Birthday celebrations

Celebrating birthdays is not allowed

What is the evidence on celebrating birthdays, is it allowed in Islam?
The evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicates that celebrating birthdays is a kind of bid’ah or innovation in religion, which has no basis in the pure sharee’ah. It is not permitted to accept invitations to birthday celebrations, because this involves supporting and encouraging bid’ah. Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Or have they partners with Allaah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has not allowed…?” [al-Shoora 42:21]

“Then We have put you (O Muhammad) on a plain way of (Our) commandment. So follow that, and follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allaah (if He wants to puish you). Verily, the zaalimoon (wrongdoers) are awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, etc.) to one another, but Allaah is the Wali (Protector, Helper) of the muttaqoon (pious).” [al-Jaathiyah 45:18-19]

“Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow not any awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, etc.) besides Him. Little do you remember!” [al-A’raaf 7:3]

According to saheeh reports, the Prophet , (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does something that is a not part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) will have it rejected” (reported by Muslim in his Saheeh); and “The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad , (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The most evil of things are those which have been newly invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.” There are many other ahaadeeth that convey the same meaning.

Besides being bid’ah and having no basis in sharee’ah, these birthday celebrations also involve imitation of the Jews and Christians in their birthday celebrations. The Prophet , (Sal) said, warning us against following their ways and traditions: “You would follow the ways of those who came before you step by step, to such an extent that if they were to enter a lizard’s hole, you would enter it too.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said, “Who else?” (Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). The Prophet , (Sal ) also said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”(Fataawa Islamiyyah, 1/115)

Mawlid al-Nabi (the Prophet’s birthday)

Why some people accept and some unaccept the celebration of the prophet ( What is your opinion?
Praise be to Allaah.,
There is nothing in the Qur’aan to say that we should celebrate the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet ,, (Sal).
The Prophet himself , (Sal) did not do this or command anyone to do it, either during his lifetime or after his death.
Indeed, he told them not to exaggerate about him as the Christians had exaggerated about Jesus (Sal). He said: “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, ‘The slave of Allaah and His Messenger.’” (al-Bukhaari). What has been reported is that the Prophet , (Sal) made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to celebration. He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said: “That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission or when I was first given Revelation.” (Muslim, al-Nisaa’i and Abu Dawood).
Moreover, we know that the Sahaabah - were the people who loved the Prophet most. Was it reported that Abu Bakr, who was the closest of people to him and the one who loved him the most, celebrated the birthday of the Prophet ,, (Sal)? Was it reported that ‘Umar, who ruled for twelve years, or ‘Uthmaan, did this? Was it reported that ‘Ali, his relative and foster son, did this? Was it reported that any of the Sahaabah did this? No, by Allaah! Is it because they were not aware of its importance, or did they not truly love the Prophet , (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? No one would say such a thing except one who has gone astray and is leading others astray.

Did any of the imaams – Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafi’i, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Seereen – do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? By Allaah, no!
It was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries. The Prophet , (Sal) said in a saheeh hadeeth: “The best of mankind are my generation (of my century), then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come a people who will not care if their testimony comes before their oath or vice versa (i.e., they will not take such matter seriously).” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi).

The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday appeared many centuries later, when many of the features of true religion had vanished and bid’ah had become widespread.

Thus this celebration became a sign of one’s love for the Prophet , (Sal)? But can it be possible that the Sahaabah, the imaams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of it, and it was only those who came later who were aware of its importance?!

What the Qur’aan tells us is that love of the Prophet , (Sal) is demonstrated by following the guidance he brought. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Say: ‘Obey Allaah and the Messenger.’ But if they turn away, then Allaah does not like the disbelievers.” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31-32]

The first aayah explains that love is just a claim, but the proof of sincerity is following what the Prophet , (Sal) brought.
The second aayah reaffirms the importance and necessity of obeying Allaah and His Messenger. Hence Allaah ended the aayah with a very stern warning in which those who refuse to obey are described as kaafirs, and Allah does not love the disbelievers.
We ask Allaah to keep us safe from that.

The Prophet , (Sal) told us of the danger of not obeying him, and the danger of adding to what he brought. The celebration of Mawlid or his birthday is indeed an addition to what he brought – as all the scholars agree. He said: “The best of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.” ( Muslim and al-Nisaa’i).
We ask Allaah to protect us from bid’ah
Is Muhammad , (Sal) created from light? What is wrong with celebrating his birthday?
In our locality there are people who hold celebrations of the birthday of the Prophet (Sal) every year. They think that the Prophet , (Sal ) is not like the rest of mankind, but that he is light from the Light of Allaah Himself, that he is present and watching in every place, and that he himself attends every gathering held to celebrate his birthday, he hears what the people say about him, and he is there with them. For that reason they stand up and say in unison: “Yaa Nabi-Allaah, yaa Rasool-Allaah, yaa Habeeb-Allaah, salaam ‘alayka (O Prophet of Allaah, O Messenger of Allaah, O Beloved of Allaah, peace be upon you).” They call out to him as if he were present and ask for his help and support.
What is the Islamic ruling on this? Is it correct or not? Is it sunnah, bid’ah, or what?
Praise be to Allaah alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger and his family and companions.
1. Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet , (Sal) is an innovation (bid’ah) which goes against the guidance of the Prophet , (Sal) and of the Rightly Guided Khaleefahs (al-khulafaa’ al-raashidoon) and the Sahaabah, may Allaah be pleased with them. It is proven that the Prophet , (Sal) said: “Whoever does anything that is not part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.”
2. Believing that the Prophet , (Sal) is not like the rest of humanity, and that he is light from the Light of Allaah Himself is not a correct belief, because it contradicts the Qur’aan. Allaah has stated that the Prophet , (Sal) is human, and has explained what makes the Prophet , (Sal) different from the rest of mankind. He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your God is One God (Allaah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [al-Kahf 18:110]

Mankind, human beings, are created, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him He created his wife (Hawwa/Eve), and from them both He created many men and women…” [al-Nisaa’ 4:1]
“O mankind, if you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then verily! We have created you from dust, then from a nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge)…” [al-Hajj 22:5]
“O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, - and as one who invites to Allaah by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.” [al-Ahzaab 33:45-46]
In contrast, Allaah is the First, and He has no beginning, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him), and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing.” [al-Hadeed 57:3]

Allaah called His Prophet “light” and a “lamp spreading light” because of the guidance and light with which Allaah sent him, with which Allaah guides all those who answer his call (Sal), as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
… Indeed, there has come to you a light (Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) and a plain Book (this Qur’aan).” [al-Maa’idah 5:15]
3. Saying that he is present and watching in every place, that he is himself present at every gathering to celebrate his birthday, and that he hears what the people present are saying, is all false. There is no basis for this in either the Qur’aan or the Sunnah.
4. Calling on him and seeking his help and support is a form of major shirk which is not permitted, whether one is calling on the Prophet , (Sal) or on any other created being, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… so invoke not anyone along with Allaah.” [al-Junn 72:18]
“And whoever invokes (or worships) besides Allaah, any other god of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al-kaafiroon (the disbelievers) will not be successful.” [al-Mu’minoon 23:117]
(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 3/4)
The Muslim should follow, not innovate. He should believe in Allaah alone, call on Him alone and seek His help alone. He should not call on or seek the help of anyone else. The consequences of shirk are devastating, as it will wipe out all a person’s good deeds and lead to his doom in Hell. Bid’ah is a serious matter, which will cause a person’s deeds to be thrown back at him, not accepted. The Muslim should love, respect, honour and obey the Prophet , (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and give his words precedence over the words of any other human being, but it is not permitted to exaggerate about him, or to raise his status above that which has been bestowed upon him by Allaah, or to call on him instead of Allaah, because this is a violation of the rights of Allaah, and involves directing acts of worship to someone other than Allaah, when they should only be directed towards Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted. We ask Allaah to help us to do that which will please Him and to avoid that which will earn His wrath, and to help us to love Him and His Prophet , (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. And Allaah knows best.
O you who believe, enter into submission totally.(2:208)
“According to the mufasirun the word as-salam, translated here as submission refers to the deen of Islam.
We live in a world where there are, in numerical terms, more people who consider themselves Muslims, in other words, people of Islam, than in any previous period of history and yet, according to the way of Allah ta’ala categorically defines it in His Book, Islam has ceased to exist. Nowhere in the world is there any group of people governed according to what Allah has sent down in the Book as demonstrated for us by the Prophet, , salla’llahu alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions, radiya’ilahu’anhum, and continuing through all the subsequent generations down virtually to our own time.

How is it, therefore, possible for so many people to find no incongruity in the fact that they are Muslims when, properly speaking, Islam does not exist anywhere? What has happened is that Islam has been redefined and that this new definition has been accepted by the vast majority of Muslims without their realising, for the vast majority, that it has happened. It is a confidence trick that has been played on a vast scale, quite consciously instigated and carried out by the enemies of Islam, the colonial powers and their Jewish advisors, over the past 200 years.
As we know from the ayats quoted above and many others it is obligatory for Muslims to be governed according to the laws of Allah (Dar al-Islam) and correspondingly forbidden for them to be governed by any other laws (Dar al-Harb). In order to ensure that this happens Allah ta’ala gives us clear instructions. He says, subhanahu wata’ala, in suratu-l’Baqara ayat 193: Fight them until idolatry is no more and the deen belongs to Allah alone.
(Excerpts from fatwa delivered by Hajj Abdallaqq Sayf Al-ilm Bewley at the Sixth Conference of Islamic Fiqh held at the Aula Magna, Faculty of Science, Granada University, Granada, Spain, August 1992.)
65:10 - Allah has prepared for them a severe Punishment (in the Hereafter). Therefore fear Allah O ye men of understanding who have believed! for Allah hath indeed sent down to you a Message
5524 -There is no excuse for us to go astray, seeing that Allah in His infinite Mercy has explained to us His Message by His many Signs around us and clearly by means of the human Teachers and Messengers whom He has sent for our instruction:
Mutakallif
11:98 - He will go before his people on the Day of Judgment and lead them into the Fire (as cattle are led to water): but woeful indeed will be this leading (and) the place led to! 1600
1600 Awrada = to lead, as cattle, down to their watering place. The metaphor is apt. The true herdsman is trusted by his normal flock, and he leads them in the heat of the day down to pleasant and cool watering places in order that they may slake their thirst and be happy. The false leader does the opposite: he takes them down to the fire of eternal misery! And yet men sin against their own intelligence, and follow the false leader like cattle without intelligence! (11.98)
38:86 - Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this (Qur'an) nor am I a pretender.
Mutakallif: a man who pretends to things that are not true, or declares as facts things that do not exist, one who takes upon himself tasks to which he is not equal. True prophets are not people of that kind. (38.86)