After reading the comments of Bro.Mukhtar concerning Meelad-un-Nabi (saws), I would like to announce the following: The greatest proof for the validity of Meelad-un-Nabi (saws) lies in the fact that it is not forbidden anywhere and there is not one speck of evidence against it. If the Qur'an and sunnah have not forbidden a certain practice that doesn't contravene any Islamic teaching, then which mujtahid is there who dare challenge the authenticity of it?
In Islam, acts don't have to be proved, they have to be disproved. For example, if I am drinking alcohol and I come across a true Muslim, he will not ask me for prove that alcohol is permissible, instead, he will take the onus and prove to me that the Shari'ah has forbidden its consumption. In the same way, when I commemorate Meelad-un-Nabi (saws), it is not upon me to prove its validity, rather the responsibility of showing it to be unlawful lies with its opponents. So, dear opponents, do any of you possess the ability to show from the Qur'an and ahadith that Meelad-un-Nabi (saws) has been forbidden? I thought not. Whilst on the subject of alcohol, it would aid our discussion if verse 5:93 was quoted. Allah says, "There is no sin on them for what they ate in the past". This verse clearly shows that until Islam prohibits something, it is permissible.
Bro.Mukhtar has asked for Qur'anic proof of Meelad-un-Nabi. I give him verse 6:150. Allah says, "Say, bring forward your witnesses who can testify that Allah has forbidden this". This is my biggest proof. Bro.Mukhtar, show me where Allah has forbidden the commemoration of the birth of His darling Messenger (saws). If you cannot, and surely you cannot, then why not take a moment to ponder?
The ahadith are explanations of the Qur'an. Hence, verse 6:150 of the Holy Qur'an is explained by the first ever mufassir of the Qur'an, Abdullah ibn Abbas. He says that, "Whatever the Qur'an termed as halal is halal, whatever it deemed haram is haram and about which it remained silent, it is all forgiven (Abu Dawud). Shaikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith-e-Dehlwi comments on this hadith by saying, "Ibn Abbas said this to let it be known that something could only become haram by way of revelation and not by ones own desires (Ash'atul Lum'aat). Meelad-un-Nabi is nowhere forbidden, hence, it is totally allowed in Islam to commemorate it.
If someone is still trying to deem the Meelad-un-Nabi (saws) as a bad innovation, then a pause for thought. If gatherings called Tawhid conference, Qur'an and Sunnah conference, Seerat conference, Dawat conference or Azmat-e-Sahaba conference were organised on an annual basis as the Meelad-un-Nabi gatherings are, then what would be your verdict on this? Would they be classed as innovations because none of them are mentioned in the Qur'an or the ahadith? Or is your attack and definition of innovation only geared towards those gatherings called `Meelad-un-Nabi'? Why the double standards? If Meelad-un-Nabi is an innovation, then so are all the rest since none of them have been ordained by the Qur'an and sunnah.
By the way, the question that I posed in my last letter remains unanswered: Since the Prophet (saws) didn't celebrate his children's birthdays, would that make all those Muslims innovators who do celebrate their children's birthdays? I ask this because according to your definition of innovation, this is the conclusion that we must reach. Whereas the correct definition of innovation in religion allows all those acts, even if they are new, as long as they do not contravene any Islamic teaching.
Bro.Mukhtar, your e-mail address puzzles me. You haven't gone and dug your own grave have you? `ichi786@aol.com'? Since you claim only to follow those methods outlined by the Qur'an and sunnah, will you care to show me where the Qur'an and sunnah have allowed the use of the number `786' to stand for the basmala? According to your own (and not my) definition of innovation, you have entrapped yourself. Will you still not change your interpretation?
Also, Bro.Mukhtar forgot to comment on the hadith of Muslim that showed that our dear Prophet (saws) commemorated Meelad-un-Nabi 52 times a year and he also overlooked the passage from Imam Abu Khattab Maghribi's book that proved that the sahaba also commemorated the Meelad.
Innovation in Islam is that new act that contravenes Islamic teachings. If the new practice infact upholds Islamic teachings, then no way can it be termed as being bad. Let me quote a hadith of our dear Prophet (saws). "When a nation invents a bid'ah, a similar sunnah is extinguished" (Mishkat). Now, with a clear conscience contemplate: Does commemorating Meelad-un-Nabi change any taught method of the dear Prophet (saws)? Does it extinguish any one of his blessed sunnah? It certainly does not. So, please dear brethren, we must first take a look at our definitions and ourselves before we point fingers at others. If we accuse one of innovating, are we not engrossed in innovation ourselves? Are those whom we are accusing extinguishing a known sunnah? If not, then take heed and for your own sake, stop polluting the minds of innocent Muslims.
Allah knows best.
Muhammad Aqdas
