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The life of the Holy Prophet (SAW) is, no
doubt, the most important source of guidance for all the
Muslims, and every Muslim is under an obligation to learn
and study the events of his life, and to follow the
practical example set by him in every sphere of life. The
narration of his pious biography (the Seerah) in itself
is a pious act which invites the divine blessings, but
the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah have not prescribed a
particular time or method for it. This pious act should
he performed in all the months and in all the tunes. The
month of Rabi'ul - Awal has not been taken by the Shariah
as a special season for holding such congregations to
commemorate the birth or life of the Holy Prophet (SAW) .
It is thus an innovation (Bid'ah) to restrict the Seerah
meetings to the month of Rabi'ul-Awwal only, or to
believe that the meetings held in thift month are worthy
of more reward than the meetings held on any other date
during the year. In fact, the Companions of the Holy
Prophet (SAW) used to commemorate the life of the Holy
Prophet (SAW) throughout the year, not only by studying
and conveying his message to others, but also by
following his way of life and acting upon his teachings
in each and every branch of their activities, and this is
exactly what a Muslim is required and supposed to do. By
this we do not mean that the Seerah meetings should not
be held in the month of Rabi'ul - Awwal. The point is
only that they should not be restricted to it, nor should
it be believed that the Shariah has laid any kind of
emphasis on holding such meetings in this particular
month.
Another point which should always be kept
in mind while holding such meetings that they must be in
complete conformity with the rules of Shariah. A Muslim
is supposed to abide by the rules of Shariah in all his
activities. Bat at least the meetings held in the memory
of the Holy Prophet (SAW). should be free from all the
acts forbidden by the Shariah.
It is often observed, especially in the
Western countries, that the people hold the Seerah
meetings where men and women sit together without
observing the rules of hijab prescribed by the Shariah.
The teachings of the Holy Prophet (SAW) are obviously
against such mixed gatherings. How can a Seerah meeting
bring fruits where such fundamental teachings of the
Shariah are openly violated?
In some meetings the Nats (poems) in the
memory of the Holy prophet (SAW) are recited by the women
before the male audience, sometimes with music, which is
totally against the instructions of the Holy Prophet
(SAW). It is clearly prohibited by the Shariah to hold
such meetings or to participate in them, because it is
not only a violation of the Shariah rules, but it amounts
to outraging the sanctity of the Seerah of the Holy
Prophet (SAW).
All other activities, often practiced on
the twelfth of Rabi'ul-Awwal, like holding processions,
constructing the artificial tombs of the Holy Prophet
(SAW) and illumination of the buildings and the roads are
not warranted by any rule of the Shariah, Rather they are
based on conscious or unconscious imitation of certain
other religions. No example of such activities can be
traced out from the earlier Islamic hisory.
What is really important with regard to the
Holy Prophet (SAW) is, firstly, to follow his teachings,
and secondly to make his pious Seer ah available to every
Muslim, to preserve it in the hearts of the Muslims from
the very childhood, to educate the family members to run
their lives according to it and to hold it as the most
glorious example of the human conduct the universe has
ever witnessed - and all this with utmost love and
reverence, not manifested by some formal activities only,
but also through actual behaviour of following the
Sunnah. This cannot be done by merely holding processions
and illuminating the walls. This requires constant and
consistent efforts and a meaningful programme of
education and training.
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