The Ruling on Birthdays and blowing out Candles
Question :
What is the ruling on celebrating one- or two-year anniversaries, or more or less years of the birth date of a person, known as a "birthday", or blowing out candles? And what is the ruling on attending such celebrations, and if a person is invited, should he attend, or not? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
Answer:
The lawful evidences from the Book (of Allah) and the Sunnah have proven that celebrating birthdays is an innovation in the religion, which is without any basis in the pure Islamic law, and it is not permitted to respond to invitations to them, as this entails supporting and encouraging innovations. Allah, the Most Glorified, Most High said:
(Or have they partners with Allah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not ordained?
And He, the Most High says:
Then We have put you (O Muhammad) on a (plain) way of (Our) Commandment (like the one which We commanded Our Messengers before you [i.e. legal ways and laws of the Islamic monotheism]). So follow that (Islamic monotheism and its laws) and follow not the desire of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah (if He wants to punish you). Verily, the Thalimun (polytheists, wrongdoers) are Awliya' (protectors, helpers) of one another, but Allah is the Waliy (Helper, Protector) of the Muttaqun (the pious).
And He, the Most Glorified says:
Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah and follow not any Awliya' (helpers, protectors who order you to associate partners in worship with Allah), besides Him (Allah). Little do you remember!
And he said:
"Verily, the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is that of Muhammad (), and the most evil of matters are the newly invented, and every innovation is a misguidance.
The Hadiths on this subject are numerous. In addition to these
celebrations being evil innovations, with no basis in the
religion, they are also an imitation of the birthday celebrations of the Jews and Christians, and the Prophet said, in warning against the ways and practices of them (the Jews and Christians):
*Verily, you would follow the ways of those before you, in perfect imitation of them, so that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you would follow them."
They said: "O Messenger of Allah! (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?" He said:
"Who else?»
Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The meaning of his words:
"Who else? is that it is they (the Jews and Christians) who are meant in these words. He also said:
"Whoever imitated a people, he is one of them.
The Hadiths in this regard are well known and numerous.
Source:
Ibn Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 1 Pages 243-244-245-246
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