Good day sir. I came across your posts and clips on Youtube. I have issues to ask you about my 1999 Peugeot 406 3.0 24v. My engine needed replacement, then my brother advised me to convert it to either ew10 or 2.0 due to the current fuel price hikes of today. I told him I will not make that decision until I ask Peugeot Experts to guide me if I have to convert which model can I chose, and what is the fuel consumption difference/ vehicle reliability between v6 and none v6. And at the end what is your advice to me in this situation?

STATEMENTS OF SCHOLARS OF SUNNAH

It should be noted here that all the salafee scholars condemned this act and called it Shirk Akbar which can put someone outside the fold of Islaam if the shuroot of Takfeer are fulfilled and there are absence of prohibition of Takfeer.

Below are statements of some of them:

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

With regard to bowing when greeting someone, it is forbidden as is narrated in al-Tirmidhi from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); they asked him about a man who meets his brother, can he bow to him? He said: “No.” And it is not permissible to bow or prostrate to anyone except Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, even though that may have been a form of greeting in other religions, as in the story of Yoosuf – “…and they fell down before him prostrate. And he said: ‘O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream aforetime!’” [Yoosuf 12:100]. But in our religion it is not acceptable to bow or prostrate to anyone except Allah; in fact it is also forbidden to stand as the non-Arabs stand before one another, so how about bowing and prostrating? Similarly, a partial bow is also included in this prohibition.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 1/377

And he said:

With regard to lowering the head when meeting prominent figures such as shaykhs and so on, or kissing the ground and so on, these are things concerning which there is no difference of opinion among the imams that they are forbidden. In fact merely inclining the back to anyone other than Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is forbidden. In al-Musnad and elsewhere it is narrated that when Mu‘aadh bn Jabal came back from Syria, he prostrated to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said: “What is this, O Mu‘aadh?” He said: O Messenger of Allah, I saw them in Syria prostrating to their bishops and patriarchs, and they narrated that from their Prophets. He said: “They are lying, O Mu‘aadh; if I were to instruct anyone to prostrate to anyone else, I would have instructed a woman to prostrate to her husband because of the greatness of his rights over her. O Mu‘aadh, do you think that if you were to pass my grave you would prostrate?” He said: No. He said: “Do not do that,” or words to that effect.

To sum up: standing, sitting, bowing and prostrating are due only to the only One Who is deserving of worship, the Creator of the heavens and the earth; with regard to that which is due only to Allah, no one should have any share in it; this also applies to swearing by anything other than Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 27/92, 93

Alhamdulillaah, wassalaatu wassalaam ‘allaa nabiyyinaa Muhammad (salla llaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Human interaction is an important facet of any society. In Islam, proper relationships are stressed at all phases of interaction and the common greeting holds a special place in Islamic manners.

Allaah ( Tabaaraka wa ta’aalaa) says in the Qur’an (interpretation of meaning):

“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it or (at least) return it equally.” (Qur’an, An-Nisaa 4:86)

“O you who believe! enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them, that is better for you, in order that you remember.” (Qur’an, An-Nuur 24:27)

“….But when you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good….” (Qur’an, An-Nuur 24:61)

Too often, we take greetings for granted and attach minimal importance to them. In these verses, however, Allah reminds the Muslims that offering greetings and the manner of the greeting are of utmost importance. Similarly, in a Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) stressed the importance of greetings when he defined the rights of a Muslim:

“The rights of a Muslim upon another are five: returning greetings, visiting the sick, following the funeral procession, responding to invitations and offering ‘Tashmeet’ for one who sneezes.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The recommended greeting of a Muslim is to say: “Assalaamu ‘alaykum” (peace be upon you)

According to a Hadith related by Bukhari and Muslim, this form of greeting was ordained by Allah from the time of Prophet Adam (peace be upon him).

Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 74, Number 246:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “Allah created Adam in his complete shape and form (directly), sixty cubits (about 30 meters) in height. When He created him, He said (to him), “Go and greet that group of angels sitting there, and listen to what they will say in reply to you, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your offspring.” Adam (went and) said, ‘As-Salamu alaikum (Peace be upon you).’ They replied, ‘AsSalamu-‘Alaika wa Rahmatullah (Peace and Allah’s Mercy be on you) So they increased ‘Wa Rahmatullah’ The Prophet added ‘So whoever will enter Paradise, will be of the shape and form of Adam. Since then the creation of Adam’s (offspring) (i.e. stature of human beings is being diminished continuously) to the present time.”

THE VIRTUES OF SALAAM

Exchanging salaam holds a high position in Islam. Not only is salaam equated with many other important deeds, but it is one of the defining criteria of belief. We observe many Hadiths pertaining to the position of exchanging salaam in Islam.

In one Hadith a man asked the Prophet about which aspect of Islam was best. The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied: “Feeding the hungry and saying salaam to those you know and those you don’t know.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) also said: “You will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another: May I tell you something, that if you practice it you will love one another? ‘spread salaam’ (the greeting of peace) among you.” (Muslim)

The Prophet Muhammad (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) also explained another virtue of salaam in the following Hadith: “When two Muslims meet (give salaam), and shake hands, they are forgiven their sins before they part (with each other).” (Abu Dawud)

Finally, reflect on another saying of the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), when he said: “O people! spread salaam, feed the hungry, be in touch with your kin, and pray while people are asleep (at night) you shall enter paradise peacefully.” (Tirmithi)

THE GRADES OF SALAAM

There are several forms of exchanging salaam. Each has its grade which corresponds to the extent of the phrase.

There is a Hadith where Imran Ibn Hussayn (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that:
“A man came to the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and said, ‘assalaamu ‘alaykum!’ The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) returned his greeting and when the man sat down, the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: ‘Ten.’ Another man came and said: ‘assalaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah.’ to which the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) also responded, and when the man sat down, He said ‘Twenty.’ Another man came and said: ‘assalaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.’ The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) returned his greeting, and after the man sat down, he said: ‘Thirty.” (Abu Dawud and Tirmithi)

The Hadith has been interpreted to mean that the minimum form of the Islamic greeting which is acceptable is “assalaamu ‘alaykum” and one is rewarded ten good deeds for saying it. The second grade, adding “wa rahmatullah”, raises the reward to twenty good deeds. The best grade of salaam is “assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatahu”, and this is worth thirty good deeds.

The response to the greeting is similar in form and rewards. The least one could say is “Wa alaykum-us-salaam” and the best response is: “Wa ‘alaykum-us-salaam wa rahmatulahi wa barakatahu”.

In the time of the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) the Sahabah (companions of the Prophet) would compete with one another, to see who could give salaams first.

The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “The best of the two persons is the one who begins with salaam.” (Related by Nawawi in his book Al-Adhkaar)

“The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)! When two persons meet with each other, who should take the lead in greeting the other? He answered: ‘The one who is closest to Allah.” (Tirmithi)

The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “The person closest to Allah is the one who precedes others in greeting.” (Abu Dawud).

The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) also said: A mounted person should greet the one who is walking, and a person on foot should greet the one who is sitting; a smaller group should greet a larger group and the young should greet their elders. (Saheeh Bukhari).

THE ISLAMIC RULING ON SALAAM

Initiating salaams is considered ‘Sunnah’ or optional, returning the salaams after it is offered is considered ‘waajib’ or obligatory, based on the first Qur’anic ayah mentioned. Islam also encourages people to offer the first greeting as mentioned in the Hadiths mentioned previously.

The Prophet was asked about the most appropriate way to give salaams as shown in the following Hadith:

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that a man asked the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam):

“O Messenger of Allah (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)! When any one of us meets a Muslim brother or a friend then should he bow his head (as a sign of courtesy to him)?’ He said: ‘No.’ The man said: ‘Should he embrace him?’ He said: ‘No.’ The man then asked: ‘Should he clasp his hands?’ He said: ‘Yes.” (Tirmithi)

Unfortunately, now in our community, Muslims have adopted other methods of giving salutations, and as we can see in this Hadith, The Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was very precise about how salaams were to be given.

We as Muslims, should remember that Prophet Muhammad (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is the best example for us to follow in all aspects of our life, and we should be careful not to add anything new to the Deen of Islam, for fear of implying that the Prophet Muhammad (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) did not complete his mission.

As Allah (Most Exalted is He) says in the Qur’an:

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah, a beautiful pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day.” (Qur’an, Al-Ahzaab 33:21).

PROSTRATION, BOWING, BENDING, KNEELING IN GREETINGS

Prostration is from the greatest of form of worship and is due only to Allaah alone, and after the Sharee’ah of Islam was revealed, what was permitted in previous nations (of prostration of respect and welcome greeting) was prohibited and declared unlawful, and the Scholars of Islam explain it to be major shirk when offered to other than Allaah.

We should also know that all the creatures do prostrate for Allaah (Tabaaraka wa ta’aalaa) alone as He says in this ayah (interpretation of meaning):

“See you not that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawâbb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and many of mankind prostrate themselves to Allâh. But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allâh disgraces, none can honour him. Verily, Allâh does what He wills”. (Soorah al-Hajj, Q22V18).

Allaah ( Tabaaraka wa ta’aalaa) also says in the Qur’an (interpretation of meaning):

And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves not to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allâh Who created them, if you (really) worship Him. But if they are too proud (to do so), then there are those who are with your Lord (angels) glorify Him night and day, and never are they tired. ( Soorah Fussilat, Q41V37&38).

We should also know that Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) uses the word “sajdah” to mean bowing or bending which means bowing and bending are included in the meaning of sujood in Sharee’ah. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) says (interpretation of meaning):

And (remember) when We said: “Enter this town (Jerusalem) and eat bountifully therein with pleasure and delight wherever you wish, and enter the gate in prostration (i.e. bowing with humility) and say: ‘Forgive us,’ and We shall forgive you your sins and shall increase (reward) for the good-doers.” (Soorah al-Baqarah, Q2V58).

It is very clear to us in this verse that those people can not enter the gate in a form of sujood that we normally do in Salaat, so it simply means bowing or bending. So when Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) prohibits prostration to others, it includes bowing and bending as indicted in the verse.

Allaah ( Tabaaraka wa ta’aalaa) also says (interpretation of meaning):

And the masaajid are for Allâh (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allâh. (Soorah al-Jinn Q72V18).

The word “masaajid” stands for plural of masjid and can also mean places of prostration as we can see in the hadith below:

‘Abdullaah bn ‘Abass (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said “We were ordered to prostrate with seven bones, namely forehead (he pointed his nose with his hand), two palms, two knees, the tip of both feet…. (Saheeh bukhari, Muslim, Abu ‘Uwaanah).

So we muslims should not use any part we use in prostration to Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) to other human beings or non living beings as indicated in this above verse.

The Messenger of Allah (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) also forbids bowing or bending in greeting as we can see in this hadith:

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that a man asked the Prophet (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam):

“O Messenger of Allah (Salla llaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)! When any one of us meets a Muslim brother or a friend then should he bow his head (as a sign of courtesy to him)?’ He said: ‘No.’ The man said: ‘Should he embrace him?’ He said: ‘No.’ The man then asked: ‘Should he clasp his hands?’ He said: ‘Yes.” (Tirmithi).

It was also authentically reported that Abu Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If I were to order anyone to prostrate to a human, I would have ordered the wife to prostrate to her husband, for the magnitude of the rights he has on her. (Irwaahul ghaleel of Sheikh al-Albaanee, 7/54-55). The Prophet even forbids the women to do it for their husbands because it can only be done for Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) alone.

When the Khateeb begins his sermon, he should say the following words in Arabic (along with the English translation if the sermon will be in English). Links to the sources in the Sunnah have been provided.

Note: This is not the only permissible formula that can be used, but it is popular and in accordance with the Sunnah. Allah knows best.

The preacher should say:

All thanks and praise is due to Allah, we seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and the consequences of our evil deeds. Whoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whoever Allah leads astray will never find guidance. I bear witness there is no God but Allah, alone without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.

Allah the Exalted said, “O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims in submission to Him.” (3:102)

And the Exalted said, “O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Verily, Allah is ever watching over you.” (4:1)

And the Exalted said, “O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will then amend for you your deeds and forgive your sins, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.” (33:70-71)

Verily, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the worst affairs are newly invented matters. Every newly invented matter is a religious innovation, and every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.

To proceed (and then begin the sermon).

<!-------------------------------------------------------------Blank---------------------------------------------------------!>

Below are some points I researched in order to cater points you listed about Bowing in Greeting, Bidi’ah, Intercession, and Shirk.
Allah (SWT) has perfect and complete His religion, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has done his Job and His Sahabah they have done theirs too. Therefore, we will not bring something new into religion and expect good reward (Allah forbid).

BIDI’AH IN ISLAM
There is nothing in our religion that is known as a “good innovation” because the word innovation (bid`ah) in Islamic discourse means to introduce into the religion something that is alien to it. On the other hand, there is such a thing as a “good Sunnah” as mentioned in a hadîth that can be found in Sahîh Muslim.

Jarîr narrates:
Some desert Arabs clad in woolen clothes came to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He saw them in a sad plight as they had been in dire need. He exhorted the people to give charity, but they showed some reluctance until (signs) of anger could be seen on his face. Then a person from the Ansâr came with a purse full of silver. Then another person came forth and then others followed suit until signs of happiness could be seen on his face.

Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever starts in Islam a good practice (sunnah hasanah) and is emulated by others in doing so will get the reward of it and the reward of all those who act upon it without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And whosoever starts in Islam an evil practice (sunnah sayyi’ah) and is emulated by others will bear the sin of it and the sin of all those who act on it without their burden being diminished in the least. [Sahîh Muslim: (1017)]
This is talking about the person who takes the initiative to do something that complies with Islamic teachings. Whoever does this will be engaging in a good Sunnah.

This is not referring to any sort of innovation. An innovation can never be good, because it is, by definition, something that contradicts with the religion. An innovation is something that neither the Prophet (peace be upon him) did nor the people who followed him.

Therefore, innovations would include observing the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday or engaging in special observances on the occasion of his night journey and ascension (al-isrâ’ wa al-mi`râj).
May Allah guide us all.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever starts in Islam a good practice (sunnah hasanah) and is emulated by others in doing so will get the reward of it and the reward of all those who act upon it without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And whosoever starts in Islam an evil practice (sunnah sayyi’ah) and is emulated by others will bear the sin of it and the sin of all those who act on it without their burden being diminished in the least. [Sahîh Muslim: (1017)]

A Muslim is obligated to preserve and uphold the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to eschew innovations.

The meaning of “good Sunnah” in this hadîth – and Allah knows best – is to renew a Sunnah of our Prophet (peace be upon him) that has disappeared, been forgotten, or has become neglected.
It does not mean to initiate a new practice that has no basis in Islamic teachings. That would be an innovation.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not part of it, then it will be rejected.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]
And Allah knows best.

Let us come back to the issue of WASEELA OR TAWASSUL IN ARABIC.
The Quranic term Waseela can be defined in one word as “means”. As per the Islamic understanding, this (waseela) is an action or practice through which a Muslim seeks nearness to Allah. In the modern (especially the South Asian) world, people have taken the word waseela to mean something completely contradictory to the Quranic understanding of it. In laymen language, waseela can be defined as “a path to contact Allah or a means through which one’s dua is accepted quickly”. Unfortunately many have misunderstood and misinterpreted this definition in a way which the shari’ah doesn’t allow. We will be discussing this in brief.
Types of Waseela according to the Islamic understanding.
They can be broadly classified into two types :–
Correct/permissible Islamic Waseela
Incorrect/impermissible Islamic Waseela
PERMISSIBLE WASEELA – IN BRIEF
This means seeking to draw close to Allah through acts of worship which He loves and which pleases Him; these may be waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (encouraged) and may take the form of words, actions or beliefs. These forms are studied and derived from the Quran, Sunnah and religious practices of the righteous predecessors [1st three generations which include the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), taba’een (students of the companions) and taba’ taba’een (students of the taba’een)].
Some types of permissible waseela are as follows:
1. Seeking to draw close to Allah by means of His names and attributes

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (all) the most beautiful names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them” [Quran 7:180]. So when a person makes duaa’ to Allah, he begins by praising and calling on Allah with the name that is most apt and praiseworthy, such as “Al-Rahmaan” (the Most Merciful) when seeking mercy and ‘’Al-Ghafoor’’ (the All-Forgiving) when asking for forgiveness etc.
2. Seeking to draw close to Allah by means of faith and Tawheed.

A powerful dua from the Quran helps us understand this category. “Our Lord! We have indeed believed: forgive us then our sins and save us from the agony of the fire.” [Quran 3:16]. There are similar duas from the ahadith also.
3. Seeking to draw close to Allah through righteous deeds
• This is where a person asks Allah by the virtue of the best deeds that he has done, such as salaah, fasting, reading Quran, avoiding haraam things and so on. An example of this is the sahih hadeeth narrated in the Books ‘Sahih Bukhari’ & ‘Sahih Muslim [Ref: Sahih Bukhair, Vol. 3 Book 36, Hadith no. 472]’ about the three people who entered a cave, and a rock fell and blocked their way out. They asked Allah by the virtue of their best deeds (to save them).
• A person may also ask Allah by virtue of his total dependency upon Him, as Allah mentions in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning): “[Ayyoob said:] ‘Verily, distress has seized me, and you are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.’ [Al-Anbiya’ 21:83]
• A person may also ask Allah by admitting his own wrongdoing and his need for Allah, as Yoonus is described as saying: ‘None has the right to be worshipped except you (O Allah). Glorified (and exalted) are you. Truly I have been of the wrong-doers.’” [al-Anbiya’ 21:87]
The rulings on correct tawassul vary according to its type. Some types are waajib, such as seeking to draw close to Allah through His names and attributes and through Tawheed (believing in His absolute Oneness), and some are mustahabb, such as seeking to draw close to Him by virtue of all kinds of righteous deeds.

4. Seeking to get your dua accepted by sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him)
• Whenever a Muslim makes dua, it is necessary for him to first prase his Lord, then send blessings upon the prophet (peace be upon him) and then make his dua. The blessings ( for e.g durood e Ibrahim) sent upon the prophet is also considered to be a waseela for our duas to reach Allah and this is supported by various authentic Ahadith which state that Umar (RA) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Du’a is detained between the heavens and the earth and no part of it is taken up until you send blessings upon Prophet (peace be upon him)’ [Al-Tirmidhi #486]
5. Seeking to approach Allah by asking someone pious (whose Alive) to pray for you (while he is alive)
• Another permissible form of waseela is by asking someone who is a righteous or pious person. One may request that person to invoke Allah for him and pray for him. This is supported by various ahadith and Quranic verses as well.

IMPERMISSIBLE WASEELA
This is the attempt to draw close to Allah by means of things that He does not like and that do not please Him, and it is not supported by the teachings of our beloved Messenger (peace be upon him) and neither is it supported by the practices of the greatest of Muslims – the companions (sahabah) of the Messenger (peace be upon him).
These could be practices or actions whether they are words, deeds or beliefs. This particular context has a lot of subdivisions and examples to quote and explain but however one such example of this is trying to draw close to Allah by calling on for help to those beside Allah or using intermediaries who are absent from this world or to invoke someone other than Allah is considered a form of association (Shirk) with Him, which is against the principles of tawheed and takes a person out of the fold of Islam. The venue, place and methodology may differ in this type, however the concept of calling or seeking help via or from the absent remains the same.
Calling upon someone, whether it is for a purpose such as asking Him to grant some benefit or to ward off some harm, or as an act of worship to express humility and submission before Him, can only be addressed directly to Allah. If duaas or prayers are addressed to anything or anyone else, that would amount to shirk.

CONCLUSION
Alhamdulillah Alladhi Ahadana wabil Iman. So far by the will of Allah SWT we are able to at least look and cite the relevant Ahadiths and Ayats from our glorious Qur’an that make the issue of bid’ah, shirk, waseelah or tawassil (intercession in English) clear ( Allah knows best) with full references so that anyone that is ready to understand will definitely understand without hesitation. (Whom Allah guides, there is none that can lead him astray and whom Allah misguides, there’s none that can guide him).
Subhaanaka Allaahuma wabihamdika Ash-haddu an laahillaaha illa anta astaghfiruka wa atuubilayk.

MAULOOD INNOVATION (BID’AH)

Among the innovations that have become widespread in Muslim societies is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This celebration is observed in the month of Rabi' Al-Awwal. Since it has become such a widespread problem in these days, I see it as necessary to address this issue here.

A basic principle of this religion is to worship Allah strictly in accordance with the manner that He stipulates to us in the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is why the scholars say that acts of worship are restricted to what is defined by the sacred texts. A person should not try to attain nearness to Allah by means that he concocts in his mind or takes from other human beings, no matter who they are. Such acts are unlawful innovations and they are rejected no matter how noble the intentions might be of the person doing them.

For this reason Ibn Mas'ud observed: “How many people intend good but never actually attain it.” He made this statement to a group of people who were glorifying Allah in various ways and keeping track of their efforts using pebbles. He forbade them from doing so and they said to him: “We only intend good.” So Ibn Mas'ud said to them what he said.

There is another established principle that scholars of Islam are well aware of. It is the principle of referring all disputes back to the Qur’ân and Sunnah. What we find therein we must act upon. What we do not find in these two sources we should not adopt as a means to worship Allah.
Allah says: “If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best, and most suitable for final determination.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 59]

He also says: “Whatever the Messenger gives you, then take it, and whatever he prohibits you, abstain from it.” [Sûrah al-Hashr: 7]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever works a deed that is not part of our affair will have that deed rejected.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (8/156) and Sahîh Muslim (3/1343-1344)]

He also said: “Whoever introduces something new into this affair of ours that is not of it will have it rejected.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3/167) and Sahîh Muslim (3/1343)]
This principle is well established and understood by the scholars of Islam. From here, we can return to the topic of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

We find that some later scholars viewed the practice favorably while others condemned it and declared it an unlawful innovation in matters of religion. Here we have a dispute. Therefore, we must follow our principle of referring our disputes back to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him).

When we do so, we find no indication of this practice in the Qur’ân nor in the Sunnah and not even the Hadith mentioned (the Hadith that is talking about initiating a good sunnah or bad sunnah). There is no indication that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ever celebrated his birthday or encouraged anyone else to do so, not even his sahabah and even the tabii didn’t do thing like such. Let me introduce this to your notice my friend, the exact prophet birthday is a contradiction, no body know the exact date for the birth of our beloved prophet (pbuh). People predicts the years and they day (which is Monday) he spent but they cannot tell you the exact date he was born.

There is no evidence that anyone celebrated his birthday during the sixty-three years of his life. His Companions had the most ardent love possible for him. They revered him more than anyone else. They also had a better appreciation of what Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) wanted from them and went to the greatest lengths to defend their Prophet and their faith. They were keen on emulating the Prophet (peace be upon him) in every matter, great or small. They faithfully preserved every detail of his life for posterity. They even mentioned how his beard moved when he commenced his prayers. There is no way they would have failed to mention the observance of his birthday if it had even once taken place.

When we look at the preferred centuries that followed his death, we see that no one celebrated his birthday, not even his most beloved Companions. It was not observed by any of his family members, or by the Rightly Guided Caliphs, namely Abû Bakr, `Umar, Uthmân, and Alî. It was an unknown practice for the first three centuries of Islam.

Observing this day is prohibited in Islamic Law, since it has not been legislated by Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). Therefore, it cannot be something beloved to Allah and cannot be used as a means of attaining nearness to Him. It is clearly an innovated practice, completely unknown to the best generations of Muslims who ever lived.

It is an historical fact that the earliest generations of Muslims did not celebrate the Prophet’s birthday. This is not called into question by anyone, even those who advocate celebrating it.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then, there will come people after them whose testimony precedes their oaths and their oaths precede their testimony.” Source: (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6065, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2533).

The Prophet’s birthday was first celebrated by the Fatimid rulers of Egypt in the fourth century of Islam. The Fatimids were a deviant sect of Ismâ`îlî Shiites. They were adherents to the idea of hidden doctrines and were known for their heresies and open unbelief, not to mention a host of other religious innovations. They were definitely not a group of people to take as role models.

Moreover, we should keep in mind that Allah has perfected His religion for us and completed His favor. Allah says: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 3]

Introducing a new practice like this birthday observation is tantamount to second-guessing Allah. It implies that the religion has not been perfected and completed by Allah and people had to come later on with supplementary practices. This is a denial of the direct word of the Qur’ân.

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “There has never been a Messenger before me except that it was his duty to teach his people what was best for them.” [Sahîh Muslim (3/1372-1373)].

There can be no doubt that our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), being the final and most noble of all the Prophets, carried out this duty to the greatest degree. It follows that if celebrating his birthday was a good practice for us, then he would have initiated it and encouraged it. How is it then that not a single statement has been conveyed to us from the Prophet (peace be upon him) on this matter? There clearly can be no good in this practice and it most definitely cannot be a means of worshipping Allah.

A good question to ask those who wish to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is this: On which day do you propose to celebrate it? There is no agreement as to when his birthday actually was. Some biographers have place it in Ramadân. Others said it was on the 8th of Rabî’ al-Awwal. Still others have suggested the 12th. These are but a few of the suggestions that have been advanced. So how can you possibly hope to observe it? Or are you suggesting that his birth took place more than once?

The uncertainty surrounding the date of his birth is a sure sign that its observance is not part of our religion, for if it was, the Muslims would have taken care to know precisely when it took place.

Assuming it took place sometime in the month of Rabî` al-Awwal, well so did his death. It does not appear that anyone is seriously suggesting that we should mourn in this month on account of his death, though it is no less appropriate that we do so than celebrating his birth.
This is clear to anyone who cares to look at the matter closely and objectively. However, blind following of tradition has confused the issue for many people. The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday has brought with it a number of ill consequences that help to show just how far removed from the truth it is.

Among these consequences is that some people believe that celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is a means of worshipping Allah. We have already clarified the principle that all acts of worship must be established by the Qur’ân and Sunnah.

A number of things go on at these celebrations that violate Islamic beliefs. Among the most serious of these are the exaggerated words of praise that are offered by some people to the Prophet (peace be upon him). Many of these praises elevate the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the level of Godhood.

Take, for instance, the following words of praise penned by al-Bûsîrî: "O Most Noble of Creation! I seek refuge with none other than you when general calamity befalls us."

This is serious. Where is mention of the Lord of the heavens and the Earth? Where is mention of the Beneficent, the Merciful? How can we seek refuge with no one besides the Prophet (peace be upon him) in our distress when we should be seeking it with no one other than Allah?
In another place, he writes about the Prophet (peace be upon him): "From your magnanimity is the milk of the Earth and from your knowledge is the tablet and the pen of decree."

We must have no doubt that these attributes are the exclusive domain of Allah. Applying them to the Prophet (peace be upon him) is blatant polytheism, a sin that Allah tells us He will not forgive.

Moral decency also has a tendency to break down during these celebrations. Men mix with women and dance with them all night long. Licentious people take full advantage of the permissive atmosphere that these festivities offer.

Another negative consequence of these celebrations is the fact that some people condemn those who do not participate, sometimes to the extent of declaring those people unbelievers. This is clearly from Satan who has made the hearts of those people so enamored of deviance and innovations that they would take matters to this extent. First, they initiate an innovative practice in their religion. Then they make it their practice. Ultimately, they declare as unbelievers anyone who refuses to participate in it with them.

Some of the people who advocate these celebrations claim to have evidence to support them. Some of their evidence comes from authentic texts which they take out of context or misinterpret. Other evidence is simply weak and unauthentic.

Some of them quote the verse: “Say: In the bounty of Allah and His mercy let them rejoice”. [Sûrah Yûnus: 58]
They advance the argument with this verse that rejoicing in the Prophet (peace be upon him) is commanded by Allah, since Allah commanded us to rejoice in His mercy and the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the greatest manifestation of this mercy. For this latter claim they cite: “We sent you not but as a mercy to all humanity.” [Sûrah al-Anbiyâ’: 107].

In response, we argue that none of the early scholars ever had such an understanding of this verse. If this interpretation was sound, they would have mentioned it. Such an unfounded interpretation, therefore, must be rejected. Actually, the bounty and mercy mentioned to in the verse refer to Islam and the Sunnah. This was the gist of the interpretations provided by the earliest scholars as is elucidated by Ibn al-Qayyim in his work Ijtimâ` al-Juyûsh al-Islâmiyyah `alâ Ghazw al-Mu`attilah wal-Jahmiyyah.

As for the second verse mentioned in their argument, it pertains to the sending of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the Message and not to his birth. The events were forty years apart. Every text that describes the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the attribute of mercy refers to him after he received the Message. There is no text that describes his birth as a mercy. Therefore, the above argument collapses.
Some of them argue that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed an `aqîqah ceremony for himself. Al-Suyûtî is one of the people who advances this argument in support of observing his birthday.

The difficulty with this argument is that the hadîth in question, which is to be found in Sunan al-Bayhaqî, is unauthentic and rejected by the scholars of hadîth. When Mâlik was asked about it, he said: “Did you see the Companions who did not have an `aqîqah ceremony performed for them in the time of ignorance perform such ceremonies for themselves after accepting Islam? This is abjectly false!”
The hadîth contains `Abd Allah b. Muharrir, who is a weak narrator, in its chain of transmission. `Abd al-Razzâq mentions this hadîth in his Musannaf, then comments: “The only reason they abandoned Ibn al-Muharrir is on account of this hadîth.” When someone mentioned this hadîth to Ahmad, he renounced it and called `Abd Allah b. Muharrir a weak narrator. [Masâ’il Abî Dâwûd].

Al-Bayhaqî - the one who collected this hadîth - had this to say: “`Abd Allah b. Muharrir relates a false hadîth about the Prophet (peace be upon him) performing an `aqîqah for himself.” Then al-Bayhaqî narrates the hadîth and says: “`Abd al-Razzâq says that the only reason they abandoned `Abd Allah b. al-Muharrir is on account of this hadîth. It has been related with other chains of transmission from Qatâdah and Anas, but those transmissions also do not amount to anything.” [Sunan al-Bayhaqî (9/300)].

Al-Nawawî also declared this hadîth to be false. This is sufficient to show its unsuitability as evidence for celebrating the Prophet’s birthday.
All the other arguments offered by those who advocate such celebrations are equally baseless. They are as Allah describes: “They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire, even though there has already come to them guidance from their Lord!” [Sûrah al-Najm: 23]
The advocates of these celebrations are merely chasing after ambiguities, a practice Allah attributes to people of deviation.

It should now be clear to us that such celebrations are innovations that are not sanctioned by Allah. In fact, they resemble the behavior of the Christians who concoct numerous celebrations and festivals for themselves. This is an indication of a paucity of knowledge and a lack of true religious conviction.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that we would eventually imitate them when he said: “You will follow the ways of who came before you more and more until, if one of them were to enter into a lizard hole, you would go in after him.” [Musnad Ahmad (2/511) and Sahîh al-Bukhârî (8/151)].
We pray to Allah to bless us and all the Muslims with guidance and success.

<!---------------------------------------------------------Blank--------------------------------------------------------!>