The Prophet's Birthday

The Prophet's Birthday Dr. Iyad Qanibi As the date approaches when some Muslims celebrate the birth of the beloved Prophet Muhammad, the teacher of humanity, peace be upon him, we share excerpts from the book by Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, (Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim). We do not share these excerpts to explain the ruling on the celebration, but to explain the balance, wisdom, and precision in dealing with the subject, which is evident in his words, may Allah have mercy on him. Ibn Taymiyyah said: (Exalting the birth and taking it as a season may be done by some people, and they may receive a great reward for it; for the goodness of their intention and their exaltation of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as I have mentioned that it is commendable for some people what is detestable from the steadfast believer). And he said about those who celebrate the birth: (And Allah the Exalted may reward them for this love and effort, not for the innovations of taking the birth of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as a festival) meaning that they may be rewarded for their love that drove them to celebrate, even though this celebration is considered an innovation by Ibn Taymiyyah, but they did not intend to innovate or oppose the command of Allah and His Messenger. Ibn Taymiyyah continued: (With the difference of people regarding his birth) meaning that there is an original difference in determining the day of his birth, peace be upon him.. Then Ibn Taymiyyah explained why he sees taking the birth as an innovation that is not permissible, saying: (For this was not done by the predecessors despite the necessity and the absence of what prevents it. If this were purely good or more appropriate, the predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, would have been more deserving of it than us; for they were more loving and honoring of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, than us, and they were more eager for good. And the perfection of loving and honoring him is in following him, obeying him, following his command, reviving his Sunnah inwardly and outwardly, spreading what he was sent with, and striving for that with the heart, hand, and tongue. For this is the way of the righteous predecessors, the Muhajireen and the Ansar, and those who followed them in righteousness). And there is no doubt that Ibn Taymiyyah does not mean what some do in the birth celebrations of dancing, singing, and clapping, which is not praiseworthy in intention or action. Rather, he has strong fatwas condemning the dancing and singing that its people take as a means of closeness. And the speech is not about those who issue their legal rulings based on whim or partisanship. Rather, his speech is about those who took the day of the Prophet's birth as a festival, dedicating something of the faces of celebration that express love, believing in its correctness without intending to oppose the Sharia. For he says that the doer of that may be rewarded, even though his action is not correct, but he is rewarded for his love of the Prophet and his exaltation of him. The conclusion of the speech: Once again, the goal of this publication is not to explain the ruling on celebrating the birth of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Rather, its goal is to explain how the wise scholars dealt with the matter. Therefore, my advice to my brothers who see the celebration as impermissible: Do not exaggerate in speaking about the matter and denying those who celebrate. For it is better that we occupy ourselves with the corrupt actions that some do with a corrupt intention, fighting against Allah and His Messenger, not out of love, honor, or respect! And my advice to all my brothers, those who see the celebration as permissible and those who do not (or say we celebrate it every day by following his Sunnah): Do not let this matter divide us, and do not let the devil sow discord among us. For the love of the Prophet that unites us is a strong brotherly bond, and we ask Allah to guide us and you to what pleases the beloved, peace be upon him, on the Day of Judgment. And peace be upon you.