What would it take to make one reconsider the idea that celebrating on 12th of Rabbi ul awwal may not be correct? Their argument is that if there is no proof in the Quraan or Sunnah of the exact date of the birth, why go by work of scholars.
Question:
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Mawlid un-nabi mubarak to everybody. Nowadays we see a lot of disputes and disagreement among the scholars about the birth-date of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). We all celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on 12 Rabi-ul-awal. But some of the scholars are saying in the mass media that the actual date of prophet is 9th Rabi-ul-awal , and they are also saying that some of the Muslims due to their ignorance celebrating the death of Prophet Muhammad on 12 Rabi-ul-awal. So, it is really a confusion and this is making disunity in Muslim brotherhood. what is the actual information, if you explain to us, I will be grateful to you. Jajakumullahu khairan
Answer:
The exact Hijri date of the Prophet’s birthday is a matter of a scholarly debate. The consensus of all scholars along centuries is that the Prophet was born in the Hijri month of Rabi’ al Awwal but the exact date of his noble birth is controversial. The majority of scholars nonetheless agree that the Prophet’s noble birth is on the 12th of Rabi’ al- Awwal. Therefore issues which are of multiple juristic opinions should not be a matter of division or disunity among the Muslim communities. The Prophet’s noble birth according to the Gregorian calendar is on the 20th of April and this date is in accordance with the consensus of the Muslim scholars.
As a matter of fact, Muslims should be in a constant state of joy and happiness with the birth of the noble prophet all year long and should not only confine the celebration of the Prophet’s birth to a certain day on which controversy occurs among s
Astronomical institute reveals the date of the Prophet’s birthday
What would it take to make one reconsider the idea that celebrating on 12th of Rabbi ul awwal may not be correct? Their argument is that if there is no proof in the Quraan or Sunnah of the exact date of the birth, why go by work of scholars?
Answer:
Allah said to ask the people of knowledge if you do not know. Those of the people of knowledge who have documented the issue concur on the fact that the 12th of Rabi ul Awwal is the “mashhur” or far-and-wide established date for the Prophetic birthday in the history of the Umma. The Prophet (s) said the Umma does not concur on error and Ibn Mas`ud (r) said “Whatever the Umma considers good is good in the Divine presence.”
Any other day is also a permissible date for the celebration. Nor is the form of celebration or its precise date that is the objective but belief in, knowledge of, obedience to and followership of the Prophet. Thus while the form and timing are not essential issues, the latter objectives are not open to discussion.
Since such a large majority of the Umma (and its proven, established scholars) has been endorsing the 12th of Rabi ul Awwal as the preferred date for such a long time, and since this large majority has linked the celebration of the mawlid to such essential objectives, it does not stand to reason that a “reconsideration” of “the idea” that celebrating on such a date may or may not be correct would be in any way a good use of time and energy. The whole point is to make more salawat on the Prophet before our time on this earth runs out, which is far better achieved by the pious supporters of such a celebration in its
century-old modalities than by its untrustworthy detractors at the tail-end of history.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
