A bid’ati molvi speaking in support of innovation of Meelaad celebrations argued that Meelaad “is the origin of all other Eids”. In view of it being the “origin” of Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha (according to the bid’ati), there is the need to celebrate Meelaad in the way the qabar pujaari sect is presently doing. If Meelaad was the origin of the other Eids, why neither Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) nor the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) ever taught or practised this custom? Why is the Shariah totally silent about Meelaad if it was indeed a practice of any significance?

Meelaad celebrations are ostensibly organized to express love and honour for Rasulullah ( ). But who had greater love for Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) – the Sahaabah or those given up to acts of grave-worship? We see the Sahaabah rigidly clinging to the minutest details of Rasulullah’s ( ) Sunnah – even to such detailed acts which are not imposed on the Ummah by the Shariah. On the contrary we find the loud-mouthed grave-worshippers shunning almost every Sunnat act of Rasulullah ( ). We find clean-shaven fussaaq – dagga smoking qawwaals – singing the praises of Rasulullah ( ) with the accompaniment of haraam musical instruments. Are these fujjaar superior in love for Rasulullah

(صلى الله عايه وسالم) than the noble Sahaabah who offered their blessed bodies as shields to protect the mubaarak body of Nabi-e-Kareem ( ) from the spears and arrows of the kuffaar? But never did any of the Sahaabah innovate this custom of Meelaad.

That the Sahaabah had the highest degree of love for Rasulullah ( ) cannot be contested. Therefore, the best and the most acceptable ways of expressing love for and honouring Rasulullah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) can be obtained from only the Sahaabah. Any person who even implies that he has greater love for Rasulullah ( ) than the Sahaabah or that his way of expressing such love is better than the way of the Sahaabah is undoubtedly a shaitaan. When Rasulullah ( ) has commanded obedience to the Way of the Sahaabah, it will be quite obvious that those who deviated from the Path of the Sahaabah are the followers of shaitaan.

If Meelaad was the mother of the other Eids, then surely Rasulullah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) would have explained the importance of upholding this so-called “eid Meeladun Nabi”. But, we find that for centuries, from the age of the Sahaabah, the Ummah did not know anything about this innovated custom of the Ahl-e-Bid’ah. Only after six centuries had passed did the bid’ah of Meelaad celebration rear its head in the Ummah.

The custom of Meelaad originated in the year 604 A.H. in the city of Mosul at the behest of the evil king Muzaffaruddin Kaukri Ibn Irbal. Huge sums of money misappropriated from the Baitul Maal were squandered on festivals in the name of Meelaadun Nabi. Evil and haraam were perpetrated under cover of Hubb-e-Rasool. Today the qabar pujaaris are branding the people of the Sunnah as kaafir since they refuse to uphold a practice which has neither origin nor sanction in Islam – leave alone it being the origin of the Eids.

The bid’ati molvi in asserting that the festive of Meelaad is the origin of the Islamic Eids has only exhibited his profound ignorance. He has demonstrated that the bid’ati mind derives greater pleasure in customs and practices unconnected to the Sunnah.

A custom which was introduced six hundred years after Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم ) cannever be accorded the significance which the acts of the Sunnah enjoy. Why do the people of bid’ah consider the ways of the Sahaabah insufficient for the expression of love and honour to Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم)? Why is the Tareeqah of the Sahaabah not accorded the same concern, vigour and importance as some Muslims prefer to give to innovated customs such as Meelaad? Did the Sahaabah organize any festival? Other than the two Eids, Islam is conspicuous for its lack of festivals and celebrations. Even the Eids were not festivals and occasions of celebration as people of our times understand celebration to mean. The way to celebrate Eid is recorded in detail in the Sunnah. Haraam activities do not constitute part of the Islamic celebration of Eid. Eid too, while a day of happiness, is a day of Ibaadat. Frivolities do not form part of Islamic and Sunnah culture. Qawwaali, brigades and other western-orientated displays of the nafs are the tools of shaitaan. Such activities do not form part of the Sunnah, but they do form part of the Customary Meelaad celebrations of the qabar pujaari sect.

The 12th day of Rabiul Awwal is accorded Shar’i status and great displays of love (albeit hollow) for Rasulullah ( ) are made on these occasions of Meelaad. Did the Sahaabah then not know that Rasulullah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) was born on this day? Why did they not uphold this day as a day of Eid? Why did Rasulullah ( ) not instruct them to celebrate this day as a day of Eid and festivity? The votaries of this custom designate this day as “a day of resolution”. But why has the Shariah never described this day as a “day of resolution”? Why did the Sahaabah, despite their profound love for Nabi-e- Kareem ( ) not stipulate this day as a day of resolution? Yes, we all know that Rasulullah ( ) has described the Night of Baraa’t as the Night of Stock- taking. And, we know that Lailatul Qadr has been described as a very auspicious Night. And, we have been apprized by Islam that the 10th Muharram is a great day – not because of the Shahaadat of Hadhrat Husain (radhiyallahu anhu), but because of a number of other factors. The 10th Muharram was a day of auspiciousness

long before the martyrdom of Hadhrat Husain (radhiyallahu anhu). But, qabar pujaaris emulating the Shiahs, have introduced Shiah beliefs into Islam.

It is indeed a queer phenomenon that those who shout the loudest about love for Rasulullah ( ) are the worst criminals violating the Sunnah of Nabi-e- Kareem (صلى الله عايه وسالم). What else is to be expected from mobs of grave-worshippers. Such vile innovators who displace and murder the Sunnah will be buffeted from Haudh-e-Kauthar on the Day of Qiyaamah by Rasulullah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) and the Malaaikah. May Allah Ta’ala save us from such calamities.Love for Rasulullah ( ) is not qawwaali-singing and slogans. Love for Rasulullah (صلى الله عايه وسالم) is obedience to the Sunnah, everyday obedience.