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Why is eating عصيدة (aseeda) forbidden on the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid), when it is a popular winter dish eaten every day?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The day of the Mawlid does not prohibit what is permissible, nor does it permit what is forbidden. However, what is forbidden is preparing food specifically for the celebration, because celebrating the Mawlid is an innovation (bid'ah). Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that establishing a season other than the legitimate seasons, like the night of the Mawlid, is among the innovations that the early Muslims (Salaf) did not deem desirable. He also stated that what some people do by taking the Prophet's birthday as an Eid was not done by the Salaf. The perfection of love and reverence for him lies in following him, obeying him, and reviving his Sunnah. A Muslim may be rewarded for feeding the poor and needy on the day of the Mawlid, or for their good intention and reverence for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, but not for the act of the Mawlid itself. As Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned, reverence for the Mawlid may bring a great reward due to the good intention of its doer and their reverence for the Messenger, even though the Mawlid is an innovation.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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