أوصيكم ونفسي بتقوى الله
I advise you all and myself with the fear and consciousness of Allaah
Today, on this blessed day of Yawmul Jummuah, whilst the general body of Muslims fulfil an obligation which is upon them and attend the Masaajid to listen to the Khutbah of Jummuah and to pray the Salaah of Jummuah, we find that we are coinciding with two other celebrations which are not established within the religion of Islaam.
However, we find that due to various reasons which include ignorance, they include the need to appease the non-Muslims as well as a lack of understanding the religion as it needs to be understood, we find that many of the Muslim community end up celebrating or at the very least condone these two other celebrations.
They do this not understanding the gravity of their speech and action.
The first of these celebrations which the religion of Islaam does not condone, is the celebration of the day of Christmas in which the Christian community celebrates the birth of our Prophet Isaa Ibn Maryam (as).
So as for the Christians, then they are a people who are not upon Tawheed and this celebration has become part of their religion. But the Muslim, the Muslim is one who is supposed to know his religion, he is supposed to understand and implement Tawheed in his daily life. He loves that which Allaah loves, and hates that which Allaah hates, and he should be aware, of the Ayaat of Allaah in which He (swt) says in Surah Maryam verses 88-95:
وَقَالُواْ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ وَلَدً۬ا
And they say: “The Most Gracious (Allâh) has begotten a son”
لَّقَدۡ جِئۡتُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا إِدًّ۬ا
Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing
تَڪَادُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتُ يَتَفَطَّرۡنَ مِنۡهُ وَتَنشَقُّ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَتَخِرُّ ٱلۡجِبَالُ هَدًّا
Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins,
أَن دَعَوۡاْ لِلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ وَلَدً۬ا
That they ascribe a son to the Most Gracious,
وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لِلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا
But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Gracious that He should beget a son.
إِن ڪُلُّ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّآ ءَاتِى ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ عَبۡدً۬ا
There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allâh) as a slave.
لَّقَدۡ أَحۡصَٮٰهُمۡ وَعَدَّهُمۡ عَدًّ۬ا
Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting.
وَكُلُّهُمۡ ءَاتِيهِ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ فَرۡدًا
And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender).
So here, in these Ayaat we find that Allaah gives us an indication of the severity of the statement that He (AWJ) has begotten a progeny, and in reality these Ayaat should be enough to deter the Muslim from such statements and their celebrations.
However, we find that a large portion of mankind continue to make this statement and celebrate it based upon their beliefs. And although it is not upon us, as those who testify to Tawheed, to revile and curse those with such beliefs, it IS upon us to implement Tawheed and consequently distance ourselves from the celebrations of Kufr and shirk.
So it is of great wrong that the Muslim greets the non-Muslims with a greeting of their celebrations. It is of great wrong that the Muslim gives and receives presents related to these celebrations. And it is of great wrong that the Muslim attends these celebrations,or puts lights or trees and the likes in his house or shop.
All of these things which from a different angle condone these celebrations and promote them. However, we do not say that the Muslim secludes himself in the Masjid and that the Muslim community does not integrate within the larger society. What we’re trying to say is that the Muslim mixes and spreads the Dawah of Islaam whilst holding firm to his principles.
As many of us have non-Muslim families and many of us have families who are not practising, we should not close the doors of Dawah upon them and believe that we are somehow saved from punishment and they are condemned. The doors of Islaam are open to all.
However, the Muslim must use fair speech and wisdom so as to show the beauty of Islaam and not to portray it as a religion which preaches hate.
Aqoolu qawlee hadha, wastaghfir Allaah lee wa lakum wa li jamee il muslimeen. Fa astaghfiroohu, innahu huwal ghafoorur Raheem.
ALHAMDULILLAAH WA SALAATU WA SALAAM ALAA RASOOLILLAAH WA ALA AALIHI WA SAHBIHI WA MAN TABIAHUM BI IHSAANI ILLAA YAWMIDEEN. AMAA BA’D.
The second celebration which has no foundation or basis within Islaam but rather is an extension of the Christian celebration of Isaa Ibn Maryam’s birth (as), is the celebration of Prophet Muhammed’s birthday (saws), known as Eid Milaad un Nabbi.
So we find when we look into the books of Islaamic history, that this practice started in the fourth century of Hijrah, and it was started by the ‘Ubaydiyyun’ group from the Shiites who took this practice from the the Christian concept of celebrating the Prophet Isa’s birthday.
And we do not find that at the time of Allaah’s Messenger (saws) or in the first three generations of Islaam for this to be a practice which was done. So we might have him who may say:
“It does not matter if it was not celebrated in the first three generations. We do it out of love for our messenger and to honour him”
Here, we find that the evil of this innovation within the Ummah of Islaam is greater and more dangerous than that of the non-Muslims. Why? Because with the non-Muslims, their kufr and their shirk is clear and apparent, so it is easy to stay away and understand why we are not to take part.
However, with such innovations as the Mawlid, the Muslim is fooled into thinking he is doing something good and something legislated within the religion, and shaytaan deceives him into believing he is obtaining Allaah’s pleasure through such an action.
Does this Muslim not consider the saying of Allaah in Surah Maeda verse 3:
ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمَ دِينً۬اۚ
This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion.
Meaning that Allaah, through His Messenger (saws), clarified every single part of the Religion of Islaam, from its Aqeedah, its Manhaj, its acceptable forms of Ibaada as well as the correct mannerisms and characteristics that the Muslim should display.
So is it conceivable that if the Messenger of Allaah (saws) taught his Sahabah Islaam in its entirety, that he (saws) would leave out a matter such as this? And if a person is true to his claim of loving Allaah and His Messenger (saws), then the way he shows this love and respect is by honouring the religion of Islaam itself.
Meaning that the person implements its Aqeedah in his daily life, he adheres to the Messenger’s Sunnah (saws) to the best of his ability. So he emulates the Messenger (saws) in his Ibaadah, he emulates him in his character (saws), he holds onto this Sunnah with his molar teeth until Islaam becomes apparent on his very limbs.
As Allaah says in Surah Al Imran verse 31:
قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡۗ وَٱللهُ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬
Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): “If you (really) love Allâh then follow me, Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
So in this Ayaah is a command to follow the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger (saws) if you are true in you love.
And the Messenger (saws) said in a Saheeh Hadeeth found in at-Tirmidhi:
مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ
“Whoever lies upon me, then let him take his seat in the Fire”
And this includes intentional as well as unintentional lying. Therefore, from the major principles in Islaam is that we as Muslims do not say or do that which we have no precedence for from the sources of Islaam, even if we believe that action to be one of good.
Because, if that action WAS one which was good, an action which earned the pleasure of Allaah, then we would have found it in the practice of Rasoolullaah (saws), and Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq, and Umar Ibn al-Khattaab, and Uthmaan al-Affaan, and Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (Raddi Allaahu anhum ajmaeen).
So the challenge to those who hold this to be a practice within Islaam is to validate their claim by bringing a proof from the Quraan or the Sunnah, or the practice of the first three generations of Islaam, that this is legislated and that it is from the celebrations of this religion of ours. Only then will your claim be true and only then will it be accepted, and only then will it be propagated as the truth by the permission of Allaah.
Haatha wa sallu wa sallimu Raheemakum Allaah alaa Mu’alim il bashareeyah, qaaid ul bareeyah kama amarakum Allaah bis salaati wa salaam alaihi bi qawlihi:
إِنَّ ٱللهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا
Allaahuma salli alaa Muhammadin wa ala aali Muhammadin, Kama salaaita ala ibraheema wa ala aali Ibraaheema, innaka hameedum majeed.
Allaahuma baarik alaa Muhammadin wa ala aali Muhammadin, Kama baarakta ala ibraheema wa ala aali Ibraaheema, innaka hameedum majeed.
Brother Abu Hudaifah
