The lajnah stated:

Q: Regarding the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab and the night of the middle of Sha‘ban, Muslims are used to celebrating them every year where they serve greasy foods and suchlike. What is your opinion regarding this?

A: These are two Bid‘ahs (innovations in religion): Celebrating the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab and the night of the middle of Sha‘ban are two Bid‘ahs based on no evidence. It is not proven that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab is the Night of Isra’ (Night Journey) and Mi‘raj (Ascension to Heaven). The Hadiths related in this regard are not Sahih (authentic) according to scholars. Even if it is proven that this night is the Night of Mi‘raj, it is not permissible to celebrate it because neither the Messenger (peace be upon him) nor his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) – who are our example to pattern after – celebrated it.Allah (Exalted be He) says: Certainly, there has been in them an excellent example for you to follow This includes both what they did and what they forbore to do. In other words, whatever the Prophet (peace be upon him) left we must leave and whatever he (peace be upon him) did we must do. Thus, celebrating the night of the middle of Sha‘ban or that of the twenty-seventh of Rajab on the grounds that it is the Night of Isra’ and Mi‘raj, or celebrating the occasion of the Mawlid (birthday) of the Prophet (peace be upon him) at the twelfth of Rabi‘ Al-Awal or other Mawlids like that of Al-Badawy, Al-Husayn, ‘Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilany, or such-and-such a person, all this is not permissible and typifies an imitation of the Jews and Christians regarding their feasts. The Messenger (peace be upon him) forbade patterning after them when he said: Anyone who imitates a people is one of them. It is not befitting for Muslims to imitate the opponents of Allah neither in these matters nor in any other matters. Had celebrating the night of the middle of Sha‘ban been lawful, it would have been done first by the master of the descendants ofAdam (peace be upon him) who is the best of Allah’s Creation and the Last of the Messengers (peace be upon him). He (peace be upon him) would have legislated and taught it to his Ummah (nation based on one creed), because he (peace be upon him) is the sincerest of all people, who advised honestly and truthfully. He (peace be upon him) guided his followers to every good he knew for them and warned them against every evil he knew for them, as authentically reported in the Sahih (Authentic Hadith Book) of Muslim on the authority of`Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There was never a prophet before me except that it was a duty upon him that he should guide his Ummah to what he knew was good for them and warn them against what he knew was evil for them. Certainly, our Prophet (peace be upon him) is the best of the prophets, most perfect and the last of them all.There shall be no prophet after him, and so he (peace be upon him) is the worthiest of fulfilling this description. He (peace be upon him) left no good but he guided us to it and no evil but he warned us against it. Had celebrating the night of the middle of Sha‘ban, the Mawlid of the Prophet, or the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab been lawful, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have preceded us to it both in stating and putting it into action. He (peace be upon him) would have taught it to his Ummah. Had he so done, this would have been reported by the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them) who are the most trustworthy and the best people after the prophets, and it is they who reported for us both the Qur’an and the Sahih (authentic) Sunnah from the Prophet (peace be upon him). They are the Imams and the examples for us to pattern after, following the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Thus, it is not permissible for us to contradict them and innovate what they did not practice from acts of worship or means of drawing closer to Allah. Moreover, those who followed them exactly in faith did not practice this. Had the Sahabah done this, the Tabi‘un (Followers, the generation after the Companions of the Prophet) and then their followers would have so done. Since the three best generations of Islam did not celebrate either the Mawlid of the Prophet, or the night of the middle of Sha‘ban, or the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab, it is to be known that these practices are among the Bid‘ahs introduced by people. Moreover, if the people of the second or third generation innovated something, this does not constitute an evidence of legitimacy because any evidence stems only from what the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Sahabah did. As for this Bid‘ah – the practice of celebrating the Mawlid of the Prophet – it had no existence either at the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or at the lifetime of the first, second or third generation. Rather, it was introduced in the fourth generation. The same applies to all other Bid‘ahs, it is obligatory to leave and beware of them. These Bid‘ahs include what we have mentioned above i.e. the Bid‘ah of celebrating the Night of Mi‘raj, and the Bid‘ah of celebrating the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab, and the Bid‘ah of celebrating the night of the middle of Sha‘ban.There is also a Bid‘ah called Salat-ul-Ragha’ib (Prayer for great bounties or wishes). It is so called by some people who practice it on the first Friday of Rajab. It is also a newly-invented matter in religion. There are many Bid‘ahs being committed by people. May Allah protect all Muslims against them and may He grant them understanding in religion and may He grant them success to adhere to the Sunnah, not to exceed it and to beware of Bid‘ahs.

[Reference]

Mentioned by

AbdulFattaah bin Uthman
Abu Fajr