Is celebrating birthdays haram or encouraged?

Precious Star

Junior Member
Ok so if it's okay to celebrate our own birthdays with a cake and a party, let us do the same for the best of creation. You said it yourself, it becomes a tradition, a must.

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This was last years http://tribune.com.pk/story/119437/eid-e-milad-un-nabi-celebrations-whats-new-on-the-milad-menu/

They had an even bigger one this year.

The starting of a bid'ah is often what is considered a harmless practise, when it develops into something as big as this it only serves to oppress ourselves and society at large.

I think these pictures and the article about Eid Milad un Nabi are very informative.

Look at the countries in which this is happening. Look at the people carrying these monstrous cakes. What an absurdity.

Clearly, there is an influence from the surrounding Hindu culture, where their gods and bhagwans are deified to the ying yang.

This practice is not happening among Muslims in the west. At least not in North America. Birthdays are not recent events; they have been celebrated for generations. And, they aren't evolving either...that is why this portrayal of the Prophet's birthday is...just...unusual.

I wonder if there are any girls on this site from Pakistan who hope to have a mehndi celebration when they get married, and wear a red lengha or gharara when they get married? Hindu culture 100%.
 

mohammed_imran

New Member
I am not confirm about celebrating birthday is haram or not , but as i know , Sahaba of S.A.W. [P.B.U.H] did not celebrated anyone's birthday. And we all know that we cannot even compare to us with dirt of Sahaba's feet. So they were the closest to Prophet both in love and Sunnah, so its totally wrong to celebrate anyone's birthday in ISLAM.
 

OsMaN_93

Here to help
I am not confirm about celebrating birthday is haram or not , but as i know , Sahaba of S.A.W. [P.B.U.H] did not celebrated anyone's birthday. And we all know that we cannot even compare to us with dirt of Sahaba's feet. So they were the closest to Prophet both in love and Sunnah, so its totally wrong to celebrate anyone's birthday in ISLAM.

The sahaba never drove cars, owned a phone or ate pizza... Does that mean that doing these things is haram too?! We live in a different time and in a completely different culture than them, so guys, please, stop labeling everything as haram!
 

Umm Abdullah

Junior Member
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah. I have never heard that celebrating birthday is halaal ! Is there a difference of opinion between the scholars on this issue?
 

Seeking Allah's Mercy

Qul HuwaAllahu Ahud!
The sahaba never drove cars, owned a phone or ate pizza... Does that mean that doing these things is haram too?! We live in a different time and in a completely different culture than them, so guys, please, stop labeling everything as haram!

Asalamo`Alaykum Wa Barakaatuh,

It's good to see you back lil brother. Hope life is treating you well.

Well, they didn't knew about cocaine and killing people with an an electric chair either, does that mean doing these things is halal too?

Rulings are not derived by scholars based on their whims. It's based on knowledge of hundreds of years passed down. Islam is for all ages and all people. There is a "say" of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, in everything a Muslim does in his/her life. It is very easy to understand, provided that he/she takes Islam as a deen, not a madhab.
 

PeacefulHumanity

:)Smile! It's Sunnah
:salam2:

I remember seeing this a while back. Maybe it will be useful:

[video=youtube;eF5i-6eMxMU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF5i-6eMxMU[/video]

:wasalam:
 

al-fajr

...ism..schism
Staff member
I think these pictures and the article about Eid Milad un Nabi are very informative.

Look at the countries in which this is happening. Look at the people carrying these monstrous cakes. What an absurdity.

Clearly, there is an influence from the surrounding Hindu culture, where their gods and bhagwans are deified to the ying yang.

No, Birthday cakes are simply not Hindu culture, that's pushing it, lol.

This practice is not happening among Muslims in the west. At least not in North America. Birthdays are not recent events; they have been celebrated for generations. And, they aren't evolving either...that is why this portrayal of the Prophet's birthday is...just...unusual.
You make no sense, it is not clear what your point is at all.

So which tradition is OK? American culture/Western culture which has nothing to do with Islam but has been happening for generations, but aspects of Indian/sub continent culture you put it down to Hinduism? What pre-Islamic religion or way of life did Birthdays come from, it had to come from somewhere and it did NOT come from Islam, you would agree to that much.

I wonder if there are any girls on this site from Pakistan who hope to have a mehndi celebration when they get married, and wear a red lengha or gharara when they get married? Hindu culture 100%.
It's not haraam to wear any specific colour on ones wedding day or wear mehndi/henna, you're rendering a specific colour and henna as haram but then saying celebrating birthdays every year is OK!

What a senseless discussion, no more for me, thanks.

Wa-salam
 

xAllahKnowsBestx

Junior Member
The sahaba never drove cars, owned a phone or ate pizza... Does that mean that doing these things is haram too?! We live in a different time and in a completely different culture than them, so guys, please, stop labeling everything as haram!

Yeah but that doesn't have anything to do with the religion. Birthdays do - we only have two Eids. It makes no sense to celebrate a day started by pagan disbelievers and say it has nothing to do with the deen. What if they created Shaytaan's day instead of the Birthday? Just because birthdays today don't involve warding off 'spirits' and all that it doesn't mean it's okay to celebrate them. :/
 

OsMaN_93

Here to help
Asalamo`Alaykum Wa Barakaatuh,

It's good to see you back lil brother. Hope life is treating you well.

Well, they didn't knew about cocaine and killing people with an an electric chair either, does that mean doing these things is halal too?

Rulings are not derived by scholars based on their whims. It's based on knowledge of hundreds of years passed down. Islam is for all ages and all people. There is a "say" of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, in everything a Muslim does in his/her life. It is very easy to understand, provided that he/she takes Islam as a deen, not a madhab.
Thanks sis, glad you're still a regular on here!

Cocaine is referenced indirectly in Islam as haram since anything that makes people intoxicated is banned anyway.. On the other hand birthday are neither referenced in a positive or a negative light. Some of my conservative muslim friends tell me about how they are always miserable and
bored, I think muslims should start to take things in a more liberal way and enjoy life even a little every now and then, instead of being boring and depressed.

Honestly this discussion is so silly... There is no harm in having a little gathering with your family and friends, and enjoying a cake or having dinner together. I don't understand how everyone on here is against this!

xAllahKnowsBestx ,
I believe tea was invented by a pagan, does that mean that we shouldn't consume it as muslims?
If i was celebrating a birthday i'd be celebrating it for my friend NOT just because it's a pagan holiday or a shaytaan day....
 

islamerica

1 Ummah under God
Birthday is a celebration festival. Tea is not. Innovation in technology and betterment of society is not wrong but innovation (bidah) in the religion is wrong and the prophet (S) said every bidah will be rejected and every such person will find his seat in hell. Are such trivial festivals that important to cultural people that they want to risk it? Brother, your arguments are at a very basic level, the same level cultural muslim void of all religious knowledge is at. Inshallah you should increase your knowledge in your deen and you will start will finding yourself answering all these questions on your own.
 

Precious Star

Junior Member
Birthday is a celebration festival. Tea is not. Innovation in technology and betterment of society is not wrong but innovation (bidah) in the religion is wrong and the prophet (S) said every bidah will be rejected and every such person will find his seat in hell. Are such trivial festivals that important to cultural people that they want to risk it?

A birthday is not a festival and it is not an innovation in religion because it is not a religious practice.

If I receive a text from someone saying "Happy Birthday Precious Star, and may you have many more birthdays and a long and happy life!", are you telling me that that person has a seat in hell??
 

Seeking Allah's Mercy

Qul HuwaAllahu Ahud!
Thanks sis, glad you're still a regular on here!

Cocaine is referenced indirectly in Islam as haram since anything that makes people intoxicated is banned anyway.. On the other hand birthday are neither referenced in a positive or a negative light. Some of my conservative muslim friends tell me about how they are always miserable and
bored, I think muslims should start to take things in a more liberal way and enjoy life even a little every now and then, instead of being boring and depressed.

Honestly this discussion is so silly... There is no harm in having a little gathering with your family and friends, and enjoying a cake or having dinner together. I don't understand how everyone on here is against this!

I'm sort of regular, but yep I'm still on! May Allah envelop you in His soothing Mercy.

Mm nope. I think you didn't get the point here. Just like cocaine is haram even thought it wasn't there back then, other things are graded accordingly based on there end results. Cocaine intoxicates like alcohol does, similarly mobile phone connects people like a letter does. That makes the former haram and the latter halal. Your notion that we can't decide 'some' stuff based on Islamic principles now that we live in a new age with a different culture is wrong.

If you take Islam as a deen, then you'll know that Islam also dictates your organized, recurring celebrations for you. You can party any day you want, what's so special about the day you lose a year of your life?

Well those who are born bored are bored in the most exciting of all time and places. Others can enjoy anytime they want. Islam doesn't forbid you happiness. It's there fault if they can't figure something out.

Yep there is no harm in how you've put it, unless you wait for it a whole year and fix a date and a cake. It won't harm anyone if we do it a month before our birthday, give gifts instead of getting and cut a pizza instead of a cake.

It's not about fun, it's about following a tradition not legislated by Allah and His messenger:saw:
 

xAllahKnowsBestx

Junior Member

xAllahKnowsBestx ,
I believe tea was invented by a pagan, does that mean that we shouldn't consume it as muslims?
If i was celebrating a birthday i'd be celebrating it for my friend NOT just because it's a pagan holiday or a shaytaan day....

Yeah bro, but drinking tea isn't a matter that has to do with the religion. Birthdays were started by Pagans who messed with the world of the unseen and did shirkalicious things - it's about what the practice is - the 'tradition' involves a lot of haraam. Hundreds of years ago people were summoning the devil or whatever they think they were doing every year on a specific day. People would gather around the 'victim' and ward off evil spirits all night long to protect him/her. Today, we do the same thing with our own traditions on this specific day even though we're not summoning spirits - doesn't that sound like we're imitating the kuffaar? :/ It doesn't matter how filtered out the tradition is.

I don't think the whole intention thing plays out here.. it's kinda like saying bismillah and punching someone. Birthdays can't be passed off as innocent parties when we follow an inherently haraam custom you know.
 

AbuKhalid

Junior Member
so, are we talking about celebrating Hijri or Christian calendar?? J/K

anyways ... for anyone learning about islaam, epecially new muslims/returning muslims: ITS an issue way down the Priority List.

There is ikhtilaaf on the issue among the jurists.

I personally believe its better to avoid it since its "imitating the kuffar"
 
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