MEVLUD IZMEĐU LIJEPOG OBIČAJA (SUNNETUN HASENETUN) I ZABRANJENE NOVOTARIJE (BIDA'TUN SEJJIETUN)
AL-MAWLID BETWEEN A GOOD TRADITION (AL-SUNNAH AL-HASANAH) AND A PROHIBITED INNOVATION (ALBID'AH AL-SAJJIAH)

Summary/Abstract: In the Muslim tradition, month of Rabi'al-Awwal has been devoted to remebrance and memory of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, through special programs, or so called Al-Mawlids every year. Each year with the arrival of the month Rabi'al-Awwal, in which Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born, we have legal Shariah discussions over the issue of marking and celebrating the birthday of Muhammad, through organizing celebrations of Al-Mawlid. Orthodox, puritanistic scholars state that Al-Mawlid is a forbidden, ugly novelty and innovation in religion (AlBid'ah Al-Sajjiah), which was invented as a festival day because of blind imitation of others, like Christians, nonbelievers etc. The other, contemporary scholars have an opinion that Al-Mawlid is a good and commendable act (AlSunnah Al-Hasanah) which has its justification and is applied through the practice and achievemnt of certain permissible forms of worship, such as recitation of the Quran, sending salutations and blessings upon Muhammad, peace be upon him, reciting prayers and dhikr and a reminder about the Seerah, ie. biography of Muhammad, peace be upon him, through religious lectures, speeches, etc. In modern terms, this event can be used in our mosques and community in educational and missionary purposes, as an expression of love for Allah's Messenger, and as a tradition and custom of modern memory and remembrance of Allah's Messenger, his teaching and his mission. Al-Mawlid should not to be taken as a religious, ceremonial event, which is unfortunately often the case in practice.

• Details
• Contents