Permissibility of Mawlid An-Nabi

MAWLID: CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF THE HOLY PROPHET
ALLAH’S BLESSINGS AND PEACE UPON HIM

Is there evidence for the celebration of Mawlid — the Prophet’s ﷺ Birthday — in the Qur’an and the Sunna? What do the Imams and scholars of the Four Schools say, and what about the contemporary “Salafi” scholars who forbade it on the grounds that it is an innovation, such as Albani, Bin Baz, al-Jaza’iri, Mashhur Salman, `Uthaymin? What about those who celebrate Mawlid, but forbid people from standing at the conclusion of Mawlid for sending darud or salawat — blessings and salutations — on the Prophet ﷺ, Peace be upon him? And what about the objections of some to using the phrase: “As-salamu `alayka ya Rasulallah” (Peace upon you, O Messenger of Allah), and their claim that one cannot call the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him, with the term ya, or O?

  1. PRELIMINARY REMARKS
  2. Proofs From the Qur’an and Sunna That Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday is Accepted in Shari`a.
    • The Obligation to Increase the Love and Honor of the Prophet
    • The Prophet ﷺEmphasized Monday As the Day He Was Born
    • Allah Said: Rejoice in the Prophet ﷺ
    • The Prophet ﷺ Celebrated Great Historical Events
    • Allah Said: Invoke Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ
    • The Effect of Observing Mawlid on Unbelievers
    • The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate Its Central Character
    • The Prophet ﷺ Accepted Poetry in His Honor
    • Singing and Recitation of Poetry
    • Singing and Recitation of Qur’an
    • The Prophet ﷺ Allowed Drum-Playing For A Good Intention
    • The Prophet ﷺ Emphasized the Birthday of Prophets
    • Why Bukhari Emphasized Dying On Monday
    • The Prophet ﷺ Emphasized the Birthplace of Prophets
    • The Ijma` of `Ulama on the Permissibility of Mawlid
  3. History of The Celebration of Mawlid
  4. Earliest Mentions of the Public Mawlid
  5. Ibn Battuta’s Account of the Mawlid
  6. Three Tenth-Century Accounts of the Mawlid
  7. The Celebration of Mawlid in Islamic Countries Today
  8. CELEBRATION OF MAWLID AS UNDERSTOOD BY THE SCHOLARS
    1. Ibn Taymiyya’s Opinion on the Celebration of Mawlid and the Deviation of “Salafis” from his Opinion
    2. Ibn Taymiyya’s Opinion on the Meetings of Dhikr
    3. Ibn Kathir Praises the Night of Mawlid
    4. `Asqalani and Suyuti’s Fatwas on the Permissibility of Mawlid
    5. Other Scholars’ Opinions on the Mawlid
    6. To Celebrate Mawlid Is Mandub (Recommended)
  9. THE CLAIM OF THE CONTEMPORARY “SALAFI” WRITERS WHO FORBADE MAWLID
  10. SENDING DARUD OR SALAWAT
  11. USING THE PHRASE: AS-SALAMU `ALAYKA YA RASULALLAH
  12. The Wahhabi’s tampering of the MUWAJAHA AL-SHARIFA (GATE TO THE PROPHET’S NOBLE GRAVE)
  13. CONCLUSION: ONE MAY NOT OBJECT TO MAWLID