Question 1

What is the ruling on celebrating Mawlid an-Nabawi?

Accepted Answer

Celebrating the birth of the Prophet (ﷺ) — taking it as an annual ''id, gathering for it, and devoting acts of worship to it — is a bid''ah (innovation) which neither the Prophet (ﷺ) nor the Rightly-Guided Khulafa'' nor any of the Sahabah nor the early generations did, despite their immense love of him (ﷺ) and their absolute capability to do so had it been a good thing. ''A''ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it, it shall be rejected." (al-Bukhari 2697, Muslim 1718). And in another wording: "Whoever performs an action which is not in accord with our affair, it shall be rejected." (Muslim 1718). The Prophet (ﷺ) said in his khutbah: "The most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the worst of affairs are the newly-invented matters; every innovation is a misguidance." (Muslim 867). True love of the Messenger (ﷺ) is shown by following his Sunnah and not by inventing for him what he did not legislate for himself. The two ''ids of the Muslims are al-Fitr and al-Adha, as the Prophet (ﷺ) clearly established when he came to Madinah and found the people with two days of celebration: "Allah has substituted for you two better days: the day of al-Fitr and the day of al-Adha." (Abu Dawud 1134, sahih).

Question 2

Is it permissible to celebrate Mawlid?

Accepted Answer

The truest love of the Prophet (ﷺ) is in obedience to his command, following of his Sunnah, and abstention from inventing in the religion what he did not legislate. He (ﷺ) lived among his Companions for twenty-three years and never once observed his birthday, nor did Abu Bakr, ''Umar, ''Uthman, or ''Ali, nor any of the four Imams of fiqh — and they were the most loving of him from this Ummah. So either we say (ma''adh Allah) that they were ignorant of a good which we have discovered, or that they knew but withheld it from the Ummah, or — what is the truth — that this practice has no basis in the religion. The Prophet (ﷺ) was sent in time of jahiliyyah where the Christians had taken the birthday of ''Isa as a feast (Christmas), and the Sharī''ah was sent to differentiate the believers from them, not to imitate them: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." (Abu Dawud 4031, sahih). Loving the Prophet (ﷺ) is in following him every day — not in one annual feast borrowed in form from the religions of others.

Question 3

What is the ruling on making tawassul through the dead?

Accepted Answer

Tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah) is of two kinds. The legislated kinds — which are unanimously permitted — are three: (1) tawassul through Allah''s Names and Attributes ("O Allah, by Your name…"); (2) tawassul through one''s own righteous deeds (as in the hadith of the three trapped in the cave — al-Bukhari 2272); (3) tawassul through the du''a of a living, righteous person who can pray for you (as ''Umar did with al-''Abbas after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ): "O Allah, we used to seek means through our Prophet and you would give us rain — and now we seek means through the uncle of our Prophet, so give us rain." — al-Bukhari 1010). The forbidden kind is calling upon the dead — even if it be the Prophet (ﷺ) — saying: "O Messenger of Allah, give me, cure me, intercede for me…" This is shirk al-akbar — the very practice of the mushrikun whom Allah condemned: "They worship besides Allah those who do not harm them nor benefit them, and they say: ''These are our intercessors with Allah.''" (Yunus 10:18). The dead, no matter how righteous, cannot hear those who call upon them after their death (Fatir 35:22), and even the Prophet (ﷺ) cannot answer the du''a of one who calls upon him after his death — he is in his blessed grave, and his rank does not change his being a created servant.

Question 4

Is it permissible to celebrate Mawlid?

Accepted Answer

It is not permissible to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (ﷺ), or the birthday of any other person, as this is a religious innovation (bid'ah) that was introduced into the religion after the time of the Companions. The Prophet (ﷺ) and his rightly-guided Caliphs did not do this, nor did any of his Companions, nor those who followed them in righteousness during the best three generations. If it were a good and praiseworthy act, they would have preceded us in performing it.

Love for the Prophet (ﷺ) is not expressed by innovating celebrations. Rather, true love is demonstrated by obeying him, following his commands, believing what he said, and abstaining from what he forbade. It is shown by worshipping Allah in the manner that he prescribed in his authentic Sunnah. The Prophet (ﷺ) himself warned against such innovations.

Furthermore, these celebrations, besides being an innovation, often lead to other impermissible acts, such as the free mixing of men and women, the use of music and singing, and in some cases, acts of major shirk (polytheism), like seeking help from the Prophet (ﷺ) or believing he has knowledge of the unseen. Even if a Mawlid gathering is free from these greater sins, the act of singling out this day for celebration is itself a bid'ah.

The claim that this is a 'good innovation' (bid'ah hasanah) is incorrect, as the Prophet (ﷺ) stated in general terms that 'every innovation is a misguidance.' The gate of 'good innovations' was a means by which many deviations entered a nd corrupted the religion. The Deen was completed and perfected during the Prophet's lifetime, and nothing needs to be added to it.

Question 5

Is celebrating the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid) permissible?

Accepted Answer

Celebrating the Mawlid is a forbidden innovation. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not celebrate his own birthday, nor did the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, nor any of the Companions, nor the early generations. The first to introduce it were the Fatimids in the fourth century.

Question 6

Is it permissible to make tawassul through the dead and ask them for needs?

Accepted Answer

Asking the dead for one's needs — even the prophets and the righteous — is major shirk that takes one out of Islam. The dead in their graves cannot benefit themselves let alone others. As for tawassul through their status, this is innovation and a means leading to shirk.

Question 7

Is it permissible to make tawassul through the dead and ask them for needs?

Accepted Answer

Tawassul through the dead is shirk if one asks them directly, and a forbidden innovation if one merely uses their status as a means. The Sahabah, when calamity struck, went to al-Abbas (the living uncle of the Prophet ﷺ) — not to the grave of the Prophet himself.

Question 8

Is celebrating the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid) permissible?

Accepted Answer

Celebrating the Mawlid is bid'ah — neither the Prophet (ﷺ) nor the Sahabah did it. If it were good, they would have preceded us to it. The love of the Prophet (ﷺ) is shown by following his Sunnah, not by inventing celebrations he never sanctioned.

Question 9

Is celebrating the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid) permissible?

Accepted Answer

The Mawlid is bid'ah without doubt. Every bid'ah is misguidance, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said in his khutbah on every Friday. There is no good in any innovation in the religion, no matter how it is dressed up.

Question 10

Is it permissible to make tawassul through the dead and ask them for needs?

Accepted Answer

Calling upon the dead, asking them for help, vowing to them, slaughtering for them — all of this is the major shirk that the messengers were sent to combat. There is no excuse of ignorance for one who knows the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" and still commits it.

Innovation & Refutation

What is the ruling on celebrating Mawlid an-Nabawi?

Is it permissible to celebrate Mawlid?

What is the ruling on making tawassul through the dead?

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