The Permissibility of Celebrating Milad-un-Nabi (S.A.W) Part 2

The purpose of this topic is to show our Muslim brothers and sisters that celebrating Mehfil-e-Milad is not against the Shariah but it is in accordance to Islam. If someone does not like Mehfil-e-Milad it does not mean that celebrating Mehfil-e-Milad itself is wrong. In other words if someone does not practice Islam it does not mean Islam itself is bad.

A typical Mehfil-e-Milad consists of the following events. The sequence of events may vary but almost all Milad-un-Nabi (S.A.W) gathering consist of all or majority of the following events.

Recitation of Holy Quran, Hamd, Naat, Nasheed, Speeches on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), Salaat-O-Salaam, Dua and Distribution of Food or Sweets.

It is very unfortunate that in worldly affairs we are mentally impressed by the Westerners and in religious affairs we are impressed by the Arabs. The Holy Quran was revealed in Arabic and coincidentally Saudi Arabians speaks Arabic and our Holy places are in Saudi Arabia. We have natural respect for these, but it does not mean that they are the only champions or authority of Islam.

On the contrary, nowhere in the Quran or AHadith, Allah (S.W.T) or His Beloved (S.A.W) state that Muslims have to follow Saudia Arabia, Arabs or non-Arabs. We as Muslims are addressed to follow Allah (S.W.T) and the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W).

It is the present day Saudi Arabia's government that does not celebrate the birth of our Prophet (S.A.W). Otherwise if you go back a 100 years or so in the history of Saudi Arabia, when it was Hijaz-al-Muqaddas (in the period of Ottoman empire) you will find how enthusiastically Arabs of that time had celebrated Milad-un-Nabi (S.A.W).

Even today, apart from Saudi Arabia and a few of its allies, the whole Arab world, from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria to Nigeria, Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan, Libya etc. commemorate Milad-un-Nabi (S.A.W) one way or another.

It is important to remember that Allah (S.W.T) has ordered us to obey His (S.W.T) laws and to follow the teachings of His Messenger (S.A.W) rather than any particular country.

Just think;

· If reciting Quran is according to Islam,
· If reading Hamd is according to Islam,
· If reading Naat is according to Islam,
· If delivering speeches on the life of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) is according to Islam,
· If sending Salaat-O-Salaam to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) is according to Islam,
· If making Dua is according to Islam and If serving food is according to Islam.......

If all these individual acts are according to Islam then how come these same acts when preformed collectively in Mehfil-e-Milad becomes Bidah or Shirk?

May Allah (S.W.T) show us the right path and give us the courage to accept the truth.