“Celebrating Prophet’s Muhammad Birthday Is Sinful” – Saudi Grand Mufti Says

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has allegedly

 issued a new controversial fatwa suggesting that celebrating the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is “sinful.”

Muslims around the world are celebrating the birth of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). In many countries, including Morocco, Muslims honored the birth of their Prophet in a ritual called the Mawlid.

These popular practices are festive occasions that are often celebrated by remembering episodes from the life of the Prophet or by reciting devotional poetry..

It is also an opportunity for parents to take their children with them to the mosque and teach them about the Prophet’s teachings, bravery, and forgiving character. Some families also make sure to donate to charity in honor of the Prophet’s birthday.

However, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and the General President for Scientific Researches and Fatwa Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh objects to such celebrations, according to Arab News.

In his Friday congregational sermon at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh reportedly said that celebrating the Prophet’s birthday is a bidaa- sinful religious innovation-that “crept into Islam after the first three centuries, when the companions and successors of the companions lived.”

He also claimed  that those who urge others to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet are “evil and corrupt.”

The Grand Mufti clarified that love of the prophet should be expressed by following the Prophet’s teachings detailed in the Sunnah, rather than celebrating his birthday.

In an attempt to support his claims, he quoted a verse from the holy Quran, in which Allah says:  “If you do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive your sins.”

On the other hand, Omid Safi, Director of Duke University’s Islamic Studies Center, says that Muslims who honor Muhammad’s birthday do it out of a deep love for Muhammad that brings them closer to God. He explained saying:

“For those who identify as Salafi, and wish to abide only by practices that they believe originate in the Qur’an and the example of Muhammad, it is a way of honoring the desire to practice Islam as Muhammad would have wanted us to do, without what is deemed to be later accretions and potentially dubious practices.”

“As the Prophet himself is to have said, disagreement among the scholars is a mercy,” Omid Safi concluded.

This is not the first time Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has released a controversial fatwa.

Last year, while several demonstrations were being organized in Arab and non-Arab countries in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, he said that these demonstrations “are just useless demagogic actions.”

Pastor Mike Bamlioye Blasts Pastors Who Invite Comedians To Church Events

As shared on Facebook by Pastor Mike Bamiloye of Mount Zion Faith Ministries International:

As per COMEDY in Church Meetings and Events!!
I want to address Christians – ALL denominations – this morning without prejudice!
For a long while I have questioned the inclusion of COMEDY in Church events. What do I question?

The fact that the comedians brought in are allowed to make jokes of scriptures, the Blood of Jesus, speaking in tongues, the throne of grace etc.’ AND WE SIT THERE LAUGHING!

What are we laughing at? What is funny? Mocking God and Christ and the Holy Spirit and the Word is funny????

We hear of other religions where they are obsessed with protecting the image of their Leader and we gleefully allow people to MOCK our Leader JESUS CHRIST and the
Holy Spirit and thereby indirectly MOCKING GOD!!! They look at us with disdain because we are BAD AMBASSADORS of our faith!

Lukewarmness and cynicism has crept slowly into the life of Christians. We pull ourselves down publicly, abuse leaders of the gospel will glee, mock certain commandments of God. YET when we run into trouble who do we call upon???

Bible has already stated that towards the end times there will be mockers of the gospel and preachers doing wrong. WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE ONE OF THEM???

We come into Facebook and spew out curses and abuses – mock the commandments especially when it comes to forgiveness issues and honour of parents etc and we go to church and lift up hands and voices to WHO??? HE who we MOCK with DISOBEDIENCE?

We quickly mouth monotonous words – God is in control! Amen! It is well! Praise God etc but do we HONOUR HIM with our words and actions??? We are humans and not perfect but SHOULD WE MOCK THE CORE COMPONENTS OF OUR FAITH???

I was thinking of all this since Friday when a comedian was allowed in the stage at the EXPERIENCE to use a scripture in the Old Testament as foundation for his jokes! I LAUGHED also but later felt badly convicted and I said I will speak out – then this morning I received the message below in my whatsapp and I said – somebody feels the same way I do. It is long but worth reading –

FROM ANONYMOUS ……

I was brought up under very rigid church atmosphere, to humor during a sermon was almost Like a sin,,
Then came ” knowledge” we felt we had been too religious, somewhat and somehow ,we threw away the baby with the bath water..
We introduced fun into services,
From dance steps to many other things ,
” to the pure all things are pure “, we must have quoted .

What we failed to see is the side effects of entertainment:

– Lightness
– Looseness
– Loquaciousness
– The spirit of lasciviousness prevailed .
Then the latest miasma ..

COMEDY

Sad enough, recently I found myself laugh at one of such instances ,and quickly I Checked myself ” are you losing your mind ” I asked myself –

Comical jokes and ridiculous jokes poked at scripturally awed activities!!!!!!

– Jokes about casting out demons ( when fewer believers actually cast out Demons )

– Mockery about tongues ( called a communication with the Father )

– Gifts of the spirit used as comedy and to generate hilarity ( whereas fewer believers walk in the gifts )

– Ministry of angels used as comical relief ..

– Judgment seat of Christ made to look like theatre too.

– Most vitally, preachers of the gospels in humor mannequin for laughs and fun.

The list goes on ..What exactly is happening???

The Yorubas say ” it’s a bastard who uses his left hand to describe his fathers house ”
We mustn’t be so behaved .

We should know the importance of the above activities, things Christ purchased( made available ) with His blood, found only in His spirit

They can’t be used for drama and comedy to laugh and jeer or cheer!!!
IT MUST STOP !

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV
[15] But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

A fellow told me: “laughter is medicine for the soul”

I said, “the laughter needed, Is it referring to laughing from a joke,or joy in the Holy Ghost ? There is joy in the Holy Ghost

Jesus demonstrated it, the church in act, Paul and the apostles taught it and they weren’t referring to making a mockery of spiritual things .

Nothing wrong in humor but keep away things of the faith and verity

Like paul admonished –

Ephesians 5:4 KJV
[4] Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Let’s have the consecration of the old timers and behave ourselves in the house !
If your church members are carnal, no need feeding their carnality, feed them spiritual realities

Those of us here who believe these jesters and comedians are desecrating the altar of God should rise and oppose this when they are brought to your church.

Go meet the leadership in office and express your mind. Once we don’t create an atmosphere of seriousness and worship, what right do we have to expect the manifestation of God’s glory in our midst?

Jesters and mockers can go to wedding receptions and wherever.

Yet if you mock or despise holy things, you can still come under God’s judgment.

They joke about the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus, choruses etc. When they are in trouble and need the blood or the Name, how can it work for them?

So there it is: what is the stance you will take??? Join the revelers or stand against MOCKERY in the name of COMEDY in Church activities and events???

I have said my own!

Laila St. Matthew-Daniel
#IStandAgainstReligiousComedyInChurch
#HonourAndRespectForChrist

Photos: Nigerian Man Proposes To His Girlfriend At The Same Spot He First Met Her 11years Ago (Must)

Segun, an OAU graduate, proposes at the very spot he met his bae, 11 years ago, during their pre-degree program in Ipetumodu, Osun State

“All Non Christians In Nigeria Will Suffer Terrible Hardship In 2017” – Prophet Onuoha

The Founder and General Overseer of Galilee Christian Centre, Prophet Williams Onuoha has predicted a tougher year in 2017.

He said the in-coming year will be tougher than the outgoing.

Onuoha was speaking at the church’s end of the year thanksgiving, (Gibeon 2016) tagged, “There is a prophet in the land,” where he asserted that with the current economic condition, inflation would be high, adding that there would be drastic change in governance in 2017.

The prophet, however, said that the year 2017 which he tagged, “Year of Laughter” would be controversial.

He pointed that those who are not Christians would be in anguish and sorrow for the iniquities committed, while Christians will be at peace for God will do to them as he did to the children of Israel who stayed in Goshen in Egypt during the long seven years of drought.

Prophet Onuoha said President Muhammadu Buhari was placed there for a purpose, which he said was for the liberation of the Igbos.

“However, the Lord told me that the governorship candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Emeka Ihedioha in 2019 would be denied his ticket for the election by mischief makers,” he said.

Calling on the Federal government to release leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu for peace to reign, he added that Nigerians should not be afraid of another civil war, saying that, he has a confirmation from God that there would be no more war in the country.

Speaking on his ministry, he said, God gave him a mandate to give hope to the hopeless. “No matter your sin, come back to God. I keep telling people that Satan does not give money or wealth”

“Psalms 24 vs 1,says the earth is of the Lord and the fullness thereof. People are being deceived that devil own wealth. If you repent and come to God, God will save you”, he concluded.”

Photos: Legendary Nigerian Singer, King Sunny Ade’s Guitar Sells For A Whopping ₦52.1Million At Auction (Must See)

Yesterday Night, Sunday 11th December, at King Sunny Ade‘s #SunnyOnSunday 70th birthday concert, his guitar was auctioned and sold for a whooping N52.1 million. Please, who says there’s no money in Nigeria?

KSA’s much loved guitar, which had drawings by Victor Ehikhamenor , was auctioned for N52.1m after the bid started at N9m.

See photos of the guitar below:

Photos: Apostle Akan The General Overseer Of The Collapsed Uyo Church Seriously Injured And May Have His Leg Amputated (Must See)

Apostle Akan Weeks, the founder of the Uyo collapsed church, which claimed many lives, may have his leg amputated

MMM Founder, Finally Sergey Mavrodi Speaks Out Writes Open Letter To “Nigerian Authorities” (Must See)

Sergey Mavrodi, MMM founder, has allegedly written an open letter to Nigerian Government explaining the benefits of the scheme.. and he asked some “serious questions” that needed answers.

The letter which was sent as a tip-off was reportedly displayed on the page of all its’ users.

Recall the the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had warned Nigerians against participating in the scheme which it described as a “Ponzi”.

The House of Representatives in October also ordered an investigation into the operation of the scheme.

According to the letter, Mavrodi implored the government to look at the benefits of the scheme rather than be against it without knowing how it was helping Nigerians.

He insisted that if the government was really interested in the welfare of the Nigerian participant, then the scheme should be left alone arguing that MMM was helping the over 3 million Nigerian participants.

Read below the full script of the letter:

Open Letter from Sergey Mavrodi to the Nigerian Authorities

Honorable authorities,

So far MMM has come under a constant attack from you. In this regard, I would like to ask you a few simple questions. Since you are concerned with the interests of millions of your fellow citizens, I hope that you would be so kind to answer them.

What are you trying to get? Do you want the MMM System to collapse and millions of people to suffer? Who will support them then if now MMM is their only means of livelihood? Will you? You even don’t pay wages to people? Or might you not care about them? Might you be using a trendy topic to make a good name for yourselves? What will you say to a mother who will have no money to buy food for her child? Will you let her child die for the sake of the higher interests of the economy?

You say that MMM is a scam. What is the scam here, if all members are warned in advance about all the risks, the possible and impossible ones? They know there are no investments at all. The warning is a red text on a yellow background placed on most prominent place of the website.

You say that MMM is bad. Why? Yes, it produces nothing, but nothing gets out of the country either. The money is just redistributed among the citizens of Nigeria. It gets from those who are richer to poorer ones, in this way restoring social justice. What”s wrong with that?

You have repeatedly stated that “it should be investigated!.. researched!..” It means you know nothing about this System yet; you even haven’t understood how it works………

And finally. If you know what is right for people, why is the life so bad in the country?

Sincerely yours,

Sergey Mavrodi

P.S. As for your statement that “everything will collapse soon”. The system has been working in Nigeria for a year, and according to your estimates, the total number of members now is about 3 million people. In Nigeria the population is approximately 195 million. Can you calculate? Will it be “soon”? :-))

READ ALSO: The Senate Committee on“MMM Is A Pyramid That Will Soon Burst” – Senate Warns

Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions has warned Nigerians that the ponzi investment scheme, MMM, is a pyramid that would soon burst.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Chairman of the committee, Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim and other members of the committee alerted Nigerians to the dangers of investing in MMM.

He said:

“Any Financial institutions of any kind that is not under the regulation of a Regulator such as MMM is a pyramid that will soon burst. We engaged the CBN and they have issued a statement in the recent past. So Nigeria should be wise and know that there is no free money anywhere. One wonders which investment can yield 30% flat any where in the world,”

For Senator Gbolahan Dada, APC, Ogun West, “It is important for members of the Public to know this fact. MMM was a Russian company founded in 1989. The company was established by Sergei Mavrodi, his brother named Vyacheslav Mavrodi, and Olga Melnikova. The name of the company was taken from the first letters of the three founders’ surnames. MMM could be called a wonder bank. Over 5 to 40 million people lost up to $10billion in the 90s when it was introduced. The company was shut down by Russian Police in 1994 and declared bankruptcy in 1997.

“It is unfortunate that some unscrupulous Nigerians are capitalizing on the current economic hardships to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians by encouraging them to part with their hard earned money with mouth-watering interest or returns.

“MMM does not contribute or add value to the economy because the records of such transactions are not kept and not made open to the public or regulatory authorities. It is a product of fraud and nothing good comes from fraud.

“The operator pays returns to the investors from new capital acquired from new investors and not from legitimately earned profits. The operators entice investors with mouth watering offers. The short term returns are abnormally high and unusually consistent. They may struggle to pay the first returns but would bolt away with subsequent capital or deposits made by investors.”

Speaking about the financial implications of investing in MMM, Dada said,

“The money involved in MMM are usually spent by the promoters on frivolities. The promoters engage in ostentatious lifestyles. They hardly have concern for the unsuspecting investors. It is fool hardy for any members of the public to fall prey to the scheme despite warnings from stakeholders. Those patronizing MMM will have a tale of woes to tell after losing their deposits.”

On what can the Senate do to protect the interest of Nigerians, the lawmaker said, “The House of Representatives has taken a step to condemn the Scheme and also promised to investigate the scheme. Secondly, the CBN and majority of the Banks have warned members of the public from participating in the scheme.

“The EFCC also issued warnings to arrest perpetrators of that scheme. My take is simple. Any Nigerian who decides to participate in the scheme is on his own and should blame himself in the event of any loss. The only thing the Senate can do is to advise Nigerians to shun the temptation of getting rich quick so as not to lose their meager resources.”investment, it is a choice of anyone. The question is, is MMM real, is it actually threatening the financial institutions in Nigeria; is it posing a security threat and is it capital flight? Those questions need to be looked into. I believe that it is the consequence of recession, it is not MMM, but about the desperation of Nigerians looking for survival and nobody needs to be blamed.

“If we see the kind of people that patronize MMM, they are civilized, educated people who actually know the consequences of failed investment, but they still take the risk and go into it. The only advise I can give them is to be careful, they have the right to go into it, it is their right, but they must be careful.”

Source: Vanguard.