Birthday of Prophet Muhammad (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)

First Sermon:

 

All praise is due and belongs to Allâh. We praise Him, seek His help and forgiveness and repent to Him. We seek refuge with Allâh from the evils of ourselves and from the wickedness of our own deeds. Whomever that Allâh guides, none can mislead him, and whomever He sends astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allâh alone with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ )

(O you who believe, fear Allâh as he should be feared and die not unless you are Muslims) [Al-Imran: 102]

 

( يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاء وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا )

(O people fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul. From it, He created its spouse, and from both of them scattered many men and women. Fear Allâh, by whom you ask one another, and (fear) the wombs (lest you sever its relationship). Allâh is ever watching over you). [An-Nisa: 1].

 

( يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا * يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَن يُطِعْ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا )

(O you, who believe, fear Allâh and say sound statements. He will mend your deeds for you and forgive your sins. Whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger shall win a great victory) [Al-Ahzab: 70-71].

O Muslims! Allâh  has blessed us with great blessings, and wonderful graces, that are neither countable nor limited. Allâh , the most High, said,

( وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآ‌ۗ  )

And if you count the Blessings of Allâh, never will you be able to count them [Ibrahim: 34]

 

The greatest of these blessings that prompt to always thank Allâh , the most High, is the advent of our Prophet Muhammad, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), with the true religion, to save the nation from misguidance, and guide them to all that is good, after they had been living the life of ignorant fools. Allâh, the Almighty, said,

  (لَقَدۡ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ إِذۡ بَعَثَ فِيہِمۡ رَسُولاً۬ مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡہِمۡ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَڪِّيہِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحِڪۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ)

Indeed Allâh conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur'ân), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'ân) and Al¬Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet], while before that they had been in manifest error [Al-Imran: 164].

 

He also said,

( هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلۡأُمِّيِّـۧنَ رَسُولاً۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡہِمۡ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيہِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬)

He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur'ân) and Al-Hikmah (the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad). And verily, they had been before in manifest error [Al-Jum'ah: 2]

 

Then Allâh  sent the guide, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), "to Arabs who could neither read, nor write; to recite the Quran to them, purify them of the filths, corrupt doctrines and bad manners, and to teach them the Qur'an and Sunnah. In fact, before his mission they were in apparent deviation from the truth" (Tafseer As-Sa'di).

The Prophet, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), came as a response to the invocation of his father Ibrahim (Abraham) when he said, as Allâh  recounted about him,

( رَبَّنَا وَٱبۡعَثۡ فِيهِمۡ رَسُولاً۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡہِمۡ ءَايَـٰتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيہِمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ )

 "Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Qur'ân) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islâmic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophethood), and purify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise [Al-Baqarah: 129].

 

Moreover, he was the glad tidings given by his brother Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, as Allâh , the most High, reported about His prophet, Isa, peace be upon him:

( وَإِذۡ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيۡكُم مُّصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةِ وَمُبَشِّرَۢا بِرَسُولٍ۬ يَأۡتِى مِنۢ بَعۡدِى ٱسۡمُهُ ۥۤ أَحۡمَدُ‌ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ قَالُواْ هَـٰذَا سِحۡرٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬)

And (remember) when 'Īsā (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), said: "O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allâh unto you confirming the Taurâh [(Torah) which came] before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed. But when he (Ahmed i.e. Muhammad) came to them with clear proofs, they said: "This is plain magic" [As-Saff : 6].

 

He was the vision of his mother before his birth when she saw in a dream that a light came out of her, that lit up the palaces of Sham (Great Syria). All these three qualities have materialized in him, as he was the answer to the invocation of Ibrahim (Abraham), the confirmation of the Messiah (Christ), and the interpretation of the vision of his mother.

 

He, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him),  was born in Makkah, in the year of the Elephant, in the month of Rabi'e Al-Awwal, the year in which the king of Abyssinia raided the Ka'bah, intending to demolish it but Allâh  turned him away from it and sent down on him and his army the greatest penalty, as Allâh  said in the Holy Book:

( أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصۡحَـٰبِ ٱلۡفِيلِ * أَلَمۡ يَجۡعَلۡ كَيۡدَهُمۡ فِى تَضۡلِيلٍ۬ * وَأَرۡسَلَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ طَيۡرًا أَبَابِيلَ * تَرۡمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ۬ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ۬ * فَجَعَلَهُمۡ كَعَصۡفٍ۬ مَّأۡڪُولِۭ  )

Have you (O Muhammad) not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant? (1) Did He not make their plot go astray? (2) And He sent against them birds, in flocks, (3) Striking them with stones of Sijjîl (baked clay). (4) And He made them like (an empty field of) stalks (of which the corn has been eaten up by cattle) [Al-Fil: 1-5].

 

That divine punishment was a protection for the Sacred House, and an antecedent to the mission of our Prophet Muhammad (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him). It was a stage that witnessed changes in life, which Allâh  made a cause for the coming of our Prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him),   to this world.

 

Since his first view of life, he grew upon morality and sound biography, which was testified to by non-relatives even before his relatives. Even the unbelievers could not deny that. Such became the inherent ethics in him, and constant conduct in his life, which never left him for a moment. That is all the more reason Allâh , the most Purified, praised him thus:

( وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ )

And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of) character [Al-Qalam: 5].

 

His life, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), has been culminated with the beauty of divine meanings that Allâh  honored him with, through which He prepared him to bear the message that embodies  a religion, which Allâh  described as perfect. Allâh , the Almighty, said,

( ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِى )

This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you [Al-Maedah: 3].

 

It is a message that contained an inspiration that is not permissible to have any increase or decrease. Anything that comes to it, which is not legislated by him has been considered innovation in Islam, and contrary to what the best of messengers has brought, he who forbade us to commit innovations when he said, "And beware of newly invented matters, each invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance" (Abu Dawud).

 

However, there are some who sought and seeks to bring about innovations, invent fads and delusions, and introduce extraneous alien affairs in the Islamic religion in form of worship, including the establishment of anniversary forums for the birth of the Prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), and named that (the Holy Birthday Festival). It is a celebration or festival as they claim and attributed it to the religion of Islam, but in reality, it is a reprehensible innovation, and an act of worship, which Allâh  has not revealed. It was not done nor commanded by the Prophet, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), and none of his companions did it nor ordered that it should be done and they were the first and foremost people who hastened to do good deeds, and the keenest of Mankind on that after the Messenger of Allâh  (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him).

 

Hence, the celebration under the previous name is a type of innovation about which there is no doubt. It is an act of introducing something in the religion of Allâh , which is not part of it, and the Messenger of Allâh  (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him),  has forbidden pursuing that, and passed the judgment of rejection against anybody that comes with anything of that and the inadmissibility of compromising it. In this regard, the Messenger of Allâh , (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him),  said, " If anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, it will be rejected " (Agreed upon), i.e. it will be refuted, and it will not be accepted, even though he may consider it an act of worship; because there is no legislator but Allâh , and anybody that legislates for himself or others has by doing so appointed himself as a partner to Allâh . The Almighty Allâh  said,

( أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَڪَـٰٓؤُاْ شَرَعُواْ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمۡ يَأۡذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ‌ۚ )

Or have they partners with Allâh (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion, which Allâh has not ordained? [Ash-Shura: 21].

 

As well, anyone that celebrates the Holy Birth Day Anniversary has violated the law of Allâh , the most High, which was brought by His Messenger, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him). The evils committed when doing that celebration add more to the confirmation of this violation, including the following:

Seeking aid from the messenger, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), and invoking him, asking needs and relief of calamities from him, singing polytheistic poems to eulogize him;  in addition to the mixing of women and men that happens during these celebrations, which allures to committing immorality. This is besides the exorbitant funds spent on these celebrations by people who may have defaulted so much in the performance of Zakah, which is a pillar of Islam, or in spending their money in things that will bring benefit to the country and the people, which has been authorized by Allâh . This is blindness upon blindness, and part of communicative evil. It is amazing to see them celebrating the birthday of the prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), but failing to act upon his Sunnah, and arbitrate his law. Allâh , the most High said,

( أَفَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ ۥ هَوَٮٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ۬ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِۦ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَـٰوَةً۬ فَمَن يَہۡدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ)

Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilâh (god)? and Allâh knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allâh? Will you not then remember? [Al-Jaathiyah: 23].

 

Slaves of Allâh ! There are three classes of people that establish this innovation:

First Class: The imitating ignorant like those about whom Allâh  said,

( إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ۬ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم مُّهۡتَدُونَ )

Nay! They say: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we guide ourselves by their footsteps [Az-Zukhruf: 23].

 

The meaning of this is: "We indeed found our fathers on a way, doctrine and religion, and we are following the footsteps of our fathers in what they were doing and we are emulating them "(Tafseer As-Sa'di).

 

Second Class: Evil and wrongdoing mercenaries who want to eat out of the religion and satisfy their cravings behind that through eating, drinking, fun and play, and purchase of misguidance with guidance. Such people are like those concerning whom Allâh  said,

( أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشۡتَرَوُاْ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهۡتَدِينَ )

These are they who have purchased error for guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided [Al-Baqarah: 16],

 

i.e. " purchased disbelief with faith, and misguidance with guidance " (At-Tabari).

Third Class: The strayed ones who have ulterior motives of tucking on Islam and diverting people from the straight path and Sunnah and preoccupying them with heresy. Allâh  says,

( أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَڪَـٰٓؤُاْ شَرَعُواْ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمۡ يَأۡذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ‌)

Or have they partners with Allâh (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allâh has not ordained? [Ash-Shura: 21].

 

Ibn Abbas, may Allâh  be pleased with them, said, "They legislated for them a religion besides the religion of Islam "(Tafseer Al-Baghawi).

O Allâh! Beautifully return the Muslims to Your religion and facilitate for this nation its affairs in the right way, in which Your Holy Book and the Sunnah of Your Prophet are allowed to govern them, and where virtue is propagated and evil is prohibited and the banner of Islamic monotheism (Tawhid) and faith (Eiman) is raised.

 

Second sermon:

 

All praise is due and belongs to Allâh . The good end shall be for the righteous, and no aggression except upon the oppressors. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allâh , the Patron of the righteous, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, the leader of the prophets and messengers.

 

Slaves of Allâh ! Indeed as Muslims, our duty towards the Prophet Muhammad (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), is to love him more than we love our ourselves, our children, our fathers and mothers, and to obey and comply with his orders, and avoid his prohibitions, and we follow his Sunnah and his way, and invite to it, and keep to it; because all goodness lies in following and obeying him, and all evil lies in his disobedience and the preference of what he has forbidden to what he has ordered to be done. Allâh  says,

( مَّن يُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدۡ أَطَاعَ ٱللَّه ‌ۖ )

 (He who obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allâh) [An-Nisa: 80].

 

 Again, Allâh , the Almighty, said,

( قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ )

Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me, Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful [Al Imran: 31].

 

To declare the misguidance of one that did not follow the Prophet, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him),  but rather violated his order, Allâh , the most Exalted and Glorified also said:

(فَإِن لَّمۡ يَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لَكَ فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَنۡ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هَوَٮٰهُ بِغَيۡرِ هُدً۬ى مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ)

But if they answer you not, then know that they only follow their own lusts [Al-Qasa: 50].

 

If the slave of Allâh  wishes to make good use of his love for Allâh  and his Messenger, he must ensure that whatever he puts forward is in accordance to what Allâh  has ordered, and what His Messenger, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), has commanded. He should be very keen to avoid anything that does not agree with what Allâh  has commanded or what the Prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), has ordered. Whatever he has not prescribed is a heresy that will be rejected as in the previous hadith of the Prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), when he said, " If anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, it will be rejected " (Agreed upon).

 

Slaves of Allâh ! People should not be deceived by those who claim to love the Prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him), but they do contrary of what he has demanded from them; even though they may be large in number, for the right thing is for a human being to be on the path of truth, even if he establishes it alone on his own. The argument is not for abundance and number, but to follow the truth and abide by the straight path; as Ibn Mas'ud, may Allâh  be pleased with him, said, "Congregation is that which conforms with the truth even though you were alone" (At-Tirmidhi).

 

Moreover, the sincere love for the honest and trustworthy one, (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him),  is to stick and stand by his guidance and Sunnah, and comply with and obey his orders. In a certain adage, it has been said: "Indeed, the lover to the one he loves is obedient ".

 

May Allâh  guide us and you to hold on to the Book of Allâh  and the Sunnah of His Prophet (May the blessings and peace of Allâh  be upon him),   and make us among his followers, who emulate his established Sunnah and are guided by his guidance.

 

Invoke prayers and blessings of Allâh upon the one Allâh, the Most Exalted and Glorified, has commanded you to do so when He said,

( إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا )

Allâh sends His Salah (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on the Prophet (Muhammad) and also His angels too (ask Allâh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salah on (ask Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet him with the Islamic way of greeting [Al-Ahzab: 56].