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Meelad
celebrations are declared as Haraam and an evil Bid’at because of the following
reason: “Meelaad functions are regarded as being of greater importance
than Salaat and performance of Salaat in Jamaat”.
This
is another false accusation. No Muslim ever regards the Meelad function
as being more important than Salaat. It is almost 10 years that I am residing
in South Africa and I have attended hundreds of Meelad fuctions. Alhumdullilah,
I have always found that the Salaat arrangement had been made with Jamaat.
Those who are not punctual with their Salaat will miss Salaat even if they
are sitting at home or are gone to attend a Tableeghi Ijtima. Now, due
to some people not reading Salaat, does this make the Meelad function Haraam?
It
is strange that those who have never attended Meelad functions, to them
no arrangement of Salaat is made and people don't read Salaat at Meelad
functions. You are giving testimony of an issue to a place in which you
have not been present! Is this correct according to the Law of Shari’ah? This
objection is just an excuse to stop people from participating in the Zikr
(remembrance) of our beloved Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
Sometimes
we observe in a Nikah (marriage) assembly that people get delayed due to
some reason. Thereafter, some read their Salaat while others
do not. Will one pass a Fatwa that Nikah functions are Haraam? If a person
travellling
by car from Johannesburg to Cape Town misses a few of his Salaah or misses
the Jamaat, will one pass a Fatwa that travelling in a car from Johannesburg
to Cape Town is Haraam? If an assembly
of Nikah and travelling remains Halaal, why then does the Meelad function
become Haraam? What criteria are
you using?
Meelad
functions are declared Haraam because of the following reason: “Qawwali
- Music at Meelad functions”.
This
is another baseless accusation. I
have never observed any function of Meelad in which Qawwali is sung. If
anyone has Qawwali with music in a Meelad function then he or she should
be stopped and told that it is not correct. They should be advised to put
a stop to such an activity, but should
not be stopped from celebrating the Meelad function.
Eid-ul-Fitr
and Eid-ul-Adha are days of worship and collective happiness for the Muslims.
Some people have made these days as occasions of merry-making. On Eid-ul-Fitr,
people in Johannesburg get together at the Zoo Lake. Inter-mingling of
sexes is seen openly. Women wear fancy make-
up on their faces. Blaring music is played. No Mufti has ever issued a
Fatwa that Eid-ulFitr or Eid-ul-Adha should be stopped based on the non-Shari’
activities, or that the days of Eid should not be celebrated anymore. Eid
celebrations are not stopped although many Haraam activities have certainly
mixed with the occasion. Why then should the Meelad celebrations be stopped?
Meelad
function is declared Haraam because of the following reason: “Reciting
of verses which transgress the limits of legitimate praise, thus assigning
a position of divinity to our Nabi (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).”
Here
is another lie and false accusation. We believe that if anyone writes or
says anything which proves Divinity to our Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam), then that person is a
Kaafir and Mushrik. Majlisul Ulama failed to furnish any proof of the blasphemous
verse being sung. This is another accusation based on assumption. This
type of baseless accusation are not suitable at all for those who claim
to be learned.
Meelad
function is declared Haraam and an evil Bid’at because of the following
reason: “The congregation of various types of people such as fussaaq (open
and rebellious sinners), immoral people with evil intentions, etc.)”
Before
I answer this objection, I would like to ask all the Ulema of Deoband -
you say that the Prophet's and the Awliya do not have Knowledge of the
Unseen, since when do you have the Knowledge of the Unseen for you are
able to see the good or evil intentions of people?
Can
you say with certainty that not one amongst all those thousands of people
who attend the Ijtima is an open
sinner? I am sure that you cannot
because this type of claim can only be done via Wahi (Revelation). Many
sinners definitely attend the Ijtima. Why then you do not issue the Fatwa
that Ijtima and partaking in the Ijtima is Haraam and an evil Bid’at?
If
an open sinner recites Quraan, will
you stop the recitation because the sinner is participating in the recitation
of the Quraan? So if any sinner attends the Meelad function, why
then does the Meelad function become Haraam and an evil Bid’at?
Meelad
function is branded Haraam, un-Islamic and an evil Bid’at because of the
following reason: “Singing at these functions by young boys and girls”.
First
and foremost, to describe the beautiful recitation of praises of our beloved
Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) with the word “singing” discloses
your hidden agenda. It is a psychological fact that if you describe something
with a distasteful or vile term it will definitely not create any importance
in the mind of people about what you wish to describe. Your job is to belittle
all those things which lead towards the love of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam).
If
Na-Baligh (immature) boys and girls read in Meelad functions, there is
nothing wrong with that. Baaligha (mature) girls do not read at all in
Meelad functions. If in any function
a baaligha girl reads a Naat in front of the audience, that will not make
the Meelad Haraam. Rather, people should be told about the illegitimacy
of this act. The reading of Baligh boys in front of an audience is Ja’iz
(permissable). There is no proof in Shar’iah against it unconditionally.
Therefore, it should not be an issue of debate.
In
many Darul Ulooms, Amard (young boys with no beard grown yet) study with
adult men and they mix with each other. Sometimes, evil results of that
mixing emerge as well. Why then do the Ulema of Deoband not close Darul
Ulooms? If they do not wish to close
their Darul Ulooms, why then do they ask us to stop the celebration of
Meelad in which such danger does not even exist because young children
are under the continuous scrutiny of their parents and guardians? Otherwise,
explain the reason for your illogical objection!.
Meelad
is Haraam and Bid’at because of the following reason: “Inter-mingling of
sexes at such gatherings”.
We
may add that Majlisul Ulama published a very interesting ruling: “Even
if it is possible to screen the females completely from the man, then too,
it is not possible for them to emerge from their homes to attend these
functions for the simple reason that the Shari’ah has decreed that they
may not emerge from their homes for even Salaah in the Masjid”. (page
17)
This
is another false accusation. Women sit in Meelad gatherings separate from
men with necessary Shari’ Hijab.
The
Shari’ limit of Hijab for women is that they must cover
the whole body besides the face, both hands and feet. Their hair must be
covered and the clothes must not be so thin that the colour of the body
may be seen. In the light of the Holy Quraan, Hadith and Fiqh it is not
compulsory for woman to cover the face, hands and feet from a Ghair Mahram.
(N.B.: It is Mustahab for women to cover the whole face and not Waajib)
For further reference consult “Tafseer Mazhari”, Vol. 6, pg. 493; “Tafseer
Kabeer”, Vol. 23, pg. 203; “ Roohul Ma’aani”, Vol. 18, pg. 128; “Khazin”,
Vol. 6, pg. 68; “Abu Dawood”, Vol. 2, pg. 211; “Mishkaat”, pg. 377; “Muslim”,
Vol. 2, pg. 212; “Mu’atta Imam Malik”, pg. 708; “Quduri”, pg. 246; “Kanzud
Daqa’iq”, pg. 424; “Mabsoot”, Vol. 10, pg. 152-153; “Badaai-us-Sanaai’”, Vol.
5, pg.121-122
If
the women attend the Meelad functions with Shar’i Hijab, which they do,
and sit separately from the men, surely this is not called “inter-mingling
of sexes”. Even if in a Meelad function, inter-mingling of sexes does occur,
the actual Meelad celebration still will not become Haraam or an evil Bid’at.
In this case, if such a thing happens then the people
should be taught the correct manners.
Allama
Shaami (radi Allahu anhu) states: “One must not leave visiting the graves
just because some illegal activities are taking place, for example, inter-mingling
of sexes. Mustahabbaat (recommended acts) should not be left out because
of this type of illegal activities. It is necessary for the people to visit
the graves and stop the Bid’at”. (Fatawa Shaami: Kitabul Jana’iz - Discussion
on visiting the graves)
Allama
Shaami (radi Allahu anhu) has stated categorically that inter-mingling
of sexes will not make any Mustahab act Haraam or avoided. There were idols
in the Kaaba before Makkah was conquered, but Muslims did not leave out
performing the Tawaaf (circumbulation) or Umrah because of the idols. Yes, when
Almighty Allah gave them the power, they
eventually destroyed the idols.
When people go for Haj, there
is inter-mingling of sexes at the airport, in the plane, during Tawaaf, at
Mina and at Muzdalifah, yet no one puts a stop to Hajj. In Meelad gatherings,
at least men and women sit separately and women are with Hijab. In the
Nikah assembly, inter-mingling of sexes occurs and most of the women do
not come with Shari’ Hijab. Will the Majlisul Ulama issue Fatwas condemning
Nikah gathering to be Haraam? If not, why then is your entire effort spent
to make Meelaad functions Haraam?
Please read the eight objection
(above) on the ruling of Majlisul Ulama and then read the our answer. There
ruling is totally baseless. I wish that Majlisul Ulama could give proof
of their ruling that under no circumstances may a woman emerge from her
home.
Women
belonging to the Tableeghi Jamaat have ladies Ta’leem programmmes, which
takes place sometimes during the day and sometimes during the evenings.
The women emerge from their homes and
gather at a particular house to have their programme. If, according to
the Majlisul Ulama’s argument, they cannot emerge from their homes even
for Salaat, how can they emerge from their homes for ladies Ta’leem? According
to the Fatwa of Majlisul Ulama, ladies Ta’leem programmes should also be
considered Haraam.
According
to the Majlisul Ulama: “Salaat and its performance by Jamaat neglected
in a mass scale”.
To
show how seriously they object to the Meelad function, the Majlisul Ulama
are merely repeating their objections just to add more condemnation. Please
refer to the detailed answer given under objection number 3 earlier in
our book.
Meelad
is declared Haraam and an evil Bid’at because of the following reason:
“Abstention from command of Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahy anil Munkar when these
becomes necessary at these funtions”.
This
is another baseles accusation. It seems that the Majlisul Ulama translate
“light” into “darkness”. We regard Meelad functions as the best opportunity
for “Amr bil Ma’roof” and “Nahy anil Munkar”. Our Ulema take full advantage
of these functions and command “Amr bil Ma’roof” and “Nahy anil Munkar”
(Commanding that which is Good and Forbidding that which is Evil).
The
members of Majlisul Ulama do not attend Meelad functions, so how then can
they say “Amr bil Ma’roof” and “Nahy anil Munkar” is
not carried out at these functions?
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