Ibn Bāz: The Mawlid is an Innovation. Don’t be fooled!

The Imām, Shaykh Ibn Bāz (رحمه الله) stated:

“المولد النبوي ليس له احتفالٌ، ولا يجوز إقامة الاحتفالات به؛ لأنَّ هذا ليس عليه دليلٌ، بل هو بدعة، ولم يفعله النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا أصحابه، ولم يأمر بذلك عليه الصلاة والسلام، ولا فعله خلفاؤه الراشدون، ولا بقية الصَّحابة عليهم رضوان الله، ولا السلف الصَّالح في القرون المفضلة الثلاثة، وإنما أحدثه الرافضةُ في القرن الرابع، ثم تبعهم بعضُ الناس.
أحدثه الرافضةُ بنو عبيدٍ القداحي يُقال لهم: الفاطميون، أحدثوه في مصر وغيرها، وأحدثوا موالد أخرى لعليٍّ، وللحسن، والحسين، وفاطمة، ولحاكمهم، ثم تبعهم بعضُ المسلمين جهلًا وغلطًا، وانتشر بين الناس الآن، فلا ينبغي أن يغترّ بالناس في هذا المقام، فالاحتفال بالموالد من البدع المُنكرة، ولا يجوز للمسلمين الاحتفال بالموالد، ولا بمولد النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام، بل كل ذلك بدعة.”

“The birthday of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم does not have any celebration and it is not permissible to organise celebrations for it, because there is no evidence for that. Rather, it is a bid’ah (innovation and heresy in the Religion). The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم never celebrated it nor did his companions, nor did he command with such (celebrations), may Allāh raise his rank and grant him peace. Also, his Khulafā’ al-Rāshidīn (rightly guided successors) never observed it, nor did the rest of the Sahābahs (companions), may Allāh have mercy upon them, nor did the Salafus-Sāleh (righteous predecessors) from the best three generations (celebrate it).

It was the Rāfidhah (Shia) who invented it during the fourth generation and thereafter some people followed them. The Rāfidhah, the offspring of ‘Ubayd al-Qaddāhī, also called Fāthimiyyōn – it was them who innovated it (the Mawlid) in Egypt and other places. They also innovated several other Mawālid (birthdays): one for Ali, another for Hassan, and for Hussein, Fātimah, and their leaders. Thereafter, some of the Muslims ignorantly and erroneously followed them (in the celebration of the Mawlid), and it has now become widespread among the people.

It is not befitting that one is fooled and deceived by the people in this situation. The celebration of the Mawālid is from the detested bida’ (innovations and heresies in the Religion) and it is not permissible for the Muslims to celebrate any of the Mawālid (birthdays), nor (is it permissible) to celebrate the Mawlid of the Prophet may Allāh raise his rank and grant him peace. Rather, all these are bid’ah (innovation and heresy in the Religion).”

Source: This excerpt is taken from Fatāwā al-Durōs, Fatwa # 3705 (حكم من يحتفلون بالمولد النبوي)