The Ruling of Celebrating the Birth (Mawlid) of the Prophet ﷺ
I. The Ruling of Mawlid
First, let it be said that any discussion of Mawlid must remain academic and objective. It should not deny the scholarly difference of opinion concerning this practice, nor should it deny that some highly esteemed `ulamā’ deemed it recommended (with certain conditions).Though he concluded that Mawlid is a form of bid`ah, consider that Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymīyyah himself excused those who celebrate it. In fact, he held that there is an immense reward for them in it. He says:
“Someone may revere the Mawlid, making it a celebration, and have an immense reward in it due to his good intention and his reverence for Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ. It is as I have explained to you: an act may be good on the part of some people [even though it is] objectionable on the part of a believer who has been shown the correct approach.”
Iqtiḍā’ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm, 2/126
• Details of the Ruling •
Secondly, let us turn to the details of Mawlid’s ruling.If someone uses the day of Mawlid to remind people of the Prophet’s ﷺ Sīrah, or to inspire love for him in Muslims’ hearts, then this is permissible as long as the observance is kept free of the following:
- excesses, such as istighāthah;
- vices, such as free-mixing of men and women;
- superstitions, such as the belief that the Prophet ﷺ attends in person;
- and belief in any special religious virtue attached to reminding people on a particular day.
I find it necessary to always emphasize that the permissibility of Mawlid events rests on the following points.
- These lessons or celebrations, which must be free of prohibited matters, are not held due to some belief that Mawlid observances are acts of worship in and of themselves. The date of the Prophet’s ﷺ birth is simply used as an opportunity to achieve a valid objective.
- The calendar date of the Prophet’s ﷺ birth does not have any particular, established virtue.
- The categorically false beliefs, statements, and practices found in many Mawlid events must be addressed.
I also see no problem with completely refusing to partake in Mawlid for the sake of avoiding the problems and vices present in many celebrations. This is acceptable as long as those who take this position do not go to extremes in opposing the practice. They should recognize it as a matter of valid ijtihād and avoid censuring those who consider Mawlid permissible within the parameters that we mentioned. If these conditions are met, then this opposing view is also a valid position, and it is not without merit.
In practice, we find that something similar to what we described already takes place in Saudi Arabia without raising any objection. Each year, many Jumu`ah sermons and masjid lectures are delivered in opposition to Mawlid as its date draws near, either in the last Jumu`ah khuṭbah before Mawlid or on the evening prior to it. These often begin with some mention of the Prophet’s ﷺ virtues and his rights over his Ummah, then conclude by mentioning vices associated with Mawlid gatherings. This is actually a form of partaking in Mawlid that I consider permissible. It simply is not called “Mawlid”.
The works that Salafī scholars have written (and continue to write) for Ramaḍān gatherings are another example of what we described. Take, for example, the book of Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymīn — may Allāh have mercy on him — and other books that contain reminders of the Battle of Badr and the Conquest of Makkah on their respective dates of occurrence.² Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymīn intended for his book to be read to people in masjids every year. It was his hope, and the hope of everyone who would like to be rewarded continuously for this sort of work, that these readings would continue each Ramaḍān and become widespread among Muslims. We find in our masjids that this is, in fact, what happens — and it recurs every year! Habitually reading about these battles on particular days does not make this practice a form of bid`ah, because specifying these days is not meant to be an act of religious devotion. It is a matter of taking advantage of dates to make lessons more impactful, to make past events more memorable, and to remind ourselves of Allāh’s great blessings to us on these great occasions in Islām’s history.
As a form of middle ground, many of those who partake in Mawlid decide not to restrict their observances to a specific annual date. They hold gatherings for reminding people of the Prophet’s ﷺ virtues numerous times throughout the year. As long as these gatherings remain free of the vices associated with some Mawlid celebrations, there is nothing wrong with them at all. The condition is that one must not consider this sort of event a form of worship that is pursued for its own sake.
• Conclusion •
It is now clear that we must distinguish between two forms of Mawlid:(1) A form of Mawlid that is a permissible means to a valid objective (maṣlaḥah mursalah).
This occurs when someone intends to use the date of the Prophet’s ﷺ birth to remind people of his life and awaken love for him in their hearts. One does not believe in any special religious virtue that justifies singling this date out with worship, nor does one believe in anything else that is not supported by evidence.
This is the form of Mawlid that earned the approval of many eminent scholars, including Abū Shāmah, Ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn, and numerous others.
(2) A form of Mawlid that is bid`ah even if it is free of excesses and vices.
This occurs when someone believes:
- that this particular day is distinguished by some special religious virtue;
- that linking acts of worship to this particular day increases one’s reward for those acts;
- or that holding celebrations on this particular day is desirable in and of itself — just as acts of worship legislated by Allāh are desirable in and of themselves.
The Ruling of Celebrating the Birth (Mawlid) of the Prophet ﷺ
Category: Belief / Fiqh I. The Ruling of Mawlid First, let it be said that any discussion of Mawlid must remain academic and objective. It should not deny the scholarly difference of opinion concer…
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