Mawlid an Nabawi Sharif – Great Scholars Views

Some claim that celebrating the Mawlid un Nabi ﷺ is a recent innovation with no basis in earlier centuries. The historical and scholarly record tells a different story. Below are documented proofs of Mawlid celebration — drawn from classical Sunni scholars across India, Egypt, and the wider Muslim world — who recorded, praised, and encouraged commemorating the blessed birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

For the ruling itself, see our main guide: Is Mawlid un-Nabi permissible in Islam?

1. Imam Abd al-Haqq Muhaddith Dehlvi — Madarij un-Nubuwwah

After relating how Abu Lahab was granted relief for freeing the slave-woman Thuwaybah (who brought him news of the Prophet’s birth), Shaykh Abd al-Haqq Muhaddith Dehlvi writes in his famous work Madarij un-Nubuwwah:

“This event is a clear proof for those who commemorate the Meelad Sharif by rejoicing and giving charity on the night of the birth of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. The people of Makkah gather on the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal to visit the house in which the Prophet ﷺ was born. If Abu Lahab — an idolater — receives relief in his grave every Monday only because he was the Prophet’s uncle, then how much greater is the blessing for the one who acknowledges the Prophet ﷺ as the beloved of Allah and His true Messenger, and commemorates the Meelad Sharif repeatedly.”

As the Persian couplet says:

Dostaan Ra Kujaa Kunee Mahroom
Tu Keh Ba Dushmanaan Nazar Daree
How would you ﷺ leave out your friends,
You who show compassion even to your enemies?

Reference: Madarij un-Nubuwwah, Vol. 2, pp. 14–34, Ziaul Quran Publications.

2. Imam al-Qastalani — On Rejoicing at the Blessed Birth

On the reward for rejoicing at the birth of the Prophet ﷺ, Imam al-Qastalani says:

“How will it be for a member of the Ummah of the Prophet ﷺ who is a firm believer in the Oneness of Allah, who rejoices at his ﷺ birth, and who spends whatever he can afford out of love for him? I swear by my life that Allah, out of His Grace, will reward such a person by admitting him into the Gardens of Bliss.”

Mawahib al-Ladunniyya, Vol. 1, p. 27 (Egypt)

3. Imam al-Qastalani — Celebrating “Eid” on the Blessed Nights

Imam al-Qastalani also states:

“May Allah bless the one who takes the nights of the blessed month of the Prophet’s birth as an Eid — so that it weighs heaviest upon those who carry a disease in their hearts and are afflicted by an incurable ailment.”

Mawahib al-Ladunniyya, Vol. 1, p. 27 (Egypt)

Here the word “Eid” appears in a work praised across the scholarly tradition. Those who object to describing the Mawlid as an Eid must reckon with the standing of Imam al-Qastalani and the esteem in which this book is held.

4. Imam al-Qastalani — “How Blessed Is the Month”

Imam al-Qastalani continues in praise of the month of the birth:

“How blessed is the month in which the Prophet of Allah ﷺ was born! How superior and sacred! How full of light and pure the face of the one who was born! How blessed is Allah, who made the birth of the Holy Prophet ﷺ a springtime for the hearts.”

Yaqoolu Lanaa Lisaanul Haali Minhu —
the tongue of the Prophet ﷺ speaks the truth,
and the voice of truth is sweet to the listener.
Fawajhi waz-Zamaanu wa Shahru Wad'ee —
my face, my age, and the month of my birth
are a springtime in the month of Rabi al-Awwal.
Rabee'un fi Rabee'in fi Rabee'ee —
his blessed face is likened to spring in beauty,
blossoming in the spring of Rabi al-Awwal.

Reference: Mawahib al-Ladunniyya, Vol. 1, p. 73 (Egypt).

5. Imam al-Busiri — Qasida Burda, Chapter on the Birth

Imam Sharaf al-Din al-Busiri devotes the fourth chapter of the celebrated Qasida Burda Sharif to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He describes it as a praiseworthy event that illuminated the entire universe, and records the signs and wonders that accompanied it:

Abaana Mawliduhu 'an Teebi 'Unsurihi —
his birth clearly showed his pure origin;
how excellent his beginning and his end.
Wal Jinnu Tah'tifu wal Anwaru Saati'atun —
the jinn were calling out and the lights were shining,
Wal Haqqu Yaz'haru min Ma'nan wa min Kalimi —
and the truth appeared through these lights and voices.

Reference: Qasida Burda Sharif, Chapter 4 (the birth of the Prophet ﷺ), couplets 1–7.

6. Imam Ibn al-Jawzi — Mawlid al-‘Arus

Imam Ibn al-Jawzi devoted an entire book to the Mawlid, titled Mawlid al-‘Arus (Meelad-ul-Uroos). In it he writes:

“Whoever rejoices at the birth of our beloved Mustafa ﷺ, this rejoicing will turn the Fire away from him; and whoever spends even a dirham on the occasion of the Meelad of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ — he ﷺ will intercede for him, and his intercession will be accepted.”

Mawlid al-‘Arus, p. 9

A Practice with Deep Scholarly Roots

From India to Egypt, and from the muhaddithun to the poets of the Prophet’s praise, the commemoration of the Mawlid un-Nabi ﷺ is documented across centuries of respected Sunni scholarship. Far from being a modern invention, honouring the blessed birth of the Prophet ﷺ stands on a long, well-attested tradition of love and reverence.

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Continue Reading

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This is a traditional practice, not a substitute for medical treatment, legal advice, or professional care. Scholars differ on some of these practices; where they differ, that difference is noted. Benefit and outcome are from Allah alone. If you are facing a medical, psychological, or financial emergency, seek qualified professional help first.