History The person who first celebrated the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad Saw

photo of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW

 

Reportedly from the Fatimid dynasty and clearly not Sunni? Different. For those from the Fatimid dynasty, all birthdays are celebrated, there are Sayidah Fatimah's birthdays, Sayidina Hasan and Sayidina Husein's birthdays, Sayidina Ali's birthdays and others. Meanwhile, we only have the Prophet's Birthday.

Therefore, hadith scholars say that the initiator was: 

ﻭﺃﻭﻝ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺣﺪﺙ ﻓﻌﻞ ﺫﻟﻚ ﺻﺎﺣﺐ ﺇﺭﺑﻞ اﻟﻤﻠﻚ اﻟﻤﻈﻔﺮ

"The person who first celebrated the Prophet's birthday was the ruler of Irbil, Raja Al-Mudzaffar." (Husnul Maqshid fi Amalil Maulid).

Is he Sunni? Yes, obviously. The following is Al-Hafidz adz-Dzahabi's explanation:

ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻣﺘﻮاﺿﻌﺎ، ﺧﻴﺮا، ﺳﻨﻴﺎ، ﻳﺤﺐ اﻟﻔﻘﻬﺎء ﻭاﻟﻤﺤﺪﺛﻴﻦ 

"He is humble, a good person, SUNNI, loves jurisprudence and hadith scholars."

He described the birthday celebrations at that time:

ﻭﺃﻣﺎ اﺣﺘﻔﺎﻟﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻮﻟﺪ ﻓﻴﻘﺼﺮ اﻟﺘﻌﺒﻴﺮ ﻋﻨﻪ؛ ﻛﺎﻥ اﻟﺨﻠﻖ ﻳﻘﺼﺪﻭﻧﻪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﺮاﻕ ﻭاﻟﺠﺰﻳﺮﺓ ﻭﺗﻨﺼﺐ ﻗﺒﺎ ﺏ ﺧﺸﺐ ﻟﻪ ﻭﻷﻣﺮاﺋﻪ ﻭﺗﺰﻳﻦ

The birthday celebration held by King Irbil cannot be described in words. Everyone came there, from Iraq and Jazeera. A wooden dome was also made and decorated for him and the leaders (Siyar Alam An-Nubala, 22/336)

Likewise, Al-Hafidz Ibnu Katsir said:

ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻳﻌﻤﻞ اﻟﻤﻮﻟﺪ اﻟﺸﺮﻳﻒ ﻓﻲ ﺭﺑﻴﻊ اﻷﻭﻝ ﻭﻳﺤﺘﻔﻞ ﺑﻪ اﺣﺘﻔﺎﻻ ﻫﺎﺋﻼ، ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻣﻊ ﺫﻟﻚ ﺷﻬﻤﺎ ﺷﺠﺎﻋﺎ ﻓﺎﺗﻜﺎ ﺑﻄﻼ ﻋﺎ ﻗﻼ ﻋﺎﻟﻤﺎ ﻋﺎﺩﻻ ﺭﺣﻤﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻭﺃﻛﺮﻡ ﻣﺜﻮاﻩ

He celebrated his birthday in the month of Rabiul Awal with great celebrations. He was a noble soul, brave, conqueror, hero, intelligent, knowledgeable and just. May Allah grant him mercy and glorify his place (Al-Bidayah, 13/160)

After that, this practice was widely accepted by Muslims as stated by Al-Hafidz As-Sakhawi:

قَالَ الْحَافِظُ أَبُوْ الْخَيْرِ السَّخَاوِي - رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى - فِي فَتَاوِيْهِ: عَمَلُ الْمَوْلِدِ الشَّرِيْفِ لَمْ يُنْقَلْ عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ الصَّالِحِ فِي الْقُرُوْنِ الثَّلَاثَةِ الْفَاضِلَةِ، وَإِنَّمَاَ حَدَثَ بَعْدُ، ثُمَّ لَا زَالَ أَهْلُ اْلإِسْلَامِ فِي سَائِرِ اْلأَقْطَارِ وَالْمُدُنِ الْكِبَارِ يَحْتَفِلُوْنَ فِي شَهْرِ مَوْلِدِهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِعَمَلِ الْوَلَائِمِ الْبَدِيْعَةِ الْمُشْتَمِلَةِ عَلَى اْلأُمُوْرِ الْبَهْجَةِ الرَّفِيْعَةِ وَيَتَصَدَّقُوْنَ فِي لَيَالِيْهِ بِأَنْوَاعِ الصَّدَقَاتِ وَيُظْهِرُوْنَ السُّرُوْرَ وَيَزِيْدُوْنَ فِي الْمَبَرَّاتِ وَيَعْتَنُوْنَ بِقِرَاءَةِ مَوْلِدِهِ الْكَرِيْمِ وَيَظْهَرُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَكَاتِهِ كُلَّ فَضْلٍ عَمِيْمٍ. 

Al-Hafidz as-Sakhawi said in his Fatwa: The Maulid Amaliyah was not narrated from a Salaf scholar in 3 main periods. This practice is carried out afterwards, then Muslims in all corners and big cities always celebrate in the month of the birth of the Prophet SAW, with beautiful and grand celebrations, they give alms in the evening, show joy, increase their shopping, and read about the birth of the Prophet SAW. And the Prophet's blessings appeared to them equally (Subul al-Huda wa ar-Rasyad 1/362).

What about the current Mawlid rejection? I follow the guidance from the Prophet to join the majority:

 « إِنَّ أُمَّتِى لَنْ تَجْتَمِعَ عَلَى ضَلاَلَةٍ فَإِذَا رَأَيْت ُمُ اخْتِلاَفًا فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالسَّوَادِ الأَعْظَمِ ». (رواه ابن ماجه عن أنس)

Hadith: “My Ummah will not gather on error. If you see differences, then follow the majority of Muslims" (HR Ibnu Majah from Anas)