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By Osman Riaz

The Objection: It is claimed that it is wrong to excessively praise the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him). It is claimed that the ways and means of expressing ones extreme love and praise of the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) leads to shirk (idolatry) as it means placing too much emphasis on his person. So the attitude of excessively praising the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) should be curtailed. This is done by saying it is 'over the top' and leads to shirk.

Answer: Praise is a natural expression of love. The lover praises the beloved. The two are identifiably linked. Expressions of love can vary; it is the sincerity which is pertinent. The one who aims to stop high praises reflects his own lack of sincerity towards the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him). To entertain The Objection it begs to be asked: Do the sources of Islamic Law command Muslims to have extreme love towards the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him)? Does Islam justify high praises and expressions of love for the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him)? How true are the allegations of The Objection? What has been the practice of the pious predecessors? The true Islamic perspective will be sought through Quran, Hadith, and sayings of religious authorities:

By Osman Riaz

The Objection: It is claimed that the Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon Him) is dead like the common bodies which are lying dead in their graves having no concern with the affairs of the world. That he is not alive in his grave. He is, therefore, unaware of the state of his ummah and the world in general. It is, thus, wrong to seek anything from the dead through intermediation, nor is there anything special about visiting Madinah (that many Muslims yearn for) since the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) is not alive and is unaware of our presence when we visit his grave.

Answer: This idea stems from an atheistic, secularist and western orientalist approach to Islam which some Muslims have assimilated and marketed as "pure Islam". This concept had never existed for over a thousand years of Islamic history until recent centuries. This allegation has, however, been rejected by the majority of Muslims across the globe and they refuse to accept this creed. Quite frankly, since it is a deviation from the original Islamic belief. The actual belief concerning this matter is that the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) did die but this does not mean that he is not alive in his grave; fully informed. The true Islamic belief will be proven through Quran, Hadith, and sayings of religious authorities:

By Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

One of many purposes to be realized by religion is the purification and purgation of self, soul and beliefs. It is for this purpose that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that he was raised as a Prophet for the perfection of moral excellence. It is in this context that the ideal before the mankind is the attainment of highest moral standards, which is possible through purification of self. Going by the teachings of religions of the world, it becomes certain that every religion has highlighted the importance of spiritual purification and moral edification in one form or the other.

The subject of celebrating the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) birthday, or Mawlid has in recent times been misconceived. This paper is insufficient to go into the detail concerning the legality of celebrating Mawlid however even for a brief examination it is vital to consult the ultimate sources – the Qur’an and the Hadith, to provide clarification.

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