# Is it okay to celebrate the Mawlid?

*Celebrating the Mawlid: up to people, but not the street processions*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr4-gh0qez4/s/10/
- Date: 2020-08-04 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti Abu Layth #176 *Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted!* 🤣 (45:55–47:45)
- Status: a more recent answer exists: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eo90sv4jvho/s/23/; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR4-gh0qEZ4&t=2755s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr4-gh0qez4/

**Topics:** Non-Muslim festivals and greetings; The Maliki school

**Question as asked:** What is your opinion on celebrating the Mawlid of the Prophet?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says people may celebrate the Mawlid if they wish, though he does not, but road-blocking processions are a nuisance he condemns.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that if people want to celebrate the Mawlid he feels why not, though it is not really established as part of the religion.

**Evidence, his words at 46:21:** “Yeah, sure. I think people can if they wanted to. Uh it's not um it's not really established as part and parcel of the religion but if people want to celebrate it I feel why not.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR4-gh0qEZ4&t=2781s)

## Longer summary

Asked for his opinion on celebrating the Mawlid, Mufti Abu Layth says people can celebrate it if they want to; it is not established as part of the religion, but he is not against it. Mufti says he does condemn the mega processions that block roads and inconvenience others. Mufti says he does not practise it himself because the Prophet and the early Muslims never did it and he follows the principles of the school of Medina and Imam Malik, who did not recognise innovations, but he does not condemn those who do.

## Sources and names cited

- mawlid
- bid'ah (innovation)
- Imam Malik

## Transcript (machine tier, 45:55–47:45)

[45:29] Ended up on my live stream and she's having a go at me. [laughter] I didn't slaughter anything. So, this one not nice. Let's take a look at some serious questions now. [snorts] Mary red, you are right. You are right.

[45:55] You are a rightite. Mary red Abdam says, Mary red, you are a right. What a fool. [laughter] I Abd [laughter] you are a right. You are a right to huh Mui. What is your opinion on celebrating Miladon Nabi?

[46:21] Yeah, sure. I think people can if they wanted to. Uh it's not um it's not really established as part and parcel of the religion but if people want to celebrate it I feel why not. I'm not against uh people celebrating it. Um I am against Okay. I don't like the whole, you know, the whole mega commemorations, the processions in the street and the blocking off the roads and causing inconvenience to others and you know all of that.

[46:56] I I don't I don't I do condemn that, right? Because I think that's just ridiculous. It's a nuisance. It's inconvenience. But generally if people in masids or at home want to do some kind of commemorate the day, it's up to them. I don't personally uh because it's not established in Islam to do that and the prophet and the early Muslims never did things like that.

[47:21] So I'm in my general practice upon the principles of the school of Medina and Imam Malik who didn't really recognize innovations in Islam. So, I don't personally practice that, but if people do, I don't condemn them. I don't say, "Oh my god, what the hell are you doing? You're going to hell." It's their choice, each to their own. To some people, that helps them.

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment TR4-gh0qEZ4/s/10. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr4-gh0qez4/s/10/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.