Celebrating Birthday is not Allowed!!!
The evidence in the Qur’aan and
Sunnah indicates that celebrating
birthdays is a kind of
bid’ah or innovation in religion, which
has no basis in the pure sharee’ah. It is
not permitted
to accept invitations to birthday
celebrations, because this involves
supporting and
encouraging bid’ah. Allaah, may He be
glorified and exalted, says
(interpretation of the
meaning):
“Or have they partners with Allaah
(false gods) who have instituted for
them a religion which
Allaah has not allowed…?” [al-Shoora
42:21]
“Then We have put you (O
Muhammad) on a plain way of (Our)
commandment. So follow
that, and follow not the desires of
those who know not. Verily, they can
avail you nothing
against Allaah (if He wants to puish
you). Verily, the zaalimoon
(wrongdoers) are
awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, etc.) to
one another, but Allaah is the Wali
(Protector, Helper)
of the muttaqoon (pious).” [al-
Jaathiyah 45:18-19]
“Follow what has been sent down
unto you from your Lord, and follow
not any
awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, etc.)
besides Him. Little do you
remember!” [al-A’raaf 7:3]
According to saheeh reports, the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said:
“Whoever does something that is a not
part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam)
will have it
rejected” (reported by Muslim in his
Saheeh); and “The best of speech is
the Book of Allaah
and the best of guidance is the
guidance of Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be
upon him). The most evil of things are
those which have been newly
invented (in religion),
and every innovation is a going
astray.” There are many other
ahaadeeth that convey the
same meaning.
Besides being bid’ah and having no
basis in sharee’ah, these birthday
celebrations also
involve imitation of the Jews and
Christians in their birthday
celebrations. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, warning us against following their
ways and
traditions: “You would follow the
ways of those who came before you
step by step, to such
an extent that if they were to enter a
lizard’s hole, you would enter it too.”
They said, “O
Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean)
the Jews and Christians?” He said,
“Who else?” (Reported
by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) also
said: “Whoever imitates a people is one
of them.