THE SOURCES OF ISLAMIC Law (the Shariah) are four, viz.,



I. The Qur’aan

II. The Sunnah

III. Ijmaa’ or the Consensus of opinion of the Jurists

IV. Qiyaas or the Analogical reasoning process of the Jurists of Islam.

The abovementioned four PRINCIPLES constitute the basis of Islamic law. If any act or practice is substantiated or proved on the firm foundations of the abovementioned four Principles of the Islamic Shariah then such an act or practice constitute ISLAMIC LAW and as such is the DIVINE LAW of ALLAH, and no member of the Ummah has the right to reject such an act or practice. On the other hand if any act, practice or custom conflicts with the four abovementioned Principles or if any act or practice cannot be substantiated on the basis of the four Islamic Principles of the Shariah then it will stand condemned in the Eyes of the Shariah and as such it will have to be rejected as a bad innovation . . . an evil introduction into the Deen of Allah. The custom of Meelaad as celebrated nowadays cannot be substantiated on the basis of the four Principles of Islamic Law. It is an absolute necessity to prove conclusively that this custom of Meelaad in its present form of prevalence is sanctioned by any of the Principles of Islamic Law before it (this custom) could be accorded an Islamic status. Insha’Allah, in this article it shall be proved that the prevailing customary celebrations of Meelaad have no Islamic status whatsoever and these constitute gross transgression of Allah Ta’ala’s Law because they (these forms of Meelaad celebrations) have been innovated into the Deen of Islam.



Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’aan:



“Then, We have established you on a Shariah (Law-Path) with regard to affairs. Therefore follow it (this Shariah) and do not follow the desires of those who do not know.”

Allah Ta’ala commands in this verse of the Holy Qur’aan total submission to His Law. This verse of the Holy Qur’aan emphatically prohibits the following of any practice or custom which is not sanctioned by the Shariah. Any custom which has no basis in the Shariah is described by Allah Ta’ala in this verse as “the desires of those who do not know”. Further in this article it shall be shown that these Meelaad celebrations of today have no sanction in the Shariah of Allah Ta’ala.

Elsewhere in the Holy Qur’aan Allah Ta’ala states: “What! Have they partners who have ordained for them such things of which Allah has not granted permission?”

This verse of the Holy Qur’aan clearly deprecates any introduction of practices and customs within the Deen. Only such customs and practices have the favour of Allah for which there exist Divine Sanction. Insha’Allah, it shall be shown that the customary Meelaad celebration was not ordained by Allah or His Rasool (صلى الله عايه وسالم ), but was an un-Islamic innovatory practice which crept into the Ummah with the aid of such persons who had no love for the Deen. In another verse of the Holy Qur’aan Allah Ta’ala says: “Whatever the Rasool brings to you, accept it. And, whatever he (the Rasool) forbids you of, abstain from it.”

Insha’Allah, it shall be proved that this custom of Meelaad was not given to us by our Nabi ( ) nor was it ever practised by the beloved Sahaabah of our Nabi ( ). Furthermore, it shall be proved that this custom did not exist among Muslims for a full six centuries after the demise of our Nabi ( صلى الله عايه وسالم).

Muhaddith Hadhrat Qaadhi Thanaa-ullah (rahmatullah alayh) narrates the following Hadith: “Verily, a statement is not accepted if not practised upon it. And, a statement and a practice are not accepted without a sincere intention. And, the statement, the practice and the niyyat (intention) are not accepted if they are not in accord with the Sunnah.” (IRSHAADUT TAALIBEEN)

Hadhrat Gauthul Azam Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jeelani (rahmatullah alayh) states:“A statement without practice is not accepted. Nor a practice without sincerity and without the correct Sunnah (method).” (FATHE RABBAANI) Hadhrat Sufyaan Thauri (rahmatullah alayh) states: “A statement, an act and an intention is only in order if these are in conformity with the Sunnah.” (TALBEESE IBLEES)

Hadhrat Ahmad Bin Abul Hawari (rahmatullah alayh) said: “The deed of a person is null if he practises it without following the Sunnah.” (AL-I’TISAAM)

From the aforegoing statements it will be clear that an action will be described as Islamic only if it is executed in conformity with the Sunnah of our Nabi ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) and the Sunnah of his Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum). We have included here the Way of the Sahaabah in the Sunnah because our Nabi (صلى الله عايه وسالم ), himself described the Way of the Sahaabahs as ‘the Sunnah’, and commanded strict obedience to the Sunnah of his Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum). Hence, the Holy Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) said: “Regard my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my righteous Khulafaa as obligatory upon you.”

With regard to the Sunnah of Rasulullah’s (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) Sahaabah, the Messenger of Allah ( ) said: “Those who live after me will witness much controversy. Therefore, my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the pious and righteous Khulafaa are incumbent upon you. Hold firmly onto it. Cling to it (the Sunnah) with your jaws. Beware of innovation. Every new thing (i.e. new practice introduced as part of the Deen) is an innovation (Bid’ah). And every Bid’ah (innovation) is error manifest.”

(TIRMIZI, IBN MAJAH, ABU DAWOOD)

In explaining this Hadith, Mullah Ali Qaari (rahmatullah alayh) said that Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) commanded obedience to the Sunnah of the Khulafaa after him because they (Rasulullah’s Khulafaa) only acted in accordance with the Sunnah of Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم ).This is stated in Mirkaatul Mishkaat.



Now, this custom of Meelaad is not to be found anywhere in the Holy Qur’aan. Allah Ta’ala has not commanded this customary Meelaad celebration. Neither can any substantiation for it be found in the Hadith of our Nabi (صلى الله عايه وسالم ), nor in the practices of the noble Companions of Rasulullah ( ). No one can deny the great and true love which the Sahaabah had for our Nabi (صلى الله عايه وسالم ). Is there any person who can claim greater love for Rasulullah ( ) than the Sahaabah? Can any person claim that he has understood the Qur’aan and the Ahaadith better than the great and learned Sahaabah of our Nabi ( )? Can any person claim that the Sahaabah did not know how to manifest their love for Rasulullah ( ), and that Muslims of nowadays know how to manifest love for Rasulullah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم)? Now let us ask: What is the reason for celebrating Meelaadun-Nabi? Whatever answer the upholders of the customary Meelaad will give we shall say that, that very same reason existed during the time of the noble Sahaabah. Yet, despite its existence the Sahaabah of our Nabi (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) did not keep Meelaadun Nabi celebrations. The love of the Sahaabah for Rasulullah ( ) is indisputable. The Sahaabah had greater cause for rejoicing at the birth of Rasulullah ( ). The Sahaabah had greater cause than us for the manifestation of their love for Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم ). The Sahaabahs had greater cause to commemorate the Holy Birth of our Nabi ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) than us. Yet, not a single Sahaabi ever initiated or celebrated Meeladun Nabi. This custom was unknown to the Sahaabah, and it was unknown to the Tabieen (the followers of the Sahaabah). The great Jurists of Islam did not in initiate this practice. They celebrated no Meelaadun-Nabi. In fact for a full six hundred years after our Nabi ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) this custom was not in vogue among Muslims. Surely if this custom had any merit in it the great and beloved Sahaabah of our Nabi (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) could not have overlooked it. If this custom had any Islamic significance surely, the great Fuqahaa (Jurists) and the Muhadditheen would not have shunned it. How is it possible that a custom which was originated and introduced into the Deen six centuries after our Nabi (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) could be accorded Islamic status and assigned the category of near-compulsion)?