Rahmatul-lil-A’lamin - Milad

 Rahmatul-lil-A’lamin - Milad

BY

Mustafa F. Ansari

‘O you who believe, send upon him blessings and salute him fully well in abundance’ (33:56). ‘And all that we narrate to you of the tidings of the messengers is for the purpose of strengthening your heart there with? (11:120) ‘Indeed Allah conferred a great favor upon the believers when He sent amongst them an Apostle’. (3:164)

 

In the recent past, the wisdom of celebrating the greatest event in the history of mankind has been questioned by a certain section of the Muslim community. There have been numerous attempts in the past and more so in the recent times by the anti Islamic forces to malign and confuse issues fundamental to Islamic belief. Prominent among these have been the attacks on the personality of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and the Holy Qur'an.

 

The personality of the Holy Prophet (&) is the nexus on which is based the entire structure of Islamic belief and it is a great blessing that the historical records of his entire earthly existence have been perfectly conserved for the benefit of mankind and to the utter dismay of the enemies of Islam. Despite the nefarious designs to manipulate history, Allah (swt) has blessed the Ummah with intellectual insight, so vital to the understanding of the essence of Islam and to dispel such calumny. It is this remembrance and repetition of those epoch making moments in history that strengthens. the heart, rejuvenates the spirit and enhances conviction in the belief system of Islam and infuses the essential bondage of the love of Allah (swt), and the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) as entailed in the system of belief.

 

The commonly used Arabic word Milad is derived from “Viladat” or birth. In the MINARET present context it signifies the time and place of birth of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). The main thrust of these Miladun Nabi (ﷺ) gatherings is to remember the series of events or happenings that took place at the time of birth of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and they use this occasion at the same

time to amplify the events that led ,to the emergence of Islam through the teachings of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) in fulfillment of his extra ordinary and divine mission. It is the essential embodiment of da’wa. It is not a bi’dat (innovation), or something new being added to the practice of religion, as commonly alleged by certain segments of society. In sura Maryam, Allah (swt) commemorates the events of the Holy Prophet Essa (A.S.):

‘Salam is on him the day when hewas born and the day when he will dieand the day when he will be raised alive’. [19:15], and in the same sura of the Qur’an, the Prophet Essa (MW) story is narrated when confronted by the tribesmen, in the lap of his illustrious mother, the new born Prophet Essa (A.S.) spoke as reported in the Holy Qur’an:

‘And the same peace on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I would be raised alive’. (19:33).

 

In actual fact Allah (swt) exhorts the believers to remember, to recognize the historical moments and events when Allah (swt) bestowed bounties on His creation. In recognition lies the conscious realization of the immensity of the graciousness of Allah (swt).

‘And remind them of the days of Allah’ (14:5)

 

Prophet Musa (A.S.) was commanded to ask members of his community to remember and recount the blessings and bounties of Allah (swt) bestowed on his community. And again in the same sura Ebrahim, the narration of Prophet Musa (A.S.) of his address to his community appears.

‘And when Musa said to his people remember Al|ah’s favor upon you, when he delivered you from Pharaoh’s people who used to afflict you badly, and slaughter your sons and let your

daughters live and in it there was shown great mercy of your Lord.’ [14:6]

 

The above verse of the Holy Qur’an describes the favor of Allah (swt) in the deliverance of the nation of Prophet Musa (A.S.) from Pharaoh is a day of Allah, a day to remember, recount and rejoice. The Qur’an mentions Prophet Essa (A.S.) prayer:

‘O Allah our Lord, send down to us a tray of food from heaven so that it may be an occasion of rejoicing for us, for the first and the last of us’. [5:114]

 

The day on which supplements were provided to the community for whom Prophet Essa (A.S.) had prayed, was declared a Eid (festive occasion) for those who have gone and also for those who are to come.

 

The day of birth of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), the intercessor on the Day of Judgment, the bridegroom of Asra, the Savior of mankind, is a blissful day to rejoice the bestowal of the highest favor of Allah on the creation. It is the day when the entire humanity was delivered from

ignominy, decadence and ignorance, without any doubt, the most fortunate moment in the history of the ,creation and thus a day of Allah. There is abundant historical evidence to prove that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) delivered the then emancipated humanity at large from the clutches of ignorance and introduced the light of knowledge and divine guidance.

 

From abject barbarism, Muslims became the torch bearers of light and learning. Famous British historian and thinker Thomas Carlyle [d.1881] in his treatise ‘Heroes and Hero Worship' stated:

‘To the Arab nation it was as a birth from darkness into light. Arabia first became alive by means of it. A poor shepherd people, roaming unnoticed in its deserts since the creation of the world, become world notable; the small has grown world great. Within one century afterwards Arabia was at Grenada on one hand and at Delhi on the other. Glancing in velour and splendor, and the light of genius, Arabia shines over a great section of the world.'

He further states: ‘The word of such a man is a word direct from nature's own heart. Men must do and must listen to that or nothing else: all else is wind in comparison... No emperor with his dignity was obeyed as this rnan in a cloak of his own making’.

 

The world owes a debt of gratitude to Allah (swt) for the magnitude of this favor and particularly the fortunate Muslims who became part of his (ﷺ) Ummah. Fairness demands that such a historical event be celebrated with profound respect, love, enthusiasm and zeal than the celebration of any other event. We should also remember that if we were not grateful to Allah (swt) for his greatest favor in the advent of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), we would be inviting His wrath upon us. In this context the Holy Qur’an states:

‘And remember when your Lord proclaimed, if you will be grateful then l shall give you more and if you are thankless then my treatment is severe’

 

Remembrance is a conscious activity with a purpose. The objective is the comprehension and realization of the mercy and beneficence of the Creator on mankind. The objective is for the creation to fathom the magnificence of the blessings and favors of the Lord and to bow before Him in obedience, gratitude and in solemn submission with utmost humility, While on the subject of bounties, at another place Allah (swt) Says in the Qur’an.

‘Then remember the bounties of Allah and wander not in the earth spreading mischief’. (7174). The emphasis is again on the remembrance and recapitulation of Allah’s blessings in order to appreciate and bow to the Almighty for His favors. In the following sura Younus, Allah (swt) exhorts Muslims to think of His favors, and rejoice the greatest of Allah’s Mercy in the personality of the Holy prophet (ﷺ). The Qur’an states:

“Say you: in Allah’s Grace and in His Mercy let them rejoice. That is better than all their wealth’ (1O:58). Then again, it is said in the Qur’an:

‘Undoubtedly, Allah did a great favor to the Muslims that from amongst themselves He sent a messenger who recites unto them His Ayats and purifies them and teaches them the Book and

Hikmah and verily before that they were certainly in manifest error.’ (3:164)

 

And most significantly, remember in the back drop, the most forceful pronouncement in the Qur’an which clears all the haziness, lifts the veil and enlightens the creation about the personality of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) when it states in sura Ambiya:

‘And we sent you not but as a Mercy to all the worlds’ (21:107) The above ayat clearly illustrates Allah’s command to remember His bounties and rewards. Although each ,favor of Allah (swt) is a great mercy for us but Holy Prophet (ﷺ) is, undoubtedly, the greatest favor and blessing of Allah (swt) for the entire universe. Thus to remember and rejoice on the occasion is in accordance with the command of Allah. The Holy Qur’an states:

‘And publicize well the favor of your Lord’ (93:11)

 

Hazrat Abdullah lbne Abbas (ﷺ) explained the word favor as it appears in the above ayat. He states: ln this verse favor signifies the Nabuwwat (prophethood) and al Islam. (Tafseer lbn Abbas, Sura Al Duha, Page 651).

 

It therefore emerges from the verses of the Holy Qur’an that it is the essential duty of every Muslim to commemorate and rejoice in the birth of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and recite Darood and send Salam upon the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).

 

ln Tafseer Ruhul Bayan (vol 3, p. 54), we End that the Holy Prophet (&) stated his birth from the very beginning. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said: I had been transferred continuously from purified offspring to purified wombs. l had been given birth by a lawful marriage not by adultery. When

_Allah (swt) 'sent Adam (MW) on earth, He put me in his spine and then transferred in Noah (CMJ) in his boat, and then in Ebraham (A.S.). Allah Almighty transferred me continuously from noble off springs to the purified wombs up until He brought me in my parents who never committed adultery’.

 

Imam Bukhari (RA) narrates in Saheeh Bukhari that Abu Lahab was being punished lightly in the Hell on Monday, because he rejoiced and freed his handmaid indicating by his finger, when the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was born. As a reward of his happiness on Milad-un-Nabi (ﷺ) he receives water through his finger. Imam Shams ud din Naseer Al Damishqi has also narrated this tradition in poetry.

 

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) celebrated his own Milad by keeping fast on Mondays. Imam Waliuddin writes this narration with reference to the Saheeh Muslim. When the Prophet of Allah (éii) was asked about his fasting on Mondays, he (ﷺ) said: ‘I took birth and the Qur’an was revealed

upgln me this day. “ [Mishkat Shanti Page 179].

 

Imam AI-Hafiz Al-Suyuti in his famed work “AI-Hawii Lil-Fatawii” commends the celebration and festivities on the occasion of Miladun Nabi (ﷺ). Ibn Taymiyyah in his book “Necessity of the Right Path  p. 266, 5th line from the bottom of that page, published by Dar Al-Hadith has also favored the practice. Imam AI-Hafiz AI-Qastalani, who gave commentary on Sahih Bukhari, recommends celebrations as the best cure for the heart of an ailing person. AI-Hafiz Ibn Hajar was asked with reference to Imam Suyuti, about Milad Shareef, he supported the practice. Imam Abu-Bakr Abdullah AI-Damishqi compiled a number of books on the subject and called them “Co/lection of Traditions on the Birth of the Chosen Nabi”, “The Pure Expression on the Birthday of the Best of Creations” and “T he Spring for the Thirsty One on the Birth of the Rightly Guided".

 

Imam AI-Hatiz AI-Iraqi wrote a book and called it “The Pure Spring on the Sublime Birth. Imam Ibn Dahyah wrote a book and called it “Enlightenment on the Birthday of the Bearer of Good News, The Warner”. Imam Mulla Ali Qari wrote a book and called it “The Quenching Spring

on the Birthday of the Nabi”. (ﷺ). Imam Shams al-din bin Naseer AI-Damishqi, wrote a book in support: “The Spring for the Thirsty One on the Birth of the Rightly Guided”.

 

Imam Shams al-Din Ibn al-Jazri, wrote a book and named it “The Scent of Notification on the Blessed Birthday” Imam AI-Hafiz Ibn AI-Jawzi, said in the description of Milad: “Peace and Tranquility takes over during that year and a good glad tiding to obtain your wish and inspiration. ”