7. Dispute about this issue must be referred back to the Book of

Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger and the consensus of the Companions for judgement and anyone who tries to argue through other than this route is misguided, intending to misguide others. It is important to keep these points of agreement in mind because through them - as we see the argument develop - we will see the reality of those people who claim to love Allāh () and His Messenger () yet they are disputants to Allāh and His Messenger. This is because what they say or practice necessitates revilement upon Allāh, His religion, His Messenger, the Companions and the Righteous Salaf as a whole. They claim to believe Islām is complete and perfect and that the Messenger fulfilled his trust, yet contradict this belief in their statements and actions. They claim to love the Messenger of Allāh () but seek to find every way or argument to justify opposing his command.

It will be observed that despite coming to a verbal agreement on all these points at the start of the discussion, as we systematically work through their doubts, we will see them blatantly contradicting these points. Thus, any argument with any person who claims the mawlid celebration is from Islām must not commence until this person has been forced to admit and agree to these points. Their doubts and arguments must not be listened to nor entertained until and unless they agree to each of these points. This puts them in an extremely awkward position from the very beginning. bidah.com  page 40 Doubts Used to Justify the Mawlid Celebration Since history cannot be distorted of falsified very easily and there is zero evidence or documentation of the practice of the mawlid in the era of the best of generations, the Innovators from the Ṣūfīs who took this practice from the Shīʿites invented sophistries and distorted some of the texts of the Qurʾān and the Sunnah in their attempts to legitimize this practice also rely upon the statements of some of the later Scholars, after the 7 th century hijrah, who mentioned the mawlid in a praiseworthy light. In the way that they argue for this practice, a blatant contradiction emerges.

First, they are forced to acknowledge it is a bidʿah in the religion. Second, to get around this, they claim it is a bidʿah ḥasanah. But then, thirdly, they try to use certain ḥadīths as proof for the mawlid. This contradicts their first argument that it is a bidʿah ḥasanah. If there are genuine proofs for the mawlid then it would not be a bidʿah ḥasanah, but a legitimate Sunnah practice or it would fall into the ruling of mubāḥ, mustaḥabb or wājib through textual evidence .

Hence, the contradiction is apparent. Thus only one method can be used to argue, not both at the same time. bidah.com  page 41 The Two Contradictory Paths As has preceded, those who argue in favour of the celebration of the mawlid have two contradictory methods of arguing for it. The first path is taken by those who are honest enough to admit that celebrating the mawlid is indeed an innovation (bidʿah) not known by the Righteous Salaf of the first three centuries of Islām. Upon this, they can only argue for it through the route of claiming that there is bidʿah ḥasanah (good innovation) in the religion. Hence, they bring arguments to justify this concept.

Thereafter, they are able to argue indirectly for the mawlid. This is an indirect argument not a specific, direct argument. The second path is taken by those who claim there is evidence for celebrating the mawlid in the Sunnah, whether in a general or specific sense. This approach is contradictory and incompatible with the first approach. It is used by those who distort the texts in horrendous ways with very far-fetched attempts at claiming that a particular text is specific proof for celebrating the Prophet's birthday.

When one looks the these texts, upon the simplest of reflections, one can see that that they have very little connection, if any at all, to the issue of celebrating the mawlid and are just attempts at deceiving the ignorant. Most often you will find people using both approaches. When one fails they will try the other, indicating their contradiction and bankruptcy in evidence. If it is claimed that there is evidence for it in the Sunnah, then it cannot be a bidʿah ḥasanah, since whatever has proof from the Sunnah is either permissible (mubāḥ), recommended (mustaḥabb) or obligatory (wājib) and does not enter into the realm of bidʿah. Illustration of Contradiction and Confusion Muḥammad ʿAlawī al-Mālikī, the blazing Sūfī, wrote, "Celebrating the mawlid, even though it was not present in the era of the Prophet bidah.com  page 42 () - and thus it is an innovation - but it is a good [innovation] because it comes under sharīʿah evidences and comprehensive principles."56 First, we have an acknowledgement that it is indeed a bidʿah and unknown to the Prophet and his Companions and the Salaf.

But then he declares it a good bidʿah. Here, it has to be established that the concept of good bidʿah as it relates to matters of worship and getting closer to Allāh through innovated matters of worship is legitimate. This is discussed further below and it is already agreed upon that this is futile and is a revilement upon the religion, there is no such concept in Islām, it was not taught by the Prophet () or known to the Companions - that something was left which the Muslims needed to become closer to Allāh - this clashes with the texts. Next, al-Mālikī says, justifying why it is a good innovation, "because it comes under sharīʿah evidences and comprehensive principles." And here is the contradiction. If it comes under such evidences and principles, then it will have the ruling of permissible (mubāḥ), recommended (mustaḥabb) or obligatory (wājib) in the Sharīʿah and it would not be spoken of as an innovation.

What al-Mālikī and those like in the Sharīʿah are recommended or obligatory and b) innovations in matters of devotion and worship. Building schools or hospitals (for education and public health, both of which are recommended) and compiling the Qurʾān into a single book (for preserving Islām which is obligatory) are from the first type - they are not sought in and of themselves but are ways and means by which something already known to be recommended or obligatory is fulfilled. As for gaining nearness to Allāh by celebrating the birthday, this is sought as an act of worship in and of itself and it has no basis in any text, neither in a general sense or specific sense. 56 Ḥawl al-Iḥtifāl bil-Mawlid (p. 19). bidah.com  page 43 The point here is that either you have to prove that the concept of bidʿah ḥasanah in novel forms of worship and getting closer to Allāh is valid and true and proven by the texts - after which you can indirectly prove the mawlid celebration to be legitimate, so this is one approach. Or you have to argue that celebrating the mawlid is permissible, recommended or obligatory by virtue of evidences in the Qurʾān and the Sunnah - and so here the label of bidʿah would not even come into it. You cannot combine both approaches as that is a contradiction.

The explanation of this is elaborated upon in more detail in the sections to follow on bidʿah ḥasanah and the erroneous and self-defeating approach of dividing bidʿah into the five rulings (ḥarām, makrūh, mubāḥ, mustaḥabb, wājib). bidah.com  page 44 The Quick, Definitive, Decisive, General Answer The quickest and easiest refutation of all of their doubts simultaneously is simply to say that if the Qurʾānic verse or Prophetic ḥadīth or general Sharīʿah principle which they claim is a proof for establishing the mawlid is in fact so and is as they claim it is, then Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī and the rest of the Companions () would have preceded them in it as they read these revealed texs before anyone else and no one is more eager for goodness than them and more loving of the Prophet () than them. Therefore, this practice of celebrating the mawlid, along with its alleged evidences would have been conveyed to us just like every other act of worship has been conveyed to us and it would have found its way in the speech, writings and works of the Scholars of fiqh, tafsīr and ḥadīth in the second and third centuries hijrah. Just like we see that the two ʿĪd celebrations and all the rulings pertaining to them have been transmitted and are found in the books of fiqh, ḥadīth, tafsīr and seerah and in the speech and writings of the scholars of jurisprudence from the Salaf. Since that is completely non-existent for the mawlid and does not Shīʿite disbelievers and descendants of the Magians and Jews during or after 4th century hijrah in Egypt, it is known by necessity that these texts from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are being distorted and misinterpreted and hence, it is only one of two affairs: The first, that the Companions, Successors, the Four Imāms and the Salaf neglected a right (ḥaqq) of the Prophet () and did not become wise to it through the texts in the Qurʾān and the Sunnah which they were aware of. Or the second, that there is nothing in these texts at all which indicates the permissibility of this practice but these texts are simply being distorted and twisted for the sole objective of justifying something unknown to the Companions, the Successors, the Four Imāms and the Righteous Salaf as a whole.

It is known that it cannot be the first of the two situations and the Innovators will be forced to concede this as they cannot come out openly and revile the Companions in such a way. Thus it is established that every bidah.com  page 45 evidence used by the innovators is futile by their own admission. That's the quick and general answer, the undeniable historical facts invalidate the attempted distortion of the texts and it is not necessary to start wrangling about any specific alleged evidence. bidah.com  page 46 Answers to Specific Doubts As for the specific doubts, they are very many and at the head of them is the claim of their being bidʿah ḥasanah in the religion and connected to this is the division of bidʿah into mubāh, mustaḥabb, wājib, makrūḥ and ḥarām. These are indirect methods of justifying the celebration of the mawlid and not specific, definitive arguments for it. These two methods are relied upon because there are no specific evidences for celebrating the mawlid and the other arguments used by them are weak, far-fetched and amount to distortion of texts.

So we will look at these two doubts in some detail first. bidah.com  page 47 The Claim of Bidʿah Ḥasanah This is a broad tactical way used to justify innovations in general and comprises the claim that there is bidʿah ḥasanah (good innovation) in the religion. If this can be established, then it can be argued that there is no harm in celebrating the mawlid because it is a praiseworthy bidʿah not a blameworthy one. First, this clashes with the point that was agreed earlier. The Prophet () 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 the Hellfire and distances you from Paradise except that I have prohibited you from it."57 So either Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh, the final Messenger, sent with the final, complete, perfect religion and sharīʿah is speaking the truth or the one who tries to justify the celebration of the mawlid as a means of nearness to Allāh is speaking the truth.

Both cannot be speaking the truth, "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" - the answer is left for the reader. Second, this clashes with the explicit statement of the Messenger (), "Every innovation is misguidance." The Messenger described every newly invented matter which has no basis in the religion58 as evil (sharr) and misguidance (ḍalālah). There occurs in the ḥadīth of Jābir, "The worst of affairs and the newly-invented matters" and in the ḥadīth of alʿIrbāḍ, "Beware of the newly-invented affairs for every newly-invented matter is an innnovation." And in the ḥadīth of Ibn Masʿūd, "Every innovation is 57 Reported by al-Ṭabarānī, al-Bayḥaqī and Ibn Abī Shaybah and refer to Silsilah 58 Birthday celebrations have no basis in the religion and they do not even have any basis in the practice of the Arabs in Jāhiliyyah, prior to Islām and nor in any previous revealed legislation. bidah.com  page 48 misguidance." How can anyone intelligent say that from evil (sharr) and misguidance (ḍalālah) is that which is good (ḥasan) and praiseworthy (maḥmūd)? No intelligent person says this. Further, this is a generalization and unless there is an exception from the speech of the Prophet himself, it is to be left upon its generalization.

So where is the exception or the qualification in the speech of the Prophet himself? There is none. ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar () said, "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people consider it to be something good."59 Third, if it is argued that the word "all" (kullu) in Arabic is not always absolute and that the Prophet () could not have intended every innovation because that would mean ʿUmar's re-enactment of the Tarāwīh prayer and ʿUthmān's compilation of the Qurʾān were reprehensible innovations for which they would be condemned. The answer to this feeble doubt is that is is based upon not distiguishing between the linguistic (lughawiyy) meaning of the word bidʿah and the legislative (sharʿīyy) meaning and not verifying which of the two the Prophet () intended when he used this word. So the taḥqīq (verification) in this matter is that the Prophet () only ever intended the legislative meaning and not the linguistic meaning when he used the word bidʿah. As for the linguistic meaning which is, "a newly-invented thing that which has no prior example" this is general for all things, whether religious or otherwise, whether praiseworthy or blameworthy, since the key underlying concept is that which has no prior example.

But the Prophet () never intended the word bidʿah with this meaning, rather he only ever intended it with its () which defines and explains the usage of the word bidʿah, "Whoever introduced into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected." 59 and others. bidah.com  page 49 This ḥadīth outlines three characteristics of the bidʿah intended by the Prophet () in the rest of his statements.  The first is to introduce (man aḥdatha): Introducing something new (iḥdāth). At this point, this could refer to all innovations, whether religious or otherwise, praiseworthy or blameworthy. So to avoid ambiguity the Prophet () clarified further and in the next few words restricted it only to religious matters.  So the second is to ascribe it to the religion (fī amrinā hādhā): Ascribing it to the religion (iḍāfah). This has now been made specific to the religion, it is whatever is ascribed to the Sharīʿah after its introduction. This would exclude all matters of sin and disobedience since no one ascribes these affairs to the Sharīʿah.

Just as it excludes all innovations in worldly matters. But some affairs might have a basis in the Sharīʿah - so to exclude these affairs from being condemned, the Prophet () clarified further in the words that follow.  The third is that which does not have any evidence (mā laysa minhu): Lacking a Sharīʿah evidence (ʿadm al-dalīl al-sharʿīyy) in either a) a general sense or b) a specific sense. This means that the bidʿah does not have any general or specific evidence from the Sharīʿah. As an illustration of evidence in the general sense, the compilation of the Qurʾān into a single book (muṣhaf) comes under a non-specific general proof which is preservation of the religion. Preservation of the religion is obligatory (wājib) and this cannot be done except by preservation of the integrity of the Qurʾān.

Putting it into a single book is from the ways and means take the same rulings as the maqāṣid (objectives). So this is excluded from the bidʿah intended by the Messenger because it bidah.com  page 50 has a basis in a general evidence.60 As for evidence in a specific sense, it is the action of ʿUmar in re-enacting the Tarāwīh prayer. This has a specific proof in the Sunnah, the Prophet () performed it for three nights in Ramaḍān but left it out of fear that it might become obligatory and cause hardship to his ummah because revelation was still being sent down. In these two cases, these actions are only bidʿah in the linguistic meaning of the word. No one prior to ʿUthmān put the Qurʾān into a single book.

And no one prior to ʿUmar brought the people together behind a single imām for the Tarāwīḥ prayer in Ramaḍān after it had been abandoned. Linguistically, we can see these actions were innovations but legislatively, they are not innovations and not blameworthy. So this completes the definition of bidʿah in the Sharīʿah and it becomes clear that birthday celebrations do not have any general or specific evidence from the Sharīʿah and thus come under the legislative definition where the standard definition of bidʿah has been taken and explained by Imām al-Shāṭibī. He said, "[The word] innovation (bidʿah) then is an expression of a path taken in religion which is invented and resembles the Sharīʿah and by whose practice exaggeration in worshipping Allāh, 60 There is no general evidence for birthday celebrations in any sharīʿah revealed by Allāh (). If someone was to claim that loving and respecting the Prophet has a general evidence and from the ways and means is to celebrate his birthday, this is rejected because the ways and means of loving and respecting the Prophet have been qualified and explained in detail and were not neglected because this, in and of itself, comprises worship of Allāh because it is taken as a means of nearness to Allāh.

But as for putting the Qurʾān into a single book, this is not worship in and of itself but simply one of the wasāʾil to achieve a desired Sharīʿah objective. Thus, it was not desired in and of itself, as an act of worship, but was a means to facilitate an obligatory goal. As for birthday celebrations, they are taken, in and of themselves, as nearness and worship and are sought out in the same way that all other legitimate acts of worship are sought out until the impression is given that this action itself is legislated and is wājib or mustaḥabb. bidah.com  page 51 the Exalted, is intended."61 With this definition, worldly innovations such as manufacturing cars, airplanes, washing machines and what is similar are excluded because no on takes them as a path in the religion through which nearness is sought to Allāh. However many of the later scholars took the mention of the word bidʿah in the Sunnah upon its linguistic meaning and thought that unless it is restricted and qualified it would mean that inventions in worldly affairs would be condemned and likewise some of the actions of the rightlyguided Caliphs62 would be considered blameworthy innovations. Upon this erroneous notion, they mixed between the linguistic and legislative meaning and then began to classify bidʿah into the well known five categories of rulings to separate them out.

This will be looked at in more detail in the next section. However, at this point, it is clear that the word "all" (kullu) in the ḥadīths is absolute and unrestricted because the word bidʿah is used only in its legislative sense as made clear by other statements of the Messenger () and as clearly understood by the Companions and Successors. Hence, there is no room for this argument. To support this explanation, here are statements of some of the Scholars: Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī said, "As for innovations (bidaʿ), it is the plural of innovation (bidʿah) and it is everything which does not have any prior example. Linguistically, [the word] encompasses what is both praiseworthy and blameworthy.

In the usage of the people of the legislation it is specifically for what is blameworthy and if it is used in connection to what is praiseworthy, then it is upon its linguistic meaning."63 Ibn Kathīr said, "And bidah is of two types. Sometimes it can 61 62 Such as re-enacting the Tarawīḥ prayer, or the compilation of the Qurʾān or the addition of the first aẓān for Jumuʿah. These actions actually do have a general or specific basis in the Shariʿah and cannot be considered innovations 63 Fatḥ al-Bārī (Maktabah Salafiyyah print, 13/278). bidah.com  page 52 be a legislative innovation (bidʿah sharʿiyyah), such as his saying, 'Every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance' and sometimes it can be a linguistic innovation (bidʿah lughawiyyah), about his bringing them together for the tarawih prayer and their continuance upon that, 'What an excellent innovation this is'."64 ʿAbd alRaḥīm al-Mubārakfūrī says, "For his saying (), 'Every innovation is misguidance' is from the concise, profound words (jawāmiʿ al-kalim), nothing exits from them and it is a mighty foundation from the foundations of the religion. As for what occurs in the speech of some of the Salaf of considering some of the innovations to be good, then that is in relation to linguistic (usage of) bidʿah, not the Sharīʿah (usage). From (the examples) of that is the saying of ʿUmar () regarding the Tarāwiḥ (prayer), 'What an excellent innovation'."65 As for the ḥadīth reported by Muslim, "Whoever sets a good precedent in Islām will have the reward for it and the reward of those who acted upon it without any reduction in their reward," then when one refers to the full incident, it was said in the context of a delegation of poor people who came and the Prophet () advised the Companions to give charity.

A man rushed home and came back with a bag of charity and then his example was followed by others.66 The "enactment" here is with respect 64 Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-Aẓīm (Dar Tayyibah, 1422H, 1/398). 65 Tuḥfat al-Aḥwazi bi Sharḥ al-Tirmidhī (7/366). 66 Here is the full text of the ḥadīth: Al-Mundhir bin Jarīr reported on the authority of his father: "While we were in the company of the Messenger of Allāh () in the early hours of the morning, some people came there (who) were barefooted, naked, wearing striped woollen clothes, or cloaks, with their swords hung (around their necks). Most of them, in fact, all of them, belonged to the tribe of Mudar. The colour of the face of the Messenger of Allāh () underwent a change when he saw them in poverty. He then entered (his house) and came out and commanded Bilāl (to pronounce adhān). He pronounced adhān and iqāmah, and he (the Prophet) observed prayer (along with his Companions) and then addressed (them reciting verses of the Qurʾān): 'O mankind, fear your Lord, Who created you from a single being' to the end of bidah.com  page 53 to an affair that is already legislated, giving charity, and the man from the Anṣār did something no one else preceded him in.

He went home and brought a bag full of money to give in charity. So there is no proof in this ḥadīth for the concept of bidʿah ḥasanah. The meaning of this ḥadīth is whoever set a good precedent in an action that is already sanctioned in the Sharīʿah will have the reward of all those who followed him in that. For example, if man saved a year's savings then travelled to a country to build wells for the poor in the desert-regions and then a group of others followed his example, saving one year of their wealth and travelling to countries to build wells for the poor, then that man will have their reward as well as his own without anything diminishing from their reward for their good deed. Nothing here about imitating Christians or Islām by performing birthday celebrations. enactment of the Tarāwīḥ prayer, "What an excellent innovation this is" is not a proof because the action had been performed by the Prophet () for three nights before abandoning it out of the fear that it the verse, 'Allāh is ever a Watcher over you' (4:1).

(He then recited) a verse of Sūrah al-Ḥashr, 'Fear Allaah and let every soul consider that which it sends forth for the morrow and fear Allāh' (59:18). (Then the audience began to vie with one another in giving charity.) Some donated a dinar, others a dirham, still others clothes, some donated a measure of wheat, some a measure of dates; till he (the Prophet) said: '(Bring) even if it is half a date.' Then a person from among the Anṣār came there with a money bag which his hands could scarcely lift, in fact, which they could not (lift). Then the people followed continuously (following the example of this man), till I saw two heaps of eatables and clothes, and I saw the face of the Messenger () glistening, like gold (on account of joy). The Messenger of Allāh () said: 'He who sets a good precedent in Islām, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently, without any deduction from their rewards; and he who sets in Islām an evil precedent, there is upon him the burden of that, and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burden'." bidah.com  page 54 might be made obligatory. So ʿUmar revived an action that is already from the religion with specific evidence and did not innovate into the religion that which was not from it.

His use of the word bidʿah was with a purely linguistic meaning. No one before him had revived this practice after it had been abandoned, he was the first to revive it and his act of revival was labelled a bidʿah in the linguistic sense. The celebration of birthdays does not have any basis in the Sharīʿah at all, fundamentally, unlike the tarāwīh prayer in Ramaḍān and giving charity. Rather, it has a basis in the fabricated and distorted legislations of the pagans and disbelievers and is unknown in Islām and unknown even to the pagan Arabs prior to Islām in the days of Jāhiliyyah. It should also be noted that many of the Scholars who employ the term bidʿah ḥasanah are referring either to that which has a specific basis in the Sharīʿah like the revival of the Tarāwīh prayer or the ways and means to attain objectives which are mustaḥabb or wājib or to worldly affairs that are permissible and hence in reality, their usage of the term "bidʿah" is redundant and unnecessary.

At the same time, many of these scholars also refute innovations in worship that outwardly appear to be good and therefore fall into contradiction, refuting some innovations, but considering others to be good without defining any criterion to decide what is what. For example al-ʿIzz bin ʿAbd al-Salām (d. 660H) speaks against many innovated practices in worship in his Fatāwā67 such as the practice of raising hands for supplication in those instances that the Prophet () never did so. Likewise he refutes the innovated prayer 67 Refert to Kitāb al-Fatāwā (Dār al-Maʿrifah, Beirūt, 1406H). 68 This is an innovated form of prayer which involves many repetitions of certain Sūrahs (Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ and Sūrah al-Qadr) and certain remembrances in twelve rakʿahs at the end of which there are two prostrations (after the taslīm). It is supposed to be done on a Friday night, preferably in the month of Rajab, preferably when one has been fasting and performed just prior to breaking one's fast. This was being practised by the people in the time of al-ʿIzz bin ʿAbd alSalām, and it was found in popular books such as Iḥyā ʿUlūm al-Dīn of al-Ghazālī. bidah.com  page 55 declared it recommended such as Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ.

Also al-ʿIzz bin ʿAbd alSalām considers it an innovation to offer the reward of one's deeds to others. Likewise Abū Shāmah rejects many innovations pertaining to funerals, he rejects Ṣalāt al-Raghāʾib and likewise the prayer on the night of 15th of Shaʿbān and rejects sunnah prayer prior to Jumuʿah and despite rejects Ṣalāt al-Raghāʾib as an innovation, and also gathering in a place to offer condolences for the deceased and numerous other innovations which others would consider to be bidʿah ḥasanah. The person who claims there is evil bidʿah and good bidʿah must answer the question:70 What is the definitive criterion by which a person comes to known the good bidʿah from the evil bidʿah so that he can take the good and leave the evil? If he says, bidʿah ḥasanah (good innovation) is permissible and bidʿah sayyiʾah (evil innovation) is prohibited he has simply gone round in a circle and not said anything. If he says bidʿah ḥasanah has no harm but bidʿah sayyiʾah has harm within it, he is asked what he means by harm, whether it is harm of the world only or the world and hereafter, or the hereafter only.

If he says the first, there is no harm in the worldly sense, then this means there is no harm if we pray five rakʿahs for dhuhr and four rakʿahs for maghrib and that we make the sujūd before the rukūʿ and the tashahhud before the fātiḥah and that we So he wrote a tract in refutation of it. Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ had a different view and considered it an acceptable act of worship and so he wrote a defence of it by writing against al-ʿIzz's tract. Al-ʿIzz then wrote another response and refuted Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ. Now al-ʿIzz was not the only one who rejected it, it was also rejected by Abū Shāmah Shihāb al-Dīn al-Maqdisī (d. 665H), Abū al-Khayr Quṭb al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Zubaydi (894H), Abu Bakr al-Turtushi (520H) al-Nawawī (d. 676H) and others. Yet some of these also spoke in favour of the mawlid - which indicates they do not have a consistent principle with respect to what they claim is a "bidʿah ḥasanah." 69 Refer to his book al-Amr bil-īttibāʿ wal-Nahī ʿanil-Ibtidāʿ. 70 Refer to al-Barāhīn ʿalā allā Bidʿah Ḥasanah fil-Dīn (p. 19). bidah.com  page 56 fast Shaʿbān instead of Ramaḍān and so on.

None of this brings harm to our worldly affairs. But if he says the second or third, that the bidʿah ḥasanah brings no harm in the world or the hereafter or the hereafter alone, then what is a sign and an indication for us that this innovation does or does not bring harm and punishment in the hereafter? This is especially considering that those who practice this innovation are largely Ashʿarīs who do not believe that the intellect is able to determine that which is good (ḥasan) or repugnant (qabīḥ) on its own and that this is only determined by the Sharīʿah. So what is the determining criterion that tells us what is a good or a harmful bidʿah? It is here where we see their inability to answer and also the contradiction they fall into.

Why is innovation? Everything on the basis of which the first is declared a blameworthy innovation applies equally to the second. So this clear contradiction on behalf of those who claim there is bidʿah ḥasanah and then declare some actions to be from the blameworthy bidʿah. As for Ahl al-Sunnah, then the criterion is the Qurʾān and the Sunnah. This is what determines that which is Sunnah from that which is bidʿah.

It is the statement of the Prophet () 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 the Hellfire and distances you from Paradise except that I have prohibited you from it."71 And the statement of the Prophet () said as related by al-Irbād bin Sāriyah (), "I have left you upon clarity. It's night is like its day. No one deviates from it except that he is destroyed. Whomever amongst you lives for long will see much controversy, so you must stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightlyguided Caliphs."72 And the Prophet () also said as reported by 71 Reported by al-Ṭabarānī, al-Bayḥaqī and Ibn Abī Shaybah and refer to Silsilah 72 bidah.com  page 57 from it will have it rejected"73 and also, "Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our affair will have it rejected."74 Ibn al-Mājishūn relates that he heard Imām Mālik (d. 179H) say, "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."75 So the affair comes back to the revelation and in reality, these people76 want to depart from the revelation because it reins in their personal desires, feelings, tastes and opinions.

They desire to leave the straight superficial, shallow types of respect and veneration such as birthday parties but the Sharīʿah of Islām and the Prophet of Islām prevent them and restrain them. Their desires and tastes lead them to cling to weak and baseless doubts because they do not want their desires to be reined in by revelation - and it is here where it becomes clear that the alleged love these people claim for the Messenger () and his Sunnah is highly questionable. It is not valid, correct, genuine love, because if it was, they would venerate and abide by the command of the Messenger () and limit themselves to his Sunnah and not oppose it or go beyond it even a handspan. 73 Reported by al-Bukhārī. 74 Reported by Muslim. 75 Imām al-Shāṭibī in al-Iʿtiṣām (taḥqīq, M. Salmān, Maktabah al-Tawḥīd, 1/62). 76 We are referring here to the leaders of misguidance and not the common-folk who are simply blind-followers with sincere intentions. As for their leaders, those who know and understand these matters, then they desire misguidance and they invent and spread doubts in this regard and also slander and revile those who adhere to the Prophetic Sunnah - claiming they hate the Prophet () - as a means of riling up the common-folk against them. bidah.com  page 58 where the people (before you) halted.

Speak with what they spoke, and withhold from what they withheld. Traverse the path of your Righteous Salaf for what sufficed them suffices you."77 Ibn ʿAbbās () said, "There will not come upon the people a time except that they will introduce an innovation and will cause a Sunnah to die [continuing like this] until innovations acquire life and the affairs of the Sunnah die off."78 And ʿUmar bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz (d. 101H) said, "Halt at where the people (the Companions) halted, for they halted upon knowledge and through penetrative insight they withheld [from matters], and they were stronger [in knowledge and understanding] in unveiling them. And if you say, 'After them such and such occurred' then no one introduced [anything] after them except the one who opposed their guidance and desired to turn away from their Sunnah."79 77 Al-Lālikā'ī in Sharḥ Uṣūl al-Iʿtiqād (/1/154). 78 79 Reported by al-Ājurrī in al-Sharīʿah and Lumuʿat al-Iʿtiqād of Ibn Qudāmah alMaqdisī. bidah.com  page 59 Classifying Bidʿah into Five Categories The second way is to rely upon the speech of some of the later scholars80 who classified bidʿah into wājib, mustaḥabb, mubāh, makrūh and ḥarām.81 This is a self-defeating argument and is simply going round in a circle and involves nothing but a play with words. First this classification is itself a bidʿah in the religion and it clashes directly with the saying of the Prophet (), "Every innovation is misguidance." Al-Shāṭibī said, "This classification is invented and is not indicated by any legislative evidence. Rather, it is self-defeating because the reality of bidʿah is that no legislative evidence points to it, neither from the texts of the legislation nor from its principles.

For if there had been that which indicates its obligation (wujūb), commendation (istiḥbāb) or permissibility (ibāḥah) in the legislation, it would not be a bidʿah and the action would enter into the generality of the actions that have been commanded or in which a person has been given a choice. Thus, combining between those matters being innovations and there being evidences that indicate their obligation, commendation or permissibility is attempting to bring together two conflicting things."82 Second, if we accept this classification for argument's sake, then the bidʿah which is alleged to be mubāḥ, mustaḥabb and wājib relates to the use of ways and means (wasāʾil) and attainment of the beneficial interests 80 Such as the Ṣūfī, Ashʿarī al-ʿIzz bin ʿAbd al-Salām (d. 660H) and his student alQarāfī who were both refuted in this matter by Imām al-Shāṭibī (d. 790H) in his work, al-Iʿtiṣām (1/313 onwards). 81 This classification has been made upon the misconception that the Prophet used the word bidʿah in its broader linguistic meaning. This is incorrect as has preceded. The Prophet was only ever speaking about religious matters - not religious and worldly matters combined. 82 Al-Iʿtiṣām (1/321). bidah.com  page 60 (maṣāliḥ) and is in relation to things which are already judged to be mubāḥ, mustaḥabb and wājib by the Sharīʿah. Thus, there can be innovation in matters which are already permissible (mubāḥ) such as food, clothing, drink and habitation.

Novel forms in these areas take the same ruling. For example, chips, pizza, lemonade, sneakers, hoodies and marble homes are all permitted innovations, if we agree with this erroneous terminology for argument's sake. In reality the word bidʿah is redundant, since one would simply say these are affairs which are mubāḥ in the Sharīʿah and they are innovations only in the linguistic sense. These are permitted forms of enjoyment (tanaʿʿum) and would not be spoken of as "innovations." There can also be innovation in matters which are recommended (mustaḥabb) such as setting up hospitals, schools, dams, roads and things of that nature which allow Sharīʿah goals to be realized such as health, public safety, education and which are commended (mustaḥabb). Once, more the word bidʿah is redundant, one would simply say these are ways and means (wasāʾil) that take the same ruling as the objectives (maqāṣid) they help to fulfil.

Then there is innovation in matters which are obligatory such as teaching grammar for the purposes of preserving Arabic or laying down foundations of fiqh or authoring works to refute heresies or putting the Qurʾān into a muṣ-haf in order to preserve it. These are all ways and obligatory (wājib). Thus, the innovation which is said to be mustaḥabb or wājib relates only to the wasāʾil (ways and means) of matters which are already mustaḥabb or wājib in the Sharīʿah and in reality, using the word bidʿah in this classification with its linguistic meaning is redundant and self-defeating. These matters were never intended by the Prophet () in the use of the word bidʿah. On the contrary, the speech of the Prophet () is the plainest and clearest it could ever be: He left no act of obligatory or recommended worship which brings a person closer to Paradise except that he commanded it and he warned from every innovation in the bidah.com  page 61 religion which is claimed to be good and claimed to bring one closer to Paradise but which he never commanded and which his Companions never understood from the texts and never practiced.

So those affairs which are erroneously labelled as "good bidʿah" by some of the Scholars either have a basis in the legislation specifically, such as the Tarawīḥ prayer or are matters in which benefit is preserved and realized through broad Sharīʿah principles - referred to as al-maṣāliḥ almursalah (matters of open beneficical interest) - and thus, have no connection to the topic of bidʿah at all. To refer to them as "good bidʿah" is erroneous and an incorrect label. Their correct label is that they are either an already existing Sunnah which has specific evidence, or they maqāṣid (objectives) or to put it another way, al-maṣāliḥ al-mursalah (open matters of broad beneficial interest) - and all of this is an entirely separate topic to the one of innovation in worship alleged to bring one closer to Allāh. An Explanation of al-Maṣāliḥ al-Mursalah We find certain rulings in the Sharīʿah - such as the ḥudūd, the prescribed punishments - which are aimed at protecting wealth, life and honour, and which are all beneficial interests considered by the Sharīʿah. And we also see that there are other interests that the Sharīʿah has not recognized and has ignored such as the use of alcohol for medicinal purposes or fornication as enjoyment outside of marriage, so these are unlawful to pursue.

This is because their limited, subjective, personal interest, benefit or pleasure is overwhelmed by their broad harm upon society. However, there are many beneficial interests which do not have any specific evidence from the Book, Sunnah, concensus (ijmāʿ) or analogy (qiyās). Nevertheless, there are universal Sharīʿah principles which indicate beneficial interests beyond what is specifically mentioned and legislated. This is what is called al-maṣlaḥah al-mursalah (openended matter of benefit) and this refers to "a beneficial interest (maṣlaḥah) bidah.com  page 62 that is non-specified, left open (mursalah)." Such beneficial interests do not have specific evidence and are indicated by the spirit of the Sharīʿah and its universal principles such as "that by which an obligation cannot be fulfilled is itself an obligation", and "there is no harm or reciprocating harm" and "leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt" and "repelling evil comes before actualizing good" and so on. Thus, the Sharīʿah comprises broad, universal principles through which all future benefits can be incorporated.

This is because the nature of human life changes with progress, specific situations may arise and which are not covered or mentioned specifically in the Sharīʿah. This is because the environment, state and condition that the people live in may change from time to time and place to place, and progress takes place in many areas of life, culture, civilization, technology, industry and so on. The issues that come under this are known as al-maṣāliḥ al-mursalah and refer to the ways and means used to attain or protect Sharīʿah goals. To illustrate with an example, a ruler may improve the roads and enforce a highway code and the use of traffic systems and penalties for violations in order to protect life and property, which are desired by the Sharīʿah. It is true this is an innovation, linguistically speaking, but it is incorrect to look at it from this way.

In reality it is simply from the wasāʾil (ways and means) through which already defined Sharīʿah goals are attained (such as public safety in this example).83 In the same light is ʿUthmān's standardization of the Qurʾān and putting it into a muṣ-ḥaf to attain the Sharīʿah goal of preserving the religion. And as for the institution of the additional ādhān by ʿUthmān () then that is actually from the Prophetic Sunnah, since whatever was instituted by the rightly-guided 83 In fact one may argue that it has a basis in the Sharīʿah from the ḥadīth about the branches of faith whereby "removing something harmful from the floor" is a branch of faith. Thus, improving the roads and making them safe has a basis in the Sharīʿah - and this is an argument used by al-Shāṭibī as part of his detailed and superb refutation of the five-fold classification of bidʿah presented by al-ʿIzz bin ʿAbd al-Salām and his student al-Qarāfī. bidah.com  page 63 Caliphs is simply an extension of the Sunnah. These are affairs which were legislated due to circumstances that were not present in the time of the Prophet () but if those circumstances had arisen during the era of revelation, the Prophet () would have received revelation regarding them. Thus, the additional adhān is not a bidʿah in the religion, but something from the Sunnah itself and all of the Companions accepted this Sunnah.

Sticking to this same point, if ʿUthmān identified the need for an additional adhān for a legitimate reason then how come Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī and other Companions did not identify the need for celebrating the Prophet's birthday? And how come we do not find it in the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs which has Prophetic approval? So all of this discussion shows that there is no such thing as bidʿah ḥasanah in the religion in reality and all we are seeing is the erroneous application of the label of bidʿah ḥasanah to affairs which come under a different subject matter altogether. Summary The greatest of what is used to justify the celebration of the mawlid is the claim of bidʿah ḥasanah in the religion and one has to be aware of the type and nature of this evidence. It is not a specific Sharīʿah evidence such as the explicit evidences we have for the legislated actions of worship.

Because the opponent is forced to acknowledge it is innovated and was unknown in the first three centuries of Islām, it is impossible to bring a specific evidence. Hence, the evidence is only broad and indirect and it is to establish that there is a concept of bidʿah ḥasanah in the religion and then to argue indirectly that because there is goodness in celebrating the mawlid, it is acceptable in the Sharīʿah. The very nature of this evidence shows how far-removed it is when we compare it to the very clear and direct evidences for the legislated actions in the Sharīʿah. There is no such concept as "bidʿah ḥasanah" in the religion and it is simply just a play on words. They include within this terms what does not really enter into it to begin with as has preceded.

Further, dividing bidʿah into the five rulings of the Sharīʿah is incorrect, innovated, bidah.com  page 64 contradictory, meaningless and self-defeating84 and there is nothing within it that justifies the celebration of birthdays which are baseless, having neither a general or specific proof, neither in revelation nor even in the practice of the Arabs prior to Jāhiliyyah as this was not from their customs. With this, we have undermined the greatest of what is relied upon in order to justify opposition to the Sunnah and the way of the Companions in loving and venerating the Prophet () and have established that everything erroneously used as an example of "bidʿah ḥasanah" is either: a) Something that already takes the ruling of being mubāḥ (permissible) - such as new forms and types food, drink, clothing and abode. b) An action of the Sunnah that was done temporarily by the Prophet () but then left for a reason and was re-enacted. The example of this is the Tarāwīh prayer. This is a re-enacted or re-instituted Sunnah. c) An action of the Sunnah performed routinely by the Prophet () and the Companions () but over time became neglected or forgotten and was then revived and is therefore a revived Sunnah in reality. d) An initiative of goodness based upon an already legislated act of worship such as giving charity. This is simply called an enacted Sunnah. e) What is referred to as a maṣlaḥah mursalah - matter of interest in realization or preservation of broad Sharīʿah objectives (maqāṣid) - 84 Refer to Al-Iʿtiṣām (1/313) onwards for an excellent detailed rebuttal by alShāṭibī in this matter who explains that those who came after al-ʿIzz bin ʿAbd alSalām and followed him in this classification misrepresented what he actually meant by this classification. bidah.com  page 65 such as compilation of the Qurʾān, building schools and hospitals, making the roads safe, compilation of fiqh and what is similar to them which are either mustaḥabb (recommended) or wājib (obligatory).

These are simply the ways and means (wasāʾil) and are not sought in and of themselves but are adopted for the already defined broad Sharīʿah goals they fulfil. Within this context, the similitude of innovating the mawlid celebration is when a person innovates a sixth prayer in the day with the argument we need to express more love and devotion to Allāh and this is a means to that end. This is futile because the Sharīʿah has already legislated the ways, means and limits as to how Allāh is worshipped. Similarly, the Sharīʿah has already exhaustively legislated how one loves, respects and venerates the Messenger () - that objective has already been legislated for and has been completed and perfected. There is a difference between that and between matters of beneficial interest that relate to the protection of the necessitites (ḍurūriyyāt) which are religion, life, wealth, lineage, intellect and honour.

All future beneficial interests and repulsion of harms come under broad, universal Sharīʿah principles - indicating the perfection of the Sharīʿah in its universality and applicability to all times. There is no category here that relates to innovations in worship that allegedly bring one closer to Allāh and every example that is brought to prove "bidʿah ḥasanah" will not escape one of these categories. Birthday celebrations have no basis whatsoever in any revealed legislation and nor in the practice of the Arabs in Jāhiliyyah prior to Islām. bidah.com  page 66 Other Arguments Once the core argument has been invalidated, there only remain feeble attempts to bring alleged evidences and those who continue to pursue the matter already perceive in their souls that once the core has been invalidated, what remains is not strong at all. Their souls know this well and the only thing we are really dealing with is the amount of determination and persistence a person is willing to show in going all the way in using one, some or all of these far-fetched evidences, to justify his these arguments. First, a case study in how their leaders fabricate lies and enter into the most evil type of distortion. 1.

A Brief Case Study of the Dream Concerning Abū Lahab to Illustrate How The Ṣūfī Leaders Lie to the Common-Folk We have already mentioned that there is no dispute between those who reject the mawlid celebration and those who support it that it was unknown to the Prophet () and his Companions, the Successors. the Four Imāms and the Salaf as a whole. Even those who wrote on this topic from the later scholars this. However, the evil Ṣūfī scholars of today do not fear Allāh. They do not shy away from telling blatant lies against the Scholars of Islām, so how would they feel shy from telling blatant lies to their followers. Let us have a look at a clear example and you can analogize for every other alleged evidence they bring through this example.

In the bidah.com  page 67 picture a statement is ascribed to a Shaykh Dr Muḥammad bin Yaḥyā alNinowy. Assuming this ascription is correct, he claims "Al-Bukharī mentions that when the Prophet () was born, Abū Lahab freed his slave in celebration. The same Abū Lahab who will be in ever-lasting Jahanam is eased of torture and pain every Monday due to his celebration Bukhārī in Kitāb al-Nikāḥ where this alleged statement of al-Bukhārī is found, the chapter heading is titled, "Chapter: "And [forbidden to you] are your milk-mothers who wet-nursed you," (4:23) and that which is prohibited through lineage is also prohibited through wet-nursing." So this is the chapter heading and in this chapter al-Bukhārī brings three ḥadīths as evidence to show that marriage becomes prohibited through wet-nursing85 just as it prohibited through lineage. After mentioning the third ḥadīth of Zaynab bin Abī Salamah, al-Bukhārī mentions the statement of ʿUrwah bin al-Zubayr who is a Tābiʿī (b. 22H, d. 94H) and was born during the khilāfah of ʿUmar bin al-Khattāb. Here is documentation of this report: This statement is not a ḥadīth but al-Bukhārī just mentioned it in passing and it is in mursal form86 that, "Thuwaybah was the slave-girl of Abu 85 Meaning when one is breastfed by someone else's mother, her children become maḥram for the one who has been breastfed. 86 The ḥadīth which is mursal is one in which the Companion has been omitted and it is one of the forms of ḍaʿīf (weak) ḥadīth.

It cannot be used as evidence because this is knowledge of the unseen and an alleged dream through a report that is mursal (and not an authentic ḥadīth) cannot be used to establish beliefs or acts of worship. bidah.com  page 68 Lahab and he had freed her and she wet-nursed the Prophet (). When Abū Lahab died one of his relatives saw him [in a dream] in a very bad state and said to him, "What have you encountered?" He said, "I have not found any rest since I left you except that I was given to drink in this87 and that is because of my freeing of Thuwaybah."88 It is alleged that Abu Lahab freed her due to the birth of the Prophet (). So here are the knowledge-based crimes of Shaykh al-Ninowy. First, this is only a mursal narration from a Tābiʿī and not a connected narration, it is not an authentic ḥadīth. The mursal narration is a type of weak ḥadīth.

Al-Bukhārī mentioned it in passing at the end of the chapter in relation to the main ḥadīths and Ibn Ḥajar explains that this report cannot be used as evidence in his commentary (see below). Second, note how al-Ninowy tries to make it appear as if al-Bukhārī deduced from this report that Abū Lahab celebrated the Prophet's birthday, "Al-Bukharī mentions that when the Prophet () was born, Abū Lahab freed his slave in celebration" when there is no such thing in the statement of ʿUrwah itself. Third, it clashes with what is said by Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalānī that Thuwaybah was freed after the hijrah of the Prophet ()89 and others relate that she was freed a long time before his birth.90 Fourth, dreams of those who are not Prophets are not a source of Sharīʿah rulings in the view of any of the Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah. Fifth, this mursal 87 In another report with ʿAbd al-Razzāq (7/477). in his Muṣannaf, it mentions that Abū Lahab pointed to the place between his thumb and remaining fingers. 88 Reported by al-Bukhārī (no. 5101). Some of them such as al-Qasṭalānī took liberties in adding to this narration that which is not from it, which is the claim that Abu Lahab's punishment is lightnened every Monday for his action of freeing the slave-girl. 89 Refer to al-Iṣābah (4/258) and also Fatḥ al-Bārī (Maktabah Salafiyyah, 9/145) wherein he says, "But that which is in the [Prophetic] biographies opposes this, that Abū Lahab freed her prior to the hijrah (of the Prophet), and this was after she had wet-nursed him by a very long time." Refer also to Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr in al90 Ibn Ḥajar mentions this view from al-Suhaylī in Fatḥ al-Bārī (Maktabah Salafiyyah, 9/145). bidah.com  page 69 report also clashes with the Qurʾān, "And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust." (25:23) and "But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing." (24:39) and "The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord is [that] their deeds are like ashes which the wind blows forcefully on a stormy day." (14:18).

And Ibn Ḥajar himself mentions this after his explanation of this report, he says, "In this [mursal] ḥadīth is and indication that a disbeliever could benefit from righteous action in the hereafter but this opposes the apparentness of the Qurʾān. Allāh, the Exalted said, 'And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust.' (25:23). And it is responded [to this claim] that firstly, the report is mursal, it was related in this way by ʿUrwah and he did not mention who he narrated it from. Upon the estimation that it is a connected [report] then what is in this report is a vision in a dream, thus there is no proof in it. And perhaps the one who saw it was not a Muslim at the time, since he [al-ʿAbbās] did not become a Muslim till afterwards, thus it cannot be used as evidence."91 Sixth, there is nothing in this narration which mentions the day of Monday but some of the explainers without any evidence - and that's after our knowledge that this mursal narration of ʿUrwah does not qualify as evidence for any affair of the religion to begin with.

Seventh, if after all of this it is accepted for argument's sake that his punishment was lightened due to freeing Thuwaybah because of the birth of the Prophet () and her wetnursing the Prophet, then this affair would have been known to the Prophet and despite this, it has not been related from the Prophet that he took his birthday as a celebration, nor from the Companions and nor from the best of generations. Rather, all the narration would indicate is that Abū Lahab rejoiced with the birth of his nephew whom he did not 91 Fatḥ al-Bārī (Maktabah Salafiyyah, 9/145). bidah.com  page 70 know would be made a Prophet forty years later. So this was purely a worldly thing and has no connection to religion at all. It is natural to rejoice with the birth of one's nephew. That's if we accept this report actually amounts to evidence in the first place.

Eighth, in his commentary upon this Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī cites from al-Suhaylī who states that it was al-ʿAbbās () who saw Abu Lahab in his dream.92 It is known that al-ʿAbbās did not become a Muslim until the conquest of Makkah and hence the vision in the dream occurred a few years before that when Abū Lahab died whilst al-ʿAbbās was a mushrik. Thus, what is being relied upon in reality is the dream of a mushrik involving another mushrik and this is made the basis for a legislative ruling in the Sharīʿah! Hence, there is no proof in this mursal narration at all and Shaykh alNinowy's fabrication has become clear. These are the types of games these people play with the minds of the common-folk whose raw feelings of love towards the Prophet are manipulated and used to lead them to misguidance by these evil Scholars who lack honesty and integrity.