Mawlid an-Nabi (s)
Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah nahmadhu wa nasta`eenu wa nastaghfiruhu wa nastaydihi bihi wa nashadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wahdahu la shareeka lahu wa nashahadu anna Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadan `abduhu wa habeebuhu wa Rasooluh. Arsalahu 'Llaha ta`ala rahmatan li 'l-`ibaad, arsalahu Sayyidi 'l-Bashar, Khaatamu 'r-Rusul, `alayhi afdal as-salaatu wa 's-salaam.
I would like to say that in some countries around the world, tonight is the night of the Prophet's (s) birthday. It is the 12th of Rabi` al-Awwal. In other countries like Cote’ d’Ivoire, the celebration of Mawlid An-Nabi (s) is tomorrow evening. So that is why I said in some countries it is tonight, and in other countries it is tomorrow. Whatever night it is, we hope Allah (swt) will dress us with the barakah and blessings of Sayyidina Muhammad (s). Whatever day it is, we hope that Allah (swt) will dress us with the blessings of Sayyidina Muhammad (s).
Today, I was in the car and on the radio they were speaking about the birthday of our Prophet (s). The speaker and the one who was asking the questions were discussing if the birthday of the Prophet (s) is an obligation (to celebrate) or is it something that people can or cannot do, is it up to them? The discussion went through and they came to an answer that some people considered that they have to do it and some people, they say "you cannot celebrate it." Then the discussion went into those who celebrate, may Allah (swt) bless them, and those who don’t like to celebrate, may Allah (swt) make them one day to celebrate it. They concluded on a very fine point, which I am questioning! They said, “It is not the night and the birth which is important. It is important what Prophet (s) brought with him, the Message.”
I say, you are wrong! Most important is the moment that Sayyidina Aminah (r) gave birth to the Prophet (s), because it is the beginning of Islam, so the birth of Muhammad (s) is the birth of Islam! It is important to know the date when Prophet Muhammad (s) was born and what we have to do on that night. It was not only he was born and finished, no! They were quoting Ibn Kathir (r) a big historian and eminent scholar, but they didn’t quote what happened in the mawlid when Prophet (s) was being born. What happened that the fire of Persia with its palaces where shutting down and went into an earthquake! The fire of Iran (Persia) stopped. Heavens were decorated by angels, happy for the birth of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)! That’s why the moment of the birth of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is so important and we never accept anything other than that!
You Muslims! Husbands and wives! When your wives are not pregnant, you go crying day and night, running from one doctor to another doctor for your wife to have a child. When you have a child, you have a big celebration. People are sending you flowers to the hospital or to your home. People are coming and congratulating you and giving you gifts.
So what do you think about the birth of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)? (Mawlana stands.) The Messenger of Islam! The Messenger of Islam! The Messenger of Islam, Sayyidina Muhammad (s)!!! Alfu salaat, alfu salaam `alayka yaa Rasoolullah, yaa Rahmatuli 'l`Alameen, yaa Shafee`u 'l-mudhnibeen! (Mawlana sits.) It is the celebration of heavens, the celebration of the night of Sayyidina Muhammad's birth; it is not a simple celebration! All the angels were celebrating, because Allah (swt) created every creature for the sake of Sayyidina Muhammad (s.)
لولاك لولاك ما خلقت الأفلاك
Law laaka law laaka maa khalaqtal aflaak.
If not for you (O Muhammad!) I would not have created Creation. (Hadith of Law Laak)
Allah (swt) gave him that honor, He put His Name with the name, "Muhammad"; you cannot say, La ilaaha illa-Llah, without saying, Muhammadun Rasoolullah. If we say, La ilaaha illa-Llah alone, we are not Muslim! Allah (swt) raised Sayyidina Muhammad (s) to:
كان قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى
kaana qaaba qawsayni aw adna,
two bows' length or nearer, (53:9)
...where He did not raise anyone else, only His beloved, Sayyidina Muhammad (s)!
O Muslims! Do you not hear these (radio shows)? What they say to you, they are trying to poison you! Be careful in this country and try not to be poisoned. Celebration of Prophet’s (s) birthday has to be on the right day, and every night if you can. If you do not say in your prayer, As-salaamu `alayka ayyuha 'n-Nabiyy, your prayer is not accepted. Even if you read al-Fatihah, or the surah, or you read anything in the at-Tahiyaat, if you do not say, ayyuha 'n-Nabiyy your prayer is not perfect!
O Muslims! Open your minds, open your ears, open your hearts. Islam is not a toy to play with it, Islam is a religion of the heavens!
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ
Inna 'd-deen al-Islam.
The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): (3:19).
The religion to Allah is Islam; there is no other religion, Christianity, Judaism, all came into Islam. Prophet (s) wrapped them completely in the religion of Islam. That is why we accept Sayyidina `Isa (a) and Sayyidina Musa (a), and we accept all holy books.
O Muslims! I am so surprised to hear today that story/conversation on the radio, and how they said the night of the birth of Prophet (s) is not important! No, it is important!! Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an, that Sayyidina Yahya (a) was saying:
وَسَلَامٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَيًّا
wa salaamun `alayhi yawma wulida wayawma yamootu wayawma yub`athu haayyaa
"May peace and blessings be upon Sayyidina Yayha the day he was born..." (Surah Maryam 19:15)
Allah (swt) emphasized the birth of Sayyidina Yahya (a), so won't Allah (swt) celebrate and emphasize the birth of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)?
وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا
Wa as-salaamu `alayya yawma wulidtu wa yawma `amootu wa yawma ub`athu hayyaa.
Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day when I will be (again) raised up to life! (19:33)
Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur’an that Sayyidina Isa (a) was saying, “I was so pleased and so blessed on the day of my birth.” (Surah Maryam) This is Holy Qur’an mentioning in two different ayats. One blessing was on the day Sayyidina Yahya was born, and one blessing the day of Sayyidina Isa was born. What about Sayyidina Muhammad (s)? Allah (swt) created `Isa and Musa and Nuh and Ibrahim (a) for Sayyidina Muhammad (s). Celebrate his birthday!!! Don’t feel afraid, don’t let them poison you! Sorry that I am so angry, but this is the situation I am hearing today. May Allah (swt) forgive us!
(Mawlana passes the mic to Shaykh Quddus, who returns it to Mawlana).
ولد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في يوم الاثنين؛ لقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم حين سئل عن صوم يوم الاثنين: ذلك يوم ولدت فيه
As I said before about the celebration of the Prophet's birth, when he was asked about fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, he said to Sahabah (r), “Yes, fast on Mondays as it is the day of my birth.” He emphasized on the day of his birth.
When the maid-servant of Abu Lahab gave him good tidings of a nephew just born, and his name is Muhammad, he was so happy when Prophet (s) was born, and that is Abu Lahab, whom Allah (swt) mentioned in the Holy Qur’an as one to be thrown in the Hellfire! Andyet when he heard that good news, he immediately freed his maid-servant. What about when, after Abu Lahab died, one Sahaabi (r) saw him in a dream, telling him to say to people, “Every Monday Allah (swt) stops my punishment, because I freed my servant on the day Prophet Muhammad was born.”
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq. May Allah (swt) forgive us all. bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.