THE HADITH OF MEELAD

<span class="content1">In<strong> Sahih Bukhari</strong> and in many other books of Traditions, this Hadith has been mentioned with a slight change of wording. In some narrations it is brief, in others it is detailed. In Sahih Bukhari <strong>Vol 2 Pg. no. 764, </strong>the Tradition is as follows, &ldquo;Hadhrat Urwah (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) says, &lsquo;Sobiya (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) was a slave of Abu Lahab. Abu Lahab set her free, and she suckled the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). When Abu Lahab died, someone from his family saw him in a dream, in the worst possible condition. The person asked him, &lsquo;What did you get?&rsquo; Abu Lahab said, &lsquo;After I was separated from you, I did not find any peace, except that because I freed Sobiya (May Allah SWT be well pleased with her), I am given a drink through this (i.e. the finger) <br /> <br /> In the commentary of this Hadith, the interpreters Imam Badruddin A&rsquo;aini (May Allah SWT shower His Mercy on him) and Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani (May Allah SWT shower His Mercy on him) have mentioned the detailed Hadith in their respective books. <br /> <br /> We will see here the Tradition mentioned by Imam A&rsquo;aini (May Allah SWT shower His Mercy on him) in his book &ldquo;Umdatul Qari Vol 14, Pg. no. 45; &ldquo;Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (May Allah SWT shower His Mercy on him) says, &lsquo;I saw Abu Lahab in a dream, one year after he died, in the worst possible condition. He said, &lsquo;After separation from you, I did not find any peace; but on Monday the punishment is lessened. Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) says that is because the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) arrived on that day. When Sobiya (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) gave this good news to Abu Lahab, he set her free. <br /> <br /> With some slight change of words, this Tradition is also mentioned in the following books:<br /> <br /> Sunan Kubra by Imam Baihaqi, The Book of Nikah.<br /> Jame Ul Ahadith Wal Maraseel, Masaneed us Sahabah, Hadith no. 43545<br /> Kanzul 'Ummal Vol 6, Hadith no. 15725<br /> Musannaf Abdul Razzaq, Vol 7, Hadith no. 13546.<br /> <br /> From among the Pious Predecessors (Salaf saliheen), Hafiz Shamsuddin bin Jarazi and Hafiz Shamsuddin bin Nasiruddin (May Allah SWT shower His Mercy on them) have deduced about celebration of the arrival (Meelad) of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Hafiz Shamsuddin bin Nasiruddin writes in his book Mawrud us Sawi&rdquo; &ldquo;It is an authentic Tradition that because Abu Lahab celebrated the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) by setting Sobiya (May Allah SWT be well pleased with her) free, on Monday the punishment in Hell is reduced. Then he wrote some couplets. <br /> <br /> <strong>Translation: </strong><br /> <br /> When this unbeliever, in whose condemnation &ldquo;Tabbat yada&rdquo; was revealed<br /> And he will remain in Hell forever.<br /> If he celebrates the Arrival of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), on every punishment is reduced,<br /> Then what rewards should be imagined for the one who celebrates the Arrival of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) all his life and passes away as a Muslim. <br /> <br /> Also this has been mentioned in Sharh Zurqani, Vol 1, Pg. no. 261 and in Subul ul Huda war Rashad Vol 1 Pg. no. 367.</span>