Fortifying the View that Praising Prophet Muhammad’s Birth is Nothing New
Fortifying the View that Praising Prophet Muhammad’s Birth is Nothing New
A Summary of the Prose Composed by Sayyidunā Abbās ibn Abdul Muttalib
By
(Rabī-ul-Awwal 1439 – November 2017, edited 2020)
As the month of Rabī-ul-Awwal dawns, hundreds and millions of Muslims across the globe will naturally recollect the great favour of Allāh upon us and follow to commemorate the birth of the Beloved Messenger J also known as the ‘Mawlid’ gatherings in some parts of the world, but as ‘Sīrah’[1] gatherings in other regions. The atmosphere during this time is livid with ecstasy as those who recollect the greatest gift of Allāh Y upon us (in sending His Beloved, Prophet Muhammad J) gather during various nights to place on record their immense gratitude for this inestimable gift. The make-up of these gatherings entails recitation of Qur’ān, poetry in honour of the Prophet J, discourses by Ulamā (scholars) regarding the Prophet’s J life and times with view to extrapolating numerous lessons, and is usually concluded with salawāt (salutations) upon him.
Alas! There are those, who, amid great chaos and destruction in the world – by the clear enemies of Islām – choose to focus their collective energy on incessantly attacking the Mawlid gatherings every year without fail. Notwithstanding all of their efforts, by the Grace of Allāh Y the Mawlid gatherings have seen a tremendous rise in numbers throughout the world.
Suffice to say, that the majority of the world’s 1.78 Billion Muslims prefer to ignore the marginal calls to desist from attending these immensely virtuous gatherings. This is because the attendees view it as a means through which they can develop a close bond with the Beloved Messenger J by learning about him, and in the process, earn the pleasure of Allāh Y instead of remaining in worldly gatherings.
Remembering Allāh’s Greatest Gift upon the Believers
Without the conveyance of the Beloved Messenger J, the Ultimate Power, Infinite Mercy and Immeasurable Knowledge of God would have been relatively unknown to us all. Hence, we must affirm that Allāh Y has favoured us with the great gift of sending unto us the Beloved Messenger J. This is confirmed from the following verse of the Qur’ān,
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّـهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
“Allāh has indeed bestowed a great favour upon the Believers, in that He sent to them a Noble Messenger (Prophet Muhammad k) from among them, who recites to them His verses, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom; and before it, they were definitely in open error.”[2]
A study of the Hadīth corpus reveals that unlike those who claim to follow the companions only according to the agenda of their movement, the companions understood this fact better than the detractors today and gathered particularly to remember that great gift as follows,
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّه خَرَجَ عَلَى حَلْقَةٍ – يَعْنِي مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ – فَقَالَ ” مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ ” . قَالُوا جَلَسْنَا نَدْعُو اللَّهَ وَنَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا هَدَانَا لِدِينِهِ وَمَنَّ عَلَيْنَا بِكَ . قَالَ ” آللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ إِلاَّ ذَلِكَ ” . قَالُوا آللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَنَا إِلاَّ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ ” أَمَا إِنِّي لَمْ أَسْتَحْلِفْكُمْ تُهَمَةً لَكُمْ وَإِنَّمَا أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُبَاهِي بِكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ “
Narrated by Sayyidunā Abū Sa’īd Al-Khudrī 6 who stated, “Mu’āwiyahE said, ’The Messenger J of Allāh went out to a halaqah (circle) – meaning, gathering of his Companions – and said, ‘What are you (all) doing?‘ They said, ‘We have come together to 1) pray to Allāh and 2) praise Him for guiding us to His religion, and (for) 3) blessing us with you.‘ HeJ said, ‘I ask you, by Allāh, is that the only reason?’ They said, ‘By Allāh, we have not come together for any other reason.’ He J said, ‘I am not asking you to swear to an oath because of any suspicion; rather Jibrīl j came to me and told me that Allāh, the Mighty and Sublime, is boasting of you (your gathering) to the angels.”[3]
The aforesaid gathering of the companions fulfills the very objectives of the Mawlid gatherings today and further proves that the companions saw it as permissible to gather in remembrance and gratitude of the greatest favour of Allāh Y upon us. Contemplatively, the Prophet k did not give a command to any of his companions to gather in such a manner, yet without any such prior command they saw it as being permissible to do so. If the above cited reasons for their gathering were indeed impermissible or regarded as a reprehensible innovation (Bid’ah), then the Beloved Messenger J would have reprimanded them immediately. After all, was it not him Jwho explained what innovations are? Who would have known better if not the one who elucidated these matters in the first place?
Contrarily, the Messenger J revealed that their gathering had admirably been mentioned by the Creator to His angels. Hence, those who arrange and attend any gathering, in which Allāh Y is praised, acknowledgment of the gift of guidance is stated, and honouring the immense favour of Allāh Y in the form of the sending of His Beloved Messenger is intended, then Allāh Y willing, it is hoped that those gatherings also receive mention by Allāh Y to His angels. Āmīn!
Praising the Messenger
Within the parameters of the Mawlid gatherings, a key component of expressing love towards Allāh’s Y Beloved J is by highlighting his physical features, his miracles, and sayings etc. in the form of poetry and prose. This is nothing new as there are thousands of narrations from the companions who narrated these matters too. This segment in these honorable gatherings has come to be known by a form of rendition known as ‘Nā’t’ (praise). One would assume that the lovers of the Prophet J would welcome such a segment with open arms as the one reciting exerts much effort in order to praise the Prophet J. Alas, this particular aspect within the Mawlid gatherings has come under fire from those who claim that the Nā’t renditions are a form of ‘excessive’ praise and are not proven from the Sunnah, and is therefore reprehensible. The logical flow for such an irrational premise is as follows;
Premise One – Anything that the Messenger Jdid not do is forbidden.
Premise Two – The Messenger Jdid not advocate Nā’t.
Conclusion – Therefore, Nā’t is forbidden.
Premise one is flawed because there exists no maxim from the Qur’ān, Sunnah, or the scholars of the Salaf explicitly stating that the lack of a prophetic practice results in the impermissibility of an action. This itself is an innovated maxim that has no textual evidence from the Salaf to support its claim.
The Islamic Lifestyle Solutions has already published numerous articles on the subject of Bid’ah and the various viewpoints with the evidence from the proponents of those views; hence we will not duplicate those narratives. Instead, we will produce just one narration which ought to suffice in proving the validity of Nā’t renditions.
Socio-Historic Background of the Qasīdah
The background of the narration comes shortly after the expedition of Tabūk around 8AH in which the Prophet J marched with approximately 30 000 companions in wake of a possible attack from the Byzantines. The narration is believed to have taken place shortly thereafter whilst the Muslim army was on its return from the expedition. The point we would like to drive is that the context of the narrative is proof of its occurrence during the lifetime of the Prophet J. Sayyidunā Abbās E was the paternal uncle of the Prophet J whose son was the famous companion and exegete, Sayyidunā Abdullāh Ibn Abbās E. Another point of note is that the stanzas of praise were composed by a member of the Noble Household of the Prophet J.
Some have opined that the Qasīdah of Abbās E was composed by the great poet, Sayyidunā Hassān ibn ThābitE. However, Ibn Kathīr has mentioned that the more valid opinion is that the couplets are attributed to Sayydunā Abbās ibn Abdul MuttalibE, who is also the narrator of the incident.[4]
The Qasīdah of Sayyidunā Abbās in Praise of the Prophet
وعن خريم بن أوس بن حارثة بن لام قال : كنا عند النبي – فقال له العباس بن عبد المطلب رحمه الله : يا رسول الله ، إني أريد أن أمدحك . فقال له النبي – ” هات ، لا يفضض الله فاك ” . فأنشأ يقول
مِنْ قَبْلِهَا طِبْتَ فِي الظِّلالِ وَفِي مُسْتَوْدَعٍ حَيْثُ يُخْصَفُ الْوَرَقُ ثُمَّ هَبَطْتَ الْبِلادَ لا بَشَرٌ أَنْتَ وَلا مُضْغَةٌ وَلا عَلَقُ بَلْ نُطْفَةٌ تَرْكَبُ السَّفِينَ وَقَدْ أَلْجَمَ نَسْرًا وَأَهْلَهُ الْغَرَقُ تُنْقَلُ مِنْ صَالِبٍ إِلَى رَحِمٍ إِذَا مَضَى عَالَمٌ بَدَا طَبَقُ حَتَّى احْتَوَى بَيْتَكَ الْمُهَيْمِنُ مِنْ خِنْدِفَ عَلْيَاءَ تَحْتَهَا النُّطُقُ وَأَنْتَ لَمَّا وُلِدْتَ أَشْرَقَتِ الأَرْضُ وَضَاءَتْ بِنُورِكَ الأُفُقُ فَنَحْنُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النُّورِ فِي الضِّيَاءِ وَسُبْلِ الرَّشَادِ نَخْتَرِقُ
Khuraym ibn AusE states, ‘We were with the Messenger J when Abbās ibn Abdul MuttalibE said, ‘O Messenger J of Allāh, It is my desire that I may praise you!” The Prophet J replied, ‘May Allāh keep your lips open (in my praise). He (Abbās) then presented (his poetry),
مِنْ قَبْلِهَا طِبْتَ فِي الظِّلالِ وَفِي مُسْتَوْدَعٍ حَيْثُ يُخْصَفُ الْوَرَقُ
1Before you came to this world you were blessed in the shadows and in the loins (of Ādam and Eve) in the time when they covered themselves with leaves.
ثُمَّ هَبَطْتَ الْبِلادَ لا بَشَرٌ أَنْتَ وَلا مُضْغَةٌ وَلا عَلَقُ بَلْ نُطْفَةٌ تَرْكَبُ السَّفِينَ وَقَدْ أَلْجَمَ نَسْرًا وَأَهْلَهُ الْغَرَقُ
2Then you descended to the earth, neither as a human being, nor as a piece of flesh, nor as a clot, but as a drop that boarded the ark when the flood destroyed the eagle and the rest of the idols:
تُنْقَلُ مِنْ صَالِبٍ إِلَى رَحِمٍ إِذَا مَضَى عَالَمٌ بَدَا طَبَقُ
3A drop that progressed from loins to wombs in the succession of the worlds and the heavens
حَتَّى احْتَوَى بَيْتَكَ الْمُهَيْمِنُ مِنْ خِنْدِفَ عَلْيَاءَ تَحْتَهَا النُّطُقُ
4Until the Preserver of All made your immense honour in the highest summit of the line of Khandaf
وَأَنْتَ لَمَّا وُلِدْتَ أَشْرَقَتِ الأَرْضُ وَضَاءَتْ بِنُورِكَ الأُفُقُ
5And then, when you were born, a light rose over the earth until it illuminated the horizon with its radiance
فَنَحْنُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النُّورِ فِي الضِّيَاءِ وَسُبْلِ الرَّشَادِ نَخْتَرِق
6Via that Light, we are illuminated, and traversing the pathways of guidance.[5]
Annotation of Qasīdah of Abbās
The above qasīdah proves that the praise of the Prophet k is indeed permissible and commendable act. Those whose epistemological approach is governed by the confines of flawed human logic will find the above couplets to be ‘excessive’ in praise of the Prophet k, but those who see beyond the boundaries and limitations of the external eye, deduce that the Prophet k ‘allowed’ him to present his poetry and did not admonish him thereafter for these supposedly excessive verses, thus it proves that if it was indeed reprehensible, then there was no greater personage with the capacity to rebuke than the one in whose name the poetry was presented. Furthermore, we have stated in previous articles that the linguistic definition of Bid’ah refers to those actions that were innovated without prior example, and the Shar’ī (legal) definition of Bid’ah refers to those practices which contravene the sharīah, in other words, they have no basis. The above narration incontrovertibly elucidates that the praise of the Prophet k in the form of poetry, does possess textual merit with basis.
Couplets 1- 4
مِنْ قَبْلِهَا طِبْتَ فِي الظِّلالِ وَفِي مُسْتَوْدَعٍ حَيْثُ يُخْصَفُ الْوَرَقُ
1Before you came to this world you were blessed in the shadows and in the loins (of Ādam and Eve) in the time when they covered themselves with leaves.
ثُمَّ هَبَطْتَ الْبِلادَ لا بَشَرٌ أَنْتَ وَلا مُضْغَةٌ وَلا عَلَقُ بَلْ نُطْفَةٌ تَرْكَبُ السَّفِينَ وَقَدْ أَلْجَمَ نَسْرًا وَأَهْلَهُ الْغَرَقُ
2Then you descended to the earth, neither as a human being, nor as a piece of flesh, nor as a clot, but as a drop that boarded the ark when the flood destroyed the eagle and the rest of the idols:
تُنْقَلُ مِنْ صَالِبٍ إِلَى رَحِمٍ إِذَا مَضَى عَالَمٌ بَدَا طَبَقُ
3A drop that progressed from loins to wombs in the succession of the worlds and the heavens
حَتَّى احْتَوَى بَيْتَكَ الْمُهَيْمِنُ مِنْ خِنْدِفَ عَلْيَاءَ تَحْتَهَا النُّطُقُ
4Until the Preserver of All made your immense honour issue in the highest summit of the line of Khandaf.
The opening verses of the poem stand to corroborate the immense Qur’ānic insight possessed by Sayyidunā Abbās 6. Upon closer inspection of couplet one, the reader will notice by now that we have interpreted the timeline as being from the era of Prophet Ādam and Hawā g. How could such an interpretation be possible? The answer lies in the choicest words utilized by Sayyidunā Abbās 6. In verse one, he used the words, يُخْصَفُ الْوَرَقُ alluding to the action of covering with leaves. A search of a requisite timeline in the Qur’ān reveals that Sayyidunā Abbās 6 was alluding to the following historic moment,
فَدَلَّاهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ ۚ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ ۖ وَنَادَاهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَن تِلْكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
So he brought them down with deception; and when they tasted from that tree, their shame became manifest to them and they began attaching the leaves of Paradise on themselves; and their Lord said to them, “Did I not forbid you from that tree, and tell you that Satan is an open enemy to you?”[6]
The two highlighted words are the exact words found in the poem. Hence it further proves that this particular style of poetry, which is based on textual evidence is a form of Da’wah to an audience who may not understand the depths of the Qur’ānic language, but upon furthere inspection reveal that link. The couplet explains the history of the lineage of the Prophet k dating back to the creation of Prophet Ādam g when he was in the heavens with our Beloved mother Hawā g. Sayyidunā Abbās 6 then progressed to point out those momentous events in which the Prophet’s k ancestry passed through the ages. Even here, by his usage of the word هَبَطْتَ (from its trilateral root denotes a descent) we find that his poetry has a basis origination from the Qur’ān, as the following verse indicates,
قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
We said, “Go down from Paradise, all of you; then if some guidance comes to you from Me – so whoever follows My guidance, for such is neither fear nor any grief.”[7]
Once more, the insight of the poet is on display as the next couplet alludes to another story in the Qur’ān regarding a third event in tracing the historical movement of the Prophet’s k ancestry dating back to the floods of the people of Prophet Nūh g. He once again emphasizes the repetition of the historical process highlighting the destruction of idolatry resonating with the mission of the Prophet k. Here too, his Qur’ānic insight in the composition of his praise in honour of the Prophet k is evident. By his usage of the word نَسْرًا (which literally translates as ‘eagle’), some literalists may have assumed that he was referring to an eagle, or others by may have assumed it was an allegory. However, a search from the Qur’ān reveals the greater details,
وَقَالُوا لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا
“And they said, ‘Do not ever abandon your Gods – and never abandon Wadd, or Suwa – or Yaghuth or Yauq or Nasr.’”[8]
The Qur’ān explained the origin of idolatry[9] and went on to name the chief idols of the era of Prophet Nūh u. Hence, the poetry of Sayyidunā Abbās 6 pointed out the presence of the Messenger’s k origin even during that time as a drop in the back of Prophet Nūh u. He then progressed to mention the transference of the prophetic line from pure back to pure womb amongst the best of successors from all realms of existence.
Thus, ‘if’ the aforesaid points mentioned by Sayyidunā Abbās 6 in the aforesaid couplets praise of the Prophet k were theologically inaccurate, then the formulator of Sharī’ah would have reprimanded him immediately. In couplet number four, Sayyidunā Abbās 6 points out the grandeur of the Prophet’s k lineage once more, even amongst those who were not prophets from his forbears. This was most probably composed to prove the nobility of his ancestry as this aspect was vital amongst the Arabs and non-Arabs at the time, as is clear from his mention of Khandaf[10], which was utilized in the poem to highlight his ancestry. The following narration further substantiates the validity of the couplets,
Hadhrath Anas t reports that the Messenger r said, “Whenever people were divided into two groups, Allāh Y placed me in the superior one until I was born from my parents. No action of the period of ignorance was ever joined to me. I have been born from the nikāh of my parents. I have also been transferred from the most purified from Hadhrath Ādam u until my parents. Thus I am the most excellent amongst you and the most superior to any of you with regards to genealogy.”[11]
The excellence of the genealogy of the Prophet k has been clarified so that we may deduce his superiority in all regards and never assume for a moment that we share any equality with him whatsoever. After all, if we cannot compare with him in birth, how then do assume comparison with him in life? This is where many have faltered by erring in the same way that Iblīs (Satan) did when he refused to bow in honour of Prophet Ādam u. His argument was based on external observation when he deemed himself superior (7:12) to Prophet Ādam u, who in his view as a mere man (15:33).[12]
Couplets 5 – 6
وَأَنْتَ لَمَّا وُلِدْتَ أَشْرَقَتِ الأَرْضُ وَضَاءَتْ بِنُورِكَ الأُفُقُ
5And then, when you were born, a Nūr (light) rose over the earth until it illuminated the horizon with its radiance.
فَنَحْنُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النُّورِ فِي الضِّيَاءِ وَسُبْلِ الرَّشَادِ نَخْتَرِق
6Via that light, we are illuminated— causing us to traverse through the pathways of guidance.
In these couplets, the specific mention of the birth of the Prophet k is explicit. By stating the birth of the Prophet k, Sayyidunā Abbās 6 clarified to all, that the recollection of his blessed birth, as a means through which we are penetrating the pathways of guidance is indeed the view of the companions. Once again, we revert the attention of the reader to our consistent point of interest by asking, ‘If the remembrance of the birth of the Messenger k was indeed the heinous crime that it is made out to be, why then did the Prophet k not seal the fate of Abbās 6, -and for all those poets to follow-, by stopping him immediately? The simple answer is that the Messenger k saw no harm in firstly, the concept of renditions in his praise, and secondly, by the mention of his birth as a factor which brought about the light of guidance to a people enveloped in darkness. His approval may be deemed as direct permission on the permissibility of its remembrance. If that is not the case, then as a corollary of the accusation upon the remembrance and praise of the Prophet k as an innovation, the implications of such a thought process may allude to the fact that the objectors hold their understanding of ‘right and wrong’, to be superior to the understanding of the Prophet k. That is not an uncharitable statement at all! We seek refuge in Allāh Y from such a misguided ad indeed wayward philosophy.
In relation to the ‘nūr’ upon the birth of the Prophet k, there are numerous traditions which explain the phenomenon of a great light that illuminated the horizons. Of course, for those who have studied the events upon his birth, it is not a phenomenon, but a miracle to announce the birth of Allāh’s Y Beloved k.
Regarding the account of that nūr, the following narration explains,
عن أبي أمامة قال : قلت يا رسول الله، ما كان بدء أمرك؟ قال : دعوة أبي إبراهيم وبشرى عيسى، ورأت أمي أنه يخرج منها نور أضاءت له قصور الشام .
Narrated by Sayyidunā Abū Umāmah 6, ‘I asked, ‘Oh Messenger k? When did your lifespan commence?’ The Prophet k replied, ‘(I am the result) of the supplication of Abraham g, the glad-tiding of Jesus k, and (I am) that Nūr which my mother saw emanate from her, through which the palaces of Shām (Syria) were illuminated’[13]
Sayyidunā Abbās 6 was alluding to this nūr upon the birth of the Prophet k which illuminated the horizons as far as the palaces of Ash-Shām[14]. What a spectacle it must have been to behold! These ‘signs’ act as a catalyst for the searching eyes of the lovers, to attest the magnificence of God’s Beloved k, but alas, the majority of humankind are heedless of the signs (10:92).
The Supplication of Prophet Abraham g (after completing the renovation of Al-Ka’bah) was a reference to the following verse of the Qur’ān,
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
“Our Lord! And send towards them a Noble Messenger, from amongst them, to recite to them Your verses, and to instruct them in Your Book and sound wisdom*, and to fully purify them; indeed You only are the Almighty, the Wise.”[15]
The following verse stands to corroborate the birth of the Prophet k as being the fulfilment of the Glad-tiding of Prophet Jesus g,
وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّـهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَـٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
And remember when Esa the son of Maryam said, “O Descendants of Israel! Indeed I am Allāh’s Noble Messenger towards you, confirming the Book Torah which was before me, and heralding glad tidings of the Noble Messenger who will come after me – his name is Ahmed (the Praised One)”; so when Ahmed came to them with clear proofs, they said, “This is an obvious magic.”
To corroborate an account from the view of a third person regarding the nūr which was seen, according to Imām Al-Bayhaqī 6, the mother of Uthmān ibn Abul Ās 6 said that she was also present on the night in which the Prophet k was born. There was a nūr in the house and she could see the stars close-up till she feared that they (the stars) may fall upon her.[16]
Conclusion
The Qasīdah of Sayyidunā Abbās 6 stands to prove the following;
- The permissibility of praising the Beloved Messenger k. This is because Sayyidunā Abbās 6 sought permission to praise him and the Prophet k granted permission. Hence it is a commendable practice to praise the Messenger k
- Recollecting the birth of the Messenger k is not a reprehensible act all, as the poetry of Sayyidunā Abbās 6 contained explicit text in remembrance of his blessed birth, and was recited in front of him. The Prophet k did not rebuke him for that.
- The blessed birth of the Prophet k was highlighted as an extraordinary event highlighting the belief of the companions and was etched in these couplets for all to draw this very inference from. Thus, those who praise the Prophet k and recollect his birth, are indeed following the ways of the true Salaf (predecessors)
- The verses regarding the birth of the Prophet k distinctly clarify that the companions regarded his birth as a means through which they continued to bask in the rays of guidance.
- Approximately 30 000 companions were en-route from the expedition, yet there is not a single refutation for this qasīdah!
Those who drink from the elixir of love in recollection of the birth of the Messenger k are indeed on the way of the guiding stars of this Ummah. We will remind all readers that whilst the praise and reverence of the Messenger k is indeed nothing new, we must strive to ensure that we follow the Qur’ān and his sunnah to the best of our ability every day. May Allāh Y accept our sincere intentions and may the spirit of the Mawlid prevail in every home, every day!
[1] Sīrah refers to the Prophetic biography documenting his birth, childhood, youth, adulthood and demise. Many prefer to use the term ‘Sīrah’ gatherings as they may consider the usage of the words ‘Mīlād, Moulūd, Mawlid etc. as being in contradistinction with the Islāmic Law. However, a rose by any other name, is still a rose!
[2]Sūrah Āl-Imrān, 3:164
[3]Sunan An-Nasa’ī, Hadīth Number 5426
[4]Al-Bidāyah Wan-Nihāyah, Book on the Prophetic Biography, Page 378, Published by Baytul Afkār Ad-Dauliyyah. Unfortunately, in the English translation of the aforesaid book, the actual Qasīdah has been omitted by the deviant groups who wish to remove all traces of the praise of the Prophet J from the prophetic era. In this case, the poem is literally ‘Lost in Translation’.
[5] Al-Mustadrak Alas-Sahīhayn, Book on the Companions, Chapter regarding the Poetry of Abbās in Praise of the Prophet k. Also recorded in Majma’uz Zawā’id, Chapter on the Signs of Prophethood, Hadīth Number 13830 with reference to Tabrānī. Al-Bidāyah Wan Nihāyah, Book on Prophetic Life, Chapter on the Blessed Lineage. Al-Istī’āb fī Ma’rifatil As’hāb, Volume 2, Companion 664 (Khuraym Ibn Aus )
[6] Sūrah Al-A’rāf, 7:22. For more information on the details of their story, with view to answering the objections of the modern age, refer to the Islamic Lifestyle Solutions publication, ‘Stories of the Prophets for the Modern Age – Volume One, The Resolute Messengers’
[7] Sūrah Al-Baqarah, 2:38
[8] Sūrah Nūh, 71:23
[9] For more information on the details of their story, with view to answering the objections of the modern age, refer to the Islamic Lifestyle Solutions publication, ‘Stories of the Prophets for the Modern Age – Volume One, The Resolute Messengers, Page 137-143
[10]Khandaf or Arab Khandafis is a large group of Arab tribes known as Muda Ahmar , and belong to Elias ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Maad ibn Adnan. Elias is the brother of Qais’ Eilan ibn Mudar, the descendant of the Qais tribe. The sons of Khandaf have several branches, most prominent of which are Tamim ,Kenana , Hazil, and BaniAsad , from which many peoples and tribes descended, in addition to smaller branches, the Rabab, the Daba tribe, Mizina , Udel and BaniKa’b in Khuza’a.
[11]Imām Al-Bayhaqī in Dalā’ilon Nobowwah
[12] See Stories of the Prophets for the Modern Age, Volume One, Page 88 for more information.
[13] Imām Jalāluddīn As-Suyūtī in his Tafsīr Ad-Durrol Manthūr, Volume One, Sūrah Al-Baqarah, Verse 129, with reference to the Musnad of Imām Ahmad, Tabqāt of Ibn Sa’d, Imām Tabrānī, Ibn Mardawiyah, and Imām Al-Bayhaqī.
[14]Ash-Shām in the Prophetic era constituted Palestine, Jordan, Damascus, Lebanon etc. and should not be confused with the current borders of modern day Shām (Syria)
[15] Sūrah Al-Baqarah, 2:129
[16] Al-Bidāyah Wan-Nihāyah, Book on the Prophetic biography, Chapter Describing the Birth of the Prophet with reference to Dalā’ilun Nubuwwah by Al-Bayhaqī
