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Eid Milad-un-Nabi in Islam
Who celebrates birthdays? Is it an Islamic trend? Did our Prophet (S.A.W) celebrated this day?
Hazrat Faitmah (R.A) was the most beloved daughter of Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and Hazrat Aisha (R.A) was very young and the most beloved wife of Holy Prophet (S.A.W), yet we can’t find any evidence of celebration of their birthdays. Holy Prophet (S.A.W) was the most beloved of His companions, yet they didn’t celebrate His birthday, 12th of Rabi-ul-awwal, which has now strongly become our custom and tradition.
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Bidah
Bidat refers to innovation in Islam which is forbidden. And celebrating Eid Milad-un-Nabi is clearly a custom nowhere to be found in Islam. We definitely love or Holy Prophet, but there are other ways to show our love like completely following His footsteps and submitting ourselves to Allah Almighty. We cannot find anywhere in Islamic history such customs.
Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented… (Al-Shura 42:21)
Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: “I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah [way] and the way of the Rightly-Guided khaleefahs. Adhere to it and cling tightly to it. And beware of newly-invented matters [in religion], for every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a going-astray.” [Narrated by AbuDawood, al-Sunnah, 3991].
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We are Muslims:
We are Muslims and followers of an Islamic Shariah. Islam is not a religion; it is a complete submission to Supreme Authority, that is, Allah Almighty. Religion refers to following a few religious customs. Like Christianity is a religion in which praying to their God and other stuff is one separate matter and their personal lives are a completely different matter. Unlikely, Islam penetrates deep into our lives and guides us in each and every step of life. It is an absolute lifestyle. But once we enter Islam, we are bound to follow Allah’s orders and we have no other choice. We are not free to do or adopt whatever we want.
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise…”[Tauba 9:111]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The most truthful of speech is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented.”
And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718). According to a version narrated by Muslim, “Whoever doe anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.
“Some persons from amongst my associates would turn to my Cistern; when I would see them and they would be presented to me, they would be detained in the way while coming to me. I would say: My Lord, they are my companions, they are my companions, and it would be said to me: You don’t know what innovations they made after you.(Muslim :: Book 30 : Hadith 5706)
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Who celebrated Eid Milad-un-Nabi?
1- Hazrat Abu Bakr RA was the first caliph and ruled for more or less 2 years but he never celebrated this day.
2- Hazrat Umar Farooq RA was our second caliph and he ruled for more or less 10 years but he never celebrated.
3- Hazrat Usman Ghani RA, the third Caliph, ruled for more or less 12 years and never celebrated Eid Milad-un-Nabi.
4- Hazrat Ali Bin Abi Talib RA, the fourth Caliph, ruled for more or less 4 years but never celebrated.
When all of these great caliphs didn’t celebrate then who are we to go astray?
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Let’s analyze our Four Imams’ and other Ulama;
Did any of them like Imaam Abu Haneefah, Imaam Maalik, Imaam al-Shaafi’i, Imaam Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, do this or command others to do it or say that it was ok to do so? No. In fact, they never mentioned during the first and best three centuries. The Prophet (S.A.A.W) said: “The best of mankind are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. (Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi).
