Celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday or Mawlid on 12th Rabi-Ul-Awwal is an Innovation & Forbidden!

1 - Celebrating the Prophet's birthday is bida (an innovation in the religion); the Prophet (saaws) did not instruct others to do it, and he didn't have companions around him doing it and then give any type of permission (including silent permission).
We are not to make distinction between any of the Prophets. Distinction in status, for instance. Like to say one is better than another. This leads to idol worship, similar to what the christians did when they began to worship Jesus instead of treat him as the Prophet he was. They just took it a step too far and kept running with it, up to what it is today.

2 - The Noble Messenger of Allah (saws) was a human being, and after living his blessed life on earth for an appointed time, tasted death and was buried in his blessed city of Madinah. When he (saws) was alive and his companions wanted to call his attention or were in direct conversation with him, they would address him 'Ya Rasool Allah (saws)'. But there is never any record of any of his noble companions invoking the Prophet (saws) after his death by addressing him as if in direct conversation by using the term 'Ya Rasool Allah (saws)'!
It would be absolutely incorrect usage of the term 'Ya' to call upon someone who is far away or dead; and if one uses this term of address 'Ya (so and so)' and believes that the person buried in his grave can hear or respond to their invocation, then they would be guilty of sharing an Exclusive Attribute of the Majestic Lord of being the All-Hearing with one in His creation, and thus guilty of the abomination of 'shirk'!
The Noble Messenger of Allah (saws) is dead and cannot hear or respond to our invocations, thus it would be absolutely inappropriate to address him (saws) by using the term of address 'Ya Mohamed (saws)' or 'Ya Rasool Allah (saws)'!

3 - Quran states that all the prophets were same, among men, just like normal human beings and servants of Allah. Prophet PBUH also used to call him the servant of Allah. So the usage of the word AAQA (Master) with the Holy Prophet is absolutely a SHIRK!


The Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) has said: Do not over praise me as the Christians over-praised the son of Mary. I am His slave so say: 'Allah's slave and messenger'. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim].

"And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: "They are dead." Nay they are living though ye perceive (it) not". [Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah, Verse 154].

The Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allâh, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say, "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers" - and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)." [The Noble Qur'an 2:285].

"O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allâh aught but the truth. The Messiah 'Îsa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allâh and His Word, ("Be!" — and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rûh) created by Him." [al-Nisâ' 4:171].

"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): 'If you (really) love Allâh, then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins'." [Âl 'Imrân 3:31].

"He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves." [al-Jumu'ah 64:2].

“Make not the calling of the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) among you as your calling one of another”. [al-Noor 24:63].

“And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah” [al-Jinn 72:13].

“And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them?” [al-Ahqaaf 46:5].


REASONS WHY WE SHOULD NOT CELEBRATE EID MILAAD UN NABIWI:-


1. Eid Milad is not in Islamic Shariah, it was later introduced by Shia Fatimid in Egypt.
2. Historians differed about the date of birth of Prophet SAW. Some said it's in Ramadan, some in Shabaan and Some said its in Rabi ul awal.
3. How can a Muslim rejoice and have party when on 12th Rabi al Awal our prophet died? :-(
4. Birthday celebration have pagan roots. Celebrating birthdays is not all0wed at all.
5. This celebaration is neither from Sunnah nor Quran. Anything that is not part of these two can not be part of Islam.
6. Prophet SAW said, "Stick to my sunnah and the sunnah of my rightly guided Caliphs, beware of Newly invented matters, for every new matter is Bid'ah and every Bid'ah is misleading. (Tirmizi 2676)"
7. Allah says in Surah al Maidah, Ayah 3.
"This day I have perfected your religion for you."
When Islam is perfect and complete then who gave the authority to these Shia and Sufi people to introduce new things in Islam?
8. Celebarating milaad is imitation of Christians and Jews. Jews celebarate birthday of Uzair, Christians celebarate birthday of Eesa AS.
9. Prophet Saw said, "Whoever imitates a people becomes one of them. (Abu Dawood)"
10. Prophet SAW said, "Be different from Mushrikeen. (Sahih Muslim)"
11. Prophet SAW said "Do not exaggerate in praising me. (Bukhari)"..



If you really love prophet Muhammad sal'Allahu Alaihi Wasallam then follow him, offer Salah (namaz), grow beard, keep your clothes above the ankle, lower your gaze, protect your chastity , but since these are so difficult for you so you created Bid'ah as scale for measuring Love for prophet Muhammad sal'Allahu Alaihi wasallam altough prophet Muhammd sal'Allahu Alaihi wasallam said,


"Stick to my sunnah and the sunnah of my rightly guided Caliphs, beware of Newly invented matters, for every new matter is Bid'ah and every Bid'ah is misleading."(Tirmizi 2676)


Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Leave me as I leave you, for the people who were before you were ruined because of their questions and their differences over their prophets. So, if I forbid you to do something, then keep away from it. And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can." [Bukhari & Muslim]


Narrated by 'Umar (Radi Allah anho):


I heard Prophet Muhammed S.A.W saying,
"Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary (Eesa A.S), for I am only a Slave (of Allah). So, call me the Slave of Allah and His Apostle."
[Sahih al Bukhaari, Volume: 4, Book: 55, Hadith No: 654]


Narrated by Ayesha Radi Allah Anha, who said:
"The Messenger of Allaah peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him said:
'Whoever innovates something in this matter (Deen) of ours that is not a part of it will have it rejected.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Baari, no. 2697



http://muttaqun.com/mawlid.html: Celebrating the Prophet's birthday is bida (an innovation in the religion); the Prophet (saaws) did not instruct others to do it, and he didn't have companions around him doing it and then give any type of permission (including silent permission).

We are not to make distinction between any of the Prophets. Distinction in status, for instance. Like to say one is better than another. This leads to idol worship, similar to what the christians did when they began to worship Jesus instead of treat him as the Prophet he was. They just took it a step too far.. and kept running with it, up to what it is today.

• The Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) has said: Do not over praise me as the Christians over-praised the son of Mary. I am His slave so say: 'Allah's slave and messenger' [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim].

What is important about each Prophet and/or Messenger is the MESSAGE.

THE DANGER OF INNOVATIONS IN THE DEEN

Hadith - Reported by an-Nasaa'ee (3/188).

"… The most truthful speech is the Book of Allaah. The best way is the way of Muhammad. The worst of affairs are the novelties and every novelty is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the Fire." [Saheeh according to Sheikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan in-Nasaa'ee (no. 1487)]

Read more about Bid'a (innovations in ibadah) here.

MAKE NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN PROPHETS/MESSENGERS

The Noble Qur'an 2:285

The Messenger (Muhammad ) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allâh, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say, "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers" - and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)."

The Noble Qur'an 2:136

Say (O Muslims), "We believe in Allâh and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ'il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), Ya'qûb (Jacob), and to Al-Asbât [the twelve sons of Ya'qûb (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Mûsa (Moses) and 'Iesa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islâm)."

The Noble Qur'an 4:152

And those who believe in Allâh and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them (Messengers), We shall give them their rewards, and Allâh is Ever Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful.

The Noble Qur'an 3:84

Say (O Muhammad ): "We believe in Allâh and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ'il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), Ya'qûb (Jacob) and Al-Asbât [the twelve sons of Ya'qûb (Jacob)] and what was given to Mûsa (Moses), 'Iesa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allâh) we have submitted (in Islâm)."

THE SHIRK OF EXCESSIVE PRAISE

So, now then, we say to those who insist on celebrating the Prophet's birthday.... with clear proof not to distinguish between the Prophets... why don't you celebrate ALL the Prophet's birthday's? Like Jesus'? You can do it on Dec. 25th or pick another date if you want. Oh, I see, you know better than to celebrate Jesus' birthday?? Maybe the reasons you shouldn't be celebrating Jesus' birthday, are the same reasons not to celebrate Muhammad's birthday?

The Noble Qur'an 7:190

But when He gave them a Sâlih (good in every aspect) child, they ascribed partners to Him (Allâh) in that which He has given to them. High be Allâh, Exalted above all that they ascribe as partners to Him. (Tafsir At-Tabarî, Vol.9, Page 148).

Clear proof. But some call it "love" to go beyond what they were commanded.

Excessive praise of a person is forbidden. It falls into shirk quickly. Doing anything in excess of what we were commanded to do, is exceeding the limits and oppressing oneself.

Hadith - Tirmidhi #417

A desert Arab came to Allah's Apostle and asked him about ablution. He demonstrated (washing each part of his body) thrice, and then said: That is (the method) of the ablution. And he who does more than this has done wrong, transgressed the limit and has oppressed (himself). [Transmitted by Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Abu Dawud transmitted something to the same effect.]

The Noble Qur'an - An-Nisa 4:171

O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allâh aught but the truth. ...

THOSE WHO SAY "I WILL LOVE HIM
MORE THAN YOU, BY BEING DISOBEDIENT"

We must not love the Prophet saaws more than other Prophets. And when Allah, swt, says:

Hadith - Bukhari 1:13, Narrated Abu Huraira
Allah's Apostle 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."

This means to love his WAYS, his SUNNAH - more than any family tie; remember, we show love by being obedient. For instance, you can't go hit someone on the head and then say "but I really love you." Or, like abusers do, beat up a spouse and call it an act of love (yes, some of them actually say that's WHY they did it!).

The Prophet Muhammad brought a great Message. He had a special role. But he, himself, was a man like any other - was poor, couldn't even read ----- except he was unique in piety. That can be said of all the Prophets and Messengers; they excelled in piety. This factor - piety - can be used. No other factor should be used to honor one person over another. So, we can say that all the Prophets were very pious people.

The Noble Qur'an - Al-Hujurat 49:13

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi #5198, Narrated AbuDharr [Ahmad transmitted it]

Allah's Messenger said to him, "You are not better than people with red or black skins unless you excel them in piety."

A common trait of modern sufism is to "love" the Prophet so much that they engage in shirk with this love. However, it's not really the proper level of love when it outright involves disobedience.

THE TWO EIDS REPLACE ALL HOLIDAYS

Hadith - Abu Dawood #1134, 1/675, Narrated Anas Bin Malik

The Prophet came to Medina with two days they played in.

The Prophet said, ‘What are these two days?’ They said, ‘These are two days we used to play in, in our Jahiliyah.’ The Prophet said, ‘Allah has replaced them with two better days: Eid Al Adhaa and Eid Al-Fitr’.

FATWA FROM SHEIKH BIN UTHAIMEEN

The eminent scholar Muhammad Salih bin Uthaimeen was asked concerning the celebration of the birthday of the Messenger of Allah (r), to which he responded:

To begin with, the exact day of birth of the Messenger of Allah (r) is not known with certainty. Rather, some contemporary researchers have confirmed that he died on the 9th of Rabee’ al-Awal and not the 12th (as is commonly believed), and thus there is no historical basis for specifying the 12th for celebration.

Furthermore, this celebration has no basis in the religious point of view, since if it was legislated, the Prophet would have performed it or informed his nation to do so. If he had performed it or informed his nation to do so, it would be necessary for it to have been preserved, since Allah (I) says:

“Verily It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Remembrance of the Qur`an) and surely, We will guard and preserve it (from corruption).” (al-Hijr: 9)

Since this was not narrated, we come to know that it is not from the religion of Allah. If it is not from the religion of Allah, then it is not allowed for us to worship Allah (U) and seek to come close to Him in this manner. If Allah (I) has made a particular path for us to follow to reach Him (and His pleasure), which is the path of the Messenger of Allah , how can it be permissible for us, while we are only slaves, to make another path which leads to Allah’s Pleasure from our own selves (and not revealed)? Indeed it is a great transgression against the right of Allah (U) to legislate in His religion that which is not part of it. Moreover, this entails a denial of what Allah (I) said in the Qur`an:

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” (al- Ma`idah: 3)

If this celebration was from the Perfection of the Religion, it must have been in existence before the death of the Messenger of Allah (r). If it is not from the Perfection of the Religion, then it is not possible that it be from the religion, since Allah (I) said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you.” Whoever claims that it is from the Perfection of the Religion which occurred after the death of the Messenger of Allah , then his claim amounts to a denial of this verse of the Qur`an. Without doubt those who celebrate the birthday of the Messenger of Allah , only desire to magnify, extol and praise the Messenger , show their love for him, and increase their enthusiasm to bring out their feelings in this celebration for the Prophet . All of this is a form of worship. The love of the Messenger is a worship that is necessary for faith, since one’s faith is not complete until he loves the Messenger more than his own self, his son, his father, and all of humanity. Magnification, exaltation and praise of the Messenger of Allah for Allah’s sake is an act of worship and is from the religion, as is enthusiasm for the Messenger of Allah , since they draw one closer to Allah’s religion.

Thus it follows that celebration of the birthday of the Prophet in order to draw near to Allah and to extol His Messenger is regarded as an act of worship, and since it is an act of worship then it is never allowed to innovate anything new in religion which is not of it. Therefore, the celebration of the birthday is an innovation and prohibited. Also, we hear various reports that these celebrations contain many unlawful acts, which neither the religion, one’s senses, nor any reasonable intelligence deem permissible. They sing rhymes and poems which go to extremes in respect to the Messenger , so much so that they make him greater than Allah, and refuge is sought in Allah. We also hear about the foolishness of some of the participants, that when an orator tells the story of his birth and reaches the part of his delivery, they all stand up in attention together saying and believing that the soul and spirit of the Messenger of Allah , has appeared among them manifest, and that they stand out of respect. This is extreme folly and absurd superstition. Moreover, it is not mannerly to stand up for the Messenger of Allah since he used to dislike that. The Sahaabah, who loved and extolled the Messenger more than anyone else, would not stand for him while he was alive due to his hate for it, so how foolish is this baseless superstition?

The celebration of the birthday of the Messenger of Allah is a blatant innovation which never occurred until after the three righteous generations following the death of the Messenger of Allah , and it is full of undesired and wicked things which oppose the basis of the religion of Islam, moreover the mixing and integration of men and women together in one area and many other objectionable acts.

http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=articles&id=156747:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allaah, then follow me, [so] Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins.} [Quran 3:31] In a Hadeeth (narration) on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah the Prophet said that whoever introduces something new to Islam which does not belong to it, it will be rejected and Allaah The Almighty will not accept it from him. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

In a Hadeeth on the authority of Jaabir ibn Abd Allaah the Prophet used to mention in his sermons that the best of sayings is the Book of Allaah The Almighty, and the best of guidance is that of Muhammad and the worst of matters is innovations in religion and that every religious innovation is misguidance. [Muslim]

It was not authentically narrated from the Prophet or the rightly-guided Caliphs that they celebrated the birthday of the Prophet or did anything to that effect. If the celebration of his birthday was a good thing, they would have done that before anyone else. In the spirit of observing the noble Sunnah (tradition) and abiding by the Quran, Muslims should not introduce any matter that does not belong to the Book of Allaah, the Quran, or the Sunnah of the Prophet .

If they were to do so, they would fail to apply his Sunnah and convey his message, while occupying themselves with trivial matters. It is not permissible for any Muslim, irrespective of his status, to propagate religious innovations or practice them, for this was the norm of the righteous predecessors of this Ummah, and affirmed by the diligent and prominent Imaams all.

Finally, we implore Allaah The Almighty to guide us to follow in their footsteps and hold fast to the straight path without addition or deletion. Allaah The Almighty is the guide to success.

Allaah Knows best.

http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/387.htm:

All praise is due to Allaah, Who conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent them a Messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the signs of Allaah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in the Scripture and Wisdom (i.e., the Qur'aan and Sunnah), while before that, they had been living their lives in manifest error. I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allaah, with whom there are no associates. He is the Lord of the very first to the very last of creation. He has poured His bounties upon His servants in exceeding measures, and His Mercy overwhelms them, for He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, whom He sent to lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light and complete His religion. Therefore, we must acknowledge that Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam left no means that draw people near to Allaah and benefit them without directing them to it, nor did he leave any means that drive people away from the way of their Lord or bring harm upon them without warning them against it. Thus, he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam left his nation on a clearly defined religion, which none deviate from except those who are destined to doom and destruction.

May Allaah bless him, his family, his companions and all those who follow them sincerely and correctly until the Day of Resurrection.

O people! Fear Allaah the Almighty and know that the greatest favour He has ever conferred upon His servants is sending them Prophets as warners and bearers of glad tidings. Allaah sent these prophets with scriptures so that He would judge between people in their disputes. The most effective and esteemed message of all of these was that of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam whom Allaah sent to guide all of mankind - and to seal prophethood.

Allaah sent Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam after a break in the series of His messengers, when people were in dire need of His guidance. It was through him that Allaah guided people after they were astray; united them after their disunity; and sufficed them after they were needy. They thus became brothers and supported the religion of Allaah, due to his grace and bounty. It was due to this that nations submitted to this religion and its adherents became a luminous series in the annals of history.

Due to the wholeheartedness of the early Muslims with regard to the comprehensive implementation of Allaah’s laws in personal issues, financial transactions, and social and community affairs in accordance with the precepts laid down by this religions guide and leader, Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, it naturally followed that they would be victorious in all their undertakings.

However, when the Muslims deviated from the correct path, the order and stability which they enjoyed collapsed, turning the Muslim nation into groups of disputing factions, whose enemies held as insignificant.

This nation will never regain its past power and dignity, nor will it re-live its glorious history, until and unless its people return to their religion and practice it in word as well as in deed, in compliance with the methodology of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them.

As a consequence of the comprehensive implementation of the religion of Islaam, no devotional act or religious ceremonies can be initiated into it unless it has a basis in the conduct of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Mankind have been commanded by Allaah to do no more than the following: to worship Allaah alone; to offer him sincere devotion; and to be true in faith. Thus, whoever attempts to worship Allaah with any act that He has not prescribed will have that act rejected by Him. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “He who performs any deed which is not according to what we are upon (i.e., the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and his companions) then it is rejected.” Such acts are held as innovations in the sight of the lawgiver and every innovation is misguidance.

Among the innovations introduced into this religion is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, which is celebrated in the month of Rabee’ Al-Awwal. People gather in the mosques or stay within their homes on the twelfth night of that month and send salutations upon the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam with innovated phrases as well as reciting laudatory poems and prose which concern him. These poems and prose are excessively commendatory and exceed the limits that were defined by the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Some people even spend their nights cooking certain types of food, to be served on this occasion. Thus, they uselessly spend their time and money in matters that are not prescribed either by Allaah or His Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, nor were practiced by the four rightly-guided caliphs after him, nor any other of the Muslims who were from the first three distinct generations, whose merit was attested to by the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

If these innovations were of any benefit, then surely the pious early Muslims would have preceded us in them? If they were meritorious then surely Allaah would never have deprived the early Muslims, including the rightly-guided caliphs of them? The fact of the matter is that this practice was first introduced by people who lived during the fourth Hijri century.

Shaykh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in his book Iqtidaa’ As-Siraat Al-Mustaqeem Mukhaalafatu Ashaabu Al-Jaheem [The Implication of the Straightforward Way Is to Contradict the Companions of the Fire]: “Some people, due to their imitation of what the Christians do on the claimed birth-date of ‘Eesaa (Jesus), peace be upon him, or because of their love of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam or out of their wish to glorify him, celebrate the Prophet’s birthday. This is despite the fact that there is controversy among the scholars regarding the exact date of his birth. The early Muslims did not practice this, although there was good reason to honour and express their love of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and no preventing factors existed. Thus, if the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday was something meritorious, they would have had a better right to precede us in this, as their love and esteem of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was far greater than ours. Also, they were far keener to perform good deeds in general than we were.

Loving and esteeming the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was thus represented by the early Muslims  in following his methodology, obeying him, applying his Sunnah inwardly and outwardly, propagating his mission and striving in this cause with their hearts, bodies and tongues.

Most of those who instigate religious innovations are heedless when it comes to the application of the well-known principles that were brought by the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. They are like those who ornament the Qur’aan but do not recite it, or recite it but do not follow its teachings.”

O Muslims! The innovation of celebrating the Prophet’s birthday, which is done on the twelfth night of the month of Rabee’ Al-Awwal, has no historical basis. In fact, historians have differed greatly on the actual birth date of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Some have said that it was on the second of Rabee’ Al-Awwal , others said the eighth, ninth, tenth, twelfth, seventeenth or twenty-second; thus  making up seven different opinions. None of these opinions have any evidence which would make them take priority over others.

Moreover, the innovation of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam has no religious basis. Neither the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam nor any of his Companions or the followers did so. In fact, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “You must hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs – cling to it stubbornly. Beware of innovations, for every innovation is misguidance." (Abu Daawood, Tirmidhi).

Religious celebrations, festivals and other such occasions which glorify Allaah and His Messenger are acts of worship. Only that which Allaah has prescribed among these is considered to be from the pure Sharee’ah, or Islamic law. None of these events can be taken as a means of devotion to Allaah except those that have been sanctioned by Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

The Sharee’ah already contains the sufficient means with which a believer can glorify the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and show his love to him. So fear Allaah, O servants of Allaah, and limit yourselves to Allaah’s obligations and the Prophet’s Sunnah, to the exclusion of innovations.

Allaah the Exalted and Almighty said that which translates as: “And verily this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This; He has ordained for you that you may become the pious.”  (Al An’aam: 153).

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/aqeedah/0067.htm:

Praise be to Allâh the Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.

The commands mentioned in the Qur'ân and Sunnah to follow the laws of Allâh and His Messenger, and the prohibitions on introducing innovations into the religion are quite clear. Allâh says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): 'If you (really) love Allâh, then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins'." [Âl 'Imrân 3:31]

"Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur'ân and Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyâ' (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allâh), besides Him (Allâh). Little do you remember!" [al-A'râf 7:3]

"And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path." [al-A'nâm 6:153]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) said: "The most truthful of speech is the Book of Allâh and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented." And he (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) said: "Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islâm), that is not part of it will have it rejected." (Narrated by al-Bukhârî, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718). According to a version narrated by Muslim, "Whoever doe anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islâm), will have it rejected."

Among the reprehensible innovations that people have invented is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) in the month of Rabî' al-Awwal. They celebrate this occasion in various ways:

Some of them simply make it an occasion to gather and read the story of the Mawlid, then they present speeches and qasîdahs (odes) for this occasion.

Some of them make food and sweets etc., and offer them to the people present.

Some of them hold these celebrations in the mosques, and some of them hold them in their houses.

Some people do not limit themselves to the actions mentioned above; they include in these gatherings harâm and reprehensible things, such as free mixing of men and women, dancing and singing, or committing actions of shirk such as seeking the help of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him), calling upon him, seeking his support against their enemies and so on.

Whatever form it takes and whatever the intentions of those who do this are, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is an invented, harâm innovation which was introduced after the three best centuries in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. The first person to do this after them was the King al-Muzaffar Abû Sa'îd Kawkabûri, the King of Irbil, at the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh century AH, as was mentioned by the historians such as Ibn Khalikân and others. Abû Shâmah said: the first person to do that in Mosul was Shaykh 'Umar ibn Muhammad al-Malâ, one of the well-known righteous people. Then the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example.

Al-Hâfidh Ibn Kathîr said in al-Bidâyah wa'l-Nihâyah (13/137), in his biography of Abû Sa'îd Kawkabûri: "He used to observe the Mawlid in Rabî' al-Awwal and hold a huge celebration on that occasion … some of those who were present at the feast of al-Muzaffar on some occasions of the Mawlid said that he used to offer in the feast five thousand grilled heads of sheep, ten thousand chickens and one hundred thousand large dishes, and thirty trays of sweets … he would let the Sûfîs sing from Dhuhr until Fajr, and he himself would dance with them."

Ibn Khalikân said in Wafiyât al-A'yân (3/274): "When it is the first of Safar they decorate those domes with various kinds of fancy adornments, and in every dome there sits a group of singers and a group of puppeteers and players of musical instruments, and they do not leave any one of those domes without setting up a group (of performers) there.

The people give up work during this period, and they do no work except going around and watching the entertainment. When there are two days to go until the Mawlid, they bring out a large number of camels, cows and sheep, more than can be described, and they accompany them with all the drums, songs and musical instruments that they have, until they bring them to the square… On the night of the Mawlid there are performances of nashîds after Maghrib in the citadel."

This is the origin of this celebration on the occasion of the Prophet's birthday. More recently idle entertainment, extravagance, and wasting of money and time have become associated with an innovation for which Allâh has not sent down any authority.

What Muslims should do is to revive the Sunnah and put an end to bid'ah (innovation); they should not do any action until they know the ruling of Allâh concerning it.

Ruling on Celebrating the Prophet's Birthday

Celebrating the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is forbidden and is to be rejected for a number of reasons:

1 – It is not part of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) or of the khalîfahs who succeeded him. Since this is the case, then it is a forbidden innovation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) said: "I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khalîfahs after me; adhere to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is an innovation (bid'ah) and every innovation is a going-astray." (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; at-Tirmidhî no. 2676).

Celebrating the Mawlid is an innovation introduced after the three best centuries in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. If a person does anything in order to draw closer to Allâh which was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) or enjoined by him, and was not done by the khalîfahs who succeeded him, this action implies that he is accusing the Messenger of not explaining the religion to the people, and that he disbelieves in the words of Allâh (interpretation of the meaning):

"This day, I have perfected your religion for you." [al-Mâ'idah 5:3]

Because he is adding something extra and claiming that it is a part of the religion, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) did not bring this.

2 – Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is an imitation of the Christians, because they celebrate the birth of the Messiah (peace be upon him). Imitating them is extremely harâm. The hadîth tells us that it is forbidden to imitate the kuffâr, and we are commanded to differ from them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." (narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abû Dâwûd, 4/314). And he said, "Be different from the mushrikîn." (narrated by Muslim, 1/222, no. 259) – especially with regard to things that are the symbols or rituals of their religion.

3 – Besides being bid'ah and an imitation of the Christians, both of which are harâm, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is also a means that leads to exaggeration and excess in venerating him, which even goes as far as calling upon him (making du'â' to him) and seeking his help, instead of calling upon Allâh, as happens now among many of those who observe the bid'ah of the Mawlid, when they call upon the Messenger instead of Allâh, and ask him for support, and sing qasîdahs (odes) of shirk praising him, like Qasîdat al-Burdah etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) forbade going to extremes in praising him, as he said: "Do not extol as the Christians extolled the son of Maryam. For I am just His slave, so say, the slave of Allâh and His Messenger." (narrated by al-Bukhârî, 4/142, no. 3445; al-Fath, 6/551), i.e., do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the Messiah and venerated him until they worshipped him instead of Allâh. Allâh forbade them to do that when he said (interpretation of the meaning):

"O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allâh aught but the truth. The Messiah 'Îsa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allâh and His Word, ("Be!" — and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rûh) created by Him." [al-Nisâ' 4:171]

Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) forbade us to exaggerate concerning him lest the same thing happen to us as happened to them, so he said: "Beware of exaggeration, for those who came before you were destroyed because of exaggeration." (narrated by an-Nasâ'î, 5/268; classed as sahîh by al-Albânî in Sahîh Sunan al-Nasâ'î, no. 2863).

4 – Observing the innovation of the Prophet's birthday opens the door to other kinds of bid'ah and being distracted by them from the Sunnah. Hence you find that the innovators are very active when it comes to bid'ah and very lazy when it comes to the Sunnah; they hate it and regard those who follow it as enemies, until their entire religion is innovated anniversaries and Mawlids. They have split into various groups, each of which commemorates the anniversary of its Imâm's birth, such as the births of al-Badawî, Ibn 'Arabî, al-Dasûqî and al-Shâdhilî. No sooner do they end the celebration of one birthday but they start the celebration of another. This results in exaggeration concerning these dead people and others, and in calling upon them instead of Allâh, believing that they can bring benefit and cause harm, until they deviate from the religion of Allâh and go back to the religion of the people of the Jâhiliyyah of whom Allâh says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And they worship besides Allâh things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: 'These are our intercessors with Allâh'." [Yûnus 10:18]

"And those who take Awliyâ' (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): 'We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allâh'." [az-Zumar 39:3]

Discussing the specious arguments of those who celebrate the Mawlid

Those who think that this bid'ah should be continued produce specious arguments which are flimsier than a spider's web. These specious arguments may be dealt with as follows:

1 – Their claim that this is veneration of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him):

The response to that is that the way to venerate him is to obey him, do as he commanded and avoid that which he forbade, and to love him; he is not to be venerated through innovations, myths and sins. Celebrating his birthday is of this blameworthy type because it is a sin. The people who venerated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) the most were the Sahâbah (may Allâh be pleased with them), as 'Urwah ibn Mas'ood said to Quraysh: "O people, by Allâh I have visited kings. I went to Caesar, Chosroes and the Negus, but by Allâh I never saw a king whose companions venerated him as much as the companions of Muhammad venerated Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him). By Allâh, whenever he spat it never fell on the ground, it fell into into the hand of one his companions, then they wiped their faces and skins with it. If he instructed them to do something, they would hasten to do as he commanded. When he did wudû', they would almost fight over his water. When he spoke they would lower their voices in his presence; and they did not stare at him out of respect for him." (al-Bukhârî, 3/178, no. 2731, 2732; al-Fath, 5/388). Yet despite this level of veneration, they never took the day of his birth as an 'Eid (festival). If that had been prescribed in Islâm they would not have neglected to do that.

2 – Using as evidence the fact that many people in many countries do this.

The response to that is that evidence consists of that which is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him), and what is proven from the Prophet is that innovations are forbidden in general, and this is an innovation. What people do, if it goes against the evidence (dalîl), does not prove anything, even if many of them do it.

"And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allâh's path." [al-An'âm 6:116 – interpretation of the meaning]

Nevertheless, in every age, praise be to Allâh, there have always been those who denounce this bid'ah and state clearly that it is false. Those who persist in following it after the truth had been explained to them have no proof.

Among those who denounced the celebration of this occasion was Shaykh al-Islâm Ibn Taymiyah, in Iqtidâ' as-Sirât al-Mustaqîm; Imâm al-Shâtibî in al-'I'tisâm; Ibn al-Hâj in al-Madkhil; Shaykh Tâj al-Deen 'Alî ibn 'Umar al-Lakhamî who wrote an entire book denouncing it; Shaykh Muhammad Bashîr al-Sahsawâni al-Hindî in his book Siyânah al-Insân; al-Sayyid Muhammad Rashîd Ridâ wrote a separate essay on this topic; Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrâhîm Âlush-Shaykh wrote a separate essay on it; Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azîz ibn Bâz; and others who are still writing and denouncing this bid'ah every year in the pages of newspapers and magazines, at the time when this bid'ah is being done.

3 – They say that by celebrating the Mawlid they are keeping the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) alive.

The answer to that is that the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is constantly kept alive by the Muslim, such as when his name (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is mentioned in the adhân and iqâmah and in khutbahs, and every time the Muslim recites the Shahâdatayn after doing wudû' and in the prayers, and every time he sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) in his prayers and when he is mentioned, and every time the Muslim does a wâjib (obligatory) or mustahabb (recommended) action that was prescribed by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him). In all of these ways (the Muslim) remembers him and the reward equivalent to the reward of the one who does that action goes back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him). Thus the Muslim constantly keeps the memory of the Messenger alive and has a connection with him night and day throughout his life through that which Allâh has prescribed, not only on the day of the Mawlid and things which are bid'ah and go against the Sunnah, for that puts one at a distance from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) and the Messenger will disown him because of that.

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) has no need of this innovated celebration, because Allâh has already bestowed veneration and respect upon him, as He says:

"... and raised high your fame ..." [ash-Sharh 94:4]

For Allâh is not mentioned in the adhân, iqâmah or khutbah except that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is mentioned after Him; this is sufficient veneration, love and renewal of his memory, ad sufficient encouragement to follow him.

Allâh did not refer to the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) in the Qur'ân, rather He referred to his Mission, and says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Indeed, Allâh conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves" [Âl 'Imrân 3:124]

"He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves." [al-Jumu'ah 64:2]

4 – They may say that the celebration of the Prophet's birthday was introduced by a knowledgeable and just king who intended thereby to draw closer to Allâh.

Our response to that is that bid'ah is not acceptable, no matter who does it. A good intention does not justify a bad deed and even if a person died as a knowledgeable and righteous person, this does not mean that he was infallible.

5 – They say that celebrating the mawlid comes under the heading of bid'ah hasanah ("good innovation") because it is based on giving thanks to Allâh for the Prophet!

Our response to that is that there is nothing good in innovation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) said: "Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islâm), that is not part of it will have it rejected." (Narrated by al-Bukhârî, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). And he said, "Every innovation is a going astray." (narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; at-Tirmidhî, no. 2676). The ruling on innovations is that they are all misguidance, but this specious argument suggests that not every bid'ah is a going astray, rather there are good innovations.

Al-Hâfiz ibn Rajab said in Sharh al-Arba'în: "The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him), 'every innovation is a going astray' is a concise but comprehensive comment which includes everything; it is one of the most important principles of religion. It is like his words 'Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islâm), that is not part of it will have it rejected.' (Narrated by al-Bukhârî, 3/167, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). Whoever innovates anything and attributes it to Islâm when it has no basis in the religion, this is a going astray and is nothing to do with Islâm, whether that has to do with matters of belief ('aqîdah) or outward and inward words and deeds." [Jâmi' al-'Ulûm wa'l-Hikam, p. 233]

These people have no proof that there is any such thing as a "good innovation" apart from the words of 'Umar (may Allâh be pleased with him) concerning Tarâwîh prayers, "What a good innovation this is." (Sahîh al-Bukhârî, 2/252, no. 2010 mu'allaqan; al-Fath 4/294).

They also said that things were innovated which were not denounced by the salaf, such as compiling the Qur'ân into one volume and writing and compiling the hadîth.

The response to that is that these matters had a basis in Islâm, so they were not newly-invented.

'Umar said: "What a good bid'ah" meaning innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar'i (technical) sense. Whatever has a basis in Islâm, if it is described as an innovation, is an innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar'i sense, because innovation in the shar'i sense means that which has no basis in Islâm.

Compiling the Qur'ân into one book has a basis in Islâm, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) had commanded that the Qur'ân be written down, but it was scattered, so the Sahâbah compiled it in one volume so as so protect and preserve it.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) led his companions in praying Tarâwîh for a while, then he stopped doing that, lest that become obligatory on them. The Sahâbah (may Allâh be pleased with them) continued to pray it separately during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) and after his death, until 'Umar ibn al-Khattâb (may Allâh be pleased with them) gathered them behind one imâm as they used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him). This was not an innovation introduced into the religion.

Writing down the hadîth also has a basis in Islâm. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) ordered that some ahâdîth should be written down for some of his companions when they asked him for that. In general terms writing it down during his lifetime was not allowed, for fear that the Qur'ân might be mixed with things that were not part of it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) died, this fear was no longer a factor, because the Qur'ân had been completed and arranged in order before he died. The Muslims compiled the Sunnah after that in order to preserve it and keep it from being lost. May Allâh reward them with good on behalf of Islâm and the Muslims, because they preserved the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) from being lost or being tampered with.

We may also say to them: why was this act of thanksgiving (the Mawlid), as they call it, not done by the best generations, the Sahâbah, Tâbi'în and followers of the Tâbi'în, who loved the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) most and who were most keen to do good and give thanks? Are those who introduced the innovation of the Mawlid more rightly-guided than them? Do they give more thanks to Allâh? Definitely not!

6 – They may say that celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is indicative of their love for him; this is one way of showing that, and showing love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is prescribed in Islâm!

The answer to that is that undoubtedly loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) is obligatory for every Muslim; he should love him more than he loves himself, his child, his father and all the people – may my father and mother be sacrificed for him – but that does not mean that we should introduce innovations for doing so that have not been prescribed for us. Loving him dictates that we should obey him and follow him, for that is one of the greatest manifestations of love, as it is said:

"If your love is sincere then obey him; for the lover obeys the one whom he loves."

Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) implies keeping his Sunnah alive, adhering firmly to it, and avoiding words and deeds that go against it. Undoubtedly everything that goes against his Sunnah is a reprehensible innovation (bid'ah) and a manifest act of disobedience. That includes celebrating his birthday and other kinds of bid'ah. A good intention does not mean that it is permissible to introduce innovations into the religion. Islâm is based on two things, purity of intention and following [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him)]. Allâh says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Yes, but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allâh (i.e. follows Allâh's religion of Islâmic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin (a doer of good) then his reward is with his Lord (Allâh), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." [al-Baqarah 2:112]

Submitting one's face to Allâh means being sincere towards Allâh, and doing good means following the Messenger and implementing the Sunnah.

7 – Another of their specious arguments is when they say that by celebrating the Mawlid and reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) on this occasion, they are encouraging people to follow his example!

We say to them that reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) and following his example are required of the Muslim all the time, all year long and throughout his life. Singling out a specific day for that with no evidence for doing so is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray. (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/164; at-Tirmidhî, 2676). Bid'ah does not bear any fruit but evil and it leads to a person distancing himself from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him).

In conclusion, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him), whatever form it takes, is a reprehensible innovation. The Muslims should put a stop to this and other kinds of bid'ah, and occupy themselves with reviving and adhering to the Sunnah. They should not be deceived by those who promote and defend this bid'ah, for these types of people are more interested in keeping innovations alive than in reviving the Sunnah; they may not even care about the Sunnah at all. Whoever is like this, it is not permissible to imitate him or follow his example, even if the majority of people are like this. Rather we should follow the example of those who follow the path of the Sunnah, among the righteous salaf (early Muslim scholars) and their followers, even if they are few. Truth is not measured by the men who speak it, rather men are measured by the truth.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) said: "Whoever among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences. I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khalîfahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray." (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; at-Tirmidhî no. 2676). So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) explained to us in this hadîth what we should do when there are differences of opinion, just as he explained that everything that goes against his Sunnah, be it words or deeds, is a bid'ah, and every bid'ah is a going astray.

If we see that there is no basis for celebrating the birthday of the Prophet, whether in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) or in the way of the rightly-guided khalîfahs, then it is one of the newly-invented matters, one of the bid'ahs which lead people astray. This principle is what is implied by this hadîth and is what is indicated by the âyah (interpretation of the meaning):

"O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger, if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination." [an-Nisâ' 4:59]

Referring to Allâh means referring to His Book (the Qur'ân), and referring to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) means referring to his Sunnah after he has passed away. The Qur'ân and Sunnah are the reference point in cases of dispute. Where in the Qur'ân or Sunnah does it indicate that it is prescribed in Islâm to celebrate the Prophet's birthday? Whoever does that or thinks that it is good must repent to Allâh from this and from other kinds of bid'ah. This is the attitude of the Muslim who is seeking the truth. But whoever is too stubborn and arrogant after proof has been established, then his reckoning will be with his Lord.

We ask Allâh to help us adhere to His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger until the Day when we will meet Him. May Allâh grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

http://www.nazmay.com/368/celebrating-the-prophets-birthday-is-innovation/: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam  is an innovation in Islam. There is no evidence for it in the Islamic Shar’iah. The Faatimis (the Fatimides) were the first to begin this innovation. This, in fact, does not give evidence of the love of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam . Instead of this, a person should follow what the Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam commands, believe in what he reports, avoid forbidden activities and should worship Allaah as He and His Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam have prescribed. These acts constitute genuine pieces of evidences of one’s love to the Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam . In this regard, Allaah Says (what means): “Say (O Muhammad to mankind), If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allaah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Quran 3:31]
On the other hand, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam or the occasion of a new Hijri year or celebrations other than the two Eeds of al-Fitr and al-Adhha (Eeds of breaking fast and sacrifice) is among the invented celebrations and feasts. It is proven from the Prophet Muhammad that he said: “Whoever introduces tries to introduce into this faith of ours (Islam) something which is not a part of it, it is rejected and that person is condemned.”
Moreover, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam is an innovation. The evidence proving it to be forbidden is that there is no evidence which proves that it is permissible; the principle in acts of worship is that they are forbidden. It is the one who says that something is permitted who is required to provide evidence. Had the companions and those who followed them exactly in faith differed about this issue, it would undoubtedly have been reported to us in details.
Finally, a Muslim should know that the evidence is the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet and not the statement of any person. 


http://muxlim.com/blogs/Abu_Maryam/is-celebrating-the-prophets-birthday-an-innovation/: We begin with the Name of Allaah
Say: "O People of the Book! Exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, --- who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even Way." (Al-Maidah, 5:77)
Both Muslims and serious Christians can learn a lot from Christmas, the annual celebration of the victory of paganism over the religion of Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ), alayhi salam.
No one disputes that the event and all its symbols came from pagan religions; it has nothing to do with the birth or teachings of Jesus Christ. For one thing, no one knows with certainty the date of birth of Jesus Christ. "In fact, dates in almost every month in the year were suggested by reputable scholars at one time or another," notes The American Book of Days. For another, the celebration of birthdays is itself a pagan idea, never promoted by any Prophet or Book of God, including the Bible. Early Church leaders opposed it strongly. As late as 245 CE African Church father and philosopher Origen wrote that it was sinful even to contemplate observing Jesus's birthday `as though he were a King Pharaoh." (The American Book of Days).
But the pagan world did have prayers and celebrations during the winter season. Those who worshipped the sun god because of its apparent power, used to become concerned about the fate of their god, in a world of many gods, as days became shorter and air very cold. It looked like the sun was being defeated by the god of snow that brought death and misery with it. "... in Rome, the sun in its winter solstice was at its weakest on December 25 and had to be born anew with the help of bonfires, lights, processions and prayer." (Reader's Digest Book of Christmas). The Roman pagan celebration was called Saturnalia. The Persians also had similar celebrations for Mithras, their sun god.
The evergreens, holly, ivy, and mistletoe plants, which remained green even during this wintertime, were similarly considered by the pagans to have magical powers. The Druids, whose Stonehenge temples can be seen in England, regarded mistletoe with reverence and used to burn it in sacrifice during the solstitial festivities. They also used to hang it in their houses. When you don't know the One True God, even leaves and plants can become god. They thought it brought good luck, fertility, and protection from witchcraft, and was an antidote to poison. Mistletoe is used even today, although the U.N. might consider banning it if the fertility claim proves true!
In 1822 a Dr. Clement Moore, professor of divinity, wrote a poem titled "The visit of St. Nicholas." The poem became popular and Santa Claus was born. The reason for popularity? "... the time was ripe. A myth was needed, and the recreation of `old Christmas' was well in the wind." (William Sanson, A Book of Christmas). Some decades later The New York Sun answered an 8 year old's question: Is there a Santa Claus? The answer has become classic and is worth noting. "Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see." So Santa Claus is divine, and judging from the Christmas celebrations, certainly more important than Jesus Christ himself.
Early church leaders wanted to Christianize the pagan festivities, but their operating principle became: When you can't beat them, join them. For as Pope Gregory declared in 601 CE, "... from obdurate minds it is impossible to cut off everything at once." It was a license for another pearl of "wisdom": When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
And so they did. First slowly and then rapidly. The Son of God replaced the sun god. Saturnalia was replaced by the ceremony for Christ or Christ Mass, which later became Christmas. For several centuries it was solely a church anniversary, observed by religious services. "At Christmas, men and women were not, repeat not, to dress up or mime; there were not to be auguries, such as superstitions about fire; houses were not to be decorated, no presents given, no well-laden tables, and a strict watch was to be kept on drink." But false religion drives out true religion. Consider Christmas gifts, a carryover from the Roman practice of giving dolls as gift in lieu of their earlier barbaric custom of offering human sacrifices. "The early Church frowned on gift giving as a pagan custom. But the people enjoyed it too much to abandon it, and so finally the Church accepted the idea and sanctioned it." (Barbara Rinkoff, The Family Christmas Book). Evergreens? "The early church forbade the use of them, but here again the custom was too deeply rooted and the ban was ignored. Finally the church accepted the use of evergreens for decoration." And on and on. Now consider this portrait of Saturnalia and contrast it with the original don'ts mentioned above: "... a fortnight of near riot, of drunkenness, noise and games, naked slaves singing, men dressing up as animals and behaving with less dignity, sex, often with perversion." (Reader's Digest Book of Christmas). Anyone can see which picture represents today's Christmas more closely.
With the advent of Capitalism, the old pagans got a new supporter in the form of the adman. George Bernard Shaw observed: "Christmas is forced on a reluctant ... nation by...shopkeepers and the press." This is how they can serve God, and make money at the same time. This in itself is a pagan idea and it is alive and well today.
This defeat of Christianity at the hands of paganism must be contrasted with Islam's resounding victory over it. Before Islam, Arabia was a pagan country--big time. But none of the pagan customs survived after Islam. None whatsoever. There was no such thing as `the people wanted it very much so the church allowed it.' Islam completely eradicated not only the beliefs but also the practices and the symbols of paganism. This in itself is a miracle that serious students of comparative religions must reflect upon. Here is a living proof of the authenticity of the last Messenger, Salla-Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
The success continued throughout the centuries. The secret of this great success lies in what Stuart Brown (The Nearest in Affection, see book review), deplores as Muslim "antipathy to innovation." The first Khalifah, Abu Bakr, Radi-Allahu anhu, had declared in his first address as the new ruler, that he was a follower not an innovator, thereby setting the tone for all successors.
Throughout Islamic history there have been attempts to introduce bida (innovation) as innocent good practices, but unlike Christianity, there have always been rightly guided ulema who fought them strongly. The struggle continues today. Yes, Muslims can learn from Christmas. Those of us who may be wondering what is wrong with Milad Nabi celebrations may do well to realize that Christmas also started as Milad for Jesus Christ.
Christmas Lessons: Prophet's Birthday.