In this article we will examine the quotes of Hanafi scholars wrongly used by the Brailwis to prove their innovations and shirk. First of all Celebration of Mawlid is not proven from Imam Abu Hanifa and his direct students. So it is clear that celebrating the mawlid was not practiced in their time.
Mulla Ali Qari wrote a whole book on mawlid un Nabi let us see what he says.
a) Response to al Qastalani by Mulla Ali Qari on the fadheelah of Mawlid un Nabi over Laylatul qadr
al Qastalani (d 923 h) said regarding the Night of Mawlid un Nabi:
” When it is said that Prophet (salallaho alaihi wasalam) was born at night time then the question arises which of the two nights is greater i.e. Night of Decree or Night of Prophet (salallaho alaihi wasalam)’s birth? ”
The Night of Prophet (saw)’s birth is superior [Qastalani in Al Muwahib al Laduniya Volume 1, Page No. 145]
Response by Mulla Ali al Qari
Before quoting The response by Mulla Ali Qari, let me quote Qastalani. He is same Qastalani who said:
ذلك كله دينا ) يدخل فيه اعتقاد وجود الساعة وعدم العلم بوقتها لغير الله تعالى لأنهما من الدين)
(Bukhari said){All of this is Deen} The Creed of existence of the Hour and Not knowing about its Time except Allah Talah. Both of these are included in Deen [Irshad al Saree Sharah Saheeh al Bukhari Kitab al Eeman 1/138]
So for Qastalani It is Juzz of Deen that ONLY ALLAH knows the knowledge of the hour and no one else. But the Brailwis deny this saying and say Prophet peace be upon him knew the time of the hour. Now see the response of Mulla Ali al Qari regarding Mawlid.
Mulla Ali Qari said:
قلت: أغرب القسطلاني، وقال: ليلة مولده صلى الله عليه وسلم أفضل من ليلة القدر من وجوه ثلاثة ذكرها، حيث لا يفيد الإطلاق مع أن الأفضلية ليست إلا لكون العبادة فيها أفضل بشهادة النص القرآني، {لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ} [القدر:3]، ولا تعرف هذه الأفضلية لليلة مولده صلى الله عليه وسلم، لا من الكتاب، ولا من السنة، ولا عن أحد من علماء الأمة
I say: Al Qastalani said strange words that the night of Mawlid of Prophet peace be upon him is better than Layla tul Qadr because of three reasons and then he mentioned those. There is no use of repeating those reasons here again. Doing Ibadah in Layla tul Qadr is better because its Nus is mentioned in Quran that {Laylatul Qadr is better than a Thousand months} This Fadheelah is not proven for the night of Prophet peace be upon him from the Quran, neither from Sunnah, Not even from a single scholar from Imams. [al Mawlid al Ruwi fe Mawlid an Nabi by Mulla Ali al Qari page 57]
b) Response to Ibn al Jazri and Sakhawi by Mulla Ali Qari on Mawlid
Ibn al Jazri said
وإذا كان أهل الصليب اتّخذوا ليلة مولد نبيّهم عيدًا أكبر ، فأهل الإسلام أولى بالتكريم وأجدر
people of the cross celebrate the night of the mawlid of their Prophet and consider it great eid. That is why people of Islam have more right to celebrate the night of the mawlid of their Prophet (peace be upon him)
Mulla Ali Qari refuted by saying
قلت لكن يرد عليه انا مأمورون بمخالفة أهل الكتاب, ولم يظهر من الشيخ لهذا السوال جواب
I say: The question raised that we are ordered to go against the practice of the people of Book. Shaykh (Ibn al Jazri) did not answered this question [المورد الروي في المولد النبوي by Mulla Ali Qari page 28,29]
A brailwi Molvi translated this as:
جب ابن جزرى پر اعتراض ہوا کہ ہميں تو اہل کتاب کی مخالفت کا حکم ہے
تو شيخ نے اس کا کوئى جواب نہیں ديا
When objection was raised on Ibn al Jazri that we are ordered to go against People of the book.
Then Shaykh did not answered to this.
[al Mawrid al Ruwi by Mulla Ali Qari urdu translation by Molvi Gul Ahmad Ateeqi, Published by Jamiyat Asha`at e Ahl e sunnah, Noor Masjid Meetha dar Karachi Pakistan]
Comment: So Ibn al Jazri remained silent on this question because he knew this practice is against the Islamic Shariyah. Brailwis should also remain silent.
c) Response to Jalal ud din as-Suyuti by Mulla Ali Qari regarding Parents of Prophet peace be upon him
Mulla Ali Qari said in same book:
ولا أن آباءه جميهم من اهل الاسلام فان فيهم من اجمع على كفره الفقهاء الاعلام كابى طالب وابى ابراهيم عليه السلام وابويه كما بينت فى هذا المقام مما الفت فى تحقيق هذه المسألة برسالة مستقلة, وأتيت بالأدلة القاطعة القامعة فى رد ما ألفه السيوطى من الرسائل الثلاثة فى هذه المادة الامعة
“That does not mean all of His forefathers were Muslims. Great Fuqaha have agreed on the Kufr of Abu Talib, The Father of Ibraheem Aleh salam and the parents of Prophet peace be upon him as i mentioned. I have written a seperate Risalah on this issue in which i have mentioned clear evidences which are response to all three Rasaail of as-Suyuti” [al Mawrid al Ruwi fe mawlid an Nabi page 25]
Note: A brailwi Molvi did not even translated this passage in his translation of the Book see page 25 of the urdu translation by Molvi Gul Ahmad Ateeqi, Published by Jamiyat Asha`at e Ahl e sunnah, Noor Masjid Meetha dar Karachi Pakistan.
d) People of Makkah Left the celebration of Mawlid un Nabi
Muhammad bin Jar Allah al-Hanafi (986 h) said regarding mawlid in Makkah
وجرت العادة بمکة ليلة الثاني عشر من ربيع الأول في کل عام أن قاضي مکة الشافعي يتهيّأ لزيارة هذا المحل الشريف بعد صلاة المغرب في جمع عظيم، منهم الثلاثة القضاة وأکثر الأعيان من الفقهاء والفضلاء، وذوي البيوت بفوانيس کثيرة وشموع عظيمة وزحام عظيم. ويدعي فيه للسلطان ولأمير مکة، وللقاضي الشافعي بعد تقدم خطبة مناسبة للمقام، ثم يعود منه إلي المسجد الحرام قبيل العشاء، ويجلس خلف مقام الخليل عليه السلام بإزاء قبة الفراشين، ويدعو الداعي لمن ذکر آنفًا بحضور القضاة وأکثر الفقهاء. ثم يصلون العشاء وينصرفون، ولم أقف علي أول من سن ذالک، سألت مؤرخي العصر فلم أجد عندهم علمًا بذالک.
that after praying the salah of maghrib they practice mawlid with many people… scholars of madahib give khutbah regarding mawlid, after that they pray for the king, ameer of Makkah and qadhi who was a shafiee. Then they come to Masjid al-Haraam before Isha salah, and they sit behind Muqam e Ibraheem. After that they pray for those who asked for the dua with many scholars and judges and then they go back after praying Isha. (Imam Muhammad bin Jar Allah said) I don’t know who started this practice and after asking many historians I did not find its starting date [al-Jame al-Lateef fe fadal al makkah pages 201 and 202 almost same is mentioned by Qutub al-deen alHanafi in his tareekh al-Makkah]
Comment: We can see that this was a practice introduced by later people and Imam Muhammad bin jar Allah did his research and after asking many historians he did not find who started this act. Now let us match this innovation with innovations of today. In this people only talked about mawlid and prayed and visited the place of birth of Prophet and time limit was only Maghrib to Isha. But today we can see time limit is whole night and most of the people don’t even pray fajar salah because of this. Now people stand in veneration of Rasool Allah peace be upon him thinking that he is present but at that time this extremism in aqeedah was not even present. Now people say “O Rasool Allah, O Ali, O Gawth al adham” but at that time people did not utter such false things. Mulla Ali Qari said people of Makkah left even this celebration.
Mulla Ali Qari said People of Makkah left Mawlid:
اما الآن فما بقى من تلك الاطعمة الا الدخان ولا يظهر مما ذكر الا بريخ الريحان فالحال كما قال:
اما الخيام فانها كخيامهم === وأرى نساء الحى غير نسائهم
Only smoke of this treat and the fragrance of the flowers is left there, The situation now is like the saying: “These tent are same but there are other women living there instead women of neighbourhood [al Mawrid al Ruwi fe Mawlid un Nabi page 12]
e) What is celebration of Mawlid in the eyes of Mulla Ali Qari.
Some people just quote some statements of Mulla Ali Qari on celebration of mawlid, for example a sufi website states
Mulla Ali Qari said
“Allah said: There hath come unto you a messenger, (one) of yourselves (9:128), In this It is pointed towards honoring the time when Prophet (saw) arrived amongst us, therefore one should do dhikr to thank Allah. As for Samah and playing is concerned then that which is Mubah (i.e. allowed) could be made part of Mawliddue to happiness without any harm [Al Mawlid an Nabi, Page No. 17]
But they leave how he responded to others as i mentioned above.
Mulla Ali al Qari said
قلت: وأنا لما عجزت عن الضيافة الصورية كتبت هذه الأوراق لتصير ضيافة معنوية نورية مستمرة على صفحات الدهر غير مختصة بالسنة والشهر وسميته: بالمورد الروى فى مولد النبى
I say: when I can not do hospitality in reality then i wrote these pages as this is metaphorical noori hospitality, so that It will remain on pages forever which can be read in any month and year. And i named it al Mawrid al Ruwi fe Mawlid an-Nabi [ al Mawrid al Ruwi fe Mawlid an-Nabi page 18]
He also said:
فمن واظب على فعل لم يفعله الشارع ، فهو مبتدع
Whoever practice a thing which Prophet peace be upon him did not do it, He is an innovator. [Mirqaat al Mafateeh 1/41 under the hadith “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions”]
He again said:
وأن الصحابة رضي الله عنهم ما كانوا يقومون له – صلى الله عليه وسلم – تعظيما له ، مع أنه سيد الخلق ؛ لما يعلمون من كراهيته لذلك
The Companions would not stand in veneration of Prophet peace be upon him. Even though He (peace be upon him) was their leader but they knew He (peace be upon him) disliked this practice. [Mirqaat al Mafateeh Kitab al Adab, Chapter al Qiyaam]
Mulla Ali al Qari used to dislike and considered it an innovation, if someone raised his voice while sending blessings on Prophet peace be upon him in the Mosque.
He said:
فما يفعله المؤذنون الآن عقب الأذان من الإعلان بالصلاة والسلام مرارا أصله سنة ، والكيفية بدعة لأن رفع الصوت في المسجد ولو بالذكر فيه كراهة
What the muezzin do now after giving azaan, they raise their voice while sending Salaat wa Salam, the Asal of of (sending blessings) is sunnah, but how it is done now is an innovation, as it is dislikes to raise the voice in the mosque even if it is for dhikr. [Mirqaat al Mafateeh under the hadith 657 islamweb]
He also said:
وقد نص
بعض علمائنا بأن رفع الصوت في المسجد ولو بالذكر حرام
Some of our (Hanafi) scholars clearly said: to raise the voice in the Mosque is prohibited even if it is dhikr. [Mirqaat 15/445-446]
So for Mulla Ali Qari Mawlid does not mean one should do Ibadah or give charity or give treat only on specific day of year. Rather even writing ahadeeth regarding birth of Prophet peace be upon him is Mawlid, treat can be given any part of the year, charity can be given any part of the year. Standing in Veneration of Prophet peace be upon him is makruh. For him Mawlid is to follow Prophet peace be upon him everytime rather than following him on specific day of the year. In fact people do false things on mawlid like asking help from Prophets and Auliyah, standing in veneration etc. All these are against what the scholars said. Even those who spoke for celebration of mawlid.
f) Qadi Shihab ud din Dolat Abadi (d 894 h) said:
وما يفعله الجهال على رأس كل حول وشهر ربيع الأول ليس بشىء ويقومون عند ذكر مولده صلى الله عليه وسلم ويزعمون ان روحه يجيء و حاضر فزعمهم باطل وهذا الاعتقاد شرك
On the start of year and in the month of Rabi ul Awwal in the name of Mawlid of peace be upon him Ignorants do something then this is something that has no value). They claim that his (peace be upon him) soul comes and (he peace be upon him is) present. This is False and this creed is shirk.
[Majmoo Fatawa 1/27, Tohfa tul Qadha of Qadi Shihab ud din, Taken from Tasheeh al Aqaid of Muhammad Raees Nadwi page 190 and Fatawa Shaykh Shams al Haq Adeemabadi page 166]Note: He (أحمد بن أبي القاسم عمر الزاولي شهاب الدين الدولة آبادي الهندي الحنفي ) was one of the great muftis of ahnaf, and he was Judge as it can be seen in the books سبحة المرجان فى آثار هندوستان page no: 39 and نزهة الخواطر)