Is it permitted for a muslim to celebrate birthday, wedding anniversay within their own family,
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Dear Mr Burhan
Assalamo alaikum
thank you so much for your precious time in giving us the reply of our queries.
we are really thankful to you for guiding us to the correct way to follow islam
with your answers. May Allah reward you. Ameen.
my question is:
is it permitted for a muslim to celebrate
birthday, wedding anniversay within their own family, to remember the occasion
by going out to have dinner, by giving present etc on this occasion. my parents
will have their 50th year of their wedding, can we celebrate?
thank you
a sister
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Celebrate birthday
or anniversary
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world
and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble
efforts in the propagation of the Truth.
If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister
get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves
indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful
to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and
pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our
shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell
Fire. Ameen.
Your Question: is it permitted for a muslim to
celebrate birthday, wedding anniversay within their own family, to remember the
occasion by going out to have dinner, by giving present etc on this occasion.
Every people have a culture and Islam too has its own
culture; and celebrating or commemorating one’s birthday or anniversary with a
feast or a party cannot be considered a part of Islamic culture. Islam guides towards the notion that every
single day one is blessed to be alive is a day of celebration and a cause to be
grateful and thankful to the Lord Creator for his innumerable blessings and
favors. Besides, Islam has nominated its
own special days of joyous commemoration and celebration, namely the two
blessed days of Eid (Fitr and Adha) and every Friday of the week.
If one celebrates one’s birthday or anniversary with a
feast or a party amongst loved ones, cuts a cake, lights candles, sings the
nominated song ‘Happy Birthday to you…..’, gives presents, etc.; one cannot say
with conviction that this rite or ritual has a religious connotation…..but
without an iota of a doubt, this rite and ritual of celebrating birthdays
and/or anniversaries is an imitation of the unbelievers; and it definitely does
not behove and befit a believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last
Day to imitate the pagans or their rituals in any matter whatsoever!
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.780 Narrated by Nafi
Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (saws)
said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do!”
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4020 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
The Prophet (saws) said: ‘He who copies any
people is one of them.’
Your Question: my parents will have their 50th
year of heir wedding, can we celebrate?
Beloved Sister, every single day that your Lord Most
Gracious has Willed for ones’ parents to be alive should be a day of
celebration for their righteous children.
Meet and greet them everyday, be kind and tender to them every day, be
generous to them everyday, buy them presents and gifts every day if you wish,
and constantly show and manifest your gratitude to them and to your Lord for
all the favors they have bestowed upon you…..such actions and deeds would
indeed be piety and righteousness in the Sight of the Lord and will bring
satisfaction, joy and constantly cool the eyes of your parents. Every day!
To nominate only one day of the year as ‘father’s day’ or
‘mother’s day’, or only one day in the year as ‘birthday’ or ‘anniversary’, or
only one day in 25 years as ‘silver jubilee’, or only one day in 50 years as
‘golden jubilee’ ….. actually belittles and demeans the rank of our respected
parents!
Islam declares that every single day is a father’s day and
a mother’s day…and every single day that the Lord Wills to give life to both of
them together is their wedding-anniversary day…..and as long as they are alive,
their children should completely humble themselves in their service….and when
they are no more, their children should constantly supplicate their Lord Most
Merciful to have mercy upon them, forgiven them their shortcomings, and raise
their ranks and rewards in the Hereafter.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah
Bani Israel verses 23-24:
Your Lord has enjoined the following: You should
not worship anyone but Him Alone! Treat
your parents with great kindness; if
either or both of them attain old age, do not even say ‘uff’ to them; nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind words. Treat them with humility and tenderness and
pray, “O our Lord, be merciful to them,
just as they brought me up with kindness and affection in my childhood.”
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 31 Surah
Luqmaan verse 14:
14 And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail
upon travail did his mother bear him and in years twain was his weaning: (hear
the command) "Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents: to Me is (thy
final) Goal.
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4941 Narrated byAbu Umamah
A man said, "O Messenger of Allah (saws)
what rights can parents demand from their children?" He (saws) replied, "They are (or
your relation with them will determine) your
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister