Commemorating Maulid in commemoration of the Birth of the Prophet

Kaummuslim.com - The commemoration of the Prophet's Maulid is carried out in order to remember the birth, privileges, karamah , sirah, & knowing the morals of the Apostle sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam. We are also commanded to do these things in order to produce his example. For Allah Ta'ala said,

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

"Indeed, it has been found in (the) Messenger of Allah that is a good example for you (that is) for the one who hopes for (the mercy) of Allah and (the coming) of the day of judgment and he mentions Allah a lot" (QS. Al Ahzab: 21).

This is among the syubhats that some people throw out. And the syubhat (confusion) on this maulid celebration was taken by the pro-maulid cleric like Muhammad bin 'Alwi Al Maliki in his book Adz Dzakho-ir Al Muhammadiyyah p. 269.

Can the above reasons legalize maulid warnings?

Here are some rebuttals to refute the confusion above:

The Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam never commanded his devotees to commemorate maaulid &unable to ever command remembering the birth, special character, karamah , sirah and noble morals of the Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam specifically through the commemoration of maulid. In fact this is a heresy that was preached after his death sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam. The maulid heresy began to appear approximately 600 years after his death. Whereas regarding the case of heresy has been warned the Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam himself,

مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِى أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ

"Whoever creates a new thing in this belief of ours that has no origin, then the matter is rejected." (HR. Bukhari no. 20 & Muslim no. 1718)

He sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam jua said,

مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلاً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ

"Whoever does a practice that is not our teaching, then the practice is rejected." (HR. Muslim no. 1718)

These kinds of hadiths tell us about the despicable commemoration of maulid and the celebration is a mardud (rejected) celebration.

Knowing his birth, characteristics, karamah, sirah and noble morals is not only the time of maulid. Getting to know him and those things is not just at a certain time and at an exclusive formation, but at all times, throughout the moment. Not for example, people who are pro maulid who commemorate it only at night maulid, other nights are not so. This kind of practice is based on tradition alone taken according to the ancestors before them,

بَلْ قَالُوا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آَبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى آَثَارِهِمْ مُهْتَدُونَ

"In fact they say: "Indeed, we find that our fathers adhere to a belief , and indeed we are people who get guidance by (following) in their footsteps" (QS. Az Zukhruf: 22).

Previously, the one who revived the prophet's maulid was Sulthon Irbil. Starting from his time, the prophet's maulid is commemorated every year. Yet this ceremony is not permitted and commanded by Allah and His Messenger. This celebration enters into the generality of the verse,

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُ

"Do they have offerings other than Allah which is a mandate for them a belief that God does not allow?" (QS. Ash Shura: 21).

To follow the example of the Apostle sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam is to use ittiba' (follow the teachings) he & adhere to using his sunnah and put his instructions ahead of others. Allah Ta'ala said,

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

"Say: "when you (sahih-sahih) love God, follow me, surely God loves & forgives your sins". Allah is All-Forgiving again All-Merciful." (QS. Ali Imran: 31).

وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا

"And when you obey the Apostle, you will undoubtedly receive instruction." (QS. An Nur: 54)

وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

"Whoever obeys Allah & His Messenger, surely Allah puts him into the nirvana that flows in them rivers, while they are everlasting in them; & that's the big win." (QS. An Nisa': 13).

Such is what is taught in Islam. In a feast must also follow the instructions of the Apostle sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Because celebrating maulid is a worship. How could it not be said to be a worship? Wong, the one who celebrates just wants to remember the Apostle sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam and undoubtedly wants to find a reward. This is obviously worship, not an ordinary case of mubah. Meanwhile, in worship, you must be airy to Allah and follow the sharia of Muhammad sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam. If it does not meet these two criteria, the practice is rejected.

Ibn Taimiyah on Majmu' Al Fatawa (1:333) says,

وَبِالْجُمْلَةِ فَمَعَنَا أَصْلَانِ عَظِيمَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا : أَنْ لَا نَعْبُدَ إلَّا اللَّهَ . وَالثَّانِي : أَنْ لَا نَعْبُدَهُ إلَّا بِمَا شَرَعَ لَا نَعْبُدُهُ بِعِبَادَةِ مُبْتَدَعَةٍ . وَهَذَانِ الْأَصْلَانِ هُمَا تَحْقِيقُ ” شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

"These are the 2 great foundations in this religion namely: not to worship other than in God alone and not to worship except by worship that is worshipped, not by worship that smells of heresy. This is the consequence or embodiment based on the creed laa ilaha illallah (no offering has the right to be worshipped other than Allah) and the creed (statement) that Muhammad is a messenger of Allah".

Commemorating the maulid is not the teaching of the Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, nor is it the practice of the noble friends, nor the practice of tabi'in, nor the practice of the priests who got the instruction of their completion. The maulid celebration is just a celebration that originated from Sulthon Irbil (the pioneer of the prophet's first maulid). So, whoever commemorates the maulid, he is just following the teachings of Sulthon Irbil whether on the basis of whether he understands or not, not following the teachings of the Apostle sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

To emulate and follow the Apostle sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam in charity and in a state of valid intentions, must be by following the teachings of him & his companions. Likewise, he warned based on every heresy, among which was a maulid heresy.

Wallahu waliyyut taufiq was sadaad. Alhamdulillahilladzi bi ni'matihi tatimmush sholihaat.

[Developed based on Rasa-il Hukmu Al Ihtifal bi Maulid An Nabawi, 1: 137-142, issue of Darul Ifta']

@ Ummul Hamam, Riyadh, KSA, 7 Robi'ul Awwal 1433 H