The celebration of Mawlid has no basis in the Qur’an or the Sunnah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his companions, and the early generations of Islam did not celebrate it. Imam ash-Shafi‘i, whose legal opinions many Muslims in Singapore claim to follow, also did not celebrate the Prophet’s ﷺ birthday.
The first records of Mawlid celebrations trace back to the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt, approximately 5 centuries after the Prophet’s death. The Fatimids belonged to a specific sub-sect of Shia Islam known as Ismaili Shia. They traced the Imamate through Ismail ibn Ja’far, who is not one of the Imam of the Twelver Shia. They are also classified as extremist Batini Shia by Sunni scholars.
It was later adopted in the Sunni world around the 6th/7th century Hijri, credited primarily to the ruler of Irbil, Sultan Muzaffar ad-Din ibn Zain al-Din.
Because the practice was not introduced until centuries after the Prophet, it is considered as bid‘ah by the Salaf-oriented scholars. They emphasise that expressing love for the Prophet should be shown by following his teachings daily, rather than through annual celebrations.
The Prophet ﷺ reminded us:
“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a servant. So, call me the Servant of Allah and His Messenger.” [Sahih al-Bukhari (3445)]
So what did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ do on the day of his birth? What has been reported is that he made the day of his birth a day of worship, which is different to a celebration. He was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said:
“It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.” [Sahih Muslim (1162)]
Ruling on Celebrating Mawlid: