Is it permissible to sacrifice an animal during the festival of the birthday of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, (Mawlid)? Is it lawful to eat from this sacrifice?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Slaughtering on the birthday of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as a ceremonial act is a religious innovation because this act was not reported from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, or any of his Companions or their successors.

As for the ruling on eating a slaughtered animal in these circumstances, some details must be considered. It is impermissible to eat from such a slaughtered animal if the one who sacrificed it offers it for other than Allaah the Almighty, whether it was for the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, or for any other person. This is prohibited as stipulated by the Quran in the Saying of Allaah the Almighty (that means): {He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allaah.} [Quran 16:115]. This applies whether the slaughterer mentioned the name of Allaah the Almighty at the time of slaughtering or not.

However, if the slaughterer merely means to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but slaughters it for Allaah the Almighty and mentions the name of Allaah the Almighty at the time of slaughtering, and intends to distribute it among the poor and the needy, then this is a religious innovation as we stated, but there is nothing wrong with eating from it since it was not slaughtered for another other than Allaah the Almighty, thus it is not unlawful food.

Nevertheless, we are of the opinion that whoever does this slaughtering should be rebuked and deterred from such wrongdoing.

Allaah Knows best.