“Then what Ibn Kathīr mentions in the section on the Prophetic biography in his ‘Bidāyah wa-al-Nihāyah’, and in his lengthy ‘Sīrah’ and in the sections of ‘Ikhtiṣār Sīrah al-Rasūl’, and in his stand alone treatise on the Mawlid published with the taḥqīq of al-Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Manjad, and in his revision to the Mawlid of his shaykh, Kamāl al-Dīn Abī Maʿālī Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Ansārī contained in the section detailing ‘Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah’ in his ‘Bidāyah wa-al-Nihāyah’ he does not present anything in these concerning the celebration of the Mawlid of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and neither of the evil practices that have occurred amongst the later generations with respect to the Mawlid.”
A Reply to the Ṣūfī Claim That Ibn Kathīr Supported the Mawlid
A refutation of the fallacious quoting of the Ṣūfīs from a book in which he did not claim what they allege he did.
As for the claim of the author of the letter published in the magazine ‘al-Mujtamaʿ‘ (no.559), while listing the authors who considered the celebration of the Mawlid to be permissible and their works (concerning this), that the author of ‘Kashf al-Ẓunūn fī Usāmī al-Kutub wa-al-Funūn’ mentioned on page 319 that al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr authored a number of treatise concerning the noble Mawlid. From amongst them: ‘Jāmiʿ al-Āthār fī Mawlid al-Nabī al-Mukhtār’ in three volumes, ‘al-Lafẓ al-Rāʾiq fī Mawlid Khayr al-Khalāʾiq’ and it is succinct. And his claim that Ibn Fahd mentioned that Ibn Kathīr authored a book which he entitled, ‘Mawrid al-Ṣādī fī Mawlid al-Hādī.’ And his saying that al-Ḥāfiẓ Al-Sakhāwī had a book concerning the Mawlid entitled, ‘al-Tibr al-Masbūk fī Dhayl al-Sulūk’ then all of this is a grievous error having no basis for being correct.
As for ‘Jāmiʿ al-Āthār fī Mawlid al-Nabī al-Mukhtār’ then looked up ‘Kashf al-Ẓunūn’ to ascertain the truth of his words and we found it under the letter ‘jīm’ (pg.533) and the text is, ‘Jāmiʿ al-Āthār fī Mawlid al-Nabī al-Mukhtār of Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Dimashqī, died in the year 842, being in three volumes commencing with the words, “All praise is due to Allāh Who displayed Muḥammad as the most purest of the Universe.”
And we found under the letter ‘lām’ page 1559 the words, ‘al-Lafẓ al-Rāʾiq fī Mawlid Khayr al-Khalāʾiq’ a short booklet by al-Ḥāfiẓ Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Dimashqī who died in the year 842.’
And we found under the letter ‘mīm’ page. 1910 the words, ‘al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Sakhāwī mentioned in his ‘al-Ḍawʾ al-Lāmiʿ’ a group who wrote concerning the Mawlid of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) from amongst them al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Dimashqī who authored in this regards ‘Jāmiʿ al-Āthār fī Mawlid al-Nabī al-Mukhtār’ in three volumes and a booklet ‘al-Lafẓ al-Rāʾiq fī Mawlid Khayr al-Khalāʾiq’ and it is shorter than the one mentioned before it’
As for ‘Mawrid al-Sādī fī Mawlid al-Hādī’ then the claim of the author of that article that ibn Fahd attributed it to ibn Kathīr is without basis for ibn Fahd said in ‘Laḥẓ al-Alhāẓ bi Dhayl Tabaqāt al-Huffāẓ’ (pg. 320-321) under the biography of Ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Dimashqī, ‘he authored, and some of them concerned the Mawlid of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and it is ‘Jāmiʿ al-Āthār fī Mawlid al-Nabī al-Mukhtār’ in three volumes, and ‘Tawḍīḥ al-Mushtabah’ and ‘Mawrid al-Ṣādī fī Mawlid al-Hādī..’
And this which is mentioned by Ibn Fahd is declared with certainty by al-Sakhāwī and al-Shawkānī.
So it becomes clear with all of this that the claims of the author of that article published in ‘al-Mujtamaʿ’ magazine has no basis.
Then what Ibn Kathīr mentions in the section on the Prophetic biography in his ‘Bidāyah wan Nihāyah’, and in his lengthy ‘Sīrah’ and in the sections of ‘Ikhtiṣār Sīrah al-Rasūl’, and in his stand alone treatise on the Mawlid published with the taḥqīq of al-Ṣalāh al-Dīn al-Manjad, and in his revision to the Mawlid of his shaykh, Kamāl al-Dīn Abī Maʿālī Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Anṣārī contained in the section detailing ‘Dalā’il al-Nubuwwah’ in his ‘Bidāyah wa-al-Nihāyah’ he does not present anything in these concerning the celebration of the Mawlid of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and neither of the evil practices that have occurred amongst the later generations with respect to the Mawlid. Therefore as long as the matter is like this then we cannot accept the claim of the author of that article.[1]
As for the saying of the author of that article that al-Sakhāwī authored a book about the Mawlid entitled ‘al-Tibr al-Masbūk fī Dhail al-Sulūk’ then this is also incorrect al-Sakhāwī said in his autobiography contained in ‘al-Ḍawʾ al-Lāmiʿ li Ahl al-Qarn al-Tāsiʿ (8/17) while listing his works, ‘and ‘al-Tibr al-Masbūk fī Dhayl ʿalá Tārīkh al-Maqrīzī al-Sulūk’ containing the events and deaths (of scholars) since the year 45 to this day in 4 volumes’ so this is what al-Sakhāwī himself clarifies and it is clear that the subject matter of the book is not the Mawlid even though it may contain things connected to the Mawlid.
