Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Valentine’s
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. For more details on this celebration, please see:
.
Secondly:
It is not
permissible for a Muslim to celebrate any of the festivals of the kuffaar,
because festivals come under the heading of shar’i 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 sharee’ah, 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-Maa’idah 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.
End quote from Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (1/207).
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 ‘Aa’ishah (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
Bu’aath. 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 Valentine’s Day.
1 –Shaykh
Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
In recent
times the celebration of Valentine’s Day has become widespread, especially
among female students. It is a Christian festival where people dress
completely in red, including clothes and shoes, and they exchange red
flowers. We hope that you can explain the ruling on celebrating this
festival, and what your advice is to Muslims with regard to such matters;
may Allaah bless you and take care of you.
He replied:
Celebrating
Valentine’s 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. I ask Allaah to protect the Muslims from
all temptations, visible and invisible, and to protect us and guide us.
End quote
from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (16/199)
2 – The
Standing Committee was asked: Some people celebrate Valentine’s Day on the
fourteenth of February every year. They exchange gifts of red roses and wear
red clothes and congratulate one another. Some bakeries make red coloured
sweets and draw hearts on them, and some stores advertise products that are
especially for this day. What is your opinion on the following:
1-
Celebrating this day
2-
Buying things from the stores
on this day
3-
Storekeepers who are not
celebrating it selling things that may be given as gifts to people who are
celebrating it?
They
replied:
The clear
evidence of the Qur’aan 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-Maa’idah 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.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace
upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.
3 – Shaykh
Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) was asked:
Among our
young men and women it has become common to celebrate Valentine’s Day, which
is named after a saint who is venerated by the Christians, who celebrate it
every year on February 14, when they exchange gifts and red roses, and they
wear red clothes. What is the ruling on celebrating this day and exchanging
gifts?
He replied:
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 ‘Aa’ishah (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. And Allaah knows best. End quote.
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