Question:
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Mawlid un-nabi mubarak to everybody. Nowadays we see a lot of disputes and disagreement among the scholars about the birth-date of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). We all celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on 12 Rabi-ul-awal. But some of the scholars are saying in the mass media that the actual date of prophet is 9th Rabi-ul-awal , and they are also saying that some of the Muslims due to their ignorance celebrating the death of Prophet Muhammad on 12 Rabi-ul-awal. So, it is really a confusion and this is making disunity in Muslim brotherhood. what is the actual information, if you explain to us, I will be grateful to you. Jajakumullahu khairan

Answer:
The exact Hijri date of the Prophet’s birthday is a matter of a scholarly debate. The consensus of all scholars along centuries is that the Prophet was born in the Hijri month of Rabi’ al Awwal but the exact date of his noble birth is controversial. The majority of scholars nonetheless agree that the Prophet’s noble birth is on the 12th of Rabi’ al- Awwal. Therefore issues which are of multiple juristic opinions should not be a matter of division or disunity among the Muslim communities. The Prophet’s noble birth according to the Gregorian calendar is on the 20th of April and this date is in accordance with the consensus of the Muslim scholars.

As a matter of fact, Muslims should be in a constant state of joy and happiness with the birth of the noble prophet all year long and should not only confine the celebration of the Prophet’s birth to a certain day on which controversy occurs among some groups who argue on the validity of a certain date against other possibly valid ones.