In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate
"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"
Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with
Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah
guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one
can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness
that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu
Ruling on Celebrating Valentine Day
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/73007/
Firstly:
Valentines Day is a jaahili Roman festival, which continued to be celebrated
until after the Romans became Christian. This festival became connected with
the saint known as Valentine who was sentenced to death on 14 February 270 CE.
The kuffaar still celebrate this festival, during which immorality and evil are
practised widely.
Secondly:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to celebrate any of the festivals of the
kuffaar, because festivals come under the heading of shari issues which are to
be based on the sound texts.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Festivals are
part of shareeah, clear way and rituals of which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
“To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way”
[al-Maaidah 5:48]
“For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies which they must follow”
[al-Hajj 22:67]
-- such as the qiblah (direction faced in prayer), prayer and fasting. There is
no difference between their participating in the festival and their
participating in all other rituals. Joining in fully with the festival is
joining in with kufr, and joining in with some of its minor issues is joining
in with some of the branches of kufr. Indeed, festivals are one of the most
unique features that distinguish various religions and among their most
prominent symbols, so joining in with them is joining in with the most
characteristic and prominent symbols of kufr. No doubt joining in with this may
lead to complete kufr.
Partially joining in, at the very least, is disobedience and sin. This was
indicated by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he
said: “Every people has its festival and this is our festival.”
This is worse than joining them in wearing the zinaar (a garment that was worn
only by ahl al-dhimmah) and other characteristics of theirs, for those
characteristics are man-made and are not part of their religion, rather the
purpose behind them is simply to distinguish between a Muslim and a kaafir. As
for the festival and its rituals, this is part of the religion which is cursed
along with its followers, so joining in with it is joining in with something
that is a cause of incurring the wrath and punishment of Allaah.
He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him): It is not permissible for the
Muslims to imitate them in anything that is uniquely a part of their festivals,
whether it be food, clothing, bathing, lighting fires, refraining from a
regular habit, doing acts of worship or anything else. It is not permissible to
give a feast or to give gifts, or to sell anything that will help them to do
that for that purpose, or to allow children and others to play games that are
part of the festivals, or to wear one’s adornments.
To Conclude: the Mulsims should not do any of their rituals at the time of
their festivals; rather the day of their festival should be like any other day
for the Muslims. The Muslims should not do anything specific in imitation of
them. End quote from Majmoo al-Fataawa (25/329).
Al-Haafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If the Christians
have a festival, and the Jews have a festival, it is only for them, so no
Muslim should join them in that, just as no Muslim should join them in their
religion or their direction of prayer. End quote from Tashabbuh al-Khasees bi
Ahl al-Khamees, published in Majallat al-Hikmah (4/193)
The hadeeth to which Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah referred was narrated by
al-Bukhaari (952) and Muslim (892) from Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with
her) who said: Abu Bakr came in and there were two young girls of the Ansaar
with me who were singing about what had happened to the Ansaar on the day of
Buaath. She said: And they were not (professional) singing girls. Abu Bakr
said: “Musical instruments of the shaytaan in the house of the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?!” and that was on the day
of Eid. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “O Abu Bakr, every people has a festival and this is our festival.”
Abu Dawood (1134) narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came
to Madeenah, they had two days when they would play. He said: “What are these
two days?” They said: “We used to play on these days during the Jaahiliyyah.”
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Allaah has given you instead of them two days that are better than them: the
day of al-Adha and the day of al-Fitr.” This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
This indicates that festivals are among the characteristics by which nations
are distinguished, and it is not permissible to celebrate the festivals of the
ignorant and the mushrikeen (polytheists).
The scholars have issued fatwas stating that it is haraam to celebrate
Valentines Day.
1 –Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) has said:
Celebrating Valentines Day is not permissible for a number of reasons.
1: It is an innovated festival for which there is no basis in Islam.
2: It promotes love and infatuation.
3: It calls for hearts to be preoccupied with foolish matters that are
contrary to the way of the righteous salaf (may Allaah be pleased with them).
It is not permissible on this day to do any of the things that are
characteristic of this festival, whether that has to do with food, drinks,
clothing, exchanging gifts or anything else.
The Muslim should be proud of his religion and should not be a weak character
who follows every Tom, Dick and Harry.
2 – The Standing Committee has said:
The clear evidence of the Quraan and Sunnah – and the consensus of the early
generations of this ummah – indicates that there are only two festivals in
Islam: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Any other festivals that have to do with a
person, a group, an event or anything else are innovated festivals, which it is
not permissible for Muslims to observe, approve of or express joy on those
occasions, or to help others to celebrate them in any way, because that is
transgressing the sacred limits of Allaah, and whoever transgresses the sacred
limits of Allaah has wronged himself.
If the fabricated festival is also a festival of the kuffaar, then the sin is
even greater, because this is imitating them and it is a kind of taking them as
close friends, and Allaah has forbidden the believers to imitate them and take
them as close friends in His Holy Book.
And it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
Valentine’s Day comes under this heading because it is an idolatrous Christian
festival, so it is not permissible for a Muslim who believes in Allaah and the
Last Day to observe it or approve of it or congratulate people on it. Rather he
has to ignore it and avoid it, in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger, and so
as to keep away from the causes that incur the wrath and punishment of Allaah.
It is also haraam for the Muslim to help people to celebrate this or any other
haraam festival by supplying any kind of food or drink, or buying or selling or
manufacturing or giving or advertising etc., because all of that is cooperating
in sin and transgression and is disobedience towards Allaah and His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and
piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah.
Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment”
[al-Maaidah 5:2]
The Muslim must adhere to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah in all his affairs,
especially at times of fitnah when evil is widespread. He should be smart and
avoid falling into the misguidance of those who have earned Allaah’s anger and
who have gone astray, and the evildoers who have no fear of Allaah and who do
not have any pride in being Muslims. The Muslim must turn to Allaah and seek
His guidance and remain steadfast in following it, for there is no Guide except
Allaah and no one can make a person steadfast but Him.
3 – Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) has said:
Firstly: it is not permissible to celebrate these innovated festivals, because
it is an innovation for which there is no basis in Islam. It comes under the
heading of the hadeeth of Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), according
to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have
it rejected.”
Secondly: it involves imitating the kuffaar and copying them by venerating that
which they venerate and respecting their festivals and rituals, and imitating
them in something that is part of their religion. In the hadeeth it says:
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
Thirdly: it results in evils and haraam things such as wasting time, singing,
music, extravagance, unveiling, wanton display, men mixing with women, women
appearing before men other than their mahrams, and other haraam things, or
things that are a means that leads to immorality. That cannot be excused by the
claim that this is a kind of entertainment and fun. The one who is sincere
towards himself should keep away from sin and the means that lead to it.
And he said:
Based on this, it is not permissible to sell these gifts and roses, if it is
known that the purchaser celebrates these festivals or will give these things
as gifts on those days, so that the seller will not be a partner of the one who
does those innovations.
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/73007/
And Allaah knows best.
Read More
Valentines Day : Its Reality and Ruling
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveIslam_LiveIslam/message/553
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