Ibn Taymiyah said in his book which he titled Iqtida’ As–Sirat Al-Mustaqim (Vol 2, Page 126):
«اقتضاء الصراط المستقيم» (2/ 126):«فتعظيم المولد، واتخاذه موسمًا، قد يفعله بعض الناس، ويكون له فيه أجر عظيم لحسن قصده، وتعظيمه لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم»
which means: “Some people may glorify the Mawlid and celebrate it, and they are rewarded greatly for doing so, because of the good purpose and indication it shows, and because of the glorifying of the Messenger of God, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, by doing so”.
https://archive.org/details/FP158171/02_158172/page/n125/mode/2up
Manuscript:
Ibn Taymiyah said (Majmu^ Al-Fatawa Volume 20 Page 163) conveyed the statement of Al-Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy that there are two types of innovations.
https://archive.org/details/mfsiaitmmfsiaitm/mfsiaitm20/page/n162/mode/2up
مجموع الفتاوى (20/ 163): قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: الْبِدْعَةُ بِدْعَتَانِ: بِدْعَةٌ خَالَفَتْ كِتَابًا وَسُنَّةً وَإِجْمَاعًا وَأَثَرًا عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَهَذِهِ بِدْعَةُ ضَلَالَةٍ. وَبِدْعَةٌ لَمْ تُخَالِفْ شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَهَذِهِ قَدْ تَكُونُ حَسَنَةً لِقَوْلِ عُمَرَ: نِعْمَتْ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ هَذَا الْكَلَامُ أَوْ نَحْوُهُ رَوَاهُ البيهقي بِإِسْنَادِهِ الصَّحِيحِ فِي الْمَدْخَلِ
Hafiz Ibn Kathir not only praised King Al-Mudhaffar as being an upright scholar, he did so after stating “he engaged in Al-Mawlid Ash-Sharif in Rabi^ Al-Awwal”. Notice, Ibn Kathir said: “Al-Mawlid Ash-Sharif” (The Honourable Mawlid) Al-Bidayah Wan-Nihayah Volume 17 Pg 204-205.
https://archive.org/details/FP41905_201505/bn17/page/n203/mode/2up
