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[22th Thread : Is celebrating birthday a Bid'ah?]
This thread seeks to find out if celebrating birthdays are bid'ah in nature & therefore haraam to celebrate.
The idea to write this thread came to my mind when I saw @irenaakbar tweet over celebrating birthdays last month 1/
This thread seeks to find out if celebrating birthdays are bid'ah in nature & therefore haraam to celebrate.
The idea to write this thread came to my mind when I saw @irenaakbar tweet over celebrating birthdays last month 1/
Firstly,the issue is jurisprudential in nature & so is disputed depending which Fiqh school one follows. It's nothing to do with Theology or Ethics as the term Bid'ah is applied in Fiqh.We need to understand that Fiqh isnt black & white science nor such issues have B&W rulings 2/
A ruling can change based on many factors like عرف(customary usage) or قائدة زمان و مكان(principle of time & place) etc. A ruling can also be changed if it's موضوع(subject matter) has or its علّة(cause) has changed over time or place. Even in time of Rasulallah, many rulings 3/
have be changed or abrogated. So the idea that we need to follow the 'Divine Command theory' ie if
the ruling back then was X so we need to follow it despite the conditions are changed is just bringing harm to oneself & this contradict the Qur'an principle of Ease 4/
the ruling back then was X so we need to follow it despite the conditions are changed is just bringing harm to oneself & this contradict the Qur'an principle of Ease 4/
WHAT IS BID'AH?
Bid'ah can be defined in two ways.
a- (Lexiconal meaning) معنى اللغوى = origination or creation or new invention. Like,
بديع السماوات والأرض...
(Wonderful #originator of the heavens & the earth)... Has no use in Fiqh.
b- معنى الاصطلاحى(Technical meaning) 5/
Bid'ah can be defined in two ways.
a- (Lexiconal meaning) معنى اللغوى = origination or creation or new invention. Like,
بديع السماوات والأرض...
(Wonderful #originator of the heavens & the earth)... Has no use in Fiqh.
b- معنى الاصطلاحى(Technical meaning) 5/
Here, bid'ah is applied in عبادات(acts of worship).Since 'ibadat are تعبدى(submissive)in nature(we've to perform them regardless of knowing their cause if it's established by religious texts)so changing anything in them ie doing Bid'ah is haraam.
Bid'ah also has no application 6/
Bid'ah also has no application 6/
in معاملات(social transactions)[2nd aspect of Fiqh] as the rulings about them changes based on evidences or principles.
Having said that, celebrating birthdays is a social construct not an act of worship thus saying it's Bid'ah is epistemologically incorrect.
Bid'ah are 7/
Having said that, celebrating birthdays is a social construct not an act of worship thus saying it's Bid'ah is epistemologically incorrect.
Bid'ah are 7/
classified by scholars into many types like good,bad etc like for ex, praying taraweeh is bid'ah tul hasana{good bid'ah}but since Islam is inherently against bid'ah & tarawih is a form of worship,saying it's good is just based on qiyas & has no religious proof,not in Aahadith 8/
Coming to the topic of birthdays, there are primarily 3 objections raised by ppl & some scholars.
1(a) Rasulullah & sahabah didn't celebrate himself & so it's against his Sunnah.
Res :- Something not performed by Rasulullah doesn't invalidates the act in itself unless it 9/
1(a) Rasulullah & sahabah didn't celebrate himself & so it's against his Sunnah.
Res :- Something not performed by Rasulullah doesn't invalidates the act in itself unless it 9/
goes against his sunnah. Since we don't have any explicit evidence in sources from him forbidden celebrating birthdays, we can't apply this analogy.
Moreover, we can apply اصلاة البراءة(which states everything is permitted in absence of any {contradictory} evidences) 10/
Moreover, we can apply اصلاة البراءة(which states everything is permitted in absence of any {contradictory} evidences) 10/
Thus, this principle does not convey any religious obligation when the religious texts are silent(as in case of celebrating birthdays).
b- Some argue using 33:21 verse but it's nothing to do with our fiqhi aspect of life.
Within the verse, أسوة حسنة apply to morals & ethics 11/
b- Some argue using 33:21 verse but it's nothing to do with our fiqhi aspect of life.
Within the verse, أسوة حسنة apply to morals & ethics 11/
As this hadith of Rasulallah concede with the verse, إنما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق(I've only been sent to complete the morals/good manners).
2. It's the imitation of kuffar
This argument stems from this hadith(من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم) but the context of this hadith is over 12/
2. It's the imitation of kuffar
This argument stems from this hadith(من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم) but the context of this hadith is over 12/
identity & act specific to kuffar. Therefore,scholars divide the acts into 2 parts.
(Prohibitive imitation)المحرم التشبه - One which explicitly resembles the acts/norms of kuffar.
However, celebrating birthdays don't fall into this category as it's based on 'urf(common usage)13/
(Prohibitive imitation)المحرم التشبه - One which explicitly resembles the acts/norms of kuffar.
However, celebrating birthdays don't fall into this category as it's based on 'urf(common usage)13/
& social perceptions. One can argue over 'how' but saying it's forbidden in itself is incorrect. In fact, the Qur'an states about Prophet 'isa saying, واسلام على يوم ولدت...signifying the importance of it.
(Permissible imitation) التشبه الجائز
Acts which are permissible like 14/
(Permissible imitation) التشبه الجائز
Acts which are permissible like 14/
wearing a tie.
3.Deification of personalities
2 fallacies in this argument
I.Correlation ≠ causation
II.False equivalence
Celebrating birthdays is fiqhi issue which is socially acceptable act in modern time but deification of personalities stems from theological belief 15/
3.Deification of personalities
2 fallacies in this argument
I.Correlation ≠ causation
II.False equivalence
Celebrating birthdays is fiqhi issue which is socially acceptable act in modern time but deification of personalities stems from theological belief 15/
These are my views on celebrating birthdays in Islam, hope it benefits others as well.
@Fatima_Z0hra @NeoTiger_
@philoabdul @Umm_e_Meeran
@zoyarasul @nazmaaman @NoorainAhmed1 @MallickZ08 @subiism @KhanShirin0 @its_huz @Falak_Kahkashan @Amatur_Rahman1
@Fatima_Z0hra @NeoTiger_
@philoabdul @Umm_e_Meeran
@zoyarasul @nazmaaman @NoorainAhmed1 @MallickZ08 @subiism @KhanShirin0 @its_huz @Falak_Kahkashan @Amatur_Rahman1
