Islamic Articles
Prophets Birthday Celebration:A Biddah (fwd)

(Jalal al Din Suyuti ) The Shaykh of Islam and hadith master of his age, Ahmed ibn Hajar ( Asqalani ) was asked about the practice of commemorating the birth of the Prophet ( Allah bless him and give him peace ), and gave the following written reply:

As for the origin of the practice of commemorating the Prophet's birth ( Allah bless him and give him peace ), it is an innovation ( bida'a ) that has not been conveyed to us from any of the pious early muslims of the first three centuries, despite which it has included both features that are praiseworthy and features that are not. If one takes care to include in such a commemoration * only * things that are * praiseworthy * and avoids those that are otherwise, it is a * praise worthy * innovation, while if ones does not, it is not.

An authentic primary textual basis from which its legal validity is inferable has occurred to me, namely the rigorously authenticated (sahih) hadith in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim that ' the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came to Medina and found the Jews fasting on the tenth of Muharram (Ashura), so he asked them about it and they replied

It is the day on which Allah drowned Pharaoh and rescued Moses, so we fast in it to thanks to Allah Most high ',

which indicates the validity of giving thanks to Allah for the blessings He has bestowed on a * particular * day in providing a benefit, or averting an affliction, * repeating * ones thanks on the anniversary of that day every year, * giving thanks to Allah * taking * any various forms of worship * such as prostration, fasting, giving charity or reciting the Koran.

Then he further writes

then what blessing is greater than the birth of the prophet ( allah bless him and give him peace ), the prophet of mercy, on this day ?

Furthermore he also states

in light of which, one should take care to commemorate it on the day itself in order to conform to the above story of moses and the tenth of muharram, those who do not view the matter thus do not mind commemorating it on any day of the month, while some have expanded its time to any of day the year, whatever exception may be taken at such a view.

Followed by this, he writes

The foregoing is in regard to its * legal basis *. As for what is done therein, it should be confined to what expresses thanksgiving to Allah Most High, of the like of the above mentioned practices such as

reciting the Koran
feeding others
giving charity
and SINGING SOME OF THE ODES THAT PRAISE THE PROPHET ( Allah bless him and give him peace )
or to encourage one to do with less of the worldly things
inspiring the hearts of the listeners to do good
and to work for the hereafter.

Finally he concludes

as for what is added to this, of listening to singing, amusement and so forth, what should be said of it is that the permissible therein that displays rejoicing over the day is of no harm if conjoined with it, while that is unlawful, offensive, or unpraiseworthy is forbidden.

Reference :

al Suyuti, Jalal al Din.
al Hawi li al fatawi al fiqh was ulum al tafsir was al hadith wa al usul wa al nahw wa al i wa sa'ir al funun
Two ( 2 ) volumes. 1352/1933 - 34
Reprint Beirut : Dar al Kutub al Ilmiyya, 1403/1983