It is not allowed in Islam to celebrate
the birthday of anyone, including the birthday of the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) as the practice falls into the category of bidah
(innovation). Muhammad (PBUH), the son of Abdulla and the last of the
Prophets neither celebrated his own birthday nor commanded others to do
so.
 |
| A birthday cake |
The Apostle of Allah (PBUH) and his
Companions never celebrated the birthdays of anyone dead or alive, not
even the rightly guided Caliphs (the immediate successors of Muhammad,
PBUH) nor did the generations that came after for many hundreds of
years.
The Prophet’s Companions loved him more, followed his Sunnah
and sacrificed much in the path of Allah. If the practice of
celebrating birthdays bring any reward, the early Muslims would have
done so.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘He who innovates something in this matter of ours that is not of it, will have it rejected.’ (reported byBukhari and Muslim). Also Muslim narrates, ‘whoever does an act which is not in agreement with our matter, will have it rejected.’
The Muslims have been commanded in the
Quran to follow the Prophet (PBUH) in matters of religion and not go
against him. The Almighty Allah has said:
‘So take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he prohibits you..’ (Quran 59:7).
‘And let those who oppose the
Messenger’s commandment beware, lest some trial befall them or a painful
torment be afflicted on them.’ (Quran 24:63).
In another tradition the Prophet said, ‘You must keep to my Sunna and of the Sunna of the rightly guided Caliphs, cling to it firmly... Beware of newly invented matters (bidah), for every new matter is an innovation and every innovation is misleading.’
The Apostle of Allah (PBUH) passed away
after he had imparted the complete message of Islam to the Muslim
Nation. All practices invented by people and then attributed to the
religion of Islam are bidah or innovations and have to be
rejected. Muslims are forbidden to imitate the Jews and Christians in
venerating Prophets and warned to avoid extravagance in matters of
religion.
‘This day I have perfected your religion
for you, completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as
your religion.’ (Quran 5:3).
If anybody claims that the Messenger of
Allah (PBUH) failed to instruct the Muslims concerning the celebration
of birthdays and the act is permissible, then he believes that Allah has
not perfected His religion.
The Maldivians who insist on celebrating Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday on 12 Raby` al-awal must
take into account that Muslim scholars and historians do not agree that
he was born on this particular date, but they all agree that he passed
away on this exact date. What these Maldivians and many others around
the world have been doing over the years is celebrating the day of
Prophet’s demise. They do not know or perhaps they do not want to
believe they are rejoicing over his death.
………………………………………Written by: Ibrahim Nazim
23 February 2011, Wednesday
20 Raby` al-awal 1432
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