Our topic today is on the holy Prophet who is choosen amongst the human race by Allah, and sent as messenger to mankind,

Sura Al-Imran V.164 states: "Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when they sent among them a messenger from among themselves, rehearsing into them the signs of Allah, purifying them.  And instructing them in scripture and wisdom, while before that they had been in manifest error."

It is stated in the Quran that Prophet Muhammed is a chosen prophet of Allah, in sura Tauba V.128: "Now hath come, unto you a messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should suffer, ardently anxious is he over you, to the believers is he most kind and merciful."

The Prophet whose birthday is celebrated (Mawlud) is called Muhammed (SAWs). His mother's name is Amina and his father is Abdullah who did not live to see his son Muhammed he died before Muhammed was born.  His mother Amina died when Muhammed (SAWs) was six years old.  It means that the prophet was the only child of both his mother and father.

The prophet was born in the city of Mecca.  An astronaut called Muhammed Barsha said that prophet Muhammed was born on a Monday on the 12th day Rabiyu owal corresponding to 20th April 570 after Jesus Christ. It was in the same Kaaba in Mecca. The celebrating of prophet Muhammed birthday brought disputes amongst the scholars of Islam.  Some agreed to the celebration but some did not.

A learned scholar called Imam Zaheer Deen Jaffar Tasmantee said that the way of celebrating the prophet's birthday now a days was not done during the time of prophet Muhammed or the period after that.  The Sahabas, though they loved the prophet, did not do it and the ones after them also.

According to Zaheer Deen, although this kind of celebration was done long after prophet Muhammed, it was a good idea and accepted by all of them.  If the celebrating is done by gathering the learned scholars and faithful believers, then spend the hight praising Allah and his messenger: giving food and clothing to the poor and needy; then it is the right way of doing it.  When the celebration is  is done this way then we will have Allah's blessing and reward.

Another scholar called Sheikh Nasseru Deen narrated that celebrating the prophet's birthday is not a Sunna that prophet Muhammeh directed us to do.  However when it is done by feeding the poor and the and the needy, giving them clothes to wear, if on the occasion we show our happiness about prophet Muhammed who removed us from darkness to light, then it is recommended.

According to Imam Shafiya Bidaa is something that is done after prophet Muhammed (SAWs), is one of two kinds.  The first is the one done it is not found in the holy Quran and Hadith. The learned scholars did not comment on it. This is the bad one. It should not be done by any believer. The other Bidaas" is the rehovation and construction of Schools, Hospitals and Mosques.  Nowadays, the Mosques are different from the ones before.

They are painted often, with carpets, electric lamps and loudspeakers. Even the translation of the holy Quran and the hadith in other European languages is part of a good "Bidaa." recently, it was said that Al-Azhar university in Cairo, Egypt, recommended the translation of the holy Quran into local languages like Hausa and Fulani. All of these are pait of "Bidaa." but the accepted ones.