Praise be to Allah Who has perfected the religion for us, completed His favor upon us and approved Islam as a religion for us. Peace and blessings be upon His slave and Messenger, who invited to obey his Lord and warned against excessiveness, innovations in religion and disobedience. May peace be upon his family, his companions, and upon those who have followed his path and guidance until the Day of Judgment. To continue:
I have reviewed the article published in the weekly Urdu newspaper "Idarat", released in the city of Canfor, an industrial city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, on the first page, it launched a press campaign against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its adherence to Islamic belief and fighting against innovations in religion and accusing the belief of the righteous predecessors which the government follows of not being a Sunni belief. The writer of this article aims at discriminating among AhlulSunnah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body) and encouraging innovations in religion and superstitions.
Undoubtedly, this is an evil plot and a serious act that aims at insulting the religion of Islam and spreading innovations and misguidance. Moreover, this article, clearly concentrates on the subject of celebrating the birthday of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and making it an excuse to talk about the creed of the Kingdom and its leaders. Therefore, I found it obligatory to attract attention to this issue. After seeking help from Allah (Exalted be He), I say:
It is not allowed to celebrate the birthday of the Messenger (peace be upon him) or other birthdays; rather such celebrations should be prevented, because they are invented innovations in religion and the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not celebrate it and did not command others to celebrate it for him or for other prophets who passed away before him or for his daughters, wives or anyone of his relatives or companions. Moreover, it was not celebrated by the rightlyguided caliphs, other companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them), those who followed them in piety and righteousness, or by any scholars of Islamic Law during the blessed centuries. It is noted that they were the most knowledgeable people of the Sunnah and the ones who were more perfect in their love of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and in their following of his legislation than those who came after them. If it had truly been good, they would have preceded us to it.
We have been commanded to follow and prohibited to innovate, because of the perfection of the religion of Islam and the satisfaction with what Allah (Exalted be He) and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have ordained, which was received by AhlulSunnah walJama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body) from among the companions and those who had followed them in piety and righteousness with pleasure.
It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Anyone who introduces anything into this matter of ours (Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected. (Agreed upon by AlBukhari and Muslim). In another narration reported by Muslim, he (peace be upon him) said: Anyone who does an action which is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected. He (peace be upon him) also said in another Hadith: You must follow my Sunnah and that of the RightlyGuided Caliphs. Stick to them and hold fast to them. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say in his speech on Friday: And then, the best of speech is embodied in the Book of Allah; the best of guidance is that given by Muhammad (peace be upon him); the most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is an error.
These Hadiths warn against the introduction of innovations in religion and draw attention that it is misguidance in order to attract the attention of the Muslim Ummah (nation based on one creed) to its grievous danger and help them avoid committing and practicing them. There are many other Hadiths to this effect.
Allah (Exalted be He) says: And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it). Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says: And let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant) should befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them. In another verse, Allah (Exalted be He) says: Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day, and remembers Allâh much. Allah (Glorified be He) also says: And the foremost to embrace Islâm of the Muhâjirûn (those who migrated from Makkah to AlMadinah) and the Ansâr (the citizens of AlMadinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhâjirûn ) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allâh is wellpleased with them as they are wellpleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success. Allah (Glorified be He) also says: This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion. This Ayah (Qur'anic verse)
is a clear indication that Allah (may He be Exalted and Sublime) has perfected the religion for this Ummah