Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

assalaamu alaikum

brother,

yesterday i had been out wt some work, while returnin i had to face lots of no entry as roads were blocked on the ospisious day of eid-e-milad. our people had taken out processions which had replica models of all d famous masjid on trucks blocking around town side of mumbai. my question is r we muslims allowed 2 take out prosessions? also can this start around asr time till late at night. as its three of our namaz times . i wondered if they prayed coz i was about miss mine jus becoz of them blocking roads n entry to most lane. i fought to get my way coz i din want to miss my namaz. i m not great personality that allah should forgive 4 not praying. was i wrong to fight? did huzoor (pboh) do this on his brithday? what is eid-e-milaad? what r we suppose to do on this day?

my heart din agree with this celebration as i had read in a sunnat book that we should not celebrate birthday n anniversary. is it true? i was only to hurt to witness the most unwanted n not the kind of celeberation as there was blarring musical nath or wat ever its called been played on huge speakers weighing tons on a bullock cart which was facing d poor animals. i really felt totured listening 4 a while myself one can imagine wat d animal must hav gone through. i feel this kind of act only make us look stupid n not serious muslims.it felt we r way away from huzoors (saw) sunnat. also it jus dont go wt allahs preachings. am i right? in all is this the way of celebrating any of our festivals?

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Answer:

Milad pm birthday bida

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Although every day one lives is a day to be grateful to the Lord and a day of celebration and commemoration, Allah and His Messenger (saws) have nominated every Friday of the week, and the two days of Eid (Fitr and Adha) as days of special celebration and commemoration. The birth-day or death-day of any individual has absolutely no significance in the deen of Islam, and never ever did the Messenger of Allah (saws) celebrate his own birthday, nor did he ever celebrate the birthdays of his loved ones, nor did even his noble companions, who loved the Prophet (saws) more than anyone else, ever celebrate the birthday of their Noble Leader and Prophet (saws) during his (saws) life-time or after his (saws) death!

Therefore if someone starts the ritual of celebrating the Prophet’s (saws) or any others birthdays, thinking of it as a rite which will bring about the Pleasure or Good Will of Allah Subhanah, he will be inventing a thing in the deen of Islam which is not from the deen! And that is exactly what the Messenger of Allah (saws) termed as bidah or innovation; and every single innovation in the pure and perfect deen of Islam is an error, a sin, and absolutely detestable to the Lord Most Majestic.

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘If somebody innovates something which is not present in our religion, then that thing will be rejected.’

Related by Bukhari.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people.”

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

The celebrating or commemorating of the birthday of the Noble Prophet (saws) is a clear and manifest bida, and the believers should fear Allah and absolutely abstain from this and all other innovations which have unfortunately crept into the pure and perfect deen of Islam…if indeed they fear Allah and the Last Day.

Your Question: in all is this the way of celebrating any of our festivals?

Dear and beloved sister, to celebrate an occasion or festival by making a public nuisance, or taking out a procession on bullock-carts or vehicles blaring music with loudspeakers, etc. are celebrations specific to the pagans who do such acts in commemoration of their supposed ‘gods’; such acts of celebration absolutely do not behove and befit those who have professed belief in Allah and the Last Day.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.780 Narrated by Nafi

Ibn Umar said: ‘The Prophet (saws) said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do!’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4649 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He does not belong to us who imitates (pagan) people!’

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4020 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘He who copies any (pagan) people is one of them.’

The honorable celebration and commemoration of the believers on the days appointed by Allah and His Messenger (saws) is quite different from that of the pagans! The way of celebration and commemoration that the Messenger of Allah (saws) taught the believers on the two blessed days of Eid is that one cleanse himself thoroughly, adorn himself with new clothes, apply perfume and present himself in the masjid or ‘Eid-gah’ to Praise and Celebrate the Glory of their Lord Most High with prayer and remembrance in congregation with their believing brethren; to remember the less fortunate and give them alms so that they are not deprived especially on this day of celebration, and then return back to their homes, meet and visit their relatives and loved ones, and eat and drink in peace with them with joy and with gratitude with what their Lord has provided them.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan