The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) arrival was the most joyous event for the world, for he came as a mercy to all creation. According to hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born in the Year of the Elephant — the year Abraha marched on Mecca with elephants to destroy the Kaaba. The companion Qais ibn Makhrama (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and I were both born in the Year of the Elephant.” (Tirmidhi: 3619)
His birth fell on a Monday. Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was born on a Monday, received prophethood on a Monday, passed away on a Monday, set out from Mecca on the journey of migration to Medina on a Monday, arrived in Medina on a Monday, and lifted the Black Stone into place on a Monday as well.” (Musnad Ahmad: 2506) After receiving prophethood, he used to fast on this day. The companion Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) explained this fast by saying: “I was born on this day, and it was on this day that I received prophethood.” (Muslim: 1162)
He came to us as a mercy. And as that mercy, he brought us Allah’s sharia, or the Islamic way of life. It is therefore our duty, as gratitude for his arrival, to uphold throughout our lives the sharia he brought. In the hadith above, we see that he fasted on the day of his birth, that is, on Mondays. Following his example, the ummah can express gratitude and joy for his arrival by fasting weekly on Mondays. But there is no teaching in the sharia he brought for turning this day into an annual celebration; rather, the hadith carries teaching to the contrary.
First, he identified the weekly Monday as his birthday, not any particular annual date. Second, he used to fast on his birthday, and in his teaching, fasting is the opposite of celebration. It is stated in a hadith that Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) said the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast more on Saturdays and Sundays than on other days of the week. He explained this by saying these two days were the days of celebration for the polytheists, and that he wished to differ from them in this way. (Sahih Ibn Hibban: 3616)
Our duty is to bring our emotions under control in light of his guidance, and to give his teaching precedence over social custom. This is what loving him truly demands.
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