Refuting some false claims of the celebrators of Al-Mawlid - First Third

Third claim: "Rejoicing at this event is something recommended and requested of all of us by Allah in the verse were He says that which translates as: "Say: 'In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice, it is better than what they accumulate.'" (Yoonus: 58). Allah commanded us to rejoice in His mercy, and the Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was the greatest of all His mercies, as Allah says (that which translates as): "And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds." (Al-Anbiyaa': 107).

Refutation: The mercy mentioned in the first verse means other than what the celebrators of Al-Mawlid claim. Commenting on this verse, Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "'The Bounty' refers to the Qur'aan and 'The Mercy' is if one is from the people who adhere to it.'" Hilaal Ibn Yasaaf said commenting on the verse: "'The Bounty' means Islaam and 'The Mercy' means the Qur'aan.'"

None of the Salaf interpreted this command of Allah to mean rejoicing in the form of feasts and festivals. The mercy in the second verse is nothing other than the Qur'aan and the Sunnah which the Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was sent with. Therefore, the true meaning of rejoicing due to Allah sending us His Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam must be to follow him completely and adhere to all his commands verbally and practically.

There can be no doubt that attempting to use this verse as an evidence for the permissibility of celebrating Al-Mawlid is applying it in a way other than how the Salaf, or pious first three generations, of Muslims, applied it. Ash-Shaatibi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Any application from the later generations of a text which was not understood nor applied by our Salaf is unacceptable." Ibn 'Abdul Haadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "It is prohibited to interpret a verse from the Qur'aan or a Hadeeth in any way other than the way our Salaf interpreted, applied and clarified it to the Ummah, because this would imply that they were ignorant of the truth and strayed away from it while the latter generations were guided to it. It is even worse if the interpretation of the latter generations opposes and contradicts that of the Salaf."

Indeed the understanding and interpretation of the texts of those who celebrate Al-Mawlid is misguidance and an innovation in itself. Ash-Shaatibi, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "It is commonplace that the innovators and people of misguidance manipulate the Qur'aan and Sunnah and apply it in a way that suits their needs. Also, they propagate these false ideas to the common people in order to confuse them."