Mawlid

Why should Muslims celebrate Mawlid? Was it conventional in the Sahaba? Forget whether this is innovation or not, but in the modern phenomenon, anything that had its value in the primordial time of Human history or the rudimentary time of any civilisation, in modern times, where we live, that thing loses its value. And therefore, we see in this present age, people celebrating the day as a remembrance or nostalgia. For instance, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.

Think about your mother and father, are they such people, about whom should we celebrate a Day? Then what will we do on another day of the same year? The people who celebrate Mother's and Father's Day, often in modern times, you will find that they don't respect their parents as they deserve. As we see in Western society, where people want to become "independent" from their parents, and parents want to live a single life with "Freedom". They are just so obsessed with their so-called "Individualism", which divides humans and their basic morality.

And if we see the Modern Muslims, whose thinking is analogous to Westerners and not serious about practising Islam as it was revealed through the Prophet ( peace be upon him), and the way Sahaba practised Islam, in this day, these people become so serious about celebrating the day of Mawlid. We are not saying that those who celebrate the Mawlid are all Moderate Muslims, but this thing is analogous to them. The best way to show love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is to follow his Sunnah and the Qur'aan throughout your life.

As this Mawlid is not verified through Sahaba nor conventional during their era, and also in the Tabe'een, thus, we can say this is an innovation. And the Deobandi Scholars made conditions to celebrate this day in their fundamental book Al-Muhannad. Some of the conditions:

1. Discussions in the gathering must be based on authentic (sahih) narrations. Fabricated (mawdu) narrations are not permissible.

2. Milad gatherings cannot be held during the time of obligatory (fard) or necessary (wajib) acts of worship. (For example, abandoning the congregational prayer to attend a Milad gathering is not allowed.)

3. Milad gatherings should not be conducted in a manner that contradicts the conduct of the Sahaba (companions) and the pious predecessors of the best generations (Khayr al-Qurun). (For example, playing drums or dancing in a Milad gathering is not permissible. One person should speak, and others should listen, which is acceptable.)

4. The birth and virtues of the Prophet (peace be upon him) should not be described in a way that creates doubts or suspicions of shirk (associating partners with Allah). (For example, claiming that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is physically present at the Milad gathering or that he is omnipresent and all-seeing is not allowed.)

5. Participants of the Milad gathering should not hold innovated (bid’ati) beliefs about the Milad. (For example, considering those who do not participate in the gathering as sinners or thinking ill of them is not permissible.)

6. Discussions about the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) birth should not be conducted in a manner that violates the etiquette (adab) observed by the Sahaba. The etiquette maintained by the Sahaba when discussing the Prophet (peace be upon him) must be upheld by the participants of the Milad, and no one should add or omit anything according to their own desires.

7. The gathering must be free from any form of munkar (evil or prohibited acts). In other words, no haram (forbidden) actions or sinful activities are allowed in the gathering.

8. The Milad gathering must be held with sincerity (ikhlas). (Conducting it for personal fame or greed for money is inappropriate.)

9. No specific date or time should be fixed for the Milad gathering. (For example, it should not be restricted to only Fridays and not Thursdays, or only in the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal and not in other months.)