Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Birth of Prophet Muhammad changed the world
The arrival of the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the world scene was the most auspicious event. Allah sent him as a ‘Mercy for the worlds’.
His mission was meant to save humanity from the forces of destruction. Therefore, today as we are on the suicidal path of self-destruction, the world needs to embrace his message and show how to save us from imminent doom.
In his Farewell Sermon, the Prophet (PBUH) took a pledge from the Muslims to pass his message on to posterity. The responsibility for it falls on Muslims in generals and more especially on the leaders and scholars.
However, the world harbors negative views about him and his mission, so it behooves us to mobilize our intellectual, moral, and spiritual resources to share his message.
Role of Imams and Scholars on Prophet’s Birthday
Words are not enough; actions and examples speak louder. Here are a few tips for imam and scholars to keep in mind:
- Use the month of Rabi` al-Awwal to organize events and programs aimed at educating Muslims and non-Muslims by using the most effective methods;
- We should enlist clean forms of art, music, and diverse forms of media and communication methods for the same;
- Muslims throughout history were using the auspicious month for inculcating a true spirit of love and emotional attachment to the Prophet. It was, thus, a sure way of instilling in the hearts and minds and stirring up the streams of love; it helped unify the ummah and build the bonds of solidarity.
Hence, Rabi` al-Awwal became a herald of a new spiritual season to rekindle our love for the Prophet and celebrate his Seerah.
Almighty Allah knows best.