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Mawlid and
the Deobandi Position

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Why do some Sunni Ulema like the

Deobandis- prohibit the Mawlid?

<QUESTION>

Why do some Sunni Ulema like the Deobandis 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 argue about something that is really a non-issue (yes, a non-issue),
such as The Mawlid is doing injustice to ourselves. 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 birth
of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).

I was personally reluctant to write on this subject, but my dear friend Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
ordered me to compile a piece explaining the Deobandi position regarding the Mawlid. Thus,
adhering to his command, I will In sha Allah endeavour to explain the ruling on the Mawlid, as
understood by the Deobandi Ulama.

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 partys 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 do not believe. In my
personal experience, this is the main reason why so many Muslims are divided.

I hear some Deobandis claim that all the Barelwis believe this and that, yet when I speak to
some of my Barelwi brothers about the issue, they categorically state that this is not what we
believe; rather.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 were to look at the other religions, faiths, nations, groups,
and organisations, they always try and increase the numbers of their associates. The Christians
claim that most of the worlds population are followers of their faith, and many other religions

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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 dont, and reduce the Muslim Ummah as much as
possible. We dont hesitate for one moment in branding one another as disbelievers.

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

Branding 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 found.One should not issue a Fatwa
of a believers 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. (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: Any 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). (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 6130 & Sahih Muslim, no: 60, reported by
Ibn Umar, Allah be pleased with him)

It is extremely important to have tolerance, patience and forbearance. We must be precautious

in what we say. We should try and look for excuses in favour of 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. Dont 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.
Many a time, there is no significant 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 significant 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. As such, one cannot call the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) the Knower of the Unseen (alim al-
ghayb), for that is used when one has knowledge of the unseen without being informed. When I
asked some of my Barelwi friends that do you believe the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him &
give him peace) had knowledge of the unseen in a manner that Allah has? They said: of course
not How can the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) be equal in knowledge
to Allah. However, he had 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 Allahs (Allah bless him & give him peace) knowledge of
the unseen was given to him by Allah Most High. The only difference is whether one can call
him Alim 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 Alim al-Ghayb, for that title is for someone
who knows of the unseen without being informed by another. The Barelwis, on the other hand,

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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 ones Aqidah. Some 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 some Barelwis
refuse to accept that the Deobandis also believe that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him &
give him peace) 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 should abstain from using the various names and titles
like Deobandis, Barelwis, 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:

He 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. (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: I need to ask you some questions,
but before I do that, I need to know whether you are a Barelwi or Deobandi He said: I am a
Muslim, follower of the Shafii School, I dont know what this Barelwi/Deobandi thing is The
student insisted that he must be from one of them and suggested the Shaykh look into the
classical Aqidah books and see the Aqidahs of these two groups. The Shaykh said: I 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: This is completely incorrect. How can you call someone a
Deobandi when Deoband did not even exist? The reality is that the Deobandis, Barelwis and
others follow the likes of Imam Ibn Abidin and Imam Suyuti (Allah have mercy on them both).

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

Thirdly, when we look at the issues that are debated by the Barelwis and Deobandis, it becomes
quite evident that some of them are minor and petty. You wont find any of the classical books of
Aqidah discussing these issues. We need to overlook these petty issues and concentrate on the
more important aspects 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.

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Unfortunately, we have given extra significance to these issues than they deserve. These were
issues that were associated to a persons 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).

Once a brother phoned me and said: I 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 this is not a matter of Aqidah. It is similar to saying: Do you have the Aqidah of Subhan
Allah or Assalamu Alayka ayyuhan Nabi! I explained to him that these are minute and petty
issues and debating them should be avoided.

The Mawlid

Keeping the above three points in mind; we come to the issue of the Mawlid:

The position of the Deobandi Ulama is that, not only is it permissible to have a "gathering" of
Mawlid, rather it is an act of great virtue, as long as the gathering is 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.

The above is the Deobandi viewpoint and it would be inappropriate to force it upon them that
they totally reject having "gatherings" of Mawlid. As mentioned earlier, 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 Ulama is al-Muhannad ala al-
Mufannad compiled by Shaykh Mawlana Khalil Ahmad al-Saharanpuri and endorsed by many
scholars, such as Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana 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:

Far 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 relieving himself,
standing, sitting, sleeping and being awake. This has been explained in detail in my book al-
Barahin al-Qatia in many places. (al-Muhannad, P: 78)

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

It is clear from the above that we do not reject the mentioning of the Messenger of Allahs
(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

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mentioning fabricated and false narrations, intermingling of the sexes, excessive wasteful
spending with lights and decorations, 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, mentioning the birth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah
bless him & give him peace) is an evil and innovation (ibid, P: 80)

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

As 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 bidah or innovation. Mostly the meetings of Mawlid today are of
this type. Therefore, contemporary Ulema of Deoband have declared it a bidah. 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 bidah. It is in this context that some scholars of the
past have allowed the practice. (Taken from the Al-Balagh website)

The upshot of the above Fatwa is that there are three things which are disapproved of:

1) Mentioning only the birth-events of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him
peace) in such gatherings,

2) Restricting the Mawlid gathering to a particular date,

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

As such, if the above three main evils were avoided, not only will having a gathering of Mawlid
be permissible; rather, it will be an act of great virtue.

I myself once asked Shaykh Taqi Usmani (may 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 restricting the gathering to a particular
date. This is quite significant, because during my stay in Syria, I observed Mawlid gatherings
being conducted on many different dates of Rabi al-Awwal. So much so that many gatherings
would even take place outside of this month. These gatherings would be spread out right
through the year, although they would become more widespread in the month of Rabi al-Awwal.

In light of Shaykh Taqi Usmanis words, these gatherings and meetings 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 Rabi 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):

The 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

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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 Quran 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 of 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 Muslims
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 mornings 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 Allahs 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

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And many others. (Source: www.albalagh.net)

The above Fatwa of Darul Uloom Karachi and approved by Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani (may
Allah preserve him) also gives the same message, in that a Mawlid event or gathering, if free of
impermissible matters, cannot be considered blameworthy or an innovation.

In my personal view (and Allah knows best), 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 a gathering of Mawlid is a great act of virtue, a highly
praiseworthy practice, etc.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 that
gatherings of Mawlid are wrong, an innovation, has too many evils, etc.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. Its just a case of how you say it.

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-
Mukarrama 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 refused and said: How can I
attend a gathering of Mawlid when I prevent others from attending it in India due the evils that
have been attached to it. 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: May 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, without informing his Shaykh, also went with him.
This student of Shaykh Rashid Ahmad said after attending the Mawlid: Had my Shaykh,
Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, 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 Rabi al-Awwal. However, they do not attach it to a particular
date, and also, rather than calling them Mawlid gatherings 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. As such, no Deobandi can deny the permissibility and
virtue of holding a meeting discussing the various aspects of the Messenger of Allahs (Allah
bless him & give him peace) life and songs and Anashid being sung. Deobandis themselves
have such gatherings and call them Sirah gatherings/events. However, many others (non-
Deobandis) have similar gatherings but they term them to be gatherings of Mawlid. Hence,

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judgments should not be based on the terminologies used, but rather on the concepts.

Therefore, we can conclude the Deobandi viewpoint on the Mawlid saying that it is a highly
praiseworthy act for which one will be rewarded Insha Allah. However, it will be wrong and an
innovation to attach the impermissible matters to it, and this is how they understand the
statements of scholars such as Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Imam Suyuti and others (Allah
have mercy on them all) who permitted 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 Rabi 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,

On the other hand, if we were to look at the statements of those (non-Deobandi Ulama) who
support the 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 have mercy on him) states in his short treatise regarding the
Mawlid, Hawl al-ihtifal bi zikra mawlid al-nabawi al-sharif:

How many times have we stressed that the Messenger of Allahs 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. (P.8-9)

He further sates:

We 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 Rabi al-Awwal and the day of his birth, Monday. (p. 11)

He also states:

One of the innovations (bida) 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 in Riba
and not implementing the outward and inward Sunnas of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless
him & give him peace). (p. 49)

And:

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One of the innovations that is practised in some countries is restricting the mention of the
Messenger of Allahs (Allah bless him & give him peace) sirah, characteristics, and praise,
feeding others and carrying out other commendable actions to the month of Rabi 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 Rabi 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 time. (p. 50)

And:

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 it.,we would have celebrated the Mawlid. (p. 40)

When we study the above quotes of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki (may Allah have
mercy on him) taken from his book which he compiled in support of the Mawlid, it becomes clear
that there is agreement between what the scholars of Deoband say and those who celebrate
Malwid regarding the evil and unlawful practices. 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 significant
difference between the Deobandi scholars and the Barelwis, in that they both agree with Mawlid
(or Sirah) gatherings 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
Ulama, but rather than refute their celebration of the Mawlid altogether, 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 wont 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 general Sirah of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is
mentioned. A gathering in which people are encouraged to implement the Sunnas 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 ones 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

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[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam

Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK

Objections against this article and its

response

<OBJECTION>

Is it party time?

Another recent addition to our miseries is emergence of Neo-Deobandi Sufis indulging in the
same customs and ceremonies our elders had warned us not to indulge in.

Abdication from such ostentatious rituals, giltzy customs and extravagant ceremonies is the hall
mark of Deoband.

In particular the Mawlid. In the form it is celebrated in our contemporary Muslim communities.

Why?

Probably, our akabir were wrong in the first place to deprive us of the benefits of such beneficial
ceremonies, ritual and customs!

Or

We being more knowlegeable, wise, and God-fearing do these activities most cautiously and
therfore can not be blamed for the corruption our akabir percieved in them.

Or

We do not care about our Akabir. They are gone and so are the days when such acts were
blame worthy. Now days we live in a different era.

Or

Our practice is of peace, unity and loving. We are neither Salafi terrorist
nor fundemenatlist Wahabis. Only these people deny all these activities.

The list can go on and on.

But to be brief.

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Deobandi DONOT celebrate mawlid in the sense it is celebrated in our contemporary World.
Period!

No arguments.

Gunjaish e bhas nahin!

Na! La! Nada! Zilch!

The infamous document by a contemporary mufti sahib to explain the contrary is totally
baseless.

Firstly, by common sense. Anyone who knows Deobandis has this knowledge.

Secondly, the teacher (1-2 yr) of this mufti, Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi
Usmani sahib db, after reviewing this document disagreed with it. He in person adviced the
knowledgeable mufti sahib to make changes regarding our true view point and publish it. Being
an exceptionally respectful student mufti sahib agreed and promised to do so. (However, may
be due to his other essential commitments he has not been able to do as promised.)
Thirdly, the reference provided by the mufti sahib are not from akabir. They are from Sheikh
Mohammad al-Alawi al-Malaki ra, who is absolutely not a Deobandi. How can his quote be used
as a proof for us.
Finally, the fatwa of our akabir are still existent. They are in libraries and bookstores,
being published regularly. Anyone with doubts can refer to them directly.

Especially, useful is to read the correspondence between Mawlana Rasheed Ahmed

Gangohi and Hakeem ul Ummat Mawlana Thanavi ra in this regards.
Just to clarify and remove any doubts we quote:

The gatherings arranged to remember the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi
wa sallam, the mercy to the mankind, are called Milad gatherings. Remembering the life of the
Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam,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.
So do not misunderstand us.

I end with the quote of Qutub e Alam Mawalan Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi rathat silenced all the
arguments of Hakeemul Ummat ra in this regards:
People who indulge in these sort of activities never ever achieve the true following of Sunnah in
their life. This is my observation and look around to confirm it yourself.

<RESPONSE>

Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullah Sayyidi

You have a nice blog, Masha Allah. May Allah reward you, increase you and give you the
strength to serve his deen with sincerity and truth. May Allah grant you all good and success in
this life and the hereafter, Ameen.

It is not my habit of leaving comments and posting messages on peoples blogs and other
Islamic forums. The only blog I ever seriously visit is that of my dear friend, Sayyidi Shaykh
Faraz Rabbani (may Allah increase him). But, a few days ago, a dear friend sent me a link to

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your wonderful blog and said to me that you and your article are being discussed. Out of
curiosity, I logged onto your blog and for the past few days have been reading the various
comments and messages left by brothers and sisters (if any). Initially, I did not intend to post a
comment, because one seldom finds an Islamic blog/forum where people are not debating the
various articles and issues they have come across. However, due to many reasons, I felt it
necessary to reply to this thread.

Firstly, I commend and applaud you for your loyalty to the great Ulama of Deoband (akabireen).
May Allah gather both you and me with them on the day of resurrection, Ameen. By Allah, it is
difficult to find Scholars possessing the same amount of piety, knowledge, wisdom and
following of the Sunna as enjoyed by the great Akabir and Ulama of Deoband. I have
nothing but utmost respect for them. I am not even equal to the soil which is beneath the
footgear of the likes of Qutub al-Alam Shaykh Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Hakim al-
Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Tahanawi, Imam al-Asr Shaykh Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Shaykh al-
Islam Mawlana Husseyn Ahmad Madani, Hujjat al-Islam Shaykh Mawlana Qasim Nanotwi,
Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi and many others (may Allah
have mercy on their souls and be well-pleased with them). It is important to have the kind of
allegiance and loyalty to our Akabirin as shown by you in this day and age of increasing
Fitna. Hence, please keep up your efforts in making sure that this link we have, even though
weak, with our great predecessors remains. May Allah reward you abundantly, Ameen.
Sayyidi, I am merely a student. I definitely do not consider myself to be more knowledgeable,
wise, and God-fearing than our great Ulama. The Fatawa given by our scholars on the
Mawlid and many other similar matters are without a doubt correct. How can a sinful and
ignorant individual like me question their authenticity?
You mentioned a few points in your beautiful article regarding the document? I had compiled
a while back on the Deobandi Ulamas stance regarding the Mawlid. I have some observations
on your piece which I wish to share with you.

Firstly, you state:

Firstly, by common sense. Anyone who knows Deobandis has this knowledge.?

Indeed, the common knowledge is that Deobandi Ulama prohibit Mawlid celebrations as it
is celebrated today. You yourself have stated that Deobandis DO NOT celebrate mawlid in
the sense it is celebrated in our contemporary World.? Our teacher Shaykh al-Islam Sayyidi
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (May Allah preserve him and benefit us all from his
knowledge and wisdom) has stated many times, celebrating Mawlid as it is celebrated
today is a Bida. However, he goes on to say that, if the evils (because of which Mawlid is not
to be celebrated) are removed, it would be permissible to have a gathering remembering the
teachings of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). I mentioned some of
those evils in my document, the most significant of which is specifying a particular date. In other
words, if these evils are removed, it is no longer celebrating a Mawlid?. Suppose a Masjid in
your town announced that there will be a Seerah event/Jalsa on the first of Ramadhan, wherein
great scholars from around the country will be attending and shedding light on the various
aspects of the Messenger of Allahs (Allah bless him & give him peace) life. Would you call that
a gathering of Mawlid hence a Bida, I doubt not. But many other communities would term that a
Gathering of Mawlid?. Rather, I have recently observed that any Islamic gathering or meeting
that is arranged is called a Mawlid, even though it has nothing to do with discussing the birth-
events of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).
Hence, we must not make judgments based on the terminology used, rather on the
concept. If the evils attached to some contemporary Mawlid gathering (that I quoted in my

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document) were removed, it would be nothing more than the Sirah gathering/Jalsa example I
gave above. I clearly mentioned in my document that in order for a Mawlid gathering to be
permissible, evils such as: Fixing a specific date, restricting the discussion to the birth- events
of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), calling it a day of Eid, considering
it to be necessary and unlawful practices (such as intermingling of the sexes) must all be
avoided. As such, if a gathering in praise and remembrance of the Mercy to both worlds (Allah
bless him & give him peace) was arranged, without fixing and attaching it to a particular
date, without thinking it to be something necessary, without considering it to be a day of
Eid, without unlawful practices, and generalizing the discussion to all aspects related to the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), then I doubt anyone can call that a
Bida. Now whether you call that gathering a Mawlid, a Seerah event/Jalsa, a Seerah
conference or anything else, the ruling will not change.
The above is exactly what I have tried explaining in my document?. This is exactly what you
will find in the works of our great predecessors. The only difference is that I have changed the
rhetoric and usage of language. I believe changing the rhetoric serves far better than
approaching this and many similar issues in a harsh manner, especially in our times. Allah
knows best. After all, what I have stated is exactly what has been mentioned in the renowned
Deobandi masterpiece, al-Muhannad ala al-Mufannad. If Shaykh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri and
the many others who signed the al-Muhannad such as Hakim al-Umma (Allah have mercy on
them all) are not in accordance with the Deobandi position, then I dont know who is.

Secondly, you state in your article:

The teacher (1-2 yr) of this mufti, Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani
sahib db, after reviewing this document disagreed with it. He in person advised the
knowledgeable mufti sahib to make changes regarding our true view point and publish it. Being
an exceptionally respectful student mufti sahib agreed and promised to do so. (However, may
be due to his other essential commitments he has not been able to do as promised.)?

This is indeed true. I have personally spoken to our dear teacher, Sayyiduna wa Sanaduna
Shaykh al-Islam Hafizahu Allah about this, and he did suggest a minor change. He did not have
time to go through the whole document, but he explained to me that it would be better to use
another term for a word that I have used throughout the document. I admit I have been guilty
of not making the change YET, but your article was a timely reminder, and I hope to do
so as soon as possible, Insha Allah. It is not a major change. It is only replacing one term
with another, for the term I have used in the document gives a different impression. Jazak Allah
Khayr for reminding me of that, May Allah reward you in abundance.
Thirdly, regarding Sayyidi Shaykh Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki (may Allah have mercy on
him) you state:

How can his quote be used as a proof for us.?

Sayyidi! If you read the article properly, it will become clear to you that I have NOT used his
reference to explain the position of the Deobandi Ulama, rather the opposite. I first explained the
position of the Deobandi Ulama in light of the al-Muhannad and the Fatwas of Shaykh al-Islam
Mufti Taqi Usmani Hafizahu Allah, and then stated that this position of the Deobandis has
similarities with the position of those (non-Deobandi) Ulama such as Shaykh Alawi Rahimahu
Allah. My actual text is as follows:

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.?

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Therefore, Sayyidi, I have not used Shaykh Muhamamd Alawi al-Maliki Rahimahu Allah as
reference for the Deobandi position.

As a side, despite some of the differences the Shaykh had with some Deobandi Ulama, he
was by and large respected and accepted as a true scholar of knowledge and piety by them. He
had strong connections with Shaykh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi (Allah have
mercy on him) and his students. The first time I was honoured with the blessed company of the
late Shaykh was when I was around 12/13 years of age. He came to the UK and visited the
renowned Darul Uloom Bury and its patron, My Shaykh and teacher, Shaykh Mawlana
Muhamamd Yusuf Motala (May Allah preserve and increase him). A small gathering in praise of
the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), OR SHALL WE SAY A MAWLID,
was arranged, and Shaykh Alawi Maliki Rahimahu Allah sang the Burda and other poems. My
Shaykh, Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Motala Hafizahullah has immense
amount of respect for Shaykh Alawi rahimahu Allah.
Finally, to the brother who commented:

With all due respect, Mufti Muhammad Ibn Adam was a not a full time student with Mufti Taqi.
He was not enrolled in the institute. He wanted to but he was not granted permission. But he
was granted permission to stay and board there as a non-enrolled student. He shouldnt abuse
and attach the name of Mufti Taqi with his name too loosely and try to portray that he graduated
from that institute when in reality he didnt.?

I would say the following:

Your information is correct indeed with the exception of one small thing. It is true that I did
not officially enrol into the three-year course of specializing in the science of issuing legal
verdicts (iftaa). However, it was not the case of me wanting to and not being given permission,
rather I discussed the matter with Mufti Taqi Usmani Hafizahu Allah. I had already taken a
course of one year in the same subject in Darul Uloom Bury, UK. I asked Mufti Sahib that my
main intention of wanting to study in your institute was to try and have a better understanding of
Islamic finance and that I was not intending to remain for the whole duration of three years (very
few oversees students remain for three years, but they complete the two years). He suggested
that if you enrol into the first year of the course, you will not be able to concentrate on Islamic
finance. And if you enrol into the second year, you will not be having a lesson with me (which I
really wanted); hence I suggest that you remain officially non-enrolled. In this way, you can
concentrate on Islamic finance, study by me and also attend the Dars of Sunan Tirmidhi (of
Mufti Taqi himself which I had hoped to attend).
Thats the clarification out of the way. Having said that, I do not claim to be the main student of
Shaykh al-Islam Hafizahu Allah or anything like that. He has hundreds of students who are far
more qualified and knowledgeable than me. I only consider myself fortunate to have spent some
time in his blessed company. I dont claim to be his voice or representative. If I have abused the
name of Mufti Taqi Hafizahu Allah, then I seek forgiveness from Allah Most High. I also ask you
to make Dua for me. Again, I do not claim to be an official graduate of his institute and
neither do I claim to be from amongst his main students. I merely quote him in articles (or
documents), as many other people do.
I have just realized that I have gone on for too long, hence I will stop here. I ask you Sayyidi to
forgive me if I may have offended you in any way. May Allah accept your efforts. I think it would
be better to end the matter here, as debating and arguing is not healthy. Please remember this
ignorant and sinful person in your Duas.

Barak Allahu fikum

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Wassalam

Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari

www.daruliftaa.com

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