Shaykh Muhammad Nāsir ud-Dīn Al-Albānī Debates a Supporter of Celebrating the Prophet’s ﷺ Birthday (Mawlid An-Nabī)

Audio: Silsilat ul-Hudā wal-Nūr, no. 1/94
Translation by: Maaz Qureshi
Translation Courtesy of: http://sunnahpublishing.net/
Translation Source: http://sunnahaudio.com/?p=218

Overview: This is a translation of a discussion that took place when a follower of Muhammad al-‘Alawī came to debate the Muhaddith of our time about the permissibility of celebrating the Prophet’s ﷺ Birthday. As was the norm during the life of Shaykh Muhammad Nāsir ud-Dīn Al-Albānī (d.1420H), people from various sects and group would often come to debate him and leave defeated, or convinced of the correctness of his ‘aqīdah and manhaj. So this translation courtesy of SunnahPublishing.net hopes of convincing those who have doubts about the unlawfulness and innovation of celebrating the Mawlid that this is an unlawful and innovated celebration – having no connection to the Religion of Islām whatsoever.

NOTE: Shaykh Al-Albānī quotes the famous hadīth: From ‘Abdullāh Ibn Mas’ūd (may Allāh be please with him), from the Prophet ﷺ who said, “The best of people are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.” Related by al-Bukhārī (no. 2652) and Muslim (no. 2533). However, the Shaykh quotes it with the wording, “khayrul-qurūn” (the best of generations), instead of, “khayrun-nās” (the best of people). Shaykh Al-Albānī himself has mentioned in his notes upon at-Tankīl (2/223), “This is the wording that has become famous upon the tongues…” Then he goes onto to clarify that though this wording has been mentioned repeatedly in the books of Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H), such as his book al-Furqān (p. 100), and by his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751H) and other Scholars, it is not confirmed by the books of Sunnah. Rather, it is only a narration of the meaning. And Allāh knows best.