Sana'a: Bunyan Development Foundation and Bunyan Academy for Training and Rehabilitation organized a speech event in the capital Sana'a to mark the anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.
According to Yemen News Agency, Yemen's Grand Mufti Shams Al-Din Sharaf Al-Din highlighted the importance of commemorating the Prophet's birthday as a spiritual occasion to draw lessons and inspiration from the life of Prophet Muhammad. He emphasized the significance of this celebration in reinforcing the values of steadfastness and jihad against the nation's adversaries. The Grand Mufti described Prophet Muhammad's mission as a divine blessing that guided humanity from ignorance to the light of Islam and justice. He stressed that celebrating the Prophet's birthday is a form of honoring and supporting Allah and His Messenger.
Sharaf Al-Din addressed arguments against commemorating the Prophet's birthday, explaining that the absence of certain actions by the Prophet does not imply prohibition. He advocated that Islamic rulings are categorized into obligation, recommendation, permissibility, prohibition, and reprehensibility. He defended the religious basis for the commemoration, challenging interpretations of hadiths related to religious innovation, and characterized the celebration as a revival of the Prophet's virtues and adherence to his example.
The Grand Mufti criticized groups opposing the celebration while accepting other political and national events, arguing that such opposition weakens the spiritual bond between Muslims and the Prophet. He asserted that the Yemeni people's observance of the occasion demonstrates loyalty and devotion to the Prophet and counters efforts to sever the nation's connection to its religious values.
The event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, including Hassan Al-Dhari, Ghassan Al-Madani, and Yasser Sharaf Al-Din. Engineer Ali Maher, Head of the Field Coordination Sector at Bunyan Foundation, stated that the occasion serves to realign society with its sources of dignity and pride. He cited historical and contemporary threats to religious identity and sacred values, including military and cultural aggression by global powers.
Maher emphasized the importance of raising awareness and adhering to the Quran and the Prophet's teachings. He called for a boycott of American and Israeli products as a religious duty to confront aggression and encouraged local initiatives to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce foreign dependence.