The Celebrating of Prophet’s Birthday, a Critical Study of Jurisprudence, (Usul al-Fiqh).

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the Islamic legal ruling on celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It does so by presenting and examining the evidence advanced by those who prohibit the celebration, as well as the evidence and methods of reasoning employed by those who permit it. The study further analyzes these arguments in light of established principles of uṣūl al-fiqh (Islamic legal theory), which govern subsidiary legal issues, in order to formulate a well-founded ruling on this contemporary issue of celebrating the Prophet’s birthday and to provide a clear understanding of the subject.

The purpose of this research is to analyze this controversial issue through established principles of Islamic legal theory that have previously been applied successfully to other emerging legal questions. The study seeks to provide a disciplined and methodical analysis, avoiding both excessive rigidity and unrestricted leniency.

The research concludes that among the fundamental legal principles governing acts of worship and their means is the classification of obligatory (wājib) acts into four categories: obligations with respect to the time of performance; obligations with respect to the extent or specification of their measure; obligations with respect to the determination of the required act; and obligations with respect to the person upon whom they are incumbent.

The study further concludes that the essential element underlying the contemporary practice of celebrating the Prophet’s birthday—namely, loving the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and expressing joy at his birth—falls within the fourth category, namely an individual obligation (farḍ ʿayn) incumbent upon every legally accountable Muslim. As for expressing joy at his birth, it falls under the second category of obligations, namely those whose extent or manner of fulfillment is not prescribed in a specific measure. According to these legal principles, the ruling on such expressions is determined accordingly, allowing people's engagement with the celebration to move beyond division and discord toward an atmosphere of love, harmony, and mutual understanding.