Celebrating Birth Day

Celebrating Birth Day of Prophet Muhammad [saw] On 12th Rabiul Awal

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"Say: If you do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for Allah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful." [Al-Imran: 31]

Love towards Rahmata’lil Alameen Muslims all over the world dearly love the Prophet Muhammad [saw]. He is highly respected amongst the Muslims as well as nonMuslims. Love for Rasool Allah [saw] is a sign of true faith as mentioned in the hadith:

[Bukhari:2:13 ]

Narrated Abu Hurairah [ra], Allah's messenger [saw] said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father and his children."

(Tirmidhi) Prophet Muhammad [saw] said: “Love Allah because He nourishes and sustains you. Love me because Allah loves me”

[Quran 3:31] Say: ‘If you do love Allah follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.’

Allah says in the Quran: "Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and Fighting in His Cause; then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the rebellious folk." [Quran 9:24]

One day in the whole year! But is this love only limited to decorating mosques with green flags and lights, having Milads, reciting Durood on 12th Rabi ul Awwal and saying poems in honor of Rasool Allah [saw]? Is this all there is to complete one’s faith? One day in the whole year, to proclaim your love for the Rasool?

[Bukhari 56:757] Narrated Abu Hurairah [ra]: Allah's messenger [saw] said, "I have been sent [as a messenger] in the best of all the generations of Adam's offspring since their creation."

[Bukhari 48: 819] Narrated Zahdam bin Mudharrib : “I heard Imran bin Hussain saying”, "The Prophet(saw) said, 'The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after [the second generation]." Imran said "I do not know whether the Prophet mentioned two or three generations after your present

Since the Sahaba of Rasool Allah [saw]. were the best generation and the best Muslims of all times, we need to analyze how they displayed their love for Rasool Allah [saw]. Did they ever celebrate the birth day of Rasool Allah, hold Milads and decorate the mosque, loudly recite the durood and poems in praise of their Nabi [saw]? How did they prove their love for Rasool Allah [saw] and complete their faith?

"Today I have perfected your religion for you, and completed My grace upon you, and approved Islam as your religion." [Al Ma'idah: 3]

The Day of Eid, 10th of Dhul Hijjah. On this day, about 1430 years ago, Allah revealed His last word to humankind. He said the deenul Islam is completed on that day. Even the sahabas of Rasool Allah (SAW) did not try to make any thing new in Islam. They never carried this feast.

Date of Birth of Prophet Muhammad [saw]! Most historians are silent about the exact date of birth of the Prophet [saw], whereas those who do mention it, there are many contradictions and disagreements amongst them.

Muhammad Hussain Haykal in the biography of Muhammad [saw] writes : “Historians have disagreed about the year of Muhammad's birth. Most of them hold that it took place in "the Year of the Elephant," i.e. 570 C.E. Ibn 'Abbas claims that Muhammad (saw) was born on "the Day of the Elephant." Others claim that he was born fifteen years earlier. Still others claim that he was born a few days, months, or years, after "the Year of the Elephant."

Some even assert that Muhammad was born thirty years and others seventy years later than "the Year of the Elephant." Historians have also differed concerning the month of Muhammad's birth although the majority of them agree that it was Rabi` al Awwal, the third month of the lunar year. It has also been claimed that he was born in Muharram, in Safar, in Rajab, or in Ramadan.

Furthermore, historians have differed as to the day of the month on which Muhammad was born. Some claim that the birth took place on the third, of Rabi` al Awwal; others, on the ninth; and others on the tenth. The majority, however, agree that Muhammad (saw) was born on the twelfth of Rabi` al Awwal, the claim of ibn Ishaq and other biographers.”

The presence of such disagreements on the exact day of his birth, proves that birthdays were not important to the Arabs. Arabs were very well known for their great memorization skills. They used know the lineage of their families and other Arabs by heart; they used to know hundreds of verses of poetry by heart, a great feat of memorization.

'Amr b. Sharid reported his father as saying: “One day when I rode behind Allah's Messenger [may peace be upon him], he said [saw] [to me]: “Do you remember any poetry of Umayya b. Abu Salt?” I said: “Yes.” He [saw] said: “Then go on.” I recited a couplet, and he [saw] said: “Go on.” Then I again recited a couplet and he [saw] said: “Go on.” I recited one hundred couplets [of his poetry]. [Muslim 28:5602]

If the birthday of Rasool Allah [saw] was such an important celebration, surely they would have remembered it and noted it down. Furthermore, there is also no proof from history that Prophet Muhammad [saw] mentioned his exact date of birth nor encouraged his followers to hold milads or recite durood loudly on this day. Neither is it recorded from any Sahaba that they celebrated his date of birth. However, he [saw] used to fast on Mondays and so did the sahabas, irrespective of the month and according to authentic ahadith he was born on a Monday and the deeds are also presented to Allah on Monday. He took up this day, not as a

The only authentic narration regarding the birth day of the Prophet (saw) has been narrated in Muslim, concerning the fasting on Mondays. Abu Qatada Ansari [Allah be pleased with him] reported that Allah's Messenger [saw] was asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he [saw] said: It is [the day] when I was born and revelation was sent down to me. [Maliks Muwatta 6:2606]

The point to be noted here is that Rasool Allah (saw) did not say 12th Rabiul Awal, but rather mentioned Monday. Another Hadith mentions that all Mondays are special, irrespective of the month, as doors of Jannah are opened on Mondays and Thursdays.

Narrated one of the wives of the Prophet [saw]: Hunaydah ibn Khalid narrated from his wife on the authority of one of the wives of the Prophet [pbuh] who said: “The Messenger of Allah [pbuh] used to fast the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, Ashura' and three days of every month, that is, the first Monday [of the month] and Thursday. [Abu Dawood 7:2431] Abu Hurayrah [ra] says: "Rasool Allah [saw] said: 'Deeds are presented before Allah on Mondays and Thursdays. I desire that my deeds be presented whilst I am fasting'".

Narated Usamah ibn Zayd : The client of Usamah ibn Zayd said that he went along with Usamah to Wadi al-Qura in pursuit of his camels. He would fast on Monday and Thursday. His client said to him: Why do you fast on Monday and Thursday, while you are an old man? He said: The Prophet of Allah [pbuh] used to fast on Monday and Thursday. When he was asked about it, he said: The works of the servants (of Allah) are presented (to Allah) on Monday and Thursday. [Abu Dawood 7:2430]

Conclusion History proves that Prophet Muhammad [saw] never celebrated his own birthday. He used to fast on Mondays irrespective of the month. All that we know for sure is that he was born on a Monday and that deeds are presented to Allah on Mondays, which is the reason he used to fast on Mondays. His exact date of birth and even the month is a subject of debate, which further proves the insignificance of birthday celebration of

Further more none of the Sahabas, his closest companions ever celebrated his birthday, decorate mosques, read aloud poetry in his praise or hold milads or take out processions on 12th Rabiul Awal. This tradition of Milads seeped into Muslims culture later on and was not part of original Islam. It is clearly an

Rasool Allah [saw] him self said:"Whoever has performed a deed which is not in the religion from its inception is rejected [not acceptable to Allah]". [Bukhari and Muslim] Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Whoever innovates in this matter of ours, that which is not from it, shall have it rejected." [Saheeh Muslim (1718)]

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) used to say on Friday Khutbah,"The best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and newly invented matters are misguidance."[Saheeh Muslim (867)] and an-Nas'aaee (1579) included in his narration: "and every misguidance is in the Fire."

ALLAH does not change the condition of any people unless they themselves make the decision to change. 13:11

Dear Brothers and sisters, Let us change If we change ourselves now, then we have done it. Or else we will be in trouble.

Remember me in your dua and also those Muslims who are named muslims but they are in darkness and think they are in the light of Quran and Sunnah.

May Allah guide us all in his right way… As per Quran and Sunnah… Aameen

Assalaamu Alikum Wa rahmathillahi Wa Barakaathuhu Ashraf Abdulkareem