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Moulood-The Stance of the Sharia-Part 3
WHAT IS MOULOOD OR MEELAAD?
THE ORIGINATION OF MEELAAD CELEBRATION
The History of Islam is fourteen centuries old. But the history of Meelaad celebration is seven centuries old. The Golden ages of Islam – the era of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), of the Sahaabah, of the Taabieen, and of the Tabe-Taabieen (Quroone Thalaathah) had long passed, yet the custom of Meelaad was not initiated. Six centuries after our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) an irreligious ruler initiated this custom in the city of Mosul. Imaam Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Bisri Maaliki (rahmatullah alayh) writes in his Kitaab, AL-QOULUL MU’TAMAD:
“Allaamah Muizzuddin Hasan Khwaarzimi (rahmatullah alayh) states in his Kitaab:
‘The Ruler of Irbal, King Muzaffar Abu Saeed Kaukari, was an irreligious king. He ordered the Ulama of his time to act according to their opinions and discard the practice of following any of the Mathhabs. A group among the learned men inclined towards him. He (this king) organized Moulood sessions during the month of Rabiul Awwal. He was the first of the kings to have innovated this practice.’” [AL-QOULUL MU’TAMAD]
This irreligious ruler squandered vast sums of public funds in the organization and upkeep of these celebrations which had no sanction in Islamic Law. Allaamah Zahbi (rahmatullah alayh) – died 748 Hijri- says:
“Every year this ruler spent three hundred thousand (from the Baitul Maal) on Moulood celebrations.” [DOULUL ISLAM]
So, this practice of Moulood was originated by irreligious people. In the year 604 Hijri this king, Muzaffaruddin Koukari, introduced this custom with the aid of some learned people whose purpose was to gain the wealth and honour of this world. A notable and a prime instigator in the origination of this custom was one Molvi Amr Bin Dahya Abul Khattab who died in the year 633 Hijri. He was a great supporter of the worldly and irreligious king of Irbal who introduced this custom. The evil character of this irreligious learned man is a fact upon which there exists unanimity among the great and pious learned men of Islam. Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalaani (rahmatullah alayh) says about this Molvi who was responsible to a great extent for the innovation of Moulood customs:
“He was a person who insulted the Jurists of Islam and the pious learned men of former times. He had a filthy tongue. He was ignorant, excessively proud, possessed no insight in matters pertaining to the Deen and he was extremely negligent as far as the Deen was concerned.” [LISAANUL MIZAAN]
Hafiz Ibn Hajar Askalaani (rahmatullah alayh) further adds: “Allaamah Ibn Najjaar (rahmatullah alayh) said: ‘I have witnessed unanimity of opinion among the people as to him (this irreligious Molvi), being a liar and an unreliable person.’” [LISAANUL MIZAAN]
Every unbiased Muslim will realise from the aforegoing discussion that the Moulood custom was introduced by evil men and given prominence by evil men. Islamic History bears testimony to this fact. Right from its inception all the great and pious Ulama and Jurists of Islam have condemned this innovation and have warned against participation in these un-Islamic functions. There exists consensus of opinion among the true learned Ulama of Islam that the customary Meelaad functions are not permissible. Our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) has warned against the introduction of customs into the Deen of Islam. Said our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam):
“Whoever introduces into this Deen of ours something which is not of it, is condemned.”
The Sahaabah of our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) had great detestation for any new custom which tried to raise its head in the Deen. The Sahaabah did not tolerate in the least bit any new form of worship or custom which anyone desired to bring into the Deen. We shall illustrate the detestation for innovation which the Sahaabah had, with a few examples:
1) A man sneezed in the presence of Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) and said:
Alhamdulillah Wa salaamu alaika ya rasulallah
Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) immediately rebuked this person and said that our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) taught us to recite: Alhamdulillahi ‘Alaa Kulli Haal when we sneezed.
This Hadith has been narrated by Tirmizi. The point which we have to ponder here, is Abdullah Ibn Umar’s rebuke because this man recited Wa salaamu alaika ya rasulallah after the words Alhamdulillah. In reality the recital of the sentence: Assalaamu alaika ya rasulallah is an act of merit. The more we remember Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) the more thawaab we get. In fact, we have been commanded to constantly offer salutations to our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam). However, despite this, Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (one of the great Sahaabah) rejected this form of recitation after one has sneezed. And, the reason as explained by Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) was that this formula was not taught to us by Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
2) “Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) was informed of a group of people who sat in the Musjid after Maghrib Salaat. One among them would say: ‘Recite Allahu Akbar so many times; recite Subhaanallah so many times; and recite Alhamdulillah so many times!’ The group would then do as was instructed (by its leader). Abdullah Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) arrived at the Musjid and when he heard what they were reciting he said: ‘I am Abdullah Ibn Masood. I take oath by Allah besides whom there is no object of worship, that you have innovated a dark Bid’ah, or you are regarding yourselves superior to the Companions of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).’” [AL-’ITISAAM and MAJAALISUL ABRAAR]
The point to note here is that these people were merely reciting Takbeer and glorifying Allah Ta’ala with Tasbeeh and Tahmeed. Now we ask: What is wrong in reciting Alhamdulillah? What is wrong in reciting Subhaanallah? Why did Abdullah Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) who was among the great Sahaabah of our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) describe the reciting of Takbeer, Tahmeed and Tasbeeh of this group as a “dark Bid’ah”? The only reason is that the form, the manner in which this group was reciting the greatness of Allah was not taught by our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam). The Sahaabah did not recite the praises in the way this group did, hence it was regarded as a dark and evil innovation by such a great and learned Sahaabi as Abdullah Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu).
3) “Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) heard that some people gathered in the Musjid and were reciting Laa-ilaaha ilallah and Durood Shareef aloud. He went to them and said: ‘This (way of recital) was non-existent during the time of the Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam). I regard you as innovators’. Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) repeated this over and over until these people were ejected from the Musjid.” [FATAWA QADHI KHAN]
It must be noted here that these people were only reciting Laa-ilaaha il-lal-lah and Durood Shareef, and both these are acts of Ibaadat of a very high order. Despite this, Hadhrat Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) had these people ejected from the Musjid and described them as innovators because they were reciting these two forms of Thikr in a manner not taught by our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and in a manner not practised by the noble Sahaabah of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam). Further, Hadhrat Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) said:
“This method was not in vogue during the time of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)”.
This statement of Hadhrat Ibn Masood (radhiyallahu anhu) clearly means that if a form of worship was not instructed by our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) then it will be a Bid’ah. If the Sahaabah did not entertain any new systems or new ways of worship then we have no right whatsoever of introducing into Islam any new way or form of worship.
4) “Mujahid says that Urwah Bin Zubair and himself entered the Musjid and saw Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) sitting near to the room of Aishah (radhiyallahu anha). Some people in the Musjid were performing the Dhuhaa prayers (the Salaat which is performed sometime after sunrise). We asked Ibn Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) about the Salaat being performed by these people. He replied that it was a Bid’ah innovation.” [BUKHARI – MUSLIM]
It should be remembered that Salaatud-Duhaa has been narrated by many Sahaabah. It is an act of Ibaadat which carries considerable reward. We are encouraged to perform this Salaat. The great pious men of Islam hardly omit this Salaat. However, despite this fact, Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) described the Dhuhaa Salaat of this particular group of people as Bid’ah. The reason for branding it as Bid’ah is the fact that these people originated a new method of performing this prayer. They congregated and performed this Salaat conspicuously in the Musjid, and this method of performing it in congregation form was not instructed by our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam).
Many such examples could be cited to illustrate the dislike which the Sahaabah of our Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) had for innovation. If the practice of innovation was tolerated in Islam there would be no pure Islam left. However, Allah Ta’ala has blessed this Ummah with righteous and steadfast Ulama who diligently defended the pure Deen of Allah through this long corridor of fourteen centuries against the onslaught of innovation.
To be continued Insha Allah
