5. That just like birthday celebrations are held for leaders and

important figures to remind of them, the same can be done for the Prophet () to remind the people of him. Shaykh Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm Āl al-Shaykh134 replied to this by saying that the mention of the Prophet is made in the adhān, the iqāmah, in the sermons, in the prayers, in the tashahhud and also in the ṣalāt upon him at the end of the prayer and in reading the ḥadīths and in following him [in his Sunnah], all of this is loftier and greater than that his remembrance should be a yearly thing. Further, that it is easy for the people who are weak in religion to exaggerate in such veneration [through birthday celebrations] because there is no hardship upon the souls in this and so they make it a replacement for the obligations due from them which bring hardship for them. However, the true and real veneration and respect of the Prophet () is in obeying him in doing what he commanded and keeping away from what he prohibited. Thus, the Righteous Salaf were the most intense of people in respecting and venerating the Prophet () but they never ever spent their wealth in the likes of these affairs.

Further, this argument involves making a qiyās (analogy) for the Prophet 134 Refer to Rasāʾil Fī Ḥukm al-Iḥtifāl bil-Mawlid al-Nabawiyy (p. 524). bidah.com  page 96 () and putting him alongside others which is to disrespect him and his lofty standing. These examples should suffice as a mere illustration of the far-fetched, unrelated evidences which are gathered together to prove the legitimacy celebration and they have dozens more.135 The general aim is to gather lots of very weak and far-fetched alleged evidences, pile them together and to make it appear that the one who denies all this alleged evidence has gone mad. In reality, it is all a mirage and there is not a shred of substance in there. This is very unlike the legitimate acts of worship for which one can quickly bring solid, highly-relevant, specific evidences. The soul is satisfied and convinced immediately.

But as for these alleged evidences, one can see their irrelevance and the desperation with which they are gathered, compiled and presented and they affect only the common people who are not equipped with knowledge - many of whom find ease and satisfaction in an Islām that requires only a few days of devotion throughout the year and hence the mawlid celebration appeals to them and the lifestyle they have chosen. As for the leaders at the top, the evil scholars, then the burden is upon their shoulders for misguiding millions towards an affair that has no basis in any revealed legislation, nor the Sunnah of any Prophet sent by Allāh (). 135 We may add them to this treatise in future versions if time allows inshāʿAllāh. bidah.com  page 97 Closing Notes The vast majority of people who celebrate the Prophet's mawlid are the common-people who have been deceived by evil scholars through mountain heaps of shubuhāt (doubts, arguments). But as soon as this mountain is torched it burns to the ground in seconds, because there is nothing of substance in it. They are hindered from the path by doubts and they do not have knowledge of the matters - especially about the origins of the mawlid celebration at the hands of the disbelieving hypocrites and enemies of Islām from the Bāṭinī movements who tried to destroy Islām from within. It is important when discussing and trying to guide such people that they are first made to agree upon the important foundations - such as the seven points mentioned at the beginning of this treatise.

It is futile to proceed to discuss alleged evidences for the mawlid without getting explicit agreement on those foundations. This makes it easier for them to see that good intentions are not enough in worshipping Allāh and respecting the Prophet (). We will conclude by presenting the fatwā of the Mālikī jurist of the 8th century Tāj al-Dīn al-Fākihānī. May the ṣalāt and salām of Allāh be upon the Messenger, his Family and Companions. kkk bidah.com  page 98 Appendix 1: Fatawā of Medieval Mālikī Scholars on the Mawlid Muḥammad Ibn al-Ḥāj al-ʿAbdarī al-Fāsī al-Mālikī (d. 737H) In his work, al-Madkhal, he writes, "Chapter Regarding the Mawlid: And from the sum of what they have introduced of innovations - alongside their belief that this is from the greatest [forms] of worship and most manifest of symbols - is what they do in the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal of the mawlid [celebration] and it comprises innovations and unlawful matters in general."136 He also said, "Most strange it is how they perform the mawlid [celebration] with songs, rejoicement and happiness as has preceded because of his birth (), as has taken place in this noble month yet he () passed away in this [very] month to His Lord () and the ummah was struck and afflicted with a great calamity that is not equalled by any other calamity at all. And upon this, crying and much grief is what is required... so look at this noble month, whilst the affair is like this, and they are playing around and dancing and they neither cry nor grieve and if they had done that it would have been closer to the (true) situation."137 136 Al-Madkhal (Maktabah Dār al-Turāth, 2/2).

Over the next 30 pages or so Ibn al-Ḥāj goes on to vilify all the evil practices done during the mawlid celebration - and his angle is that this month is one where people should be grateful to Allāh for the sending of the Messenger (), yet these people have made it full of contraventions, falling into that which is ḥarām and wicked and what leads to evil and sinfulness in so many ways. 137 Al-Madkhal (Maktabah Dār al-Turāth, 2/15). bidah.com  page 99 Abū Isḥāq Ibrāhīm al-Shāṭibī al-Mālikī (d. 790H) Al-Shāṭibī said, "From them (the innovations) is to stick to particular forms (kayfiyyāt, hayʾāt) in practice such as performing dhikr in a group with a single voice (in unison) or taking the birthday of the Prophet () as a celebration and what resembles that."138 And he said in his fatāwā when asked about making a waṣīyah (legacy) for spending on the mawlid celebration, "As for the first, which is the waṣiyah with a third (of wealth) so that the people can establish [a celebration] on the night of the birthday of the Prophet () then it is known that establishing the mawlid [celebration] upon the way that is customary amongst the people is an introduced innovation and every innovation is misguidance. Thus, spending in order to establish innovation is not permissible and the waṣiyah is not to be executed. Rather, it is obligatory upon the judge to annul it and return the third to the heirs so they can distribute it between themselves, and may Allāh make distant those paupers who request that the likes of this waṣiyah should be fulfilled."139 138 Al-Iʿtiṣām (1/46). 139 203-204). bidah.com  page 100 Ahmad Ibn al-Qāsim al-Qubāb al-Fāsī al-Mālikī (d. 778H) In a compilation of the fatwās of jurists from Africa, Andalūsia and alMaghrib titled al-Miʿyār al-Muʿrab, there occurs, "My sayyid (master) Ahmad al-Qubāb was asked about what is done by the teachers of lighting candles on the birthday of the Prophet and children gathering to send ṣalāt on the Prophet (). And some children, who have beautiful voices recite a tenth of the Quran and also recite poetry in praise of the Prophet (). Both men and women gather together for this reason."140 In the answer, al-Qubāb says, "Everything which you have described are introduced innovations that must be ended.

Whoever took part in it, aided in it or strove to keep it going is striving for innovation and misguidance. He assumes through his ignorance that he is venerating the Messenger of Allah () by establishing his mawlid whereas he is opposing his Sunnah and committing a prohibited act that the Messenger of Allah () forbade, doing this openly, introducing [such innovation] into the religion that is not part of it. Had he been truly venerating him in the correct way, he would have obeyed his command and not introduced into religion that which is not from it. He would not have subjected himself to that which Allah, Most High, cautioned against when He said, 'Let those beware who oppose his command lest a tribulation befall them or a painful punishment inflicts them.' (24:63)."141 140 The question continues to mention issues about the teacher's making use of these candles and parents being compelled to buy candles due to the requests of their children. 141 Refer to Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad bin Yaḥyā al-Wansharīsī's (d. 914H) compilation al-Miʿyār al-Muʿrab (1401H, 12/48-49). bidah.com  page 101 Muḥammad bin ʿAlī al-Ḥaffār al-Gharnaṭī al-Mālikī (d. 811H): He said, "[Celebrating] the night of the mawlid , the Righteous Salaf - and they are the Companions of Allāh's Messenger () - they never used to gather for worship on this night and they would not do anything additional [of devotion] compared to the rest of the nights of the year. This is because the Prophet () is not venerated except through the way in which his veneration has been legislated.

Venerating him is from the greatest [forms] of nearness to Allāh. However, becoming close to Allāh () is only through what he legislated. And the evidence that the Salaf did not used to increase with any additional [actions] over any other night is that they differed about [his date of birth]. So it was said he () was born in Ramaḍān and it is said in Rabīʿ [al-Awwal] and then it is differed over as to what day he was born in - upon four sayings. If there was worship on account of the birth of the best of creation () on that night whose [following] morning he was born, it would have been known and famous and no differing would have occurred with respect to it.

However, no additional veneration was legislated. Do you not see that on the day of Jumuʿah, the best of the days upon which the sun rises, the best of which can be done on the virtuous day is to fast but the Prophet () prohibited from fasting on the day of Jumuʿah, alongisde the greatness of its excellence. This proves that no worship takes place in a given time or place unless it has been legislated, and what has not been legislated is not to be done. This is because what the latter part of this ummah does not come with is not better guided than which the first part of it came with. If this door was opened, then a people would have come and said that the day of his hijrah to Madīnah is the day on which Allāh gave strength (honour) to Islām and thus [people ought to] gather bidah.com  page 102 therein and worship.

And others will say that the night on which he was taken on a journey, on this night such nobility was attained [by him] that cannot be estimated, so worship is to take place therein. Then there will be no limit to this. All goodness lies in following the Righteous Salaf whom Allāh chose for Himself. So whatever they do, we do it and whatever they abandoned, we abandon it. So when this is established, it is clear that gathering together on that night is not required legislatively (sharʿan).

Rather, he is ordered to abandon it."142 Tāj al-Dīn al-Fākihānī al-Mālikī (d. 731H) on the Mawlid Tāj al-Din al-Fākihānī is ʿUmar bin ʿAlī bin Sālim bin Ṣadaqah al-Lakhmī, and he was spoken of by Ibn Kathīr as "The Shaykh, the Imam, possessor of many sciences." He died in Alexandria in 734H. He has a short treatise called al-Mawrid Fī ʿAmal al-Mawlid, a fatwā given in response to a question on the mawlid, and within it he stated: "I say and with Allāh is success: I do not know for this mawlid (birthday celebration) any basis in the Book, nor the Sunnah and nor has its practice been narrated from any one of the Scholars of the ummah who are the followed leaders in the religion holding fast to the ways of the predecessors. Rather, it is an innovation, which was invented by the idlers (lazy ones) and out of the soul's desire through which the devourers (of wealth) enriched themselves - (this) with the evidence that if we consider it in light of the five rulings, we say: Either it is wājib (obligatory), or mandūb (recommended) or mubāḥ (permissible), or makrūh (disliked) or muḥarram (unlawful). It is not obligatory by 142 Al-Miʿyār al-Muʿrab (1401H, 7/99-100). bidah.com  page 103 consensus and nor is it recommended because the reality of the mandūb is "That (whose performance) the Sharīʿh has requested but without any censure for the one who leaves it." But we see that the Sharīʿah has not granted permission for this and the Companions never did it and nor the Successors and nor the religious (devoted) scholars - as far as I know - and this is my answer in front of Allāh, the Exalted if I am asked about it. And it is not permissible that it should be permitted (mubāḥ) because innovating in the religion is not permissible by consensus of the Muslims.

Hence, there is not left except for it to be either makrūh (disliked) or ḥarām (unlawful). In that case, speech regarding it will be in two parts, and in distinguising between two situations: The first of them: That a man practises this with his own wealth for his family, associates and dependents and they do not go beyond, gathering to eat food in that regard and they do not commit any of the sins. This is what we have described as a detested innovation and as being repulsive since none of the people of obedience from the predecessors performed it - those who are the jurists of Islam, the scholars of the creation, the lamps of the ages and adornment of the places. The second: That prohibited matters entered into it and concerted effort is made (to collect wealth for it) such that one of them gives something and his soul reproaches him and his heart hurts him due to what he finds of the hurt of oppression (in being made to give his wealth), and the Scholars, may Allāh have mercy upon them, have said, "Taking [other's] wealth through (a display of) humility [to make themgive] is like taking it with the sword." This is especially the case when [the concerted effort in collection of wealth for this mawlid] is augmented with singing and futile instruments such as drums and flutes and the gathering of men with youths and women singers - either mixing with them (the women) or they (the women) playing an organizational role (without mixing with the men), and dancing with effeminateness and affectation and being engrossed in distraction and forgetting the Day of Fear. Likewise the women, when they gather together in isolation and raise their voices, those who chant out loudly out of gratification and depart from what is legislated and what is the acceptable norm when making remembrance (dhikr) and reciting (the Qurʾān), being heedless bidah.com  page 104 (all the while) of His, the Exalted's saying, "Indeed your Lord is ever watchful over them" (89:14).

No two people will differ about the unlawfulness of this and nor would any possessor of manhood deem it to be good. It is only with the souls of those with dead hearts and those not devoid of [plentiful] sin and disobedience by which this becomes considered lawful. And I further you [in knowledge] that they consider this to be from the acts of worship, not from the rejected unlawful matters. To Allāh we belong and to Him shall we return, indeed Islām began as something strange and will return as something strange, as it began... All of this alongside the fact that the month in which he () was born is the very month in which he passed away, so rejoicing is not more worthy of grief therein.

This is what is obligatory upon us to say, and from Allāh, the Exalted do we ask for good acceptance." End quote. bidah.com  page 105 Appendix 2: The "Bidʿah Ḥasanah" of Two Rakʿah Mawlid ʿĪd Prayer It is not possible for those who argue in favour of the mawlid celebration to convincingly refute the above bidʿah - which is to pray 2 rakʿah ʿĪd prayer for the mawlid celebration just as is done for ʿĪd al-Fiṭr and ʿĪd alcelebration. This highlights very clearly the evils which arise once the door is opened. If you open the door only slightly to begin with (to allow "good innovation") then you cannot blame the next person who wants to open the door a little wider. Notice, the argument in the leaflet, "What is wrong in praying 2 Rakats. Only Shaitan gets angry when you pray." And this is with our knowledge that ṣalāḥ is actually legislated.

So these people have a sounder argument than those who practice the mawlid celebration but to not allow innovation in acts of worship already bidah.com  page 106 legislated. This is because the mawlid celebration, fundamentally, in principle (aṣlan) is not legislated and is a pure innovation from that angle. So if that is permitted, then it is not a blameworthy innovation to pray a 2 rakʿah ʿĪd prayer on the alleged day of the mawlid. There is no argument against this at all, and thus those who celebrate the Mawlid and do not pray an ʿĪd prayer to signify the greatness of this day, they are "Wahhābīs and "Gustākh." So this type of contradiction and foolishness is from the fruits of innovation. As for the Salaf, it is undeniable from what has been quoted from them that they bolted the door and never allowed it to be opened at all and condemned anyone who even approached the door because this leads to alteration (tabdīl) of the religion - the same path which the Jews and Christians took in disfiguring their religion. bidah.com  page 107 Appendix 3: The Mawlid Tree to Rival the Christmas Tree Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī () reports that the Prophet () said, "You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit, to the extent that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you will enter it too." We said: "O Messenger of Allāh, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said: "Who else?"143 143 Reported by al-Bukhārī, (no. 1397) and Muslim (no. 4822). bidah.com  page 108 Appendix 4: The Milād Cake Versus the Christmas Cake Cakes reaching 2.3 Ton (5000 lbs) for the Milād celebration - in imitation of the Christians - rather, outdoing the Christians. bidah.com  page 109 Appendix 5: Response to a Twitter Post Upon the publishing of this e-book a twitter response was received in which pictures of Mawlid celebrations in Baghdād were presented: First, we ask Allāh to aid and support the Muslims in every place by guiding them and directing them to the Islām known, understood and practiced by Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī () and all of the Companions (), in belief, worship, methodology, morals, manners and dealings - for it is that Islām and only that Islām that leads to genuine unity and gives honour.

And the Prophet () commanded us in the famous ḥadīth of al-Irbāḍ bin Sāriyah (), "Whomever amongst bidah.com  page 110 you lives for long will see much controversy, so you must stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs."144 Second, the intent behind this twitter post is to demonstrate - through images and numbers - that people are celebrating and honouring the Prophet () on the streets and that this somehow is honorable and noble. Had this been correct and had this been a legislatively acceptable way of manifesting and expressing love and respect for the Prophet () then the Muslims would be leaders of the world and they would have honour, nobility and success. Allāh () said: So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful. (7:157) The success mentioned here is the success of "those who rejoice with the goodness of this life and the next and who are saved from their evil because they brought the means of success."145 However, it appears that despite millions upon millions showing this apparent respect and honour - [over the passing of the last few centuries] - for the Prophet () through the routes of celebration, party, song and dance - an alleged means of success - their calamities and woes have only increased and they are not leaders and successful ones of the world despite the promise of Allāh in this verse. So either Allāh broke His promise or this alleged form of honouring and respecting the Prophet () does not please Allāh and was never sanctioned by Him or His Prophet.

Third, The Prophet () said, "Allāh did not send any Prophet except that it was a duty upon him to direct his ummah to every good he knew for them and to warn 144 145 Refer to Tafsīr al-Saʿdī. bidah.com  page 111 them from every evil he knew for them."146 And he () said, "By Him in whose hand is my soul. I have not left anything which brings you closer to Paradise and distances you from the Hellfire except that I have commanded you with it and I have not left anything which brings you closer to Hellfire and distances you from Paradise except that I have prohibited you from it."147 So either the Prophet () commanded Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī () and all of the Companions () to come out on the streets of Madinah to distribute sweets, rejoice, sing and dance in order to celebrate his birthday or he commanded them to follow what was revealed to him of the Book and Wisdom (the Sunnah): Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error. (3:164). And the pagan Arabs, though they had been in manifest error in Jāhiliyyah, never used to celebrate birthdays, it was a custom unknown to them. Four, it is obligatory upon organizations involved in relief work to direct people to that in which true and real success lies and not to perpetuate the deception of large numbers and what the majority do and nor to compromise and dissolve the Islāmic aqeedah to the lowest possible common denominator so as to win the approval of every sect possible so as to build large numbers to create the false hope and impression that Muslims are united - when beneath the surface their hearts are disunited and cut to pieces due to sectarianism and bigotry - all of which returns 146 Reported by Muslim from the ḥadīth of ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar. 147 Reported by al-Ṭabarānī, al-Bayḥaqī and Ibn Abī Shaybah and refer to Silsilah bidah.com  page 112 back to innovated beliefs, practices and methodologies.

This is not the correct methodology and is not pleasing to Allāh () despite its allure. The apparent benefits of this doomed approach are only ever short-lived and superficial as is clear to anyone with intelligence and the least amount of acquaintance with the reality of the Prophet's message. Five, the Companions in the streets of Madīnah were more knowledgeable and Allāh-fearing than the Sunnī crowds in the streets of Baghdād or any other city - may Allāh guide us and them. ʿAbdullāh bin Masʿūd said (), "Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed, and every innovation is misguidance."148 The Companions never knew anything from these novelties, but they honoured the Prophet () by honouring and carrying his message without negligence or extremism and without taking away from it or adding to it. Six, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (d. 110) said, "A small amount of action in accordance with the Sunnah is better than a great deal of action in bidʿah"149 and had organizations with influence positioned themselves and their call in light of these statements of the Companions and their students, there would be real tangible blessings and benefits - those that will never result from superficial, token-gesture birthday celebrations that were never entertained by the Companions, the best of mankind. Imām Mālik (d. 179H) said, "Whoever introduced an innovation into Islām, considering it something good, he has claimed that the Messenger was treacherous to his duty of messengership," then he recited, "This day have I perfected your religion for you" (5:3) and then said, "Whatever was not from the religion then cannot be considered from the religion today."150 Seven, when the Muslims take the Companions as their role-models in faith, belief, practice, obedience and submission and shun everything not known to the Companions of religious practice, then the hypocritical, pretentious make-believe unity will dissolve and true unity and honour will arise by Allāh's permission. 148 149 Al-Iʿtiṣām of al-Shāṭibī (Maktabah al-Tawḥīd, 1/135). 150 Imām al-Shāṭibī in al-Iʿtiṣām (taḥqīq, M.

Salmān, Maktabah al-Tawḥīd, 1/62). bidah.com  page 113 Bibliography In addition to materials previously written for bidah.com, numerous works were relied upon in preparing this treatise and are listed below: 1419H) and it is a compilation of numerous treatises which include the next five entries: 3. Al-Mawrid Fī ʿAmal al-Mawlid of Imām Tāj al-Dīn al-Fākihānī. 4. Ḥukm Iḥtifāl bil-Mawlid al-Nabawī of Shaykh Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm Āl al-Shaykh. 5. Ḥukm Iḥtifāl bil-Mawlid al-Nabawī of Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz bin Bāz. 7. Al-Qawl al-Faṣl Fī Ḥukm al-Tawassul bi Khayr il-Rusul of Shaykh 8. Al-Iḥtifāl bil-Mawlid al-Nabawiyy Bayn al-Māniʿīn wal-Mustaḥsinī of Shaykh ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-ʿAnqarī . 9. Al-Iḥtifāl bi Dhikrā al-Mawlid al-Nabawī of Rāʾid Āl Ṭāhir. 10. Ḥukm Iḥtifāl bi Mawlid Khayr al-Anām of Shaykh Muḥammad Alī Ferkous. 11.

Dalāʾil Maḥabbat al-Rasūl () Bayn al-Sunnah wal-Bidʿah of Aḥmad al-Ṣawiyyān. bidah.com  page 114 The people of Islām are strangers amongst mankind. And the believers are strangers amongst the people of Islām. And the people of knowledge are strangers amongst the believers. And the people of the Sunnah who separate it from the desires and innovations, they are strangers. And those who call to it and have patience upon the harm of the opposers, they are the severest of them (all) in strangeness.

However, they are the people of Allāh in truth. There is no strangeness for them (in reality), (rather) their strangeness is only in relation to the majority about whom Allāh () said, "If you were to obey most of those upon the Earth they would misguide you from the path of Allāh" (6:116). So the ones (mentioned in the verse) are (the real) strangers to Allāh and His Messenger and their strangeness is the deserting (type of) strangeness even if they are well-known and pointed towards. Madārij al-Sālikīn (3/186). v www.salaf.com