Celebrating the Holy Prophet's birthday

This is a short synopsis based upon a lecture of His Eminence Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ulQadri, discussing in detail the permissibility of celebrating the Holy Prophets (peace be upon him) birthday according to Quran and Sunnah. Shaykh-ul-Islam Tahir-ul-Qadri has done a remarkable job in gathering a substantial amount of evidence to affirm the credibility of his assertions, leaving no room for doubts or confusions. For more detailed clarification of this topic please watch the video titled Fazeelat mah e milad e Mustafa; Allah, Rasool, aur din Islam ki nazar main. Celebrating Allahs Favours Allah (swt) states in the Holy Quran, Of the favour and mercy of Allah let them rejoice, that is better than all their wealth (10:58). From this verse we can conclude that Allah (swt) orders us to rejoice in his favours and mercy. However, we are also reminded in the Holy Quran that we should spend not wastefully (your wealth), in the manner of a spendthrift, verily the spendthrift are the brothers of the devil (15:26). In this verse it is clear that Allah (swt) does not like those who are wasteful and extravagant in their spending. Although Allah (swt) is normally fond of simplicity, from the above verse stating let them rejoice, that is better than all their wealth (10:58) we can conclude that it is a divine commandment of Allah (swt) to rejoice and celebrate the favours and mercy that He has bestowed upon us and spending ones finances in such a way will be considered in the eyes of Allah (swt) more important than all of our savings. It is clear that in order to have a successful celebration appropriate arrangements may need to be made and naturally this may entail a cost. Hence, not only do we have the permissibility to rejoice and celebrate in the favours and mercy of Allah (swt), the act of celebration itself is also considered as significant and rewardable. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is Allahs Greatest Favour and Mercy This then raises the following question; What exactly are the favours and mercy of Allah (swt)? The Holy Quran provides the answer in these following words: Undoubtedly, Allah bestowed a great favour to the Muslims that from among themselves He sent a Messenger (peace be upon him) who recites unto them his verses and purifies them and teaches them the book and wisdom. And definitely before that they were in true error (2:64). The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the only blessing of Allah (swt) that He describes with the word favour. This means that amongst all of the countless blessings that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon mankind the coming of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the greatest blessing. The arrival of our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) illuminated the truth, manifested Islam, and obliterated polytheism. People who were being led astray by the Shaytaan (devil) were saved. He brought us from darkness into the light, and removed all barriers of ignorance. Therefore it cannot be emphasized enough

that a believer should be grateful of this favour by remembering it often. An important point to bear in mind is that Allah (swt) is not bound by any conditions. He does not need to work through anyone. If He wanted to, He could have given mankind direct guidance without using the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as an intermediary. He could have automatically changed the thinking of mankind and made them realise the difference between right and wrong. However, if we reflect upon history we will note that Allah (swt) has never guided anyone without using Prophets as intermediaries. Hence, He uses Prophets as a means for us to gain His nearness and pleasure. The Holy Quran declares in the most precise terms that compliance with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is in fact submission to the Word of Allah (swt). According to the Holy Quran there is no doubt in the fact that faith in Almighty Allah (swt) is impossible without steadfastness in following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him): Anyone who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah (4:80). It is now clear that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is a great favour bestowed upon mankind. This then raises the following question: What exactly is Allah (swt)s mercy? The Holy Quran provides the answer in these following words: And we have not sent you (Muhammad) except as a mercy to mankind (21:107). This shows the Holy Prophets (peace be upon him) distinctive quality that he is a blessing incarnate in both word and deed. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) also described himself so eloquently and concisely when he said, I am a mercy bestowed by Allah. Allah (swt) states in the Holy Quran, Of the favour and mercy of Allah let them rejoice, that is better then all their wealth (10:58). Therefore, according to Qur'anic teachings, it is essential that we must celebrate and be happy on the birthday of our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). The Night of Power (Lailat-ul-qadr), is also a mercy and favour bestowed upon mankind because this was the night the Holy Quran was revealed. However, if our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) wasnt sent to mankind, then how would we have received the Holy Quran? Furthermore, we did not witness the revelations sent to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) via Angel Gabriel, all we know is that our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) gave us the Holy Quran, which is the word of Allah (swt). Muslims pray facing the blessed Kabah because of the commandment of our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him); if he had told us to face anywhere else, we would naturally have submitted to his wishes. For centuries Muslims used to pray facing Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. However, according to the wish and desire of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Allah (swt) changed the direction of prayer. The Holy Quran substantiates this fact in these loving words, We see thee turning thy face to the heavens; now We shall turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Now what is the significance of these words? Is there any command in these words? Is there any divine order in this verse? Notice that Allah (swt) says that He will turn the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to the Qibla which will please him. Allah (swt) did not state that He will change the

direction of the Qibla to a more significant place, nor did He say that He will change the direction to the place which the Prophet Ibraheem (as) and his son built. It is also important to mention that Allah (swt) does not differentiate between the East and West. All places are equal to Allah (swt); hence changing the direction of prayer was simply and only because of the wish and desire of His beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). In the same way, it is stated in the Holy Quran numerous times to establish the prayer; however the companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) needed to ask the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) how to pray. The main idea and concept of prayer was available in the Holy Quran, but the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had to personify and exemplify the main idea of prayer by stating, Pray as you have seen me pray. Birthdays According to the Holy Quran Considering birthdays, does the Quran discuss this or give it any importance in any way? It is stated in the Holy Quran of the Prophet Yahya (as), Peace is on him the day he was born and the day he will die and the day when he will be raised alive (19; 15). Allah (swt) also states the Prophet Isa (as) as saying, Peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I will be raised alive (19:33). In the above verses Allah (swt) has mentioned the birthdays of His prophets, and before these verses Allah (swt) mentions the events which took place before their blessed births. Hence, commemorating birthdays is an important deed and is mentioned by Allah (swt) Himself. Furthermore, from the above verses we can conclude that the basis of birthdays is found in the Holy Qur'an. Remembering the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) - A Form of Worship that is Always Accepted Allah (swt) proclaims in the Holy Quran, Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O believers! You too should send your blessings upon him and salute him with all respect (33; 56). When this verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) his companions were pleased for him. They asked the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Whenever Allah (swt) bestows you with blessings we also derive benefits out of it. However, how can we derive benefits out of this blessing which seems exclusively for you? As an answer to their question almost immediately the following verse was revealed, If you become the slave of the Prophet (saw), Allah and His angels will send Salaam on you. From these verses we can conclude that in order to receive salaam (peace) from Allah (swt) and His angels we must become slaves of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). Furthermore, the reward of sending salaam (peace) on the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is that Almighty Allah will send salaam (peace) on us. We should all marvel at this favour which Allah (swt) has bestowed upon us via the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him); to be honoured with a reply is a great and prestigious reward, which in addition, is always accepted, unlike all other acts of worship e.g. charity, alms, prayers, fasting, pilgrimage: these are uncertain in the context of

acceptance and acknowledgement by Allah (swt); individuals can never positively say that Allah (swt) has accepted these acts of worship due to deficiencies which unknowingly may occur. For instance, it is stated in the Holy Quran, Woe to those who pray, but are heedless of their prayers (107:5). Sending salaam on the Holy Prophet (saw) can also become a means of acceptance for other acts of worship. In addition it is stated in a Hadith from Muslim, On the Day of Judgement, the first upon whom punishment will be prescribed will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought to Allah (swt), and Allah (swt) will ask him what he did on earth. The martyr will say I fought for you until I died. Allah (swt) will say You have lied; you fought so that people may call you courageous. Then he will be dragged along his face and cast into the hell fire. Another man will be brought forward and Allah (swt) will ask him what he did on Earth. The man will say, I studied religious knowledge, taught it and recited the Holy Quran for your sake. Allah (swt) will say, You have lied; you learnt knowledge so that people would say that you are an extremely knowledgeable man. Then he will be thrown into the fire. Another man will come forward who spent all of his wealth on the needy. He will inform Allah (swt) about his generosity and Allah (swt) will throw him into the fire, because he gave money to the poor so that people would talk highly of his generosity. In contrast, sending salaam on our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) is always accepted and acknowledged by Allah. Even if a sinful person were to send salaam on the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) his act will be acknowledged, by all means. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the most faithful devotee of Allah (swt). Amongst all of the creation, his ranking is the highest and the most reverend. This fact is further elaborated in our salaat (prayers) to Allah (swt). In our salaat we are not allowed to acknowledge anyone other then Allah (swt); this is one of the conditions of salaat. If we are performing salaat and our Sheikh walks by and sends salaam (peace) on us and we reply, then our salaat becomes invalid. Similarly, if a pious or important person walks by and sends salaam (peace) on us and we reply, then our salaat would become invalid and it would be necessary to repeat it. However, towards the end of our salaat, to guarantee its acceptance, it is obligatory to send salaam (peace) on the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his blessed family. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the devotee of Allah (swt). He is the light of Allah (swt) but not Allah (swt) himself, but at the same time he (peace be upon him) is not separate and apart from Allah (swt). The benefit of sending salaam (peace), on the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is that we become significantly distanced from the fire of Hell. In reference to this above point, Anas bin Malik, invited the companions of the Holy Prophet (saw) to dinner. He asked his wife to bring a cloth, but she brought a cloth that was filthy. He took the cloth from his wife and threw it into the blazing fire, he then pulled it out and miraculously the cloth was immaculately white. He told the companions that this was the cloth that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to wipe his blessed face and hence, if anyone is fortunate enough to have any link with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) the fire of

Hell is made haraam (forbidden) for that person. On the Day of Judgment, after accountability has taken place, there will be some people who will enter Hellfire. However, before they are thrown into it, Allah (swt) will make them forget the name of His beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). After they have served their due time in Hell, Allah (swt) will send Angel Gabriel (as) to teach them the name of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), and then after they have learned his blessed name they will be allowed to enter paradise. From this Hadith we can conclude that if anyone is fortunate enough to remember the name of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) at all times the fire of hell is also made haraam for that person. Similarly, even if a non-believer is fortunate enough to have any sort of link with our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) he will be rewarded accordingly. This point is emphasised most beautifully in the following Hadith. Hadhrat Abbas (ra) saw Abu Lahab, the worst enemy of Islam, in a dream one year after his death. He was found in a terrible condition and when Abbas (ra) asked him, How are you being treated?, he replied, I am continuously in severe torment; however I get some relief from my punishment every Monday as a result of my action of freeing my servant while rejoicing in my nephews birth. From this Hadith we can conclude that expressing happiness and celebrating the Holy Prophets (peace be upon him) birth causes even the non-believers to gain some benefit. Therefore, how can the followers and devotees of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) be void of deriving any benefits by celebrating the birth of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)? The superiority of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) over all other Prophets is elaborated most beautifully in the following Hadith. When Adam (as) committed the sin and was banished from heaven, he said, O Lord! I ask you in the name of Muhammad (peace be upon him) to forgive me. Allah Almighty said How do you know him, when I have not created him yet? Adam (as) said, O Lord! When you created me with your hands and breathed into me from your spirit, I looked up and I saw written on the pillars of the Throne, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, therefore I knew you had put your name with the name of the most beloved of your creatures. Allah (swt) replied, O Adam, you said the truth. He (Muhammad) is the most beloved of my creation, you asked me by his name, so I forgive you, as if it had not been for Muhammad, I would not have created you. Commemorating Significant Events According to Sunnah It is the sunnah of our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) to become pleased when recalling a joyous event of history and to become sad when recalling a sorrowful event in history. This point is (peace be upon him) was passing near the ruins of the city of Thamud on his way to the battle of Tabuk, he stopped to rest while his companions fetched water from the wells from which the people of Thamud used to drink. They prepared their dough (for baking) and filled their water-skins from the well-water. The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered them to empty the water-skins and give the

prepared dough to the camels. He told them fill water from the well which the she-camel of Prophet Salih (as) used to drink from. (This shows that blessings can be derived thousands of years after incidents have taken place). When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) continued his journey he entered the city that was destroyed. Before entering the city he told his companions to pass through the village quickly and feel empathy and sadness for what occurred in the town. He told his companions, I fear that you may be affected by what afflicted them. Allah (swt) has promised the believers that no harm or calamity can afflict them as long as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is amongst them. However, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) still passed though the town quickly. From the above Hadith we can conclude that it is the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw) to commemorate past events. Commemorating the Actions of those that Allah Loves When pilgrims begin their journey they utter certain words. These words are as follows: Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayk, la sharikala labbayk. These words are in fact an answer to the proclamation that Hadhrat Ibraheem (as), as commanded by Allah (swt), made more then four thousand years ago. Thus, with every cry of labbayk the pilgrim answers Hadhrat Ibraheems (as) summons, even though the proclamation is no longer heard. In addition, when pilgrims run between the hills of Safa and Marwa, they are in actual fact following the sunnah of Hadhrat Hajara. There is no rationality present in this act, but in memory of Hadhrat Hajaras act Allah (swt) made running between the two points an important part of the pilgrimage. In the same way, the act of throwing stones at the pillars that represent Shaytaan (the Devil) is in commemoration of the incident relating to Hadhrat Ibraheem (as) when he was about to sacrifice his son Hadhrat Ismail and the Shaytaan tried to tempt him, therefore to drive him away Hadhrat Ibraheem (as) flung stones at him. There is no apparent rationality in the rites of pilgrimage; however we are commanded by Allah (swt) to commemorate and revive events that took place in the past. Allah (swt) loved the actions of his favoured people to such an extent that revival of their actions is now considered worship. In the same way, when Hadhrat Ayub (as) recovered from his serious illness, to express his gratitude to Allah (swt) for restoring his health he intended to pray four rakaats of salaat. However, due to his weakness he only managed to pray three. Allah (swt) loved this action of his blessed Prophet so much that from that incident Allah (swt) made it is compulsory for Muslims to pray three rakaats instead of four for Maghrib prayer. Similarly, pilgrims are commanded to perform the tawaf (seven circumambulations around the Kabah). This is done to commemorate and revive the sunnah of Prophet Adam (as) and Prophet Ibraheem (as). The question may arise that during the pre-Islamic era, the Arab idolaters who used to practise polytheism and idolatry used to circle the

Kabah and kiss the Black Stone. This proves beyond a shadow of doubt that it is one thing to kiss the Black Stone under divine orders, and quite another to worship a stone or an idol. Allah (swt) ordered us to venerate these stones simply and only to commemorate and celebrate the actions of his favoured people. We build our houses out of stones and we also walk on stones. There are some stones that we build bathrooms out of, while there are other stones which Kings use to adorn themselves with. All stones are not equal; there are some stones which we dismiss, while there are some stones which we venerate. If a mere stone is fortunate enough to be acknowledged by a Prophet then the status of that stone instantly becomes upgraded, and believers are commanded to pay respect. In the same way, all letters are not equal. If we were to write our name on a piece of paper, it would make no difference if we disrespected that piece of paper. Similarly, the Holy Quran is also composed of letters. However, if we were to disrespect any letter of the Holy Quran we would be committing a grave sin. This is because the Holy Quran was revealed to our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), and as a result prior to touching the Holy Quran we must purify ourselves. When Hadhrat Fatima (ra) used to visit her father, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to stand up in her honour and welcome her. He used to kiss her hands and seat her in his place. In another incident, a non-believer converted to Islam and when the news reached the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), he stood up in happiness. Similarly, in an incident quoted in Bukhari, some children were returning from a wedding. They were looking nice, and on seeing the children the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up out of love and happiness, and told them that he loved them. From this Hadith we can conclude that standing up out of happiness and love is the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and should be encouraged and revived. Conclusion In conclusion, Allah (swt) orders us to rejoice in His favours and mercy. If we reflect upon creation, we will note that each favour of Allah (swt) is a great mercy for us. However, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the greatest favour and mercy endowed upon us by Allah (swt). Therefore, we should be grateful for this blessing by remembering it often. The basis of Islam is the commemoration and revival of the actions of Allahs (swt) most beloved people. According to Qur'anic teachings, it is necessary for us to be happy and celebrate the birthday of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). It is clear that celebrating the Prophets (peace be upon him) birthday is an important deed, which is celebrated by Allah (swt) himself. So, in reality we need to make everyday a celebration or commemoration by spreading the teachings of our beloved Prophet (saw) and by reviving his Sunnah. Sallallahu alayhi wa sallama tasliman kathira (May Allah bless him and greet him abundantly)

MAY ALLAH (SWT) HELP US TO ILLUMINATE OUR IMAN WITH EXTREME LOVE AND RESPECT FOR THE HOLY PROPHET (SAW). AMEEN Translated by Sister Alveena Salim