✍️ Written by: Sahibzada Shahid Siddiq
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1. The Reality of Mawlid — Gratitude and Expression of Joy
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللّٰهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
(Surah Yunus: 58)
Translation: “Say, in the bounty of Allah and in His mercy — in that let them rejoice; it is better than all they accumulate.”
The greatest bounty and mercy of Allah is none other than the Beloved Prophet ﷺ:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
(Surah Al-Anbiya: 107)
Translation: “And We did not send you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
Thus, celebrating Mawlid is rejoicing in Allah’s mercy.
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2. Sunnah of the Prophets — Gratitude on the Day of Birth
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast on Mondays and said:
ذٰلِكَ يَوْمٌ وُلِدْتُّ فِيهِ
(Sahih Muslim)
Translation: “That is the day I was born.”
This proves that remembering and honoring the day of birth as gratitude is the Sunnah of the Prophets.
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3. Allah Himself Honors Certain Days
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
(Surah Al-Jumu‘ah: 9)
Translation: “O you who believe! When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah.”
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 185)
Translation: “The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was revealed.”
لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ
(Surah Al-Hajj: 28)
Translation: “That they may mention the name of Allah on known days.”
This shows that honoring specific days is from Allah’s Sunnah.
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4. Remembrance of the Days of Allah
وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ
(Surah Ibrahim: 5)
Translation: “Remind them of the days of Allah.”
Also, Allah Himself mentions His chosen servants:
سَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ نُوحٍ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ (Surah As-Saffat: 79)
سَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ (Surah As-Saffat: 109)
سَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ (Surah As-Saffat: 120)
This proves that remembering blessed personalities and their days is Sunnah.
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5. Gathering for Allah’s Remembrance — A Mercy
The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فِي بَيْتٍ مِّنْ بُيُوتِ اللَّهِ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُونَهُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِلَّا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةُ وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ وَحَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِيمَنْ عِندَهُ
(Sahih Muslim)
Translation: “Whenever people gather in a house of Allah to recite the Qur’an and study it together, tranquility descends upon them, mercy covers them, angels surround them, and Allah mentions them to those with Him.”
Thus, gatherings of Mawlid are gatherings of mercy.
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6. The Difference Between Innovation and Permissible Designation
• Innovation (Bid‘ah): Declaring something obligatory in religion without proof.
• Permissible Designation: Choosing a time or day for remembrance and gratitude as an act of facilitation, without making it a new obligation.
Mawlid is of the second category.
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7. Examples from the Prophet ﷺ and Sahabah
• Monday & Thursday fasts (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Musnad Ahmad)
• Fasting on the “white days” (Abu Dawud)
• Remembering the battles of Badr and Uhud (Sahih Bukhari)
• Sayyiduna ‘Umar (RA) reminding the Ummah of the days of victory and lessons
These are precedents for remembering days and events in Islam.
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8. The 1500-Year Celebration — A Miracle
There is no personality in history whose birthday has been celebrated continuously for 1500 years.
This is the manifestation of the Qur’anic verse:
وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
(Surah Ash-Sharh: 4)
Translation: “And We raised high your remembrance.”
At every moment, in every part of the world, the name of the Prophet ﷺ is mentioned.
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9. The Principle of the World and the Mawlid
The principle of the world is that birthdays are celebrated for the living. The Prophet ﷺ is alive in his grave, and he himself said:
مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يُسَلِّمُ عَلَيَّ إِلَّا رَدَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ رُوحِي حَتَّىٰ أَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامَ
(Abu Dawud)
Translation: “No one sends greetings upon me except that Allah returns my soul to me so I may reply to his greeting.”
Just as in birthdays gifts are given, the greatest gift to the Prophet ﷺ is sending Salat & Salam:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 56)
Translation: “Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe! Send blessings and peace upon him.”
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10. The Prophet ﷺ as Mercy to the Worlds
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
(Surah Al-Anbiya: 107)
Translation: “And We did not send you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
And Allah says:
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللّٰهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا
(Surah Yunus: 58)
Translation: “Say, in the bounty of Allah and in His mercy — in that let them rejoice.”
Thus, rejoicing at the Prophet’s birth is rejoicing in Allah’s mercy.
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11. The Completion of Faith Lies in Love of the Prophet ﷺ
لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِن نَّفْسِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
(Sahih Bukhari & Muslim)
Translation: “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his own self, his children, and all mankind.”
Thus, faith is incomplete without love of the Prophet ﷺ, and Mawlid strengthens that love.
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12. The Grave and the Ultimate Success
In the grave it will be asked: “What did you used to say about this man?”
(Sahih Bukhari)
The true lover will respond: “As-salamu ‘alaika ya RasulAllah ﷺ.”
And the Prophet ﷺ will return that greeting. Receiving salam from the Prophet ﷺ is the greatest success in both worlds.
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Supplication
اللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَوْلِدَ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ فَرَحًا فِي قُلُوبِنَا، وَذِكْرًا دَائِمًا فِي أَلْسِنَتِنَا، وَنُورًا فِي طَرِيقِنَا، وَبَرَكَةً فِي حَيَاتِنَا، وَسَبَبًا لِفَوْزِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، وَصَلِّ اللّٰهُمَّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ۔
Translation:
“O Allah! Make the birth of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a joy in our hearts, a constant remembrance on our tongues, a light in our path, a blessing in our lives, and a means of our success in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah! Send Your blessings upon our master Muhammad ﷺ, and upon his family and companions.”
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Was-Salam
Sahibzada Shahid Siddiq
Anjuman Gulzar-e-Madina International