The Reality of Eid Milad in Islam

The Reality of Eid Milad in Islam

Eid Milad (Birth Anniversary), in Islam, refers to the gatherings, meetings, arrangements, and feasts organized to commemorate the birthdays of prophets, saints, and righteous individuals. The purpose of these gatherings is to honor and show respect to the prophets and saints, express love for them, and seek blessings from the time and place of their birth. Various other objectives are also considered during these events.

The commemoration of Milad can manifest either temporally or spatially.

Temporal celebration, or "Al-Zamani," involves rejoicing in the Prophet's or a saint's birth at a specific time.

Spatial celebration, or "Al-Makani," entails commemorating their birth at their tomb and its surroundings through visits and the performance of customary Milad rituals practiced by their followers.

Every form of celebrating Milad is an innovation in Islam because the Prophet (PBUH) did not celebrate his own birth, nor did the noble Companions celebrate his birth after he passed away. Neither Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, nor Ali ever celebrated their own births.

Despite having a profound eagerness for righteous deeds, the fact that the companions refrained from celebrating the Prophet's birth indicates that such practices are not part of the Islamic faith.

Imam Malik bin Anas says: "Any practice that was not part of the religion during the Prophet's era cannot become part of the religion today. That means, any action that was not present in the time of the Prophet (PBUH) cannot be part of the religion today. In other words, any action absent during the Prophet's time cannot seamlessly integrate into the religious milieu today, as Allah perfected the religion with the Prophet's departure.

Allah declares:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ﴾ [المائدة: 3])

[Today I have perfected your faith for you] 5:03.

The first to introduce Eid Milad were the Fatimid Shi'a, who ruled over Egypt in the fourth century. Before that, Milad celebrations were unknown, neither for the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, nor for the births of saints and righteous individuals. So, would you prefer the tradition of the Rafidi Fatimids or the tradition of the Best of Messengers?

That's why you won't find any mention of the Prophet's birthday or others in the words of the four Imams, as it was not known during their time.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Do not make your homes graves, nor make my grave a place of celebration. Send blessings upon me, for your blessings reach me wherever you are."[1]

Therefore, if the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade turning the place of his grave into a celebration, what about these Milad celebrations dedicated to others like Hussain, Badawi, Burai, Aidarus, Shadhili, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, and others? The extravagant celebrations involve acts of polytheism, unorthodox practices, dancing, intermingling of genders, and moral decadence which is openly apparent to all.

If the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade establishing a celebration for him, then the prohibition for celebrating Milad of those below him is even more emphasized.

One of the evils of Milad celebration, whether for the Prophet or others, is that they become the festivals innovated. Islam only permits two festivals: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Eid Milads are temporal and spatial festivals.

And no one has the authority to designate a specific time or place and turn it into a festival; that is the prerogative of Allah alone, not within the jurisdiction of creatures. Allah, the Exalted, says:

وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ﴾ [القصص: 68])

[Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills] (28:68).

Therefore, Allah is the one who created times and places, and He is the one who prefers and chooses some over others.

Whoever claims that Milad is a praiseworthy innovation has veered from the truth and has brought about a remarkable misconception. Observing the reprehensible practices associated with Milad makes it clear that it is not a praiseworthy innovation (Bid’ah Hasanah) but rather a reprehensible, false, baseless, and misleading innovation. In Islam, there is no praiseworthy innovation; rather, every innovation is a misguidance. The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say on the pulpit every Friday, "And every innovation is misguidance." These general words indicate that any innovation is a misguidance.

Therefore, beware, O Muslim, of attending Milad gatherings, for they are reprehensible, false, and baseless. Love for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the righteous is expressed by following their Sunnah and being cautious of innovations.

We ask Allah for guidance for everyone.

The eleventh lesson concludes with the praise of Allah.