Every year when the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal arrives, discussions re-emerge within the Muslim community about whether the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) should be celebrated. While some see it as an expression of love, a closer look at the Qur’an, Sunnah, and early Islamic history shows otherwise.
No Evidence in the Qur’an or Sunnah
The Qur’an contains no verse, nor is there any authentic hadith, that commands or encourages the celebration of the Prophet’s birth. The Prophet himself never celebrated it, nor did he instruct his Companions to do so. Instead, he warned against exaggeration, saying: “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, ‘the slave of Allah and His Messenger.’” (Bukhari).
When asked about fasting on Mondays, the day of his birth, the Prophet explained: “That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was entrusted with the Mission.” (Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Nasai). This shows that his birth was remembered through worship, not festivity.
The Companions Never Celebrated It
The Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) loved him more than any later generation could. Yet, none of them—Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, nor any of the Sahabah—ever observed his birthday. If it were truly an act of devotion, they would have been the first to practice it.
The same applies to the great imams—Abu Hanifa, Malik, al-Shafi’i, Ahmad—as well as scholars like al-Hasan al-Basri and Ibn Seereen. None of them endorsed or even mentioned the Mawlid as part of the religion.
A Later Innovation
Historical records show that Mawlid celebrations began centuries after the Prophet’s passing, long after the era of the Sahabah and the early generations praised by the Prophet: “The best of people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
To suggest that true love for the Prophet was only discovered later is to imply that the earliest Muslims—those closest to him—failed to recognize its importance. This claim does not stand up to reason.
What True Love Means
The Qur’an makes it clear: “Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.’” (Aal ‘Imran 3:31).
Loving the Prophet is not about creating celebrations he never sanctioned. Real love lies in following his Sunnah, obeying his teachings, and practicing Islam as he and his Companions did. The Prophet himself said: “The best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of matters are those newly invented, and every innovation is misguidance.” (Muslim, al-Nasai).
A Call for Reflection
For Muslims who sincerely want to honor the Messenger of Allah, the path is clear: follow his Sunnah, avoid innovations, and practice the faith as he left it. The Mawlid may appear to be an act of devotion, but in reality, it departs from the Prophet’s own example and the way of those who loved him most.
As a scholar once said: “Love for the Prophet is not in celebrating his birth, but in living by his message.”
