Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺJustification: A New Perspective
Syed Hasnain Bukhari
February, 2015. London
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Introduction
This is a concise justification of the legality of commemorating Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺ
and utilizes as its premises the agreed upon transmitted evidence; even by our
Wahābī brethren. In what follows, there will be three sections addressing three
separate points of justification, namely, historiogrphical argument, textual evidence
and bid`ah. The first part was explicated in a lecture in 2012 entitled ‘Mawlid: a new
perspective’ with primary historical citations and the other two parts were added to
a post online in February, 2015. The aim of this short piece is to provide a relatively
quick-read and reference for those who may lack time and since the premises are
agreed by all therefore specific academic citations are avoided and mainly the focus
is upon a sound rational interpretation of those facts.
Historiographical Argument
Historically when we study the earliest collective celebration of Mawlid al -
Nabī ﷺfrom contemporaneous historical sources, chronicles and travelogues, we find
that from its inception to about three hundred years Muslims commemorated
Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺwithout a single dissenting voice among the scholars. From the
central Muslim lands such as Mecca, Medina, Egypt, the Levant, Yemen, the
Maghreb and in the Muslim lands from East to West Muslims were collectively
commemorating the blessed Mawlid. Yet the first person in the history of Islam, after
300 years of practice, to consider it a reprehensible act was al-Shaykh al-Fākahānī (d.
734 AH). We are frequently reminded of this by Wahābīs in their treatises on the
issue. However, for their information, the same Shaykh also says that it is
permissible to seek help from the dead saints (!). Furthermore, the other person who
arguably also considered the Mawlid as a reprehensible innovation is Ibn Taymīyah
(d. 728). I do not generally cite Ibn Taymīyah as he was a literalist and had an
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animosity1 towards Imam Ali ibn Abī Ṭalib ()ع. For example, he says in his famous
book Mihāj al-Sunnah, 8/230:
وعلي يقاتل ليطاع ويتصرف في النفوس واألموال فكيف يجعل هذا قتاال على الدين
Ali fought for his nafs and money, how can that be considered fighting for Dīn?
However, the point here is that other than these negligible aberrations, there
were numerous earlier prominent Sunnī Imams who issued verdicts in favour of
Mawlid celebrations. These `Ulamā were experts in Islamic sciences hence Qur’ān and
Sunnah. Furthermore, those three-percent of Wahābī Muslims who vehemently oppose the
commemoration of Mawlid al-Nabī ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصalso glorify Ibn Taymīyah and his clique. But
what we find here is that three of his prominent students also deemed it permissible
to celebrate Mawlid Sharīf. For example, Imam Ibn Ḥajr al-`Asqalānī (d. 852), the
famous author of Fatḥ al-Bārī commentary on Ṣaḥīh al-Bukhārī states in his authoritative
biographical work about the scholars of 8 th century after Ḥijrah, namely, al-durar al-kāminah
that Ibn Kathīr (d. 774): in the last days of his life, he authored a book entitled Mawlid Rasūl
Allah ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصwhich was spread far and wide. That mentioned the permissibility and
recommendability of celebrating Mawlid.
This above mentioned book has been edited and published by Dr. Ṣalāḥ al- Dīn al-
Munjid. Also Ibn Taymīyah’s most loyal student, Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzīyah (d. 751) in his
book Madārij al-Sālikīn, on page 498:
واالستماع إلى صوت حسن في احتفاالت المولد النبوي أو أية مناسبة دينية أخرى في تاريخنا
ً إلى قلبه ويسقيه مزيد ا- ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص- لهو مما يدخل الطمأنينة إلى القلوب ويعطي السامع نور ا ً من النبي
من العين المحمدية
“Listening to a good voice celebrating the birthday of the Prophet ﷺor
celebrating any of the holy days in our history gives peace to the heart, and gives
the listener light from the Prophet ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصto his heart, and he will drink more from
the Muhammadan spring (`ayn al-Muḥammadīya)”
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This was also confirmed by the Imam Ibn Ḥajr al-Asqalānī (d. 852) in h is book ‘al-durar al-kāminah...’ where
he states that `Ulama of his time accused Ibn Taymīyah of n ifāq/hypocrisy on account of his animosity towards
Imam A li ibn Abi Talib ( )ع. Th is, perhaps, alludes to the ḥadīth in Ṣaḥih Muslim where it states that Love of Ali
is Imān and his animosity is hypocrisy.
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So here you have from the prominent scholars whom our Wahābī brethren revere
also sanctioning the Mawlid Sharīf. This also lends to the interpretation of the oft
quoted passage on Ibn Taymīyah from his book Iqtiḍā al-ṣirāt al- mustaqīm in which he
seems to be expressing that Mawlid can be a rewardable act as the aforementioned two
students along with al-Dhahabī (d.748) 2 unequivocally state that Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺis
permitted in Sharī`ah. Nevertheless, the historiographical argument about Mawlid is
not affected by what the latter day pseudo-Salafist scholars have said, this was only
to project the idea that the contemporary deniers of Mawlid, do not even have
unanimity among their favourite scholars.
The argument from historiography is that we have from primary sources such as
chronicles, travelogues and annalistic historical literature from and during the three
hundred years prior to the first ever prohibition fatwā in Islamic scholarship penned
by al-Fakahānī (d. 734) stating that almost the entire Ummah from East to West was
celebrating Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺcollectively. Now, the big question is this: it is stated
in the unanimously agreed authentic ḥadīth by all Sunni Muslims of all stripes that
Rasul Allah ﷺsaid:
ال تجتمع أمتي على ضاللة
My Ummah will not agree upon an error
Another ḥadīth authenticated by Ibn Kathīr states:
ما رآه المسلمون حسنا ً فهو عند هللا حسن وما رآه المسلمون قبيحا ً فهو عند هللا قبيح
Whatever all the Muslims consider as good, it is also good according to God an d
whatever the Muslims consider as repulsive is also repulsive according to God.
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Al-Dhahabī was primarily a b iographical scholar and direct student of Ibn Taymīyah. In his Sīyar ā`lām al-
nubalā whilst providing his opinion on Mujaddids declares Imam al-Ghazālī as Mujaddid of the fifth century,
al-Hāfiẓ `Abd al-Ghanī of the sixth century and Imam Ibn Daq īq al-`Id of the seventh century. Al-Dhahabī
outlived his teacher Ibn Taymīyah but does not consider him as a Mujaddid yet we have Salafists adamant that
he was a Mujaddid!
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Therefore, may I ask: It has been established that for three hundred years the
entire Ummah, both, Sunnī & Shī`ah collectively celebrated the Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺ
but not a single Imam or scholar during that period issued a fatwā about its
prohibition. Whereas, there were great Imams living and writing in those regions
and are regarded as an authority in the expertise of Qur’ān and Sunnah by all. The
Blessed Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid that My Ummah will not agree upon an error yet
we do not have a single dissenting voice saying that Mawlid commemoration is
reprehensible. For three hundred years since its collective inception, the great
`Ulamā of Ḥaq were silent on its prohibition, surely, they were closer to the times of
earlier generations, the practice was prevalent, there were Mujaddids amongst them
but not a single scholar had stated their displeasure. In fact, we have the opposite,
there were numerous who wrote about the permissibility of commemorating the
Mawlid. If the practice contravened the boundaries of Sharī`ah then why was there
silence on its prohibition? Can you bring a single scholar from those times who
declared it as impermissible? This is a falsification challenge to the Wahābīs. This is
an argument from historiography and establishes a tacit unanimous agreement by
all for 300 hundred years and proves that indeed the Ummah did not agree upon an
error.
Textual Evidence
In ḥadīth literature, we find that Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺis a religiously significant
event and it is reported in Ṣaḥīh Muslim that Rasūl Allah ﷺhimself fasted on
Mondays to show gratitude to Allah سُ ْب َحانَهُ َو تَعَالَىfor His ﷺbirth. To express gratitude
is a theme in the Qur’ān and Sunnah and there are many ways in which one can
express happiness and joy. The Prophet ﷺexpressed it through fasting, He ﷺalso
sacrificed animals to express gratitude for His ﷺbirth. Al-Bayhaqī in his al-Sunan,
al-Nawawī in his Asmā wa l-lughāt, al-`Asqalānī in his Fatḥ al-Bārī state a ṣaḥīh
ḥadīth:
ًان النبي ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلص عقّ عن نفسه بعد ما بعث نبي ا
ّ
The Prophet ﷺperformed `aqīqa for Himself after he was raised as a Prophet
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And we know, as related by Imam Ibn Ḥibbān, Imam Ibn `Abd al-Barr, Ibn `Asākir
and others that when the Prophet ﷺwas born Haḍrat `Abd al-Muṭṭalib did `aqīqa of
a ram for the Prophet ﷺ.
It is common knowledge that `aqīqa or sacrifice of an animal for the child is done
on the 7th day and it is only carried out once in a lifetime as reported in Jāmī` al-
Tirmaḍī. So one may ask: why would the Noble Messenger ﷺdelay His ` ﷺaqīqa for
forty years? Which `aqīqa did the Prophet ﷺperform because the `aqīqa is not
repeated twice. The answer is that the Prophet ﷺsacrificed an animal as an
expression of His ﷺgratitude for His ﷺblessed birth and arranged a feast for this
happiness.
Some may say that this was only an `aqīqa that was performed by the Prophet ﷺ
but what is an `aqīqa? It is an expression of happiness and show of gratitude for the
birth. Imam al-Suyūṭī (d.911) in his book Ḥusn al-maqāṣid entertains an objection at
this juncture that what if people say that since His ` ﷺaqīqa was done in the times of
jāhilīyah, therefore, He ﷺrepeated it, even though His ﷺgrandfather had already
done it on the 7th day after His ﷺbirth.
Imam al-Suyūṭī responds that this objection has no valid basis because if we
accept it then we have to concede that the Prophet’s ﷺmarriage to Sayyīdah
Khadijah ( )عwould also have to be repeated-the mahr of which was paid by Ḥaḍrat
Abu Talib. The reason this objection fails is because any permissible action which
took place in the days of ignorance is accepted by Shari`ah. In the Qur’ān 4:22 it
states that ‘but that which has passed (before this command is forgiven)’. Any wrong
action that took place during the days of ignorance is forgiven. There is no need to
make repentance. Likewise, all praiseworthy actions such as marriage, `aqīqa, and
oaths, for example, remain intact and are not nullified. This is why there is no need
to repeat `aqīqa because there is no legal requirement in Sharī`ah. Thus, it can be
concluded from this discussion that after declaring His ﷺProphethood, the Noble
Prophet ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصsacrificed an animal as an expression of happiness and gratitude for His
ﷺBirth.
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Furthermore, it is agreed upon by all that a disbeliever is not benefitted in the
hereafter for his good deeds. The privilege of recompense only belongs to the
believers. However, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī relates that Abū Lahab at the birth of the Noble
Prophet ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصfreed a female slave after she gave him the good news of the birth of the
Prophet ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصas an expression of happiness on the birth. Abū Lahab granted her
freedom by pointing with his fingers. It is in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and also the complete
ḥadīth is mentioned by Imam al-Suhaylī (d. 581) in his al-Rawd al-‘Unuf (3/99) and
also in the commentary of the Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī by Imam al-`Asqalānī in his Fatḥ al-
Bārī:
، ثم رأيته في شر حال، مكثت حوالً بعد موت أبي لهب ال أراه في نوم:أن العباس قال
وذلك أن رسول هللا – صلى، ما لقيت بعدكم راحة إال أن العذاب يخفف عني كل يوم اثنين:فقال
أشعرت أن: فقالت له، فبشرت أبا لهب بمولده ثويبة موالته، ولد يوم االثنين-هللا عليه وسلم
وهو في النار، فنفعه ذلك، فأنت حرة، اذهبي:آمنة ولدت غالما ً ألخيك عبد هللا فقال
“al-`Abbas, the Uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, saw Abū Lahab in a drea m after his
death and asked him what happened to you? He replied: I a m under severe
punishment, day and night, but on Mondays my punishment is slightly
alleviated as I receive some water from my fingers which bring me some ease,
and the reason for this is that I pointed with these two fingers to free Thuwayba
as a gesture of expressing happiness at the birth of my brother’s son.”
This report has been accepted by the notable ḥadith masters including Imam
al-Bukhārī as he reports it in his Ṣaḥīh and many other prominent authorities have
accepted it though it is mursal. A mursal report is that when a link at the top of the
chain is missing. However, In the uṣūl al-ḥadīth work called Nuzha al-Naẓr by Imam
al-`Asqalānī, he states that a mursal is accepted according to one report from Imam
Aḥmed and according to Mālikī and Ḥanafī jurists and according to Imam al-Shāfi`ī
if it can be supported from a different chain then regardless of whether they are
connected or mursal. Also the list of muhaddithūn; who accepted it goes back to the
classical times such as al-Hafiz shams al-Din al-Jazari (d. 660) and others.
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Now, the obvious objection is that why a definite disbeliever’s punishment
lightened when the Qur’ān and Sunnah state otherwise? The great Sunni Imams
have replied to this objection. Imam al-Bayhaqī (d. 458) says in Shu`ab al-imān,
1/281:
هذا ايضا الن االحسان كان مرجعه الى صاحب النبوة فلم يضع
“And also that this act of benevolence is in reference
to the Proph et and this why it is not wasted”
The point is that Abū lahab’s punishment on Mondays in not alleviated because of
his freeing of Thuwayba but rather he expressed happiness on the Noble Prophet’s ﷺ
birth.
Similarly, Imam al-Baghawī (d. 561) in his Sharḥ al-sunnah, 9/76:
هذا خاص به اكراما ً له
“this is exclusive to the Prophet ﷺand done out of His honour”
Also Imam al-Qurṭubī (d. 671) says as quoted by al-`Aynī:
هذا التخفيف خاص بهذا و بمن ورد النص فيه
“The lightening of the punishmen t is exclusive to this and whoever the text has mentioned.”
Furthermore, the prolific commentator of Ṣaḥīḥ al- Bukhārī, Imam Badr al-Dīn al-`Aynī (d.
855) in `Umdah al-Qārī, 20/95:
“it is possible that whatever is performed in connection
to the Proph et ﷺis exclusive in that respect”
There are other notable ahl al-Sunnah sanctions for the approval and interpretation
of the ḥadīth. From these explanations it is clear for a reasoned judgement that the staunchest
disbeliever like Abū Lahab on account of his unintentional happiness and joy expressed at the
Prophet’s ﷺbirth, is rewarded in the next life and that this is amongst the excellences
of the Blessed Prophet’s ﷺhonour and is specific to Him ﷺ.
Some people object that this incident occurred in a dream and the reporter al-
`Abbās , the uncle of the Prophet ﷺhad not accepted Islam when he saw the dream.
The response is that our basis is the statement of Ḥaḍrat al-`Abbās about the dream
when he was a Muslim and a companion of the Prophet ﷺtherefore it can be relied
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upon. This report has also been trusted and reported by the teacher of Imam al-
Bukhārī; Imam `Abd al-Razāq al-San`ānī (d. 211) and also by Imam al-Marwazī (d.
294), Imam al-Bayhaqī (d. 458), Ibn Sa`d (d. 230) and a host of other Sunni Imams
have relied upon it. This much is sufficient for the approval of the ḥadīth and its
interpretation.
Furthermore, the gathering for the sake of being blessed by the Noble Messenger ﷺ
is nothing new but rather the Ṣaḥābah practiced it. For example, a ṣaḥīh ḥadīth reported
by Imam Aḥmed Ibn Ḥanbal (d.240) in his Musnad, Imam al-Nasa’ī (d. 303) in his Sunan,
Imam al- Ṭibranī in his Mu`jam and Imam al-Bayhaqī (d. 458) in his Shu`ab al- imān:
فقال، إن رسول هللا ﷺ خرج على حلقة من أصحابه
جلسنا نذكر هللا ونحمده على: ما أجلسكم ؟ قالوا
وهللا ما أجلسنا: آهلل ما أجلسكم إال ذلك ؟ قالوا: قال، ومن علينا بك، ما هدانا لإلسالم
ولكنه أتاني جبريل عليه السالم فأخبرني، أما إني لم أستحلفكم تهمة لكم: قال، إال ذلك
أن هللا يباهي بكم المالئكة
The Messenger of Allah ﷺwent out to a gathering of his companions and
said: what are you doin g? They replied: we have come together to pray to Allah
سُبْ َحانَ ه ُ َو تَعَالَ ىand praise Him سُبْ َحانَ ه ُ َو تَعَالَ ىfor guiding us to His سُبْ َحانَ ه ُ َو تَعَالَ ىreligion , and
blessing us with you. He said: ‘I ask you, by Allah, is that the only reason? They
replied : By Allah, we have not come together for any other reason. He said: I am not
asking you to swear an oath because of any suspicion; rather Jibra’īl came to me and told
me that Allah the Mighty and Sublime , is boasting of you to the angels!
This ḥadīth is self explanatory for the rewardability of a gathering in commemoration of
Allah’s سُبْ َحانَهُ َو تَعَالَ ىblessing us with the Noble Prophet ﷺwhich entails His ﷺblessed
birth. The aforementioned transmitted evidences sufficiently makes the case that
Mawlid al-Nabī ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصhas a basis in Sharī`ah and if we look at Ṣaḥaba after the passing
away of Rasūl Allah ملسو هلآو هيلع هللا ىلصwe see that it was extremely painful for the them and our
books of ḥadīth are full of their grief about it and human nature does not allow
openly expressing joy during the times of sadness but as time passed, joy slowly
began to prevail over grief.
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Bid`ah
There is a huge body of work in our literature about innovation and its division.
So I would just cite a single significant opinion from the earliest of our unanimous
Imams, namely, al-Shafi`ī (d. 204). He divides innovation into two types as stated by
al-Dhahabī, the student of Ibn Taymīya, and cited by Imam al-Bayhaqī, Imam Abū
Nuaym and al-Suyūṭī:
وما أحدث من الخير ال. فهذه بدعة ضاللة،ً ما أحدث يخالف كتابا ً أو سنة أو أثر ا ً أو إجماعا:المحدثات من األمور ضربان
"نعمت البدعة هذه:قد قال عمر في قيام رمضان. فهذه محدثة غير مذمومة،خالف لواحد من هذا
“Newly begun matters are of two types: the first is that which contraven es the Qur’ān and Sunnah,
the reports of companions or the consensus of th e community; this is the misguided innovation
(bid`ah ḍalālah). The other is the newly begun matter which is based on good and does not
contravene any of these mentioned sources; this is the n on-blameworthy innovation (bid`ah ghayr
madhmūmah). Umar said that about the night vigil in Ra maḍān, i.e., tarāwīḥ prayers, what an
excellent innovation this is.”
Furthermore, the following ḥadīth will clarify the true meaning of bid`ah. Umm
al-Mu’minīn Ayesha (ra) reports in Ṣahīh Muslim:
من احدث في امرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد
If someone invents in our Dīn something which does not belong to it, it is rejected.
The word invents (‘aḥdatha) ‘which does not belong to it’ (mā laysa minhu) are
worthy of attention. In general practice the word ‘invents’ ‘aḥdatha means
introducing new practice into religion whilst the words which does not belong to it
mā laysa minhu further clarify that this refers to innovating something that is not part
of Islam. The question arises that if the word ‘aḥdatha implies establishing a new
matter then what was the need for saying mā laysa minhu which has no root in it?
This is because if that thing was from religion, i.e., it constituted part of it, then it
cannot be called a new thing (muḥdatha). A new thing is called such when it has no
existence in the religion in the first place. In other words, the conclusion it is rejected
cannot be applied only on ‘which does not belong to it’ nor on the word ‘invents’ rather
it has to be applied in the situation when both come together. Only then the action is
rejected. Because it is a new action and has no basis in religion, devoid of any
evidence in Sharī`ah.
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In light of this discussion Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺcontains no such feature that
opposes the Qur’ān and Sunnah. On the other hand it consists of many virtuous and
commendable deeds. The formative constituents of Mawlid are holding gatherings
and congregations, relating the Prophet’s ﷺbiography and excellences, reciting odes
and poems in praise, sending salutations and invoking peace and blessing!
Some such innovations are constructing Masjids, second adhān before Friday prayer,
compilation of the Qur’ān, tarāwīh prayer, holding sīrah conferences, rallies, etc.
And finally we see that all Muslim terrorists consider Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺa
reprehensible activity because of their literalist methodology that has led to the
consequences of indiscriminate killings. It is their interpretive framework that
prohibits Mawlid and by application of the same method it also justifies terrorism
and killing of the innocents. It is the same principle of literalist interpretation about
Mawlid prohibition that produces their other interpretations of terroristic activities.
Though, Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺis not obligatory upon Muslims nor its non-performance
would bring any reprimand from Sharī`ah. It is safe to say that in today’s World its
promotion, and projecting the Mercy of the Merciful Prophet ﷺthrough it can also
serve as a preventive measure to radicalisation and extremism.
*****
In need of your Du`ā: Syed Hasnain Bukhari
Further reading: There are two recent works published in English for a detailed study of Mawlid legality in
Sharī`ah: (1) Shaykh al-Islam Dr. Tahir al-Qadri’s Book entitled Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺ. It is a momentous study on
the subject, published by Mihaj-ul-Quran and translated by Muhammad Imran Sulaiman and Waqas Ahmed
Amin. I have in the latter two sections drawn upon it and benefitted immensely from it. (2) Sayyid Dr.
Muhammad b. Yahya al-Ninowy’s newly published book on Mawlid ‘Expressing delight in the birth of the light
ﷺ.’ It is translated by Shaykh Abdul Aziz Suraqah and also includes a translation of Imam al -Suyuṭī’s Ḥusan al-
M aqāṣid. This is a jurisprudentially reasoned work and of great benefit. It is available from Madinaseminary.org
