Photo: Collected
The birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) is celebrated on 12 Rabiul Awal every year through public events. We are now calling this event as Eid Miladunnabi. It is known that when this event was celebrated for the first time, this culture spread like lightning worldwide. 12th Rabiul Awal day is the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) and at the same time, Eid Miladunnabi has been fixed a lot.
History shows that Eid Miladunnabi was celebrated for the first time in 517 Hijri. That is, the beginning of this practice about six centuries after the rise of Islam in Arab lands. That means Muslims were not familiar with celebrating the Prophet's birthday until about 500 years after his death. This is because celebrating birthdays is not part of Islamic culture. I am not saying this culture is haram. However, what I want to say is that Arabs did not practice the culture of celebrating birthdays for a long time. Arabs never cared to remember or preserve birthdays.
If we, who are now claiming to be Muslims, collect the information of our grandfather, grandmother, or one or two generations back, you will see that none of them can confirm their birthday or even the month of birth. Just have a superficial idea. Because they never gave importance to remembering the birthday so differently. The culture of celebrating birthdays comes from Western culture. Although in modern times we keep or save records of birthdays, our ancestors did not practice this culture at all.
For the same reason, the practice of celebrating the Prophet's birthday also started many years later. Representatives of the Fatimi dynasty of Egypt first organised the Miladunnabi on this Eid. The Fatimids were the ancestors of what we know today as the Aga Khan or Ismailia. The Fatimids ruled Egypt for a long time. At the time, the Fatimids, who ruled Egypt, organised about 30 to 40 festivals a year.
The first purpose of organising festivals is to divert people's attention to different sectors. The second objective is economic. When a festival is organised, many people gather in one place, and they buy and sell goods. As a result, the economy of the country is accelerated. Thirdly, if the festival is frequent, the popularity and acceptability of the ruling class also increase. That's why the ruling class is motivated to organise the festival. From that point of view, the Fatimid rulers also had different reasons behind organising 30–40 festivals a year.
This is how Ghadir Khum, the 10th of Muharram, other festivals of Shias, or today the birthday of this Imam, two days later the death day of another Imam, began to be celebrated by the Fatimids. Right, in the continuation of such practices, the culture of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him) also started. As mentioned earlier, after 517 years of Hijra, the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him) began to be observed for the first time.
150 years after the Fatimids started celebrating the Prophet's birthday, some Sunni governors took a stand in favour of this culture. For them, the idea of this festival seems very useful and fruitful for their interests. As a result, they imported this festival discovered by the Fatimids into their region. The Fatimids used to observe the 12th of Rabiul Awal in Egypt as Miladunnabi on Eid. The Sunnis organised this for the first time in the area called Mosul near Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The Sunni governor there organised Miladunnabi on the first Eid in 670 Hijri. That is, this day was almost unknown to Sunni Muslims for 670 years after Hijrah. Although the Sunnis started celebrating Eid Miladunnabi long after the Fatimids, their arrangement was very grand, luxurious, and expensive. A large number of people started participating in this festival and gradually Eid Miladunnabi became a national festival.
Initially, many jurists opposed the observance of this festival. Some even conditionally approved the festival; But within a few years, the festival grew to such a size that it was no longer possible to meet the conditions. Millions of people come and join this festival like flood waters.
Many people know about the way the Prophet's birthday is currently being celebrated. I think if you want to celebrate the Prophet's birthday, you should start fasting on Monday. Because the Prophet was once asked, why do you fast on Monday? The Prophet (PBUH) replied, 'I fast on Monday because I was born on Monday.' It is very easy to show love for the Prophet (PBUH) by celebrating his birthday one day a year. But true love can never be limited to a single day; Rather, that love should be maintained throughout the year.
Many Islamic thinkers opposed the organisation of this festival in advance. Many gave Fatwa. Some directly termed this festival as Bidyat (Not permissible). Ibn Hajar Rah: said, that although this festival is bidyat, it also has some good aspects. Many Muslims gather to celebrate this festival. In the name of the Prophet (PBUH), he offered blessings. Discusses the Prophet (PBUH). Again, some have said against the opinion of Ibn Hajar, that if it is innovation, then there can be no good in it. Even in the present time, many things are heard about Miladunnabi on Eid. Those who say in favor, make fierce comments, while those who say against it, also make very harsh comments.
This festival is not permissible, I do not want to go into that context. Just want to ask one question. And that is - can any of us love the Prophet more than the Companions? If not, then is it not safer to retain the practices and practices of the Companions? Is it not more logical to accept the decision and practice of Khulafay Rasheda and the well-known scholars of the early period regarding the subject that is so controversial? These Companions or the early Islamic thinkers followed the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) faithfully. For them, following the Sirat was the best way to show love for the Prophet.
Historians differ on the date of birth of Rasul Akram (PBUH). According to many, his birthday is 12 Rabiul Awal. And according to many, 9 Rabiul Awal. But today, due to the advancement of modern knowledge and science, it has been possible to prove by research that the birthday of Rasulullah (PBUH) was actually on 9 Rabiul Awal Monday.
Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum is the purest book of History based on sahih hadith, which is respected by everyone in the world today. It is said in this book that the birthday of Nabi Karim (PBUH), Rasulullah (PBUH) was born on 9th Rabiul Awal, Monday, 20th April, 571 AD. It has been proven through research by the famous scholar of the era, Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Mansur, and the famous astrologer of Egypt, Mahmud Pasha.
One aspect of their research is that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) himself said in a Sahih Hadith that he was born on a Monday. Mahmud Pasha researched and calculated that the date of 12th Rabiul Awal was not Monday but Thursday. Monday was 9 Rabiul Awal.
So, it can be said that there is no ambiguity about the date of birth which was there in the past. After the results of Mahmud Pasha's research were published, all learned men accepted it and no one could refute his evidence. Therefore, the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) is 9 Rabiul Awal; Not 12 Rabiul Awal. But the consensus is that his death day is 12 Rabiul Awal. The day on which the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) is celebrated is not the day of the birth of Rasulullah (PBUH), but it was his death day. So, there is no justification for observing the day as Eid.
Those who celebrate the Prophet's birthday by organising festivals, mainly want to show their love for the Prophet. I don't agree with that. Why do you love the Prophet (PBUH) only one day a year? Rather, you should love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) every day of the year, every moment.
And that love has only one way, and that is to implement the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) in his life. If we can do what the Prophet (PBUH) has asked us to do, then we will be able to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) in the most meaningful way, and we will be able to prove our true love for him.
If we claim to love someone, organise a festival for him one day, and ignore his teachings and philosophy all the days of the year, then how is that love? We can claim true love only when we can mould our entire lives in the light of the Sunnah of the Prophet.
The Writer is a Researcher, PhD, University of Rajshahi and Lecturer, Rajshahi Cantonment Public School & College. He could be reached at [email protected].
Messenger/Disha
