Sadr marks Prophet Muhammad's birth, questions those who skip it on Ashura

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of Iraq's Sadrist movement, used his Friday sermon to mark the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, expressing surprise at those who celebrate the deliverance of Prophet Moses on Ashura but do not observe the Prophet's birthday. In the sermon, al-Sadr said a true believer should not rejoice in worldly matters such as wealth, fame or power, while joy connected to the afterlife is praiseworthy. Reading a verse from the Quran, he said the people of paradise will rejoice in what God has given them, adding that joy over legitimate worldly matters is permissible but not over degrading ones. Al-Sadr described the birth of the Prophet Muhammad as the greatest such event, arguing that marking it is not merely permissible but an obligation. He said Muslims rejoice through the Prophet's birth, the Quran, the message of prophethood, the light of Ali's guardianship and the Kawthar, offering prayers and sacrifices in connection with them, while those hostile to the guardianship, in his view, are in the worst condition. Concluding the sermon, al-Sadr stressed that joy is appropriate only in circumstances that please God and contain no sin.