The birth of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ is without question the greatest blessing Allah ﷻ bestowed upon humanity. The question of whether Muslims may gather to express joy, gratitude, and love on the occasion of his birth — known as Mawlid al-Nabī or Milād al-Nabī — is one that has been discussed by scholars across the centuries. This article presents the evidence from the Qurʾān, the authentic Ḥadīth, and the positions of the classical Sunni scholars.
The Qurʾānic Basis for Rejoicing in the Prophet ﷺ
Allah ﷻ commands us in the Qurʾān:
“Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy — in that let them rejoice. It is better than what they accumulate.”
Sūrah Yūnus (10:58)
The great Imām of Tafsīr, Imām Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī (d. 911 AH) — himself among the earliest scholars to write explicitly in defence of the Mawlid (Ḥusn al-Maqṣid fī ʿAmal al-Mawlid) — cited this very verse as evidence. The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ is the greatest mercy of Allah upon His creation, and rejoicing in his coming is precisely what this āyah calls for.
Allah ﷻ also declares:
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds.”
Sūrah al-Anbiyāʾ (21:107)
Expressing gratitude and joy at the arrival of this mercy is not only permissible — it is a natural expression of Imān.
The Prophetic Precedent: Fasting on Mondays
The Prophet ﷺ himself established the principle of marking the day of his birth with an act of worship. When asked about fasting on Mondays, he ﷺ replied:
“That is the day on which I was born, and the day on which I received revelation.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ṣiyām, no. 1162
This is foundational: the Prophet ﷺ himself acknowledged his birth as a day worthy of special gratitude to Allah ﷻ. He expressed that gratitude through fasting. The scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah conclude from this that commemorating his birth — in any form of permissible worship, dhikr, gathering, and sending of ṣalawāt — carries the same spirit.
What Do the Classical Scholars Say?
The question of the Mawlid has been addressed by some of the greatest scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah:
Imām Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī (d. 911 AH) — Shāfiʿī scholar, Mujaddid, and Ḥāfiẓ of Ḥadīth — wrote Ḥusn al-Maqṣid fī ʿAmal al-Mawlid, declaring the Mawlid gathering a praiseworthy innovation (bidʿah ḥasanah).
Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (d. 852 AH) — the unrivalled master of Ḥadīth sciences — was asked about the Mawlid and responded that its foundation is sound, grounded in the Ḥadīth of fasting on Mondays. His student al-Suyūṭī recorded this position.
Imām Shams al-Dīn al-Sakhāwī (d. 902 AH) — also a student of Ibn Ḥajar — stated in al-Faḍl al-Mawfūr: the practice of holding Mawlid gatherings continued without any scholar of the mainstream condemning it until recent centuries.
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (d. 561 AH) — the Ghawth al-Aʿẓam and Imām of the Qādirī spiritual path — was renowned for his deep love of the Prophet ﷺ and the expression of that love. The entire tradition of the Qādiriyyah centres on ṣalawāt, remembrance of the Prophet ﷺ, and gatherings in his honour.
Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥajar al-Haythamī (d. 974 AH) — Shāfiʿī jurist — explicitly declared the Mawlid gathering mustaḥabb (recommended) when free of forbidden acts.
Imām Ibn Kathīr (d. 774 AH), in his celebrated al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, praises those who celebrate the Mawlid with proper conduct, saying: “May Allah have mercy on the one who makes the night of the birth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a night of celebration and joy.”
The Concept of Bidʿah Ḥasanah
Opponents of the Mawlid often raise the argument that it is a bidʿah — an innovation not practised in the time of the Prophet ﷺ. However, the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah have always distinguished between bidʿah sayyiʾah (blameworthy innovation, which contradicts the Sharīʿah) and bidʿah ḥasanah (praiseworthy innovation, which serves the religion without contradicting it).
The Prophet ﷺ himself said:
“Whoever establishes a good practice (sunnah ḥasanah) in Islam shall have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1017
Imām al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH), in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, explicitly states that not every newly introduced matter is forbidden — only that which contradicts the Qurʾān, Sunnah, or consensus of scholars.
The Khalīfah ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ؓ himself used the word bidʿah in a positive sense when he said of the congregational Tarāwīḥ prayer: “What a good innovation this is!” (Niʿmat al-bidʿah hādhihi!) — recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2010.
Conditions for a Proper Mawlid Gathering
The scholars agree that any Mawlid celebration must be:
- Free of forbidden acts — no impermissible music, no unlawful mixing, no extravagance leading to waste
- Filled with permissible remembrance — recitation of Qurʾān, ṣalawāt upon the Prophet ﷺ, narration of the Sīrah, scholarly discourse
- Motivated by love and gratitude — not cultural habit or pride, but a sincere expression of faith and Imān
When conducted with these conditions, the Mawlid gathering is not only permissible but an act of worship in which participants earn immense reward.
Conclusion
The celebration of Mawlid al-Nabī ﷺ — when conducted in a manner consistent with Islamic principles — is permitted and supported by the Qurʾān, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah across centuries. To love the Prophet ﷺ, to remember his birth, and to gather in his honour is among the clearest expressions of Imān.
“Say: If you love Allah, follow me — Allah will love you and forgive your sins.”
Sūrah Āl ʿImrān (3:31)
May Allah ﷻ bless us with true love of His Beloved ﷺ and keep us firm upon the path of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah. Āmīn.
