Question:
In a town called Kayalpattinam, a banner has been placed in front of a mosque. They’ve sent a picture of that banner and asked whether the statement on it is correct
Answer:
What does the banner say? It says, “The Prophetﷺ’s birthday, the 1500th-anniversary celebration, is better than 1000 Laylatul Qadr.” So, they are celebrating the 1500th birthday of Prophetﷺﷺ Muhammad. When celebrating, they claim this birthday is superior to a thousand nights of Laylatul Qadr and have displayed this.
This shows the level of ignorance among the people in that area. There is no better proof of this ignorance than this. If you want to present an idea in the name of Islam, it must be in the Quran or said by the Prophetﷺﷺ. Allahﷻ did not say that the birthday is better than a thousand Laylatul Qadr, neither directly nor indirectly. The Prophetﷺﷺ also did not say it. So, when Allahﷻ and His Messenger haven’t said it, this idea originates from someone’s own mind. Some ignorant person came up with this, and they are turning it into religion.
Where did they get this from? The Quran says that Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months. Now, they are trying to degrade a night that Allahﷻ has honored by saying the Prophetﷺﷺ’s birthday is better than a thousand Laylatul Qadr. Where did they get this idea? Whoever said it, even if it’s a scholar, they are foolish. For something to be considered superior in the sight of Allahﷻ , it must be stated by Allahﷻ or His Messenger. Neither Allahﷻ nor His Messenger said this.
Furthermore, there are 72 different opinions on the exact date the Prophetﷺﷺ was born. There is no evidence that he was born on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal. Different people say different months and dates. So, when the exact birth date is not confirmed, how can it be celebrated? The Prophetﷺﷺ himself did not celebrate it, nor did his companions. If it were to be celebrated, it would have been clearly stated, and the exact date would have been known.
The Prophetﷺﷺ didn’t even know his own birth date, he only knew he was born on a Monday. He never said, “I was born on this specific date.” If the birth date is unknown, how can a birthday exist in Islam?
Furthermore, Laylatul Qadr itself is a night that honors the Prophetﷺﷺ. Muhammad, the son of Abdullah and Amina, became a Messenger on that night. The revelation came to him on Laylatul Qadr; he was appointed as a Messenger by Allahﷻ on that night. Our guidance comes from his Prophetﷺﷺhood, not from his birth. The first 40 years of his life, before Prophetﷺﷺhood, are not detailed in our sources and are not needed for guidance. The guidance began when he started announcing his Prophetﷺﷺhood. The status of being a Prophetﷺﷺ was given to him on the night of Laylatul Qadr, the night the Quran was revealed. So, that night signifies the beginning of his Prophetﷺﷺhood.
The reason Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months is because of the guidance it brought. We only started receiving the teachings of prayer, fasting, etc., after he became a Prophetﷺﷺ. What did the Ummah gain in the first year after his birth? Nothing. What did we gain when he was 10 years old? Nothing. He was just an ordinary child. At 20, he was just an ordinary merchant. Until he was 40, no guidance came to this Ummah from him. Guidance began only when he was appointed as a Messenger.
When Allahﷻ mentions such a special night in the Quran, to claim there is something a thousand times better than it would make that person a great enemy of Allahﷻ . Saying the Prophetﷺﷺ’s birth is better than his appointment as a Prophetﷺﷺ essentially means birth is greater than being made a Prophetﷺﷺ. Can such a person be considered part of the Islamic fold?
Look at how misguided these people are. Are there scholars in that area? Where did they get this from? Is this not an insult to Islam? Have the Imams of the four schools (Shafi’i, Hanbali, Maliki, Hanafi) said this? Even if they had said it, we wouldn’t have to accept it, but they haven’t. They think whatever comes to their mind is Islam. To speak in the name of Islam, they don’t need any basis or evidence; they just say whatever they feel.
The people of that area should ask these scholars where they got this from. The responsibility lies with the people living there to ask, “Where did you get this?” It is likely some “Alim Sha” wrote this. By questioning, we can stop this habit of spreading whatever comes to the tongue. Therefore, in Islam, the birth of the Prophetﷺﷺ has no significance; his becoming a Prophetﷺﷺ is what holds significance. Understand this.
