As regards the celebration of the birthday of the Messenger (sallallahu
'alaihi wa sallam), the scholars have clearly stated that the person who first
introduced this innovation (bid'a) was Muzaffar ad-Din ibn Zain al-Din, the
ruler of Irbil. "He was a prodigal monarch. He commanded the scholars of his
time to follow the conduct based on their own derivation and independent
thinking (ijtihad), and that they should not follow any school of law of any
master except their own. A group of scholars and a body of the servants
inclined towards him. He used to celebrate the birthday of the first monarch
to introduce this practice among the Muslims"[1]
He used to spend one hundred thousand (dirhams) on the
celebration of the birthday of the Messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam)
every year.[2]
His assistant and helper in this
innovation was Abdul Khattab Umar b. Dihya. "He was employed in the
Maghrib, then travelled to Syria, then to Iraq, and then went to Irbil in 604
A.H. and found its monarch Muzaffar al-Din b. Zain al-Din who took keen
interest in celebrating the birthday of the Messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa
sallam). He composed a book for him al-Tanwir fi Maulid al-Siraj al-Munir
and recited it to him. He rewarded him with one thousand dinars."[3]
Ibn Kathir has reported on the authority of al-Sabt about Ibn Dihya:
"Ibn Unain used to defame the Muslims and disparage them. He would make
additions in his report and exaggerate. So the people gave up narrating
traditions from him and falsified him. Kamil was favouring him. When his
conduct was disclosed to him, he withdrew Dar-al-Hadith from him and
disgraced him."[4]
We give below the resume of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani's comments on
him: "He was a liar, lied frequently, and a fabricator. He often slandered the
scholars and the jurists of the past, used evil toungue, self-conceited, lacked
insight in religious matters, and looked down upon religion. This has been
reported from al-Hafiz Diya. He further says: Ali b. al-Hussain Abul Ali al-
Isbahan narrated to me - it is enough to mention his name as an authority -
when Ibn Dihya came to us in Isbahan, he stayed with my father in the
hospice. He honoured and respected him very much. One day he came to my
father with a carpet. He kissed it and placed it before him saying, "I offered
such and such thousand rak'ahs of prayer on this carpet, and recited the
whole Qur'an in the Ka'ba." He said: My father took it, kissed it, placed it
on his head, and accepted it from him with a great pleasure. At the end of
the day an inhabitant of Isbafian came and began to talk to us. During his
conversation he said by chance: The faqih of Maghrib who is staying with
you has purchased a beautiful carpet today for such and such a price.
Therupon my father ordered to bring the carpet. Seeing it the man said, "Yes
by Allah, this is the same." My father kept silent, and the eyes of Ibn Dihya
fell down.[5]
1. Ahmad b. Muhammad el-Misry, el-Qawl el-Mu'tamad fi
'amal al-Mawlid
2. Al-Dhahabi, Duwal al-Islam, Vol.11 p.102
3. Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, Vol.I3 pp.144-146
4. Ibid
5. Ibn Hajar el-Asqalani, Lisan al-Mizan, VoL 4
p.295
Ibn Hajr and Ibn Kathir on the Inventor of the Milad