The First Episode of The Prophet’s Birthday

The First Episode of The Prophet’s Birthday:



Guests: Dr Muhammad Hedayah - Sheikh Abdullah AlsaadI - Sheikh Amr Atteya.



Allah said in Surat Al-Ahzab: “O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, and as one who invites to Allah by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light” (Al-Ahzab:45-46)



It is best we start this special episode by a verse from The Wise Reminder (The Qur’an), read by Sheikh Amr Atteya:



“Allah Sends His Salat (Graces, Honors, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad), and also His angels ( ask Allah to bless and forgive him), O’you who believe send your Salat (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet (salute) him with Islamic way of greetings” (Al-Ahzab:56).





“It is He who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it superior to all religions. And All Sufficient is Allah as a Witness. Muhammad, is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrated (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration. This is their description in the Torah. But their description in the Injil (Gospel) is like a (sown) seed that sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, and becomes thick and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the Sowers, that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward” (Al-Fateh:28-29)



The presenter asks in the beginning of this episode of The Blessed Memory, when the messenger was born and died, that there are 4 assets to the Muhammadian Personality:

1.

He was an orphan and unlettered.
2.

He was known to be truthful and honest
3.

He worked as a shepherd
4.

And in he worked in trading.

What is the heavenly wisdom in having all these features?



Can we also explain to the viewers if it is allowed to celebrate the Prophet Birthday? If so then, how can we celebrate it?



In the name of Allah, prayers and peace on His Prophet. I start with congratulating the Islamic Ummah with the birth of the blessed Messenger. I ask Allah (SWT) to give the Ummah the strength in the memory of his death. This memory is for both his birth and his death. Many don’t know that his death was on the same day as his birth. The question is: Is it allowed to celebrate both events? This question has many aspects and perspectives; we don’t know what the answer would have been had it been asked by his friends. Muslims should follow the messenger’s way of life (Sunnah) and also what his friends learned from him. Did the Messenger celebrate his Birth?



The answer is: Not yearly, but weekly. The proof is in the (Hadith) saying that when he was asked why he used to fast all Mondays, he replied: “That’s the day I was born on.” So if it was right that the Messenger had celebrated that day, we should do so weekly not yearly. The celebration should be in the form of thanking Allah. If Muslims fast on Monday, they do so by following the Messenger’s way and Sunnah. Allah (SWT) said: “He came to existence for the mercy of mankind and all creation.” We should learn that Muhammad is not to be remembered by a doll or a horse made of sugar to be eaten. He is not just a memory. We should change these bad habits. Allah Said in The Holy Book: “Verily, Allah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of themselves” (Ar-Ra’d:11)



Some people will not like me telling them not to celebrate the Prophet’s Birthday. At his time, no one celebrated birthdays; not the messenger nor any of his companions, Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Ali and the other companions. We have to be sure of the truth of all the Hadiths. Even if we are asked by some if it’s allowed to celebrate the birthday and we reply negatively, some people will still celebrate it. During the last Friday prayers, I met a brother and we began discussing the subject. He called me later and told me that his children had asked him for the traditional sweets and he had told them that he would get it for them but after the date of the birthday, so prophet Muhammad wouldn’t be “just sweets” for them. If you ask me, I’ll say (may Allah help me) that we can celebrate it, but we should also remember it is the day of his death; should we eat sweets during this sad day? And even if I say we shouldn’t celebrate it, people will still do so.



How can we celebrate this day, both of his Birth and his Death?



We can fast on that day as well as the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every month of the Hijri calendar, following the Sunnah. We can celebrate it by fasting and thanking Allah (SWT) for the coming of Muhammad (PBUH) and for being the followers of that great man. We can also celebrate by performing Salat Qiyam (night prayer). The Messenger said: “Whoever fasts a day for Allah’s sake, Allah will keep him away from Hell fire seventy autumns.” So we fast this day, for the sake of Allah and the love of His Messenger. Haven’t we heard Allah’s verse: “Say (O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Imran: 31). So it’s fine to celebrate the day by fasting, praying, giving charity and reading Qur’an. We can have gatherings where scholars can talk about the good qualities of the Messenger, or we can also listen to Qur’an. We don’t want to turn this occasion into a pagan celebration by making dolls and horses, like the practice during the days before Islam, or like in Jesus’ time when Christians turned their religion into paganism. They turned it into associating partners in their worship to Allah. For 700 years, mankind lived in wrong doings, until the generous Messenger came and brought people out from worshiping idols to worshiping the Most Gracious.



The presenter asked: Could you explain to us the honors or the sanctity that Allah bestowed on His Prophet Muhammad? We read the Qur’an that joined with Allah’s name, the messenger’s name in the Shahada (declaration of faith) and in the Azan (call for prayers): “He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allah, but he who turns away, then we have not sent you as a watcher over them”. Also: “But honor, power and glory belong to Allah and to His Messenger, and to the believers” and “Verily those who give pledge to you, they are giving pledge to Allah”?



Firstly, we don’t say Honors but Sanctity as so many people have praised and honored the Messenger. Honor is from life, but Allah Sanctified him; Sanctity is from Allah only. We explain this from the Qur’an.: