in al-Mustadrak (4180) on the authority of Ibn `Abbaas ر ضي اهلل عنهما and he said: “It is authentic as per the condition of the Shaikhain”, and it is as he said. This is further supported by another narration, on the authority of Qais Ibn Makhramah رضي اهلل عنه who said: “I and the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ were born in the Year of the Elephant.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3619) and Musdatrak al-Haakim (4183, 5919)

The Prophet’s father, `Abdullaah, passed away while he ﷺ was still in his mother’s womb, as what has been widely accepted. In a hadith, he ﷺ said: ❝(I am) …the dream which my mother saw when she became pregnant with me, like as if a light was issued out of her and illuminated the palaces of Syria.❞ 15 and said: “This is authentic as per the condition of Imaam Muslim”, but this only reaches to the level of “Hasan”. See al-Saheehah (3152). 15 Reported by Ibn Is-haaq in “al-Seerah” (1/175) and from him al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (4174) and said it is authentic and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. I (al-Albaanee) say: “It is as they have said.” See al-Saheehah (1545, 1546, 1925) [TN: The complete hadith is as follows: Khaalid ibn Ma`daan narrated that the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “O Messenger of Allaah, tell us about yourself.” He ﷺ said: ❝I am the answer to the prayer of my father, Ibraaheem (عليه السالم), and the glad tidings of `Eesa (ع ليه السالم), and when my mother became pregnant with me, she saw something as if a light came out of her and illuminated the palaces of Busraa in the land of Syria.❞ [al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (4174) and said it is authentic and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. I (al-Albaanee) say: “It is as they have said.”] And from the narration of al-`Irbaadh Ibn Saariyah رضي اهلل عنه, that the mother of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ saw, when she gave birth to him, a light which illuminated the palaces of Syria. [Musnad Ahmad (17151) and alMustadrak of al-Haakim (3566) and said it is authentic and al-Dhahabee agreed with him.]