Reasoning to celebrate Mawlid un Nabi peace be upon him.
Ibn al-Jazri said about celebrating the Mawlid of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
ومما جرب من خواصه أنه أمان في ذلك العام، وبشرى عاجلة بنيل البغية والمرام، فرحم الله امرأ اتخذ ليالي شهر مولده المبارك أعيادًا
And among its tested special qualities is that it is a source of safety for that entire year and brings glad tidings of the immediate fulfillment of one’s needs and desires. So may Allah have mercy on whoever takes the nights of the blessed month of his birth as festivals.
(Sharh Zurqani 1/262)
Response:
The Mawlid celebrations were cancelled due to corruption of people and the outbreak of the plague.
Ibn Hajr al asqalani mentioned about an incident of his time:
وفى شهر ربيع الأول وقع الطاعون بمصر وتزايد إلى أن بلغ في جمادى الآخرة ثلاثمائة نفس في اليوم: وبيعت البطيخة الصيفى بخمسين، وكان معظم الموت في المماليك الذين في الطباق.
وفيه هبّت ريح عظيمة وتراب شديد إلى أن كاد يُعْمِي المارة في الطرقات وكان ذلك صبيحة المولد الذي يعمله الشيخ إسماعيل بن يوسف الإنبانى فيجتمع فيه من الخلق من من لا يحصى عددهم بحيث أنه وجد في صبيحته مائة وخمسون جرّة من جرار الخمر فارغات، [هذا] إلى ما كان في تلك الليلة من الفساد من الزنا واللواط والتجاهر بذلك، فأمر الشيخ إسماعيل بإبطال المولد بعد ذلك فيما يقال. ومات في سلخ شعبان.
And in the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal, the plague struck Egypt and increased until it reached three hundred souls per day in Jumada al-Thani. Summer watermelon was sold for fifty (dirhams each), and most of those who died were among the Mamluks in the barracks.
During that time, a great wind and intense dust arose, to the point that it nearly blinded passersby in the streets. This occurred on the morning of the Mawlid that Shaykh Ismail ibn Yusuf al-Inbani used to hold. An uncountable number of people would gather for it, to the extent that on that morning, one hundred and fifty empty wine jugs were found. This is in addition to the corruption that took place that night fornication, sodomy, and open brazenness in committing these acts. It is said that Shaykh Ismail subsequently ordered the cancellation of the Mawlid. He died at the end of Sha’ban.
(Inbā’ al-Ghumr bi-Abnā’ al-‘Umr The year 790AH 1/350-351)
When we observe reality, we see that during the month of Rabi‘ al-Awwall 2025 many calamities and hardships like floods, killings have struck different parts of the world, let alone whole of year. This clearly shows how weak such arguments are in light of the truth.
May Allah protect the Ummah and the world from calamities and guide us all to what is most pleasing to Him.
May Allah have mercy upon Ibn al-Jazri. He is the same scholar whom Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari refuted when Ibn al-Jazri said:
“The people of the cross celebrate the night of the Mawlid of their prophet and consider it a great Eid. That is why the people of Islam have more right to celebrate the night of the Mawlid of their Prophet (peace be upon him).”
Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari refuted this by saying:
قُلْتُ: لَكِن يَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّا مَأْمُورُونَ بِمُخَالَفَةِ أَهْلِ الكِتَابِ، وَلَمْ يَظْهَرْ مِنَ الشَّيْخِ لِهَذَا السُّؤَالِ جَوَابٌ
“I say: But it is countered by the fact that we are commanded to oppose the practices of the People of the Book. And no answer from the Shaykh (Ibn al-Jazri) to this question has been apparent.”
[Al-Mawrid al-Rawi fi al-Mawlid al-Nabawi, by Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari, pp. 28-29]
Indeed, true success lies in following the Prophet ﷺ, the Sahabah, the Tābiʿīn, and the Atbāʿ al-Tābiʿīn