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:

when a child finishes reading the quran for the 1st time , we give a gift to the teacher and call over family and friends for a celebration. we also give the child gifts because we`re happy about this great achievement. is this bidaa? jazakallah.

(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 first quran of child

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

If one wishes to give a gift to the teacher as a gesture of their gratitude, or give the child who finished his first recitation a gift to encourage him to study or learn the Glorious Quran further…there is absolutely no harm.

But to make a social ritual whereby every child who finishes a recitation is expected to throw a feast, or exchange gifts, etc. should be absolutely and totally discouraged, as this adds an unnecessary social burden upon the parents or guardians of a child.

Your Question: is this bidaa?

A bida or innovation is something which is invented, innovated, and added to the deen of Islam after the deen was completed on Prophet Mohamed (saws). It especially concerns the rites and rituals of worship, or any deed which was not performed or endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws) as a part of the deen, but was added as a part of the deen after his (saws’s) death. It also concerns any innovated deed which one does and believes that by doing this innovated deed, he is eligible to earn a reward from Allah Subhanah.

Giving a gift to the teacher as a gesture of gratitude for his efforts, or giving a gift to the child to encourage him to further study the Quran would not be considered a ‘bida’.

But if the intention in giving the gifts to the teacher or the child, or when gathering friends and family especially for the occasion or commemoration, etc. is that such an act is a requirement of the deen, or that such a commemoration would be acceptable and pleasing to Allah Subhanah, or that such a commemoration would earn them extra rewards from Allah Subhanah…..then indeed this commemoration and celebration would take on and become a manifestation of ‘bida’.

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