All praise is due to Allah and may Allah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, his virtuous and blessed kin and honoured companions.
Celebrations in commemoration of the birth (Al-Mawlid) of Prophet Muhammad, whom Allah sent as mercy, by way of reciting the Qur’an and by way of remembering the honourable traits and characteristics of the Prophet is a blessed matter of immense goodness, as long as the celebrations do not immerse in any types of hideous innovations which our Religion rejects.
Moreover, it should be made clear that the act of passing rules in Religion for new matters that appear in life is the function of the top Scholars of Islam (Mujtahidin) such as Imam Malik, Ash-Shafi`iyy, Abu Hanifah and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal may Allah accept their good deeds. It is not the job of any person that has authored a small book or even large volumes to take on the role of the Imams of the Salaf and Khalaf in ruling religious edicts without referring back to the scholars, whose knowledge has been witnessed to by many.
The person that renders unlawful the recitation of the Qur’an or the joining in remembrance of the honourable characteristics of the Prophet on the day of his birth with the excuse that the Prophet did not do it, is responded to with the following questions: ‘Do you object to the presence of Maharib (prayer niches) in the Mosques believing that it is an innovation of misguidance?!’, or ‘Do you reject the assembling of the chapters of the Holy Qur’an (Suwar) in the present order and the putting of the dots under and above some of its Arabic letters with the excuse that the Prophet did not do it?!’ If you illegitimatise this then you are imposing constraints, that Allah has relieved us from, on all innovations and acts of goodness that did not prevail in the time of the Prophet.
Imam Muslim related in in his Sahih that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said what means: “The one who innovates a good innovation in Islam receives its reward and a reward similar to that of all those who practice with it after him without any lessening in their reward”. Our righteous leader Imam `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said after he gathered the people to be lead by one Imam during the Tarawih prayer: “Praised is this innovation” (related by Imam Bukhariyy in his Sahih).
Imam Ash-Shafi`iyy concluded from this that “Innovations in matters of Religion are classified into two categories: First, innovations that conflict with the Qur’an or the Sunnah (methodology of the Prophet) or an ‘Athar (saying of the Prophet or the companions) or the consensus of the Islamic scholars are classified as innovations of misguidance. Second, what has been innovated in goodness and does not conflict with any of the aforementioned is an innovation which is not dispraised” (related by Al- Hafidh Al-Bayhaqiyy in his book Manaqib Ash-Sh afi`iyy pp. 469).
For those who wish, they can look at what Imam Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalaniyy, may Allah accept his good deeds, said in that: “The celebrations of the honourable birth of the Prophet is an innovation of goodness”. The judgement of those who say that such a celebration is a disallowed innovation is an invalid judgement for the above mentioned reasons and proofs. Also, their saying contradicts the fatwa given by the scholars and Imams whose knowledge is witnessed to by many, and whose fatwas is valid, such as Imam Al-Hafidhibn Dihyah, Al-Hafidh Al-`Iraqiyy, Imam Al- Hafidh As-Sakhawiyy, Imam Al-Hafidh As-Suyutiyy, Shaykh ibn Hajar Al-Haytamiyy, Imam Muhammad Bikhit Al-Muti`iyy the former Mufti of Egypt and Shaykh Mustafa Naja the former Mufti of Beirut. No validity or weight is given to the words of those who contradict these scholars, because they are not Mujtahids. Validity is given to the words of those who are in agreement with the statements of the considerable scholars of Islam. Furthermore, in Islam, the ruling on affairs is that it’s allowable so long as there is no Islamic disallowance or prohibition.
The Religion of Allah facilitates life and does not hinder it, and Allah is the One that Guides to the path of integrity and uprightness. Lastly our supplication to Allah is to unite us on spreading goodness and to bestow upon us the blessings of Prophet Muhammad.