For many Muslims, it is time to celebrate the Mawlid (Prophet’s birthday). Others don’t accept this practice altogether.
Normally, when we agree, it is easy for us to behave properly with each other. However, when we are in disagreement, how do we respond?
With the upcoming birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), some arguments may arise.
What are the acceptable and unacceptable disagreements among Muslims regarding this topic and others?
Acceptable disagreement among scholars gives people a chance to hear all possible opinions that are backed by evidence.
The View That Allows Celebration
A large number of scholars throughout Islamic history have held that celebrating the Prophet’s birthday is permissible, even recommended, provided that it is observed correctly. They reason that showing joy and gratitude for the birth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is an act of shukr (thankfulness) for the greatest blessing given to humanity.
Their evidence includes the Prophet’s own practice of fasting Mondays, when asked why, he replied: “That is the day I was born, and the day revelation came to me” (Muslim). If the Prophet ﷺ himself commemorated his birth by an act of worship, then Muslims may also remember his birth through gatherings of remembrance, Qur’an recitation, feeding the poor, or other acts of goodness.
Such celebrations, when kept within the boundaries of Islam, are seen as a way to revive love for the Prophet ﷺ in hearts, teach his life story, and inspire people to follow his sunnah more closely. In this view, not only is it permissible, but those who celebrate with the right intention may be rewarded.
The View of Non-Celebration
Some Muslims prefer not to celebrate the Mawlid. They reason that the Companions did not mark the Prophet’s birthday in this specific way, and out of caution, they avoid practices they did not see directly from the earliest generations.
There is no harm in this choice, so long as it is coupled with deep love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and respect for those who celebrate out of devotion. What matters most is that the heart remains attached to the Prophet ﷺ, regardless of the form in which that love is expressed.
The Extremist View (to Be Rejected)
Unfortunately, a third view has emerged — one that goes beyond scholarly caution into harsh condemnation. Some groups declare that celebrating the Mawlid is an outright sin, and they go so far as to insult Muslims who do so. Ironically, many of these same voices remain silent, or even approving, when national or worldly anniversaries are marked with parades, concerts, or even foreign cultural festivals like Halloween.
It is not the path of balanced scholarship to stay quiet about innovations of kings and princes, while raising fierce opposition only when ordinary Muslims express love for their Prophet ﷺ. Such double standards do not represent the way of the righteous scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah.
A Call for Unity in Love
At the end of the day, whether one chooses to celebrate the Mawlid or not, our unity should remain intact. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to bring hearts together, not divide them.
If you celebrate, do so with purity of intention and within the bounds of Islam. If you do not celebrate, respect those who do so sincerely. But let us all agree on one truth: the love of our Prophet ﷺ must unite us.
