In penning this essayAuthor’s note: The 12th of Rabi al Awwal, the third month of the Muslim calendar, marks the birthday of our Prophet Muhammad(P). This year it falls on Tuesday, April 11th. This event is marked with great fanfare in many Muslim countries, Malaysia included. Elsewhere such celebrations are frowned upon. I am fully aware of this controversy in the Muslim world., a tribute to our Prophet Muhammad(P), I am not “celebrating” Maulud-ul Nabi as Christians celebrate Christmas, rather I am honouring him by reminding myself of the many exemplary qualities of this Last Rasul of Allah.

Allah in His Wisdom did not choose His Last Messenger randomly. Long before Allah had chosen him, Muhammad had already demonstrated his noble and sterling character. He was Al Amin, the Trustworthy, to his community. In Prophet Muhammad(P), Allah had an uswatun hasana (“the most beautiful pattern of conduct”, Surah Al Ahzab, 33:21). There are numerous Quranic verses exhorting Muslims to emulate this exemplar of a human being. Exhortations from the Holy Book aside, a man whose teachings are being followed by one in five people on this planet deserves attention.

On this Maulud al Nabi, the Prophet’s birthday, Muslims re-live the Seerah (the ways and sayings of the Prophet) to discern their meanings. As noted by the writer Adil Salahi, the best way for Muslims to demonstrate their love for the Prophet(P) is by following his teachings, not by singing his praises.

Aping Versus Emulating

Some set a very low bar for themselves, content with imitating the superficialities of the man. Thus they are reduced to sporting long beards and unshaven faces and wearing loose clothes and oversized turbans. That is the extent, nothing further. They are aping, not emulating, the prophet.

Others think they have set a higher standard by mimicking the prophet in acquiring multiple wives. They do not emulate him for his skills in trading, his reverence for knowledge, or his quest for learning. Suffice that they could imitate the prophet only in that one respect. We do what we can with what we have, so they piously assure themselves as they indulge in their worldly lust, all in the name of following the example of the Holy Prophet of course.

Alas, they are looking for lust in all the wrong Seerahs!

They conveniently forget that the prophet remained monogamous for over 25 years with his first wife, Khatijah. His subsequent marriages following her death were expressions of his charity, not lust. Thus his wives included single mothers and war widows. Other marriages were for cementing political relationships, as was the tradition then. As a leader with a considerable following, he could easily have had his groupies, if lust were his intent.

Not satisfied with the limitations of four wives at a time, and fully aware of the severe penalty for adultery prescribed in the Quran, many Muslims ingenuously resort to “temporary marriages.” Temporary as in hours or minutes, depending on their prowess! Surprisingly, there are kadhis (religious officials) who would solemnize such “marriages”, for a fee of course. In my part of the world, such individuals are called pimps.

In their obsession with the superficialities of the Prophet (P), his well-meaning admirers miss the essence of the man. This was a man chosen by Allah and who emancipated the Arabs from their Age of Jahiliyah (Ignorance), and then spread the faith that today is adhered to by over a billion people.

Leadership Through Personal Example: Qudhrat Hassanah

The leadership qualities I find most admirable were his humility, his recognition of talent, and his ability to think counter-intuitive, or “outside the box” as the current cliche would have it.

When the Prophet received his first revelation, he trembled with fear. He was fully aware of the awesome responsibility. So fearful was he that he could confide only to his wife Khatijah. In an era where females generally and wives, in particular, were mere chattels of men, that he took her in confidence was remarkable. It reflected his inner strength and confidence in judgment, regardless of the prevailing norms. He trusted and respected his wife, a rare trait in that time and place.

It also reflected his deep humility. Lesser mortals who thought they had been chosen by God would undoubtedly proclaim that fact loudly for the world to hear, a la George Bush, Jr., or Pat Robertson.

True to his humility, he preached initially only to his close family and friends. He was fully aware that his message would literally turn his society upside down, transforming it for the better. He risked dividing his community in the process. He had no desire to destroy his community in order to save it, to use a Vietnam-era maxim.

Today’s leaders would do well to emulate the Prophet?s appreciation and recognition of talent ? meritocracy in its pristine form. His closest companions, later to be Caliphs, were truly worthy of the appellation, Radhi Allah anHu (May Allah Be Pleased with them).

Recognizing the beautiful voice of the hitherto slave, Bilal, the Prophet made him call the Azzan, a singular honour. The Azzan, beautifully executed, gives me goosebumps; simply hollered, it grates on the ears.

In the early days of his mission, to spare his followers’ persecution, he arranged for them to migrate to Abyssinia for their safety. That was uppermost in his mind, a true leader. In a pivotal battle at Taif when he had the enemy under siege, he could have easily annihilated them especially considering that they had been brutal to him years earlier. Instead, listening to the counsel of his lieutenant about the fox cornered in a hole, he left them alone. You could smoke out the animal and destroy it, or you could leave it alone and it would do you no harm.

The people of Taif later embraced Islam on their own volition. The Prophet intuitively recognized that in fighting for your cause, first create no new adversaries. A simple lesson, but difficult to learn. This is a lesson the world desperately needs to learn in battling terrorism.

The Prophet(P) may have received the blessings and revelations from Allah, but he was not above listening to advice from his young subordinates.

In preaching, the Prophet was careful in ensuring that his followers memorized only the divine revelations, not his commentaries. He forbade what would be considered today as a personality cult. Had he not done so, every Muslim home would be adorned with his portrait, cities named after him, and statues erected in his honour. For added measure, Muslims would be sporting amulets bearing his name or likeness for protection and good luck charms.

The Prophet was no ordinary mortal, but a mortal nonetheless. At the theological level, this means Muslims do not believe in the reincarnation or the second coming. At the practical level, that too has significance. While Muslims duly and properly praise the prophet, we are careful not to deify the person or attribute perfection. Perfection is after all solely the attribute of Allah.

At the personal level, the fact that the Prophet is a mortal means that his exemplary qualities are within the capability of every one of us to follow. That is the beauty of our Prophet(P).

May the blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, and his Companions as we honour him on this special day of the 12th of Rabi al Awwal.

Reproduced with the permission of the author. The author’s website may be accessed at www.bakrimusa.com


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19 responses to “Leadership Qualities of Prophet Muhammad”

  1. Mat Avatar
    Mat

    In accordance with the Qur’an or any of the authentic hadiths of the prophet Muhammad (salalla’hu’alaihi’wasalam), there is none any single such thing as celebrating the Maulidur-rasul or Maulid Nabi. Absolutely none?

    If there is any; it’s just a newly-invented matter in the religious matter/affair which is called ‘bid’ah (innovation). That’s for sure! By the way sorry if my English writings doesn’t fit or suit any of you readers in here or out there.

  2. AbdAllah Avatar
    AbdAllah

    Assalamu ‘alaykum Wa Rahmathullah Wa Barakathuhu

    I think it will suffice for me to leave a fatawa by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam (My Allah have mercy on him) rather than me, with my ignorance and very little (and almost non-existent) knowldege of Islam, commenting on the issue of Mawlid.

    To read more of his Al-Hamdulillah detailed and excellent fatawa, please visit http://www.daruliftaa.com.

    Please read below:

    Question: Why do some Sunni Ulama- like the Dewbandis- prohibit the Mawlid?

    Answer:

    In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

    In an age and time when Muslims are being attacked by the enemies of Islam from every angle possible, to debate and talk about something which is a non-issue (yes, a non-issue), such as โ€œcelebrating the Mawlidโ€ is doing injustice to ourselves.

    Thousands of Muslims are being massacred and persecuted day in day out, many are involved in all sorts of un-Islamic activities, youngsters are on the brink of disbelief (kufr), our young brothers and sisters are involved in drinking, drug abuse and fornication, yet here we are debating whether it is permissible to celebrate the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).

    I personally was reluctant to write on this subject, but my dear friend Sidi Faraz Rabbani ordered me to compile a piece explaining the Deobandi position with regards to the Mawlid. Thus, adhering to his command, I will endeavour to explain the ruling on celebrating the Mawlid, as understood by the Deobandi scholars.

    Before explaining the Deobandi position on the Mawlid, I would like to emphasize that unfortunately many of our disputes, disagreements and arguments are due to not understanding (or not wanting to understand, should I say) the opposite parties stance on a particular issue. I have experienced this many times. This is a problem on both, the Deobandi and Barelwi, sides.

    Rather than find excuses for the statements of fellow Muslims and interpret them so they are justified, we force people to believe something which they themselves no dot believe. In my personal experience, this is the main reason why so many Muslims are divided.

    I hear some Deobandis claim that the Barelwis believe this and that, yet when I speak to some of our Barelwi brothers about the issue, they categorically state that this is not what we believe; ratherโ€ฆโ€ฆ.and then they explain their stance. The case is same with the Barelwis, in that they themselves decide for the Deobandis that agree or disagree; this is what you believe, despite the Deobandis rejecting it.

    This is quite unfortunate indeed. If we look at all the other religions, faiths, nations, groups, and organisations, they try and increase the numbers of their associates. The Christians claim that most of the worldโ€™s population are followers of their faith, and many other religions also try their best to include every individual in their religion who has a minor attachment to them, in order to increase the size of their following. However, Muslims are the only ones who try their best to decrease the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) by forcing people to believe what they donโ€™t, and reduce the Muslim Ummah as much as possible. We donโ€™t hesitate for one moment in branding one another as disbelievers.

    The great Hanafi Imam, Allama Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) states in his renowned Sharh Uqud Rasm al-Mufti:

    โ€œBranding someone a non-believer (kafir) is a great thing indeed; hence I do not label a believer as a non-believer as long as one sign of him believing is foundโ€ฆ.One should not issue a Fatwa of a believerโ€™s disbelief (kufr) as long as it is possible to interpret his statement in a justified manner, or there is a difference of opinion regarding him disbelieving, even if there is a weak narration.โ€ (Sharh Uqud Rasm al-Mufti, 1/36)

    Thus, one should not haste in branding and terming other Muslims as disbelievers or sinners and innovators, for branding a Muslim a disbeliever is a grave thing indeed. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him eternal peace) said: โ€œAny person who calls his brother: O Unbeliever! (then the truth of this label) would return to one of them. If it is true, (then it is) as he asserted, (but if it is not true), then it returns to him (and thus the person who made the accusation is an Unbeliever).โ€ (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6130 and Sahih Muslim, no. 60, reported by Ibn Umar, Allah be pleased with him)

    Thus, it is very important that we have tolerance, patience and forbearance. We must be precautious in what we say. We should try and look for excuses for our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. If a statement or viewpoint of a fellow Muslim seems incorrect, then rather than condemning the person, go and investigate as to whether it is true or otherwise. Donโ€™t force others to believe what they themselves do not believe.

    Many of the issues on which the Deobandis and Barelwis are divided are for this very reason. In reality, there is no โ€œsignificantโ€ difference, rather it is only a case of interpretation or how it was said, yet there is so much fuss made about it.

    For example: The matter of whether the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) had knowledge of the unseen is made such an issue, but if we were to ponder deeply with cool headedness, it would become clear that there is no real difference.

    The Deobandis state that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) had knowledge of many unseen things, but the knowledge was given to him by Allah Most High. Thus, one cannot call the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) the โ€œknower of the unseenโ€ (aโ€™lim al-Ghayb), for that is used when one has knowledge of the unseen without someone else informing him. When I asked some of my Barelwi friends that do you believe that the messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) had knowledge of the unseen in a manner that Allah has? They said: โ€œof course notโ€ How can the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) be equal in knowledge to Allah. However, he had the knowledge of the unseen, but it was given to him by Allah Most High.

    Now, when we look at these two positions, it becomes clear that both the Deobandis and Barelwis agree that the Messenger of Allahโ€™s (Allah bless him & give him peace) Knowledge of the unseen was given to him by Allah Most High. The only minute difference is whether one can call him Aโ€™lim al-Ghayb or otherwise. The Deobandis state that because the knowledge was given to him by Allah most High, it is not correct to call him Aโ€™lim al-Ghayb, for that title is for someone who knows of the unseen without being informed by another. The Barelwis, on the other hand, say there is nothing wrong in giving this title to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) even if the knowledge to him was given by Allah Most High.

    Thus, the difference is very minute indeed, but rather than explain to people that it is a very minute difference, we make it a fundamental part of oneโ€™s Aqidah. The Deobandis insist that the Barelwis regard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) to be equal to Allah, and that they regard his knowledge to be similar to that of Allah, whereas the Barelwis refuse to accept that the Deobandis also believe that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) also had knowledge of the unseen, and that they disrespect the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace)

    The second point to remember is that we must abstain from using the various names and titles like Deobandis, Barewlis, etc. I myself have used these terms here, because I had no choice. I am explaining the differences of the two schools, thus it was indispensable for me to use them. But in our day-to-day conversations, we should not call ourselves and others but with the title of Muslims and Sunnis.

    Allah Most High says:

    โ€œHe has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Ibrahim. It is he who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you and you be witnesses for mankind.โ€ (Surah al-Hajj, V. 78)

    Thus, we must avoid using names other than that of being a Muslim. To use different names and titles in order to incite others and cause friction and disunity among Muslims is a grave sin, and must be avoided.

    Once a student approached a Syrian Arab Scholar and said: โ€œI need to ask you some questions, but before I do that, I need to know whether you are a Barelwi or Deobandiโ€ He said: โ€œI am a Muslim, follower of the Shafiโ€™i School, I donโ€™t know what this Barelwi/Deobandi thing isโ€ The student insisted that he must be one of them. He suggested that the Shaykh look into the classical Aqidah books and see the Aqidahs of these two groups. The Shaykh said: โ€œI have read almost all of the major works in Aqidah but have never found these names. The student insisted that it must have been overlooked by the Shaykh!

    Once a brother said to me that Allama Ibn Abidin was a Deobandi and Imam Suyuti a Barelwi! I became infuriated and said: โ€œThis is completely incorrect. How can you call someone a Deobandi when Deoband did not even exist? The reality is that the Deobandis, Barelwis and also others follow the likes of Allama Ibn Abidin and Imam Suyuti.

    Therefore, these titles and names should be completely avoided. I sincerely advice our brothers and sisters to abstain themselves and prevent others from using these names, for it causes nothing but friction.

    Thirdly, when we look at the issues of difference between the Barelwis and Deobandis, it is quite evident that some of them are minor and petty issues. You wonโ€™t find any of the classical books of Aqidah discussing these issues.

    Thus, we need to overlook these petty issues and concentrate on the more important issues of Islam. People are in need of real guidance, someone to help them strengthen their faith, teach them about the basics of Islam, not someone who debates whether one can say Ya Rasul Allah or otherwise.

    Unfortunately, we have given extra significance to these issues than they deserve. These were issues that were associated to a personโ€™s individual connection with Allah Most High and His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him & give him peace), but we have made them into the basic tenets of Creed (aqidah) and issues that distinguish belief from disbelief and piety from impiety (fisq).

    One a brother phoned me and said: โ€œI need to ask you a question concerning business and trade but first tell me are you from the Aqidah of Assalatu wassalamu alayka ya Rasul Allah? I said that this is not a matter of Aqidah. It is similar to saying: โ€œDo you have the Aqidah of Subhan Allah or Assalamu Alayka ayyuhan Nabiโ€! I explained to him that these are minute and petty issues and debating about them should be avoided.

    Keeping the above three points in mind, we come to the issue of celebrating the birthday of our beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).

    The Deobandi stance on the Mawlid is that, not only is it permissible to celebrate it, rather it is an great act of virtue, as long as the celebrations are free from the unlawful or reprehensible activities, such as free intermingling of the sexes, excessive wasteful spending, fixing of a particular date, etc, and it is not held to be something necessary to do such that those who choose not to participate are considered to be in the wrong.

    This is the Deobandi viewpoint and it would not be appropriate to force it down them that they totally reject the celebration of the Mawlid. As mentioned earlier that it is wrong to force upon others their beliefs and opinions, rather we should take what they say at face value.

    The fundamental book that explains the viewpoints of the Deobandi scholars is al-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad compiled by Shaykh Mawlana Khalil Ahmad al-Saharanfuri and endorsed by many scholars, such as: Imam Ashraf Ali al-Tahanawi, Shaykh al-Hind Mawlana Mahmud al-Hasan Deobandi and many others (Allah have mercy on them all). The abovementioned viewpoint can be seen quite clearly in this book.

    Shaykh Khalil Ahmad (a student of Shaykh Rashid Ahmad Gangohi) states:

    โ€œFar be it from any Muslim that he says (let alone us): mentioning the birth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), or even mentioning the soil under his footwear and the urine of his donkey, is an act of reprehensible and unlawful innovation.

    Thus, aspects that have even a minute connection with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), mentioning them is from the much-loved of practices and from the greatest of recommendations, be it the mention of his blessed birth, or the mention of him reliving himself, standing, sitting, sleeping and being awake. This has been explained in detail in my book al-Barahin al-Qatiโ€™a in many places.โ€ (al-Muhannad, P. 78)

    The above text quite categorically states the permissibility of celebrating the Mawlid. However, what the Deobandi Ulama reject is the unlawful and evil practices that have found its way in some Mawlid celebrations, especially in the Subcontinent. Thus, Shaykh Khalil Ahmad (Allah have mercy on him) further states:

    โ€œIt is clear from the above that we do not reject the mentioning of the Messenger of Allahโ€™s (Allah bless him him & give him peace) birth; rather, we reject and refute those evils that are attached to such gatherings as you may have seen them in the Indian subcontinent, such as mentioning fabricated and false narrations, intermingling of the sexes, excessive wasteful spending in lights and decoration, holding it to be something necessary to do such that those who choose not to participate are slandered and called non-believers, and other evils from which very few gatherings (in the subcontinent) are free.
    However, if the gathering is free from such evils, far be it from us that we say: Celebrating the birth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is evil and an innovationโ€ฆโ€ (ibid, p. 80)

    Let us now look at the Fatwa of Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him), with which some people have a problem. The respected Shaykh states:

    โ€œAs I explained in my article on celebration of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (Mawlid), holding a meeting to discuss different aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) is a very meritorious act for which the Muslims should strive to the best of their ability. But confining this discussion to the events of the birth of the Holy Prophet and restricting it to a particular date and holding attendance at such meetings as necessary or obligatory for every Muslim renders this practice as bidโ€™ah or innovation.

    Mostly the meetings of Mawlid today are of this type. Therefore, contemporary Ulema of Deoband have declared it a bidโ€™ah.

    If the life of the Holy Prophet is made subject of a meeting, and the meeting is free of the above mentioned defects, nobody can call it a bidโ€™ah. It is in this context that some scholars of the past have allowed the practice.โ€ (Taken from the http://www.albalagh.net website)

    The upshot of the above Fatwa is that there are three things which are disapproved of:
    1) Mentioning only the events of the Messenger of Allahโ€™s (Allah bless him & give him peace) birth in the gatherings,

    2) Restricting the gathering to a particular date,

    3) Thinking it to be obligatory and binding upon everybody,

    Thus, if the above three main evils are avoided, not only will celebrating the Mawlid be permissible; rather, it will be a great act of virtue.

    I myself once asked Shaykh Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) that if the evils were avoided in such gatherings, would they be permitted? He replied in the affirmative and said the most important of these evils that must be avoided is that of restricting the celebration to a particular date.

    This is quite significant, because during my stay in Syria, I observed Mawlid gatherings being celebrated on many different dates of Rabiโ€™ al-Awwal. So much so that many gatherings would even take place outside of this month. The celebrations and gatherings would be spread out right through the year, although they would become more widespread in the month of Rabiโ€™ al-Awwal.

    Thus, in light of Shaykh Taqi Usmaniโ€™s words, these Mawlid gatherings are not only permitted, rather highly recommended practices. It would be wrong (and an innovation) to specifically restrict the Mawlid gathering to the 12th of Rabiโ€™ al-Awwal in a way that it would not take place on any other date.

    Below is another Fatwa authorized by Mufti Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him):

    โ€œThe gatherings arranged to remember the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, the mercy to the mankind, are called Milad gatherings. Remembering the life of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and teaching others about it, is an act of great blessing and virtue. However all good deeds have to be performed according to the rules and guidelines established by the Shariah. To exceed them is a grave sin. For example reciting the Qurโ€™an is a great act of virtue, but it is prohibited to do so while one is in ruku or sujud in prayers. Likewise, Salat is one of the most important acts of worship. Yet, it is haram to perform it at sunrise or sunset.

    Similarly, there are rules governing the blessed remembrance of the Sirah. For example, this remembrance must not be associated with a particular day or month; it should be considered equally virtuous during every month of the year, every week of the month, and every day of the week. Also it can take any permissible form. For example you can arrange a reading of an authentic book on Sirah or have a lecture delivered by a scholar. Doing that is not only permissible but it will bring great reward. But it is important to stay away from the evils found in the prevalent Milad gatherings. Here are some of those evils:

    1) A particular date (12 Rabi al-Awwal) has been designated for this remembrance.

    2) The element of show-off (riya) is commonly present in these gatherings.

    3) If someone does not attend these gatherings, he is looked down upon.

    4) Distribution of sweets is considered an indispensable part of the proceedings.

    5) To meet the expenses, donations are collected from sometimes unwilling people who give money under social pressure. According to the hadith it is not permissible to take any Muslimโ€™s money without his willingness.

    6) Intermixing of men and women commonly takes place in these gatherings. People stay late at night in these meetings thereby missing the next morningโ€™s prayers.

    7) The focus of the talks delivered there is very limited. The Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, has given guidance for every aspect of our life. These cover acts of worship, dealing with other people, morals and manners, social relationships, business dealings, etc. However, it has been observed that the prevalent Milad talks concentrate mainly or solely on the account of the birth of the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and his miracles. They do not attempt to cover the vast teachings of the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

    For these reasons, one should refrain from the prevalent Milad gatherings. However, if care is taken to avoid all of these evils and to follow the Shariah carefully, then a meeting organized to remember the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wasallam , with the sole purpose of seeking Allahโ€™s pleasure, will Insha-Allah be a blessed event. And Allah knows best. (End of Fatwa)

    Written: Muhammad Abdul Muntaqim Sylheti (Darul-Ifta, Darul-uloom Karachi) Concurrence from:

    Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

    Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani

    Mufti Abdul Rauf Sakkharvi

    And many others. (See: http://www.albalagh.net)

    The above Fatwa of Dar al-Uloom Karachi and approved by Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah have mercy on him) also gives the same message, in that the Mawlid, if free of impermissible matters, cannot be considered blameworthy or an innovation.

    In my personal view, it is only a difference of interpretation and the way one puts forth his viewpoint. It is a case of what we discussed earlier that one says something and much more is added to it.

    If we were to look at the same above Fatwa endorsed by Mufti Taqi Usmani and turn it around, the message would seem quite the opposite. There are two ways of putting your argument forward.

    For example: One can say that celebrating the Mawlid is a great act of virtue, a highly praiseworthy practice, etcโ€ฆ.Then conclude the Fatwa or article by saying: However, if there are evils attached to the gathering, it would not be permitted. On the other hand, one may say: โ€œcelebrating the Mawlid is wrong, an innovation, has too many evils, etcโ€ฆ.Then conclude the answer by saying: However, if these evils were avoided it would be permissible.

    Now, even though these two arguments give the same message, the assumption made is quite the opposite. Itโ€™s just a case of โ€œhow you say itโ€.

    It is related that the great Deobandi scholar of Hadith, Fiqh and Tasawwuf, Shaykh Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Allah have mercy on him) once on his journey to Makkah al-Mukarramah for Umra visited his Shaykh and spiritual master, Haji Imdad Allah Muhajir al-Makki (Allah have mercy on him). Incidentally, on one of the days a Mawlid gathering was organized. His Shaykh Haji Imdad Allah (Allah have mercy on him) said to Shaykh Gangohi that there is a Mawlid gathering organized, would you like to attend with me? He reused and said: โ€œHow can I attend a gathering of Mawlid when I prevent others from attending it in India due the evils that have been attached to them. If they (people in India) came to know of me attending a Mawlid what would they say? Upon hearing this, his Shaykh Haji Imdad Allah said: โ€œMay Allah reward you. I would have not been happier if you attended the Mawlid than I am in you refusing to come with us, because you are steadfast on what you believe to be the truth.

    Thereafter, Haji Imdad Allah al-Makki attended the Mawlid and one of the servants and students of Shaykh Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi also, without informing his Shaykh, went to the Mawlid. This student of Shaykh Rashid Ahmad said after attending the Mawlid: โ€œIf my Shaykh, Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi would have attended the Mawlid gathering, he would have not condemned it, for it was free from evil and impermissible matters. (See: Malfuzat of Mufti Mahmud al-Hasan Gangohi, 1/99)

    The Deobandis also have gatherings in which they mention the Sirah, characteristics and ways of the messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). Songs and Anashid in praise of the best of creation are sung. These gatherings are organized throughout the year and become more common in the month of Rabiโ€™ al-Awwal. However, they do not attach it to a particular date, and also, rather than calling them โ€œMawlid gatheringsโ€ they call them Sirah gatherings, denoting that not only the birth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) will be discussed rather his life in general.

    Therefore, we can conclude the Deobandi viewpoint on celebrating Mawlid saying that it is a highly praiseworthy act for which one will be rewarded. However, it will be wrong and an innovation to attach the impermissible matters to it, and this is how they understand the statement of scholars such as Hafidh Ibn Hajar, Imam Suyuti and others when they permitted the celebration of the Mawlid.

    By looking into the books of the Deobandi Ulama, we can sum up these evils and impermissible practices in the following:

    1) A particular date (i.e. 12th of Rabiโ€™ al-Awwal) is fixed,

    2) Only the birth events of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) are discussed,

    3) It is called a day of Eid, whilst Islam has only prescribed two Eids,

    4) Celebrating the Mawlid is considered to be necessary,

    5) Unlawful practices (such as intermingling of the sexes) take place,

    If we were to look at the statements of those who support the celebration of Mawlid, it becomes clear that they also strongly condemn the various evils mentioned by the Deobandi scholars.

    The great Sufi and Maliki scholar residing in Makkah al-Mukarramah, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki (may Allah preserve him) states in his short treatise regarding celebrating the Mawlid, Hawl al-ihtifal bi zikra mawlid al-nabawi al-sharif:

    โ€œHow many times have we stressed that the Messenger of Allahโ€™s day of birth is not considered a Eid, neither do we regard it as a day of Eid, for it is a day greater and more virtuous than the day of Eid. Eid only comes once a year, whilst celebrating the birth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and mentioning his Sirah should be a constant thing, without restricting it to a particular time or place.โ€ (P.8-9)

    He further sates:

    โ€œWe celebrate the birth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) constantly and all the time, at every occasion and at every event of happiness and joy. This is increased in the month of his birth โ€œRabiโ€™ al-Awwalโ€ and the day of his birth โ€œMondayโ€. (p. 11)

    He also states:

    โ€œOne of the innovations (bidโ€™a) of the Mawlid is that, it is practiced by some of those who celebrate it by carrying out unlawful activities, being negligent with prayers, involvement if Riba and not implementing the outward and inward Sunnahs of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).โ€ (p. 49)

    And:

    โ€œOne of the innovations that is practised in some countries is restricting the mention of the Messenger of Allahโ€™s (Allah bless him & give him peace) sirah, characteristics, and praise, feeding others and carrying out other commendable actions to only the month of Rabiโ€™ al-Awwal because of the birth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). However, it is necessary that these acts are not restricted to the month of Rabiโ€™ only; rather, it is necessary (wajib) upon a Muslim that he carries out these good deeds constantly in every day of the month, for the mention of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is not attached to a particular timeโ€ฆ.โ€ (p. 50)

    And:

    โ€œ If we met and mentioned the praises of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), his struggles, his characteristics and did not even mention the story of his birth, to which people have become accustomed- to such an extent that they consider a Mawlid gathering incomplete without itโ€ฆ.,we would have celebrated the Mawlid.โ€ (p. 40)

    We can see from the above quotes of Sayyid Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki (may Allah preserve him) taken from his book which he compiled in support of the Mawlid (and should be read by those who reject the Mawlid totally), it becomes clear that there is agreement between what the scholars of Deoband say and those who celebrate Malwid. As such, there is no disagreement in reality.

    In conclusion, we need to develop patience and sincerity in our efforts to bring about more tolerance in this world. Try to make differences seem non-existent. There is no real difference between the Deobandi scholars and the Barelwis, in that they both agree with the Mawlid and disagree with the evils and unlawful practices that are practiced by some.

    Indeed, there are some ignorant Muslims who do practice the evils mentioned by the Deobandi scholars, but rather than refute their celebration of the Mawlid, Deobandis should strive and correct these practices. If they begin to refute the Mawlid altogether, then those who practice it will say that these are Wahhabis, etc, and wonโ€™t even reflect upon their unlawful actions. Conversely, if they support the Mawlid, there is a great chance of them correcting the evils. Thus, they should be given an alternative of pure and uncontaminated gathering of Mawlid in which the Sirah of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is mentioned. A Gathering in which people are encouraged to implement the Sunnahs and characteristics of the beloved of Allah, whether you call it a Mawlid gathering or a Sirah gathering, for names are irrelevant. This is my sincere advice to the Deobandis.

    As far as our Barelwi brothers are concerned, rather than arguing the rationality of Mawlid gatherings and trying to prove it, they should try and stamp out the evils practiced by some individuals. Explain to the masses that celebrating the Mawlid is not sufficient. One has to be a complete believer. One needs to implement the ways of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in all aspects of oneโ€™s life. Use these Mawlid gatherings to spread the message.

    If we do this, then, not only will we have a more harmonious relationship, but we will see Muslims becoming stronger in their faith and better Muslims as a whole. May Allah guide us all to the straight path. I seek forgiveness if I may have offended anybody. May Allah unite us and gather us all in Paradise, Ameen.

    And Allah knows best

    Muhammad ibn Adam
    Darul Iftaa
    Leicester , UK

  3. aian jaafar Avatar
    aian jaafar

    as salaamu alaykum,

    thanks for the response, brother khalid, brother imran. brother khalid, you yourself have admitted that some of the branches of islamic knowledge did not exist during the Prophet’s time. could it be that the Prophet did not see any value in creating these branches of knowledge? hence, according to what i understand as your line of reasoning, these branches should be bidaa as well.

    the point here is that the Prophet and the Companions did not do absolutely EVERYTHING that is good, and it does not prevent muslims from doing which are good, when taken into consideration within the balance of the shariah, which were not done in the Prophet’s time. (bidaa hasanah, according to traditional muslim scholars, such as imam suyuti). and mawlid celebrations fall in this kind of bidaa. what i was mentioning as ‘libels of bidaa’ is that some of the brothers, like you, frown upon these celebrations, thus by implication, mawlid celebrations are a bad kind of bidaa.

    would we stop our muslim brothers from being happy by remembering the Prophet, because it happened to be his birth, which is the greatest event in history? so you’re saying that we should be happy and in remembrance of him all our life, all year long, but then we should suddenly turn against each other during rabiul awwal 12? what is bad with seerah meetings, sending salaams upon the prophet, during rabiul awwal 12?

    —–With regard to the claim that this practice is based on the Prophet?s fasting on mondays – who understood the Prophet?s practices better: you or the noble Sahaba? If they, and the leading Muslim scholars, never celebrated the Prophet?s birthday, then how can you claim that this is what the hadith means?——

    Abu Qatada al-Ansari narrates in Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-siyam, that the Prophet was asked about the fast of Monday, and he answered: “That is the day that I was born and that is the day I received the prophecy.”

    —–So like I said, if there was any value in the annual celebration of the Prophet?s birthday the companions would have done it. They did not.——

    apparently, the Prophet himself did not value an annual celebration/commemmoration, since he and the sahaba valued a weekly commemmoration instead, in light of Hazrat Abu Qatada al-Ansari’s narration in Sahih Muslim above.

    brother, of course, the Prophet understands better, as it was he who mentioned the significance of the fast on Mondays. can you provide any other explanation for this?

    as for the leading Muslim scholars, the link i provided mentions some of these scholars. and among these scholars is ibn taymiyyah. does he also have the audacity to permit this bidaa?
    here is a portion of an article found on http://www.geocities.com/~abdulwahid/muslimarticles/mawlid.html:

    Ten (10) PROOFS from the Qur’an and Sunnah that Celebrating the Nabi’s birthday is accepted in Shari’ah.

    FIRST: Allah asks the Prophet, peace be upon him, to remind his Nation that it is essential for those who claim to love Allah, to love His Prophet: “Say to them: If you love Allah, follow (and love and honor) me, and Allah will love you” (3:31).
    The Celebration of the Holy Prophet’s birth is motivated by this obligation to love the Prophet, peace be upon him, to obey him, to remember him, to follow his example, and to be proud of him as Allah is proud of him, since Allah has boasted about him in His Holy Book by saying, “Truly you are of a magnificient character” (68:4).
    Love of the Prophet is what differentiates the believers in the perfection of their iman. In an authentic hadith related in al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet said: “None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves his children, his parents, and all people.” In another hadith in al-Bukhari he said: “None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves himself” and Sayyidina `Umar said: “O Prophet, I love you more than myself.”
    Perfection of faith is dependent on love of the Prophet because Allah and His angels are constantly raising his honor, as is meant by the verse already quoted, “Allah and His angels are praying on the Prophet” (33:56). The divine order that immediately follows in the verse, “O believers, pray on him,” makes it clear that the quality of being a believer is dependent on and manifested by praying on the Prophet. O Allah! Send peace and blessings on the Prophet, his family, and his companions.

    The Prophet Emphasized Monday As the Day He Was Born.

    SECOND: Abu Qatada al-Ansari narrates in Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-siyam, that the Prophet was asked about the fast of Monday, and he answered: “That is the day that I was born and that is the day I received the prophecy.”
    We quote again from Shaykh Mutawalli Sha`rawi:
    “Many extraordinary events occurred on his birthday as evidenced in hadith and history, and the night of his birth is not like the night of any other human being’s birth.”
    These events and the hadiths pertaining thereto, such as the shaking of Chosroes’ court, the extinction of the 1,000-year old fire in Persia, etc. are related in Ibn Kathir’s work al-Bidaya, Vol. 2, pages 265-268.
    We quote from the book Kitab al-Madkhal by Ibn al-Hajj (1:261):
    “It is an obligation that on every Monday of Rabi` ul- Awwal we increase our worship to thank Allah for what He gave us as a great favor — the favor of sending us His beloved Prophet to direct us to Islam and to peace… The Prophet, when answering someone questioning him about fasting on Mondays, mentioned: On that day I was born. Therefore that day gives honor to that month, because that is the day of the Prophet… and he said: I am the master of the children of Adam and I say that without pride… and he said: Adam and whoever is descended from him are under my flag on the day of Judgment. These hadiths were transmitted by the Shaikhayn [Bukhari and Muslim]. And Muslim quotes in his Sahih, the Prophet said, On that day, Monday, I was born and on that day the first message was sent to me.”
    The Prophet emphasized the day of his birth and thanked Allah for the big favor of bringing him to life by fasting on that day as is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Qatada. This means that the Prophet was expressing his happiness for that day by fasting, which is a kind of worship. Since the Prophet emphasized that day by fasting, worship in any form to emphasize that day is also acceptable. Even if we change the form, the essence is kept. Therefore, fasting, giving food to the poor, coming together to praise the Prophet, or coming together to remember his good manners and good behavior, all of this is considered a way of emphasizing that day. (See also the hadith “Dying on Monday” below.)

    Allah Said: Rejoice in the Prophet

    THIRD: To express happiness for the Prophet coming to us is an obligation given by Allah through Qur’an, as Allah said in Qur’an: “Of the favor and mercy of Allah let them rejoice” (10:58).
    This order came because joy makes the heart grateful for the mercy of Allah. And What greater mercy did Allah give than the Prophet himself, of whom Allah says, “We did not send you except as a mercy to human beings” (21:107).
    Because the Prophet was sent as a mercy to all mankind, it is incumbent not only upon Muslims, but upon all human beings to rejoice in his person. Unfortunately, today it is some Muslims who are foremost in rejecting Allah’s order to rejoice in His Prophet.

    The Prophet Celebrated Great Historical Events

    FOURTH: The Prophet always made the connection between religious events and historical events, so that when the time returned for a significant event, he reminded his Sahaba to celebrate that day and to emphasize it, even if it had happened in the distant past. This principle can be found in the following hadith of Bukhari and others: “When the Prophet reached Madina, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of `Ashura’. He asked about that day and they told him that on that day, Allah saved their Prophet, Sayyidina Musa and drowned their enemy. Therefore they are fasting on that day to thank Allah for that favor.” At that time the Prophet responded with the famous hadith, “We have more right to Musa than you,” and he used to fast that day and the day preceding it.

    Allah Said: Invoke Blessings on the Prophet

    FIFTH: Remembrance of the birth of the Prophet encourages us to pray on the Prophet and to praise him, which is an obligation on us through Allah’s order in the verse,
    “Allah and His angels are praying on (and praising) the Prophet; O believers! pray on (and praise) him and send him utmost greetings” (33:56). Coming together and remembering the Prophet causes us to pray on him and to praise him. Who has the right to deny the obligation which Allah has ordered us to fulfill through the Holy Qur’an? The benefit brought by obeying an order of Allah, and the light that it brings to our heart, cannot be measured. That obligation, furthermore, is mentioned in the plural: Allah and His angels are praying on and praising the Prophet — in a gathering. It is entirely incorrect, therefore, to say that praying on and praising the Prophet must be done alone.
    The Effect of Observing Mawlid on Unbelievers

    SIXTH: Expressing happiness and celebrating the Prophet on his birthday causes even unbelievers, by Allah’s favor and mercy, to gain some benefit. This is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari. Bukhari said in his hadith that every Monday, Abu Lahab in his grave is released from punishment because he freed his handmaid Thuwayba when she brought him the news of the Prophet’s birth.
    This hadith is mentioned in Bukhari in the book of Nikah, and Ibn Kathir mentions it in his books Sirat al-Nabi Vol.1, p. 124, Mawlid al-Nabi p. 21, and al-Bidaya p. 272-273. The hafiz Shamsuddin Muhammad ibn Nasiruddin ad-Dimashqi wrote on this the following verses in his book Mawrid as-sadi fi Mawlid al-Hadi: “If this, a kafir who was condemned to hell eternally with “Perish his hands” [sura 111], is said to enjoy a respite every Monday because he rejoiced in Ahmad: what then do you think of the servant who, all his life, was happy with Ahmad, and died saying, “One”?”

    The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate Its Central Character

    SEVENTH: We are asked to know about our Prophet, about his life, about his miracles, about his birth, about his manners, about his faith, about his signs (ayat wa dala’il), about his seclusions, about his worship, and is not this knowledge an obligation for every Muslim? What is better than celebrating and remembering his birth, which represents the essence of his life, in order to acquire knowledge of his life? To remember his birth begins to remind us of everything else about him. This will make Allah happy with us because then we will be able to know the Prophet’s Sira better, and we will be readier to take the Prophet as an example for ourselves, to correct ourselves, and to imitate him. That is why the celebration of his birthday is a great favor sent to us.

    The Prophet Accepted Poetry in His Honor

    EIGHTH: In the time of the Prophet, it is well-known that poets came to him with all kinds of works praising him, writing about his campaigns and battles and about the Sahaba. This is proved by the numerous poems quoted in the Siras of Ibn Hisham, al-Waqidi, and others. The Prophet was happy with good poetry since it is reported in Bukhari’s al-Adab al-mufrad and elsewhere that he said: “There is wisdom in poetry.” Thus the Prophet’s uncle al-`Abbas composed poetry praising the birth of the Prophet, in which are found the following lines:
    When you were born, the earth was shining, and the firmament barely contained your light, and we can pierce through, thanks to that radiance and light and path of guidance.
    This text is found in Suyuti’s Husn al-maqsid p. 5 and in Ibn Kathir’s Mawlid p. 30 as well as Ibn Hajar’s Fath al-Bari.
    Ibn Kathir mentions the fact that according to the Sahaba, the Prophet praised his own name and recited poetry about himself in the middle of the battle of Hunayn in order to encourage the companions and scare the enemies. That day he said: “I am the Prophet! This is no lie. I am the son of `Abd al-Muttalib!”
    The Prophet was therefore happy with those who praised him because it is Allah’s order, and he gave them from what Allah was providing him. If we get together and do something in order to approach the Prophet, we are doing something to approach Allah, and approaching the Prophet will make Allah happy with us.
    Singing and Recitation of Poetry:
    It is established that the Prophet instructed `A’isha to let two ladies sing on the day of `Eid. He said to Abu Bakr: “Let them sing, because for every nation there is a holiday, and this is our holiday” [Agreed upon]. Ibn Qayyim in Madarij al-salikin comments that the Prophet also gave permission to sing in wedding celebrations, and allowed poetry to be recited to him. He heard Anas and the Companions praising him and reciting poems while digging before the famous battle of the Trench (Khandaq), as they said: “We are the ones who gave bay`a to Muhammad for jihad as long as we are living.”
    Ibn Qayyim also mentions `Abdullah ibn Rawaha’s long poem praising the Prophet as the latter entered Mecca, after which, the Prophet prayed for him. He prayed that Allah support Hassan ibn Thabit, with the holy spirit as long as he would support the Prophet with his poetry. Similarly the Prophet rewarded Ka`b ibn Zuhayr’s poem of praise with a robe. The Prophet asked Aswad bin Sarih to make poems praising Allah, and he asked someone else to recite the poem of praise of 100 verses which Umayya ibn Abi al- Salt had composed. Ibn Qayyim continues, “`A’isha always recited poems praising him and he was happy with her.”
    This Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt is a poet of Jahiliyya who died in Damascus before Islam. He was a pious man who had relinquished the use of wine and the worship of idols, as related by Dhahabi in Siyar a`lam al-nubala’ (2:23).
    Part of the funeral eulogy Hassan ibn Thabit recited for the Prophet states:
    I say, and none can find fault with me But one lost to all sense: I shall never cease to praise him. It may be for so doing I shall be for ever in Paradise With the Chosen One for whose support in that I hope. And to attain to that day I devote all my efforts.(1)
    Singing and Recitation of Qur’an:
    As Ibn al-Qayyim says in his book, “Allah gave permission to his Prophet to recite the Qur’an in a melodious way. Abu Musa al- Ash`ari one time was reciting the Qur’an in a melodious voice and the Prophet was listening to him. After he finished, the Prophet congratulated him on reciting in a melodious way and said, “You have a good voice.” And he said about Abu Musa al-Ash`ari that Allah gave him a “mizmar” (flute or horn) from Dawud’s mizmars. Then Abu Musa said, “O Messenger of Allah, if I had known that you were listening to me, I would have recited it in a much more melodious and beautiful voice such as you have never heard before.”
    Ibn Qayyim continues, “The Prophet said, “Decorate the Qur’an with your voices,” and “Who does not sing the Qur’an is not from us.” Ibn Qayyim comments: “To take pleasure in a good voice is acceptable, as is taking pleasure in a nice scenery, such as mountains or nature, or from a nice smell, or from good food, as long as it is conforming to Shari`a. If listening to a good voice is haram, then taking pleasure in all these other things is also haram.”
    The Prophet Allowed Drum-Playing For A Good Intention:
    Ibn `Abbad the Muhaddith gave the following fatwa in his “Letters.” He starts with the hadith, “One lady came to the Prophet when he was returning from one of his battles and she said, “Ya Rasulallah, I have made an oath that if Allah sends you back safe, I would play this drum near you.” The Prophet said, “Fulfill your oath.” The hadith is found in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Ahmad.
    Ibn `Abbad continues, “There is no doubt that the playing of a drum is a kind of entertainment, even though the Prophet ordered her to fulfill her oath. He did that because her intention was to honor him for returning safely, and her intention was a good intention, not with the intention of a sin or of wasting time. Therefore, if anyone celebrates the time of the birth of the Prophet in a good way, with a good intention, by reading Sira and praising him, it is accepted.”

    The Prophet Emphasized the Birthday of Prophets

    NINTH: The Prophet emphasized in his hadith both the day and the place of birth of previous prophets. Speaking of the greatness of the day of Jum`a (Friday), the Prophet said in his hadith: “On that day [i.e. Jum`a], Allah created Adam.” This means that the day of Friday is emphasized because Allah created Adam on that day. That day is emphasized because it saw the creation of the prophet and father of all human beings. What about the day when the greatest of prophets and best of human beings was created? The Prophet said: “Truly Allah made me the Seal of prophets while Adam was between water and clay.” This hadith is related by Ahmad in the Musnad, Bayhaqi in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa and others, and is sound and established as authentic.
    Why Bukhari Emphasized Dying On Monday
    Imam Qastallani said in his commentary on Bukhari: “In his book on Jana’iz (Funerals), Bukhari named an entire chapter “Dying on Monday.” In it there is the hadith of `A’isha relating her father’s (Abu Bakr al-Siddiq) question: “On which day did the Prophet die?” She replied: “Monday.” He asked: “What day are we today?” She said, “O my father, this is Monday.” Then he raised his hands and said: “I beg you, O Allah, to let me die on Monday in order to coincide with the Prophet’s day of passing.”
    Imam Qastallani continues, “Why did Abu Bakr ask for his death to be on Monday? So that his death would coincide with the day of the Prophet’s passing, in order to receive the baraka of that day… Does anyone object to Abu Bakr’s asking to pass away on that day for the sake of baraka? Now, why are people objecting to celebrating or emphasizing the day of the Prophet ‘s birth in order to get baraka?”
    The Prophet Emphasized the Birthplace of Prophets
    A hadith authentified by the hafiz al-Haythami in Majma` al- zawa’id states that on the night of Isra’ and Mi`raj, the Prophet was ordered by Jibril to pray two rak`ats in Bayt Lahm (Bethlehem), and Jibril asked him: “Do you know where you prayed? When the Prophet asked him where, he told him: “You prayed where `Isa was born.”(2)
    T
    he Ijma` of `ulama on the Permissibility of Mawlid

    TENTH: Remembering the Prophet’s birthday is an act that all `ulama of the Muslim world accept and still accept. This means that Allah accepts it, according to the saying of Ibn Mas`ud related in Imam Ahmad’s Musnad with a sound chain: “Whatever the majority of Muslims see as right, then this is good to Allah, and whatever is seen by the majority of Muslims as wrong, it is wrong to Allah.”

    May Allah guide us all, Brothers. peace and blessing upon the Prophet, his household, his companions, and all those who follow and love him.

  4. Khalid Avatar
    Khalid

    Assalamu Alaykum,

    —————regarding the 3 elements of tawhid, why limit it to 3 elements only, brother?—————–
    It isn’t. This is a misunderstanding on your part. There are numerous ways to classify Tawheed, the three subdivision way is just one popular way. Other scholars (eg. Ibn Al-Qayyim, Ibn Abu Al-Izz) have divided it into two categories – Tawheed Al-Ilmi and Tawheed Al-Amali. Each of these categories is further divided into three categories for a total of six categories. So categorization and classifcation of Tawheed has nothing to do with religious innovation it is merely a toold which aids in analysing and teaching the concept of Tawheed, just as classifying difference Islamic sciences as Uloom Al-Qur’an, Usul Al-Hadith, usul Al-Fiqh, etc. helps in teaching and learning the Islamic sciences.

    Classification in and of itself can never be innovation.

    —–why did not the prophet, peace be upon him, explain it that way? isn?t it reading into his intention as well?—-
    As I already mentioned brother, the Qur’an itself identifies these different components.
    —- why don?t we have tawhid of creation, tawhid of mercy, tawhid of lordship, tawhid of omnipresence, tawhid of omnipotence—-
    All you have done here is further divide Tawheed Asmaa was-sifaat. If you think that is useful as a learning tool, so be it, but it changes absolutely nothing.

    —- yet the prophet insisted on explaining tawhid as ?la ilaha ila Allah, Muhammadur Rasul Allah?.—–
    That is not an explanation, just a statement,

    —-but the truth is, it was not done by the salaf, and it is a reading by imam ibn taymiyyah, which was emulated by muhammad ibn adul wahhab.—–
    Nonsense. I have mentioned two other past scholars who classified Tawheed and there are hundreds more.

    And I already answered your question on the compilation of the Qur’an in my previous response.

    So like I said, if there was any value in the annual celebration of the Prophet’s birthday the companions would have done it. They did not.

    I’ve been simply repeating myself here and having said what needs to be said I don’t think I will reply here again unless there is a different point raised which would merit a response.

    Wa alaykum as-salaam.

  5. Imran Avatar
    Imran

    jazakAllah for your response bro aian.
    salaam

  6. aian jaafar Avatar
    aian jaafar

    let me correct my statement, it was actually brother khalid who answered my question with another question. my apologies, brother imran.

  7. aian jaafar Avatar
    aian jaafar

    as salaamu alaykum brothers.

    brother imran, you answered my question with another question. if you noticed, i never said that we should celebrate mawlid and forget the beloved prophet’s message. what we should do is live according to the prophet’s message, and he who likes to show happiness over the prophet’s birth on a date which is agreed upon by the masses of the muslims and their scholars as his birth, then he should do so, within the confines of the shariah. nobody here disagrees that we should show happiness for every aspect of his life and teachings.

    are these two things (celebrating/commemorating the prophet’s birth on 12th rabiul awwal without imitating christians and other kuffar, and following the prophet’s message) two mutually exclusive things to you? does doing one necessarily preclude the other? brothers, in fact they are complimentary, as many of the muslims who celebrate the mawlid follow the prophet’s teachings with love in their heart for him, peace be upon him, and Allah Almighty.

    of course some of our brethren are in just for the fun of it, and sometimes things proscribed by the shariah are indeed committed. but that is my point in mentioning that i have seen muslims in my place who celebrate the 2 eids by drinking wine and dancing to disco music. let’s say that crying out ‘ya muhammad’ and calling on pirs and dead walis are bidaa. does that mean that celebrating the prophet’s birth and living according to his teachings are bidaa as well?

    regarding the 3 elements of tawhid, why limit it to 3 elements only, brother? why did not the prophet, peace be upon him, explain it that way? isn’t it reading into his intention as well? why don’t we have tawhid of creation, tawhid of mercy, tawhid of lordship, tawhid of omnipresence, tawhid of omnipotence, etc? yet the prophet insisted on explaining tawhid as ‘la ilaha ila Allah, Muhammadur Rasul Allah’. isn’t this a religious bidaa, to arbitrarily explain that there are only three parts of tawhid, and not 99 or a million?isn’t it better to take each of the 99 names of God as a ‘portion’ of tawhid, instead of just three? wouldn’t it limit bidaa more, since there are now 99 limitations to shirk, instead of just three? we could stretch this to absurdity. but the truth is, it was not done by the salaf, and it is a reading by imam ibn taymiyyah, which was emulated by muhammad ibn adul wahhab.

    preserving the religion’s most holy text in a manner which the prophet did not do, but which he could have ordered to be done, isn’s this a religious bidaa, but a good bidaa? same goes with the branches of islamic knowledge. of course, you may be averse to the term ‘bidaa’ or even ‘good bidaa’ for these necessary things, but that is the point. there is actually no use on arguing over names. a rose, if called by any other name, would smell just as sweet, as juliet says. but the truth remains that these things were not practiced or done by our prophet and the companions, but the muslims had the ‘audacity’ to ‘innovate’ these because they are necessary and help the religion.

    the links brother danny posted answers much of your contentions, brothers khalid and imran. however, let me direct you to a link which shows that our enlightened Islamic scholars, even imam ibn taymiyyah, approved of mawlid, if practiced within the shariah and without bidaa, which you rightly condemn:

    http://www.livingislam.org/n/mwld_e.html

    you can also check out shaykh gibril fouad haddad’s response to mufti taqi usmani’s fatwa against mawlid, as it touches on many of the points we are bringing up.

    jazak Allah khayr.

  8. Khalid Avatar
    Khalid

    —-Khalifa uthman had the ?audacity? to compile the holy qur?an in one volume, even though it was not done during the prophet?s lifetime———
    This is not a religious practice. Compiling material is not an innovation. Compiling ahadith is not an innovation either. We are not creating a new practice we are simply preserving the Islamic sources.
    ——and shaykh-un najdi, muhammad ibn abdul wahhab, had the audacity to explain tawhid in three parts, even though it was not done by the prophet, or during the prophet?s lifetime, even though nobody explained tawhid more clearly than Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa salaam.—–
    The Qur’an itself shows the three components of Tawhid. And classification in and of itself is not a bida’h. We have classified Islamic sciences – fiqh, Uloom Al-Qur’an, aqeedah, etc. etc. Yet these were never around at the time of the Prophet either. Classifcation is not a bidah.

  9. Khalid Avatar
    Khalid

    Salaamu alaykum br. aian jaafar,
    With regard to the claim that this practice is based on the Prophet’s fasting on mondays – who understood the Prophet’s practices better: you or the noble Sahaba? If they, and the leading Muslim scholars, never celebrated the Prophet’s birthday, then how can you claim that this is what the hadith means?

    And you say we should have happiness for the Prophet’s birthday – my question to you – why not show happiness for the Prophet’s message, for every aspect of his life? Why create a new practice that the most noble generation never practiced?

    JazakAllah khayr.

  10. Imran Avatar
    Imran

    the sahabah used to say, ?ya muhammad? even after the prophet?s death. and even if they did not, that was not the point. do you think the prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa salaam, hears us when we send salaams upon him during salaah?

    I believe it is more like a duaa for him.If it were like 2 people giving each other salaam, then when the campanions reached to the part “asalamualayka ayuhanabiyu” prophet (pbuh) would of responded back “walaikumsalaam.”But there is no proof for any of this, is there? do you have even one authentic narration in the saheeh collections that says the sahaba said “ya muhammad” when they were in madina and he (pbuh) was in Mecca?

  11. aian jaafar Avatar
    aian jaafar

    as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatu allah,

    brother danny, you got to the point of the matter, and what you said was true. Brother Khalid should be reminded that the Prophet himself, sallallahu alayhi wa salaam, celebrated his birthday by fasting on mondays.

    to brother Imran: in the philippines, i have seen muslims dancing to disco music and consuming wine, supposedly in celebration of eid ul fitr and eid ul adha. should i also label muslims ‘eid ul adha and eid ul fitr defenders’, for defending ‘bidaas’ such as eid ul fitr and eid ul adha?

    disrespect of holy men is the root problem. it began in jannah when iblis, whom the prophet called ‘shaykh-un najdi'(for taking the form of a sheikh from najd when he went in pursuit of the prophet during the hijrah), refused to bow down to prophet adam.

    the sahabah used to say, ‘ya muhammad’ even after the prophet’s death. and even if they did not, that was not the point. do you think the prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa salaam, hears us when we send salaams upon him during salaah?

    and yes, the sahabah loved him more than anybody else, especially more than those of the devil’s horn, that’s why the sahabah sang poetry in his honour during his mawlid when he was alive.

    Khalifa uthman had the ‘audacity’ to compile the holy qur’an in one volume, even though it was not done during the prophet’s lifetime. and shaykh-un najdi, muhammad ibn abdul wahhab, had the audacity to explain tawhid in three parts, even though it was not done by the prophet, or during the prophet’s lifetime, even though nobody explained tawhid more clearly than Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa salaam.

    and lastly, brother khalid and brother imran, let’s say that calling upon pirs and dead walis and crying out ‘ya muhammad’ are bidaa. is expressing happiness toward the holy prophet’s birthday bidaa?

    and Allah knows best.

  12. danny Avatar
    danny

    Brother a_rafee, just stick with the main body of the Muslims, the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaah. According to the concensus of the Ahle Sunnah Wal jamaah, Mawlid is perfectly acceptable and there is nothing “wrong” celeberating it. In Pakistan for instance, as in many parts of the Muslim world, highly qualified scholars of Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaah organize huge mawlid events and gatherings on a regular basis in the open.

    You will find these articles of use which counter the later wahabi bidaa, distortions and opposition to the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaah’s acceptance of mawlid (milad):

    http://www.abc.se/~m9783/n/mwld_e.html

    http://www.abc.se/~m9783/lp_e.html

    http://www.abc.se/~m9783/n/bida_e.html

    http://www.abc.se/~m9783/n/tufm_e.html

    It’s best not to follow small groups and sects here and there on such matters. Best to stick with the main body, the concensus, the traditional Islam – Ahle Sunnah.

  13. Khalid Avatar
    Khalid

    Sorry, I tried to respond, but my response got cut out. br. A_rafee, are you saying that the Sahaba were weak in emaan because they never celebrated the Prophet’s birthday? The sahaba loved him more than anyone else did, so why do we have the audacity to invent new practices as though they are superior to those or the Sahaba and the Prophet himself.

  14. Imran Avatar
    Imran

    i agree with you, brother a_rafee. naysayers among our brethren have increased to such an extent, that celebrating the mawlid of the seal of the prophets has become an occasion for shouting libels of bidaa within the ummah.

    –when they say “Ya Muhammad” do they think that Muhammad (pbuh) is listening to them in Arabia? which pir gets to communicate with Muhammad (pbuh)? in there one verse in the Qur’aan where one is allowed to get knowledge from dead people?

  15. Imran Avatar
    Imran

    brother shibili zamans excellent explanation with regards to differences between sunni and shias is found here :

    http://groups.google.com/group/soc.religion.islam/browse_frm/thread/3e63980b178d6dd9?scoring=d&q=shibli+zaman+shia&

  16. Imran Avatar
    Imran

    The people who celebrate these mawlids do more than just celebrate mawlid.they ask their pirs and dead walis to help them in times of need and pain.just like what the catholics have done with Mary (pbuh).see a christian on s.r.i argue that he isn’t worshipping her but he is getting closer to God through her :

    http://groups.google.com/group/soc.religion.islam/browse_frm/thread/e7368ffcade2fe30?scoring=d&hl=en

    excessive veneration of these people is the root problem.how many of you mawlid defenders ask Mary (pbuh) for help since her status according to the QUR’AAN IS ABOVE ALL WOMEN?

  17. Khalid Avatar
    Khalid

    Salaam a_rafee,

    >> We Muslims are so weak in iman that now even expressing happiness over the Prophet?s comming to this earth..saving us from eternal punishment .. is cosidered controversal?

  18. aian jaafar Avatar
    aian jaafar

    as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatu allah wa barakatuhu.

    i agree with you, brother a_rafee. naysayers among our brethren have increased to such an extent, that celebrating the mawlid of the seal of the prophets has become an occasion for shouting libels of bidaa within the ummah.

    brother m. bakri musa, you need not explain yourself regarding your remembrance of our blessed prophet, habibullah, prophet muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa salaam. may Allah bless you for honoring our prophet on the night of his auspicious birth.

  19. a_rafee Avatar
    a_rafee

    What’s wrong in saying that we are celebrating? Aren’t we suppose to be happy that our Prophet SAW was born on this day. We Muslims are so weak in iman that now even expressing happiness over the Prophet’s comming to this earth..saving us from eternal punishment .. is cosidered controversal?

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