Wahhabi Mawlids

It is widely believed that Wahhabi/"Salafi" are against the idea of holding celebrations of Mawlid. But that's not true. They celebrate not one, but many Mawlids. Here are some of the Wahhabi/"Salafi" Mawlids we have witnessed.

1- Mawlid of Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab, Shaykh-an-Najdi (Also, the title which was given to Shaytan), Shaykh al-Islam of "Salafis"/Wahhabis, and Imam of the Two Cities (Riyad and Dar`iyya):

Every year at the anniversary date of Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab's death, a great feast is held at the Ibn Sa`ud University in Riyad (in Najd) at which time they praise the unparalleled magnificence of their beloved religious leader, listing his qualities and reciting new poetry about his greatness. All over the world, their embassies also fulfill this important communal obligation (fard kifaya). This is NOT `ibada, of course.

2- Mawlid of the State, known as National Day:

This Mawlid, similar to Independence Day, Flag Day, and Army Day, is celebrated every year in the country with international gala festivities, fanfare, parades, army reviews, podiums and thrones, and also, of course, new poems of praise and Madih recitations for the State founders and current rulers, all at colossal cost, but whatever means leads to fulfilling an obligation (fard), is itself an obligation. Of course this is NOT `ibada.

3- Mawlid of the Nation's Century:

This was a gigantic and truly new Mawlid, the like of which was never seen before. Last year we all witnessed the great celebrations whose main slogan
was "100 years KSA" to commemorate one century of freedom from the innovated Khilafa and the establishment of the Sunni Kingdom. On this occasion
thousands of shiny and colorful lights, new constructions, inventive and tasteful decorations, posters, banners, placards, and other graphic art productions were displayed in public places and broadcast over the media with orchestral music, poems, and commentary of self-praise and glorification that filled the heart with warmth, love of dunya, and national pride. All Mawlids should be like this! (Needless to say, this is NOT
`ibada.)

4- Mawlid of the Mufti:

At the recent passing of the Grand Mufti of the Wahhabiyya Sect, Bin Baz, it was decided by the Mawlid Celebration Board to issue a special commemorative
glossy publication praising his greatness, listing his achievements and merits, and deploring his demise with big tears of sadness. In fact, the magazine cover showed a delightful, artistic painting of a series of big tears stringed together like dhikr-beads, and inside each tear there was a small Ka`ba. Al-Hamdu lillah, the Grand mufti is gone, the tears dried up, but we still have the Ka`ba!

5- Mawlid of the Ministers:

From time to time, public sessions of high praise are held for certain ministers according to worldly (dunya) merit. In a recent incident one of our brothers unduly obsessed with the hereafter (Akhira) witnessed a TV program in Madina during Hajj 1999, in which one of the Ministers was lavishly praised (madih) by a 7-year old schoolboy dressed in a formal army suit, reciting poetry he had innovated for him. The boy was called to the podium (`arsh) and asked by that minister what he would like to receive for praising him so much. The boy said on the spot: "Half a million Ryals." The Minister happily granted his wish. (Jazak Allahu Khayran for such a generous, noble gesture on National TV during Hajj, so that everyone young and old should learn to praise and magnify government officials instead of reciting Qasidat al-Burda or other such things!) The brother who witnessed this event on TV, as he was pleased with the Best of Creation - the Prophet (SAWS) - went to the Prophet's Mosque and, standing at Bab Gibril in front of the blessed Green Dome (with other brothers who were also obsessed with Akhira), started excessively obeying the command of the Qur'an to invoke blessings and abundant greetings on the Holy Prophet (SAWS) and recite Qasida in his praise. Immediately, the guards of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques went on Red Alert (special guards from the elite Tala`al Badru Emergency Alert Unit) as they noticed that the brothers were committing an act of love and respect for the Beloved of Allah (SAWS), something known in their legal police code as SHIRKUFRBID`A (which only they can pronounce correctly). So the elite, frowning paratroopers yelled at the brothers to stop immediately this violation of the National Mawlid Law, manhandled them, and threatened them with arrest and jail unless they stopped their crime. Moral: If only those brothers had used their intellects to recite Mawlid for a State Minister instead of Rahmatan lil-Alamin (SAWS), they would have been several million Ryals richer today! (And this would NOT be `ibada!)

6- Mawlid of Monuments and Inscriptions:

Unlike the preceding Mawlids which are seasonal or according to special circumstances, this Mawlid is a permanent Mawlid in Madina, steps away from the Prophet's Mosque in the ritzy Dar al-Tayba square. It consists in a 15-foot monument in the shape of a globe topped by a dome similar to the Prophet's dome, flanked by a flag, in the middle of a waterfall. Below, an inscription says: "In appreciation to the King for services rendered to Islam." This Mawlid of Monuments and Inscriptions fulfills two important functions. First, it is most suitable for photography as a memento of His Majesty the King in the City of the Holy Prophet (SAWS) as, unfortunately, pictures of the real Dome are prohibited but happily, pictures of this dunya monument are welcome (as it is NOT `ibada).

Second, just like the inscription acknowledging His Majesty the King at the bottom of the door of the Ka`ba in Mecca (for every pilgrim to remember and commemorate) this monument and inscription fills the vacuum created - in the last century - by the destruction of the graves of of the great past Muslim
figures who contributed over 1,000 years to the greatness of Islam. Figures such as `Uthman ibn `Affan who used to ride on a donkey and sleep on the mosque floor when he was caliph; `Uthman ibn Mazun whose grave the Holy Prophet (SAWS) personally built up; Malik ibn Anas who walked barefoot in Madina out of respect for Rasulullah (SAWS); our mothers the Prophet's wives; his daughters, uncles, cousins, and thousands of Sahaba all left without one sign - i.e. monument or inscription - reminding of their existence or "services rendered to Islam." But why remember them? Wouldn't that be... `IBADA!?

Conclusion:

It is hoped that this brief description will help dispel the false and unjust notion that no Mawlid of any kind is celebrated in the Wahhabi/"Salafi" world today. Yes, they celebrate Mawlid, rejoice and remember like everybody else - but in their own special way, WITHOUT `ibada. As Allah (SWT) said: "Every party rejoices in what they have." And the Holy Prophet (SAWS) said: "When someone loves something, they make abundant remembrance of it." May Allah reward everyone of them for NOT making `ibada with innovated Mawlids, all according to their intention and according to what they deserve!


Bear this one thing in mind: These shayateen have the cheeks to say that Milad-un-Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) is Shirk & Bid'ah, yet in the LA
Times, they openly join in the celebration of Christmas.

So let's get this straight. According to the Najdis:


* a. Milad of Nabi Isa ibn Maryam, Christmas, which is actually a pagan Greco-Roman celebration, is considered to be a sacred event.

* b. Milad of the Holy Last Messenger, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, is "bid'ah, shirk, kufr."


La'natullah 'alaa-l-kaadhibeen wa alaa-l-munafiqeen!