5 reasons why celebrating birthdays is not haram in Islam
C J. Ahmed-09.03.2023
Although celebrating birthdays is a form of copying the disbelievers. But, still it is halal in Islam because there are ways you can celebrate a birthday without mimicking the non-Muslims. In Islam, the intention is what is important and your actions are judged by your intentions. If the intention is good, then whatever you do on the day of your birthday won't turn out something that is haram.
Let us examine this further and also discuss how to cut cakes and celebrate without going against the teachings of Islam. B elow are five hadiths proving why celeb rating birthdays is halal in Islam,
How To Celebrate birthdays in accordance with Islam
Now this would confuse you but let me tell you that you can have a celebration of a small ceremony to amaze for an example your wife or children or parents etc by giving them food or gifts with out singling out a birthday or in a way that mimics the kuffar. Let me give you seven hadiths explaining how to celebrate birthdays. Islam encourages giving gifts to Muslims and also non Muslims.
1. Abd-Allaah ibn Masud (Rali) narrated that the Prophet (Sal) said:
“Accept invitations, do not refuse gifts and do not beat the Muslims.”
(Ahmad in al-Musnad and It was graded sahih by al-Albani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel)
2. Narrated Aisha (Rali):
"I said, "O Allah's Messenger (Sal)! I have two neighbors; which of them should I give a gift to?" The Prophet (Sal) said, "(Give) to the one whose door is nearer to you."
(Bukhari)
All of these hadith proves that giving a gift is highly encouraged and you can make everyday look like a birthday for your loved ones by entertaining them and making their lives happy and wonderful. Having pickiniks or ceremonies if get together without copying the kuffar or involving Bidah or shirk is also allowed. Entertainment is encouraged in Islam.
3. Aisha reported: She prepared a lady for marriage to a man among the Ansar. The Prophet(Sal) said,
“O Aisha, do you have any entertainment? Verily, the Ansar are fond of entertainment.”
(Bukhari)
Marriage ceremonies are not only celebrated by Muslims. It was celeb rated even by non-Muslims but still the prophet (sal) encouraged celeb ration in marriages in a way without copying the non-Muslims. Similarly celebrating birthdays too can be done without copying non-Muslims.
4. It was narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah (Sal) went out on one of his military campaigns, and when he came back, a black slave woman came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I vowed that if Allah brought you back safe and sound, I would beat the daff before you and sing. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “If you vowed that, then do it, otherwise do not do it.’” So she started to beat the daff, and Abu Bakr came in whilst she was doing so. Then ‘Ali came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Uthmaan came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Umar came in and she threw the daff beneath her and sat on it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The Shaytaan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar. I was sitting and she was beating the daff, then Abu Bakr came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Ali came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Uthmaan came in when she was beating the daff, but when you came in, O ‘Umar, she put the daff down.”
(Tirmidhi-Graded Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith the slave woman dud beat the duff and it was not a day of Eid but a vow she had kept. It is the intention that matters and that is why the prophet (Sal) said,
5. "Actions are according to what was intended"
(Bukhari)
Although celebrating birthdays is a form of copying the disbelievers. But, still it is halal in Islam because there are ways you can celebrate a birthday without mimicking the non-Muslims. In Islam, the intention is what is important and your actions are judged by your intentions. If the intention is good, then whatever you do on the day of your birthday won't turn out something that is haram.
Let us examine this further and also discuss how to cut cakes and celebrate without going against the teachings of Islam. B elow are five hadiths proving why celeb rating birthdays is halal in Islam,
How To Celebrate birthdays in accordance with Islam
Now this would confuse you but let me tell you that you can have a celebration of a small ceremony to amaze for an example your wife or children or parents etc by giving them food or gifts with out singling out a birthday or in a way that mimics the kuffar. Let me give you seven hadiths explaining how to celebrate birthdays. Islam encourages giving gifts to Muslims and also non Muslims.
1. Abd-Allaah ibn Masud (Rali) narrated that the Prophet (Sal) said:
“Accept invitations, do not refuse gifts and do not beat the Muslims.”
(Ahmad in al-Musnad and It was graded sahih by al-Albani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel)
2. Narrated Aisha (Rali):
"I said, "O Allah's Messenger (Sal)! I have two neighbors; which of them should I give a gift to?" The Prophet (Sal) said, "(Give) to the one whose door is nearer to you."
(Bukhari)
All of these hadith proves that giving a gift is highly encouraged and you can make everyday look like a birthday for your loved ones by entertaining them and making their lives happy and wonderful. Having pickiniks or ceremonies if get together without copying the kuffar or involving Bidah or shirk is also allowed. Entertainment is encouraged in Islam.
3. Aisha reported: She prepared a lady for marriage to a man among the Ansar. The Prophet(Sal) said,
“O Aisha, do you have any entertainment? Verily, the Ansar are fond of entertainment.”
(Bukhari)
Marriage ceremonies are not only celebrated by Muslims. It was celeb rated even by non-Muslims but still the prophet (sal) encouraged celeb ration in marriages in a way without copying the non-Muslims. Similarly celebrating birthdays too can be done without copying non-Muslims.
4. It was narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah (Sal) went out on one of his military campaigns, and when he came back, a black slave woman came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I vowed that if Allah brought you back safe and sound, I would beat the daff before you and sing. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “If you vowed that, then do it, otherwise do not do it.’” So she started to beat the daff, and Abu Bakr came in whilst she was doing so. Then ‘Ali came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Uthmaan came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Umar came in and she threw the daff beneath her and sat on it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The Shaytaan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar. I was sitting and she was beating the daff, then Abu Bakr came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Ali came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Uthmaan came in when she was beating the daff, but when you came in, O ‘Umar, she put the daff down.”
(Tirmidhi-Graded Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith the slave woman dud beat the duff and it was not a day of Eid but a vow she had kept. It is the intention that matters and that is why the prophet (Sal) said,
5. "Actions are according to what was intended"
(Bukhari)