Praise be to
Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet
Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.
Allaah has chosen for us Islam as our religion and He will
not accept any other religion from anyone, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And
whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and
in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]
And
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that groups
of his ummah would follow the enemies of Allaah in some of their rituals and
customs, as it says in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be
pleased with him), who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “You will certainly follow the ways of those who
came before you, span by span, cubit by cubit, until even if they were to enter
a lizard’s hole, you would follow them.” We said, “O Messenger of Allaah,
(do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said, “Who else?!”
(Narrated by
al-Bukhaari in al-I’tisaam bi’l-Kitaab wa’l-Sunnah, Baab Qawl
al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) La tattabi’unna Sanan
man kaana qablakum, 8/151; and by Muslim in Kitaab al-‘Ilm, Baab
Ittibaa’ Sanan al-Yahood wa’l-Nasaara, 4/2054)
What
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) spoke of has indeed
come to pass and has become widespread in recent times, in many of the Muslim
countries. Many of the Muslims follow the enemies of Allaah in many of their
customs and ways of behaving, and imitate them in some of their rituals and in
celebrating their holidays.
The
matter has been made even worse by the opening up of mass communications between
peoples, whereby the rituals and customs of the kuffaar are now transmitted with
the glamorous adornment of sound and image from their countries into the Muslim
countries, via satellite TV and the World Wide Web (Internet). Many Muslims have
been deceived by their glamour.
In
recent years, a new phenomenon has spread among the Muslim youth – males and
females alike – which does not bode well. This is manifested in their
imitation of the Christians in their celebration of the Valentine’s Day, which
has led the scholars and daa’iyahs to explain the rulings of sharee’ah
concerning that, out of sincerity towards Allaah, His Messenger, the leaders of
the Muslims and their common folk, so that Muslims may have a clear
understanding of this issue and so that they will not fall into that which will
undermine the belief (‘aqeedah) with which Allaah has blessed them.
This
is a brief discussion of the origins, development and purpose of this holiday,
and what the Muslim should do with regard to it.
The story of the Festival of Love (Valentine’s Day)
The
Festival of Love was one of the festivals of the pagan Romans, when paganism was
the prevalent religion of the Romans more than seventeen centuries ago. In the
pagan Roman concept, it was an expression of “spiritual love”.
There
were myths associated with this pagan festival of the Romans, which persisted
with their Christian heirs. Among the most famous of these myths was the Roman
belief that Romulus, the founder of Rome, was suckled one day by a she-wolf,
which gave him strength and wisdom.
The
Romans used to celebrate this event in mid-February each year with a big
festival. One of the rituals of this festival was the sacrifice of a dog and a
goat. Two strong and muscular youths would daub the blood of the dog and goat
onto their bodies, then they would wash the blood away with milk. After that
there would be a great parade, with these two youths at its head, which would go
about the streets. The two youths would have pieces of leather with which they
would hit everyone who crossed their path. The Roman women would welcome these
blows, because they believed that they could prevent or cure infertility.
The connection between Saint Valentine and this festival
Saint
Valentine is a name which is given to two of the ancient “martyrs” of the
Christian Church. It was said that there were two of them, or that there was
only one, who died in Rome as the result of the persecution of the Gothic leader
Claudius, c. 296 CE. In 350 CE, a church was built in Rome on the site of the
place where he died, to perpetuate his memory.
When
the Romans embraced Christianity, they continued to celebrate the Feast of Love
mentioned above, but they changed it from the pagan concept of “spiritual
love” to another concept known as the “martyrs of love”, represented by
Saint Valentine who had advocated love and peace, for which cause he was
martyred, according to their claims. It was also called the Feast of Lovers, and
Saint Valentine was considered to be the patron saint of lovers.
One
of their false beliefs connected with this festival was that the names of girls
who had reached marriageable age would be written on small rolls of paper and
placed in a dish on a table. Then the young men who wanted to get married would
be called, and each of them would pick a piece of paper. He would put himself at
the service of the girl whose name he had drawn for one year, so that they could
find out about one another. Then they would get married, or they would repeat
the same process again on the day of the festival in the following year.
The
Christian clergy reacted against this tradition, which they considered to have a
corrupting influence on the morals of young men and women. It was abolished in
Italy, where it had been well-known, then it was revived in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, when in some western countries there appeared shops which
sold small books called “Valentine’s books”, which contained love poems,
from which the one who wanted to send a greeting to his sweetheart could choose.
They also contained suggestions for writing love letters.
It
was also said concerning the origins of this holiday that when the Romans became
Christian, after Christianity had become widespread, the Roman emperor Claudius
II decreed in the third century CE that soldiers should not get married, because
marriage would distract them from the wars they used to fight. This decree was
opposed by Saint Valentine, who started to perform marriages for the soldiers in
secret. When the emperor found out about that, he threw him in jail and
sentenced him to execution. In prison, he (Saint Valentine) fell in love with
the jailer’s daughter, but this was a secret because according to Christian
laws, priests and monks were forbidden to marry or fall in love. But he is still
regarded highly by the Christians because of his steadfastness in adhering to
Christianity when the emperor offered to pardon him if he forsook Christianity
and worshipped the Roman gods; then he would be one of his closest confidantes
and he would make him his son-in-law. But Valentine refused this offer and
preferred Christianity, so he was executed on 14 February 270 CE, on the eve of
February 15, the festival of Lupercalis. So this day was named for this saint.
In The
Story of Civilization, it says that the Church devised a calendar in which
every day was designated as the feast day of one of the saints. In England,
Saint Valentine’s Day was to come at the end of winter. When that day came,
according to them, the birds mated enthusiastically in the forests, and the
young men would put flowers on the windowsills of the homes of the girls whom
they loved. (The Story of Civilization by Will Durant, 15/23)
The Pope designated the day of the death of Saint Valentine,
February 14, 270 CE, as a festival of love. Who is the Pope? He is the “the
archbishop, the supreme pontiff of the universal church, the successor of Saint
Peter.” Look at this “archbishop” and how he prescribed for them the
observance of this festival which was an innovation in their religion. This
reminds us of what Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allaah)…”[al-Tawbah 9:31]
It
was narrated that ‘Adiy ibn Haatim said: “I came to the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wearing a gold cross around my neck. He
said, ‘O ‘Adiy, cast aside this idol.’ And I heard him reciting from Soorat
Baraa’ah [al-Tawbah] (interpretation of the meaning): ‘They
(Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords
besides Allaah.’ He said: ‘They do not worship them, but when they
permit them something they accept it as permitted, and when they forbid them
something they accept it as forbidden.’” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and it is
a hasan hadeeth).
Among the
most important symbols of this holiday:
1
– Expressing joy and happiness on this occasion, as on their other major
festivals.
2 –
Exchanging red roses, which are an expression of love, the “spiritual love”
of the pagans or the “love” of the Christians. Hence it is known to them as
the Feast of Lovers.
3 – The
sending of greetings cards. On some of these cards are pictures of “Cupid”,
who appears as a child with two wings, carrying a bow and arrows. This was the
god of love of the pagan Romans – exalted be Allaah far above their
fabrications and their association of others with Him.
4 – Exchange
of words of love and desire in the greetings cards which they send to one
another, in verse, prose and short phrases. Some of the cards contain comical
pictures and funny words, and they often contain the phrase “be my
Valentine”. This represents the Christian concept of this festival after it
was taken from the pagan concept.
5 – In many
western countries, parties are held during the day and in the evening, where
there is mixing of men and women, and dancing. Many of them send gifts such as
roses and boxes of chocolates to their wives, friends and those whom they love.
Anyone who looks at what is said above about the myths surrounding this
pagan festival will clearly understand the following:
Firstly:
That its
origins lie in the pagan beliefs of the Romans, where it was an expression of
the spiritual love of the idols which they used to worship instead of Allaah.
Whoever celebrates it is celebrating an occasion of shirk on which the
idols are venerated. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily,
whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden
Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zaalimoon
(polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers”[al-Maa’idah 5:72]
Secondly:
That the
development of this festival among the Romans was connected to myths and legends
which no sound mind can accept, let alone the mind of the Muslim who believes in
Allaah and His Messengers (peace be upon them). Can anyone of sound mind believe
that a she-wolf suckled the founder of the city of Rome and gave him strength
and wisdom. Moreover, these myths go against the belief (‘aqeedah) of
the Muslim because the One Who bestows strength and wisdom is the Creator, may
He be glorified and exalted, not the milk of a she-wolf! The same applies to the
myth that their idols could protect them from evil or keep wolves away from
their flocks.
Thirdly:
Among the ugly
rituals of the Romans on this day was the sacrifice of a dog and a goat, the
daubing of their blood onto two youths then washing the blood off with milk,
etc… This is something that would cause revulsion in anyone of a sound nature,
and it is unacceptable to the sound mind.
Fourthly:
The connection
between Saint Valentine and this festival has been questioned by many sources,
and it considered to be far from definite. It would have been better for the
Christians to reject this pagan festival in which they imitated the pagans. So
how about us Muslims, who are commanded to be different from the Christians and
the pagans before them?
Fifthly:
this festival was denounced by the Christian clergy in Italy, the bastion of
Catholicism, because it was spreading bad attitudes and having an adverse effect
on the minds of young men and women. So it is better for the Muslims to reject
it, warn others against it and to fulfil their duty towards it of enjoining what
is good and forbidding what is evil.
Someone
may ask: why do we Muslims not celebrate this festival?
This question may
be answered in several ways:
1.
In Islam, the festivals are clearly defined and well established, and no
additions or subtractions may be accepted. They are an essential part of our
worship and there is no room for ijtihaad or personal opinion. They have been
prescribed for us by Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“Festivals
are part of the laws, clear way and religious ceremonies 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]
like
the qiblah (direction faced in prayer), prayer and fasting. So there is no
difference between joining them in their festival and joining them in their
other rituals. Agreeing with the whole festival is agreeing with kufr.
Agreeing with some of their minor issues is the same as agreeing with them in
some of the branches of kufr. Festivals are the most distinctive things
by which religions are told apart, so whoever celebrates their festivals is
agreeing with the most distinctive rituals of kufr. Undoubtedly going
along with them in their festivals may in some cases lead to kufr. Dabbling in
these things, at the very least, is a sin. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) referred to the fact that every nation has its own
festivals when he said: ‘Every nation has its own Eid and this is our Eid’
(al-Bukhaari , 952, Muslim, 1892).” (al-Iqtidaa’, 1/471-472)
Because Valentine’s Day goes back to Roman times, not Islamic times,
this means that it is something which belongs exclusively to the Christians, not
to Islam, and the Muslims have no share and no part in it. If every nation has
its own festivals, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said – “Every nation has its Eid” (narrated by al-Bukhaari and
Muslim) – then this means that every nation should be distinguished by its
festivals. If the Christians have a festival and the Jews have a festival, which
belongs exclusively to them, then no Muslim should join in with them, just as he
does not share their religion or their direction of prayer.
2.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day means
resembling or imitating the pagan Romans, then the Christian People of the Book
in their imitation of the Romans in something that was not a part of their
religion. If it is not allowed to imitate the Christians in things that really
are part of their religion – but not part of our religion – then how about
things which they have innovated in their religion in imitation of
idol-worshippers?!
Imitating
the kuffaar in general –whether they are idol-worshippers or People of the
Book – is haraam, whether that imitation is of their worship – which is the
most serious form – or of their customs and behaviour. This is indicated by
the Qur’aan, Sunnah and ijmaa’ (scholarly consensus):
(i)
From the Qur’aan: Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And
be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs
had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment”[Aal ‘Imraan
3:105]
(ii)
From the Sunnah: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said:
“Whoever
imitates a people is one of them.” (narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4021)
Shaykh
al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) said: “This hadeeth at the very least indicates that
it is haraam to imitate them, although the apparent meaning implies that the one
who imitates them is a kaafir, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’ [friends and helpers]),
then surely, he is one of them’ [al-Maa’idah 5:51].” (al-Iqtidaa’,
2/722-725)
(iii)
With regard to ijmaa’, Ibn Taymiyan narrated that there was agreement
that it is haraam to imitate the kuffaar in their festivals at the time of the
Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and Ibn al-Qayyim narrated that
there was scholarly consensus on this point. (See al-Iqtidaa’, 1/454;
Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 2/722-725)
Allaah
has forbidden imitation of the kuffaar; He has described it as hateful and has
warned against the consequences of that, in many aayahs, on many occasions, and
in various ways, especially imitation of the kuffaar. Sometimes He does that by
forbidding following them or obeying them; sometimes by warning against them or
being deceived by their plots, following their opinions, or being influenced by
their actions, conduct or attitude. Sometimes He does that by mentioning some of
their characteristics that will put the believers off from them and from
imitating them. Most of the warnings in the Qur’aan refer to the Jews and
hypocrites (munaafiqeen), then the People of the Book in general and the
mushrikeen. Allaah tells us in the Qur’aan that imitating and obeying the
kuffaar may constitute riddah (apostasy). Allaah also forbids following
them, obeying them, or following their whims and desires and bad
characteristics.
Prohibition
of imitating the kuffaar is one of the basic principles of sharee’ah. Allaah
sent His Messenger with guidance and the true religion so that it might prevail
over all other religions, and Allaah has perfected His religion for mankind:
“This
day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and
have chosen for you Islam as your religion”[al-Maa’idah 5:3 –
interpretation of the meaning].
Allaah has
made Islam cover all (human) interests at all times and in all places and for
all people. So there is no need to adopt the ways of the kuffaar or imitate
them.
Imitation
causes defects in the Muslim personality, such as feelings of inadequacy,
inferiority, weakness and defeatism, then it leads to shunning and keeping away
from the path and laws of Allaah. Experience has shown that admiration for the
kuffaar and imitation of them causes people to love them, have complete faith in
them and take them as friends and helpers, and to reject Islam and its people,
its heroes, its legacy and values, and become ignorant of all of that.
3.
The purpose of Valentine’s Day in
these times is to spread love between all people, believers and disbelievers
alike. Undoubtedly it is haraam to love the kaafirs. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“You
(O Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in Allaah and the Last Day,
making friendship with those who oppose Allaah and His Messenger
(Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers
or their kindred (people)…”[al-Mujaadilah 58:22]
Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Allaah tells us
that there is no believer who takes a kaafir as a close friend. Whoever takes a
kaafir as a close friend is not a believer. Outward imitation may be taken as a
sign of love, so it is haraam.” (al-Iqtidaa’, 1/490).
4.
The love referred to in this festival ever since the Christians revived
it is romantic love outside the framework of marriage. The result of that is the
spread of zinaa (fornication and adultery) and immorality. Hence the
Christian clergy opposed it at some stage and abolished it, then it came back
again.
Most
of the young people celebrate it because it lets them fulfil their desires,
without thinking of the issues of imitation and resembling that are involved.
Look at this tragedy, where they go so far as to commit major sins such as zinaa
and the like, by imitating the Christians in something which is part of their
worship and which may even be kufr.
Some people may wonder, and say, you mean to deprive us of love, but in
this day and age we express our feelings and emotions – what is so wrong with
that?
We
say:
Firstly:
It is a
mistake to confuse what they call the day with what the real intentions are
behind it. The love referred to on this day is romantic love, taking mistresses
and lovers, boyfriends and girlfriends. It is known to be a day of promiscuity
and sex for them, with no restraints or restrictions… They are not talking of
pure love between a man and his wife or a woman and her husband, or at least
they do not distinguish between the legitimate love in the relationship between
husband and wife, and the forbidden love of mistresses and lovers. This festival
for them is a means for everyone to express love.
Secondly:
Expression of
feelings and emotions is not a justification for the Muslim to allocate a day
for celebration based on his own thoughts and ideas, and to call it a festival,
or make it like a festival or Eid. So how about when it is one of the festivals
of the kuffaar?
In
Islam, a husband loves his wife throughout the year, and he expresses that love
towards her with gifts, in verse and in prose, in letters and in other ways,
throughout the years – not just on one day of the year.
Thirdly:
There is no
religion which encourages its followers to love and care for one another more
than Islam does. This applies at all times and in all circumstances, not just on
one particular day. Indeed, Islam encourages us to express our emotions and love
at all times, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him.”
(narrated by Abu Dawood, 5124; al-Tirmidhi, 2329; it is saheeh).
And
he said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise
until you truly believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one
another. Shall I not tell you of
something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread (the greeting
of) salaam amongst yourselves.” (Narrated by Muslim, 54)
Fourthly:
Love in Islam
is more general and more comprehensive; it is not restricted only to one kind of
love, that between a man and a woman. There are many more kinds of love. There
is the love of Allaah, love of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them), love for good
and righteous people, love and support for the religion, love of martyrdom for
the sake of Allaah. There are many kinds of love. It is a dangerous mistake to
restrict this broad meaning to this one kind of love.
Fifthly:
What these
people think, that love before marriage is a good thing, is wrong, as has been
proven in studies and by real-life experience. In a study conducted by the
University of Cairo, on what they called “love marriage” and “traditional
marriage”, the following was stated:
In
marriages which came after a love story, 88% of cases ended in failure, i.e.,
the success rate was not more than 12%. But in cases of what the study calls
traditional marriage, 70% were successful. In other words, the success rate in
marriages described as traditional was six times more than those described as
“love marriages”. (Risaalah ila Mu’minah, p. 255).
Now let us
look at the state of affairs in western societies where Valentine’s Day
is celebrated, and ask, what is the
state of marriage relationships in those societies, and do these celebrations
have any positive effect on interactions between husbands and wives?
Their
own studies and statistics show the following:
1-
In an American study done in 1407 AH/1987 CE, it states that 79% of men
beat their womenfolk, especially if they are married…! (al-Qabas
newspaper, 15/2/1988).
2-
A study carried out by the National American Office for Mental Health
states the following:
-
17% of women who go to emergency rooms are victims of beatings by their
husbands or boyfriends.
-
83% of those who have previously been admitted to hospital at least once
for treatment of injuries, were admitted as a result of beating.
The
study added that there are more women who do not go to hospital for treatment,
but deal with their injuries at home.
3-
In a report of the Central American Agency for Examination [FPT] it
states that every 18 seconds there is a woman who is beaten by her husband
somewhere in America.
4-
American Time magazine stated that around 4,000 wives out of
approximately 6 million who are beaten die as a result of that beating.
5-
In a German study it said that no less that 100,000 women annually are
exposed to acts of physical or psychological abuse on the part of their husbands
or the men they live with. The real figure may exceed one million.
6-
In France, approximately 2 million women face beatings.
7-
In Britain, in an opinion poll in which 7,000 women took part, 28% of
them said that they had been subjected to attacks by their husbands and
boyfriends.
So how can we
believe that Valentine’s Day is
of any benefit to married couples? The truth is that it is a call for more
permissiveness and immorality, and the forming of forbidden relationships.
The
husband who sincerely loves his wife does not need this holiday to remind him of
his love. He expresses his love for his wife at all times and on all occasions.
The Muslim’s attitude towards Valentine’s Day
From
the above discussion, the Muslim’s attitude towards this holiday should be
clear:
(1)
He should not celebrate it, or join others in their celebrations of it,
or attend their celebrations, because of the evidence quoted above which shows
that it is forbidden to celebrate the festivals of the kuffaar.
Al-Haafiz
al-Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If the Christians have a
festival and the Jews have a festival, which belongs only to them, then the
Muslim should not join them in that, just as he does not join them in their
religion or their direction of prayer.” (Tashabbuh al-Khasees bi Ahl
al-Khamees, al-Hikmah magazine, 4/193).
Because
one of the basic principles of the pious predecessors was al-walaa’
wa’l-baraa’ (loyalty and friendship vs. disavowal and enmity), it is
obligatory for everyone who says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Muhammad Rasool
Allaah to follow this principle. So he should love the believers and he
should hate the disbelievers, oppose them, and be different from them. He should
know that that will bring immeasurable benefits, just as imitating them causes
far greater harm. In addition to that, when the Muslims imitate them it makes
the kuffaar happy and fills their hearts with joy, and it leads the Muslims to
love the kuffaar in their hearts. If any Muslim girl who celebrates this holiday
because she sees Margaret or Hilary or whoever doing so, this undoubtedly
reflects the fact that she is following them and approves of their behaviour.
But Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyaa’
(friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa’ of each other. And if
any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’), then surely, he is one of them.
Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the Zaalimoon (polytheists and
wrongdoers and unjust)”[al-Maa’idah
5:51]
One
of the bad effects of imitating them is that this makes it look as if there are
more of them, as if they have more supporters and followers. How can it be
appropriate for a Muslim who recites in every rak’ah, “Guide us to the
Straight Way, The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not
(the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray”
[al-Faatihah 1:6-7 – interpretation of the meaning], to ask Allaah for
guidance to the Straight Path of the believers and to keep him away from the
path of those who have earned His anger and of those who went astray, then go
and follow their path by choice and willingly?
Statistics
indicate that Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas in popularity. So it
is clear that the Feast of Love is one of the festivals of the Christians and
that it is second only to the festival of Christmas, the celebration of the
birth of the Messiah. So it is not permissible for Muslims to join in the
celebrations of this date, because we are commanded to differ from them in their
religion, customs and other things that belong exclusively to them, as is stated
in the Qur’aan and Sunnah and scholarly consensus.
(2)
He should not help the kuffaar in their celebrations, because it is one
of the rituals of kufr, so helping them and approving of what they do is helping
them to manifest kufr and make it prevail, and approving of it. The Muslim’s
religion does not allow him to approve of kufr or help others to manifest it and
make it prevail. Hence Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: “It is not permissible for the Muslims to imitate them in anything
that is specifically part of their festivals, whether it is food, clothing,
bathing, lighting fires, or changing a custom of daily life or worship… To sum
up, they should not do any of the specific rituals of their (the kuffaar’s)
festival on that day; rather the day of their festival should be just another
ordinary day for the Muslim.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/329)
(3)
He should not help any Muslims who celebrate it. Rather it is obligatory
to denounce them, because for the Muslims to celebrate the festivals of the
kuffaar is an evil action which must be denounced. Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn
Taymiyah) said: “Just as we should not imitate them in their festivals, so too
we should not help a Muslim to do that; rather he should be told not to do
that.” (al-Iqtidaa’, 2/519-520)
Based on what Ibn Taymiyah said, it is not permissible for Muslim
businessmen to deal in gifts for Valentine’s Day, whether they are particular
kinds of clothes, red roses, or whatever. Similarly, it is not permissible for
the one who is given a gift on this occasion to accept it, because by accepting
it, he is showing approval of this holiday.
One
of the daa’iyahs said: we went to a flower shop in one of the Muslim
countries and we were shocked to find it completely prepared for this occasion,
with red carpets at the entrance, red placards and red decorations. We were met
by one of the people who worked there, and we asked him why they had done so
much to decorate the place for this occasion. He said that these preparations
had begun early, and that there had been very many orders… Then he told us
that he had been amazed by that, because he was a new Muslim who had left
Christianity. He had known about that before he became Muslim, so how come his
customers were Muslims and not Christians?!
Other
shops ran out of red roses, which were being sold at high prices. When one of
the female daa’iyahs entered upon the female students who were gathered in the
lecture hall, she was dismayed to find them all carrying something red. One had
a red rose, another had a red scarf, or a red handkerchief, or a red bag, or red
socks…
Alas
for the Muslim girls!
Among the things
that have been seen
among the Muslims on this holiday:
1-
All the female students agreeing with their friends to tie a red ribbon
on the right wrist.
2-
Wearing something red (a blouse, hair clip, shoes…). This reached such
an extent last year that when we entered the classroom we found most of the
students wearing it, as if it was a uniform.
3-
Red balloons on which are written the words “I love you”. They
usually bring these out at the end of the school day, in an area far from where
the teachers can see them.
4-
Writing names and hearts on their hands, or just initials.
5-
Red roses are widespread on this day.
Groups
of girls entered their lecture rooms on February 14, each of them wearing
something red, with red heart-shaped stickers on their faces, wearing red
make-up. They started to exchange red-coloured gifts and kiss one another
warmly. This happened in more than one university in the Muslim world, even in
an Islamic university. In other words they were celebrating Saint Valentine’s
Day.
On
that day, secondary schools (high schools) were astonished by the large numbers
of female students who brought red roses of the finest quality, coloured their
faces with red cosmetics, wore red earrings, and started to exchange gifts and
warm greetings, in celebration of this day.
Al-Mawsoo’ah
al-‘Arabiyyah (the Arabic
Encyclopaedia) says that there are special customs for Valentine’s Day, such
as printing love poems on cards to be given to relatives and those whom one
loves. Some of them draw funny pictures on these cards, and the most common
phrase written on them is “be my Valentine”. Parties are often held during
the day, where they dance in their fashion. The Europeans still celebrate this
holiday. In Britain, sales of flowers reached 22 million pounds. More chocolate
is consumed on this day, and companies offer free messages on their Web sites to
advertise those sites.
Valentine’s
Day has come to a number of Arab and Muslim countries, and has even reached the
heartland of Islam (the Arabian Peninsula). It has reached societies which we
had thought far removed from this insanity. In Riyadh the price of roses has
risen in a crazy manner, so that a single rose costs 36 riyals (10 dollars),
whereas before this day it cost 5 riyals. Gift shops and card shops compete in
designing cards and gifts for this occasion, and some families hang up red roses
in the windows of their homes on this day.
In
some of the Gulf countries, shopping centres and hotels have organized special
celebrations of Valentine’s Day. Most of the stores and business places are
covered with red. One of the finest Gulf hotels was full of balloons and dolls.
Following the customs of the Feast of Love and the pagan myths, the restaurant
put on a dramatic production with “Cupid”, the idol of love in the Roman
myths, nearly naked and carrying a bow and arrow. He and his cohorts were
looking to select “Mr. & Mrs. Valentine” from among the people present.
Less
expensive restaurants also celebrated this day in their own way. Some stores
replaced their regular plates with heart-shaped plates, used red tablecloths and
linens, and put a red rose on each table for the man to present to his beloved.
The latest
Valentine’s Day craze was
started by the owner of a gift-shop in Kuwait. He imports (live) French rabbits
which are small and have red eyes. He puts a necktie around the neck of each
rabbit, and puts it in a small box to be given as a gift!
We
must oppose these things by all possible means. The responsibility rests with us
all.
(4)
We should not accept congratulations on Valentine’s Day, because it is
not a holiday or an Eid for the Muslims. If the Muslim is congratulated on this
occasion, he should not return the congratulations. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: “With regard to congratulating others with the
congratulations used by the kuffaar on such occasions, it is haraam by scholarly
consensus, such as congratulating them on the occasion of their festivals or
fasts, wishing them a blessed festival, etc. Even if the one who says this is
free of kufr, it is still haraam. It is like congratulating someone for
prostrating to the cross. It is even worse with Allaah and more hated by Him
than congratulating someone for drinking alcohol, or committing murder or
adultery, etc. Many of those who have no respect for religion do that, and they
do not realize the abhorrence of their actions. Whoever congratulates a person
for sin, innovation (bid’ah) or kufr exposes himself to the hatred and wrath
of Allaah.” (Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 1/441-442)
(5)
We must explain the true nature of this holiday and other festivals of
the kuffaar to those Muslims who have been deceived by them, and explain to them
that it is essential for the Muslim to be distinguished by his religion and to
protect his belief (‘aqeedah) from anything that may damage it. This
should be done out of sincerity towards the ummah and in fulfilment of the
command to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.
Fatwas of Muslim scholars concerning Valentine’s Day
The Fatwa of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)
Question:
In recent
times the celebration of Valentine’s Day has
become widespread, especially among female students. This is one of the
Christian holidays. They wear all red clothes, including their shoes, and they
exchange red flowers… We hope that you can tell us the ruling on celebrating
such holidays. What do you advise the Muslims to do with regard to such things?
May Allaah keep you and take care of you.
He
replied:
Celebrating
Valentine’s Day is not
permitted for several reasons:
1
– It is an innovated celebration which has no basis in sharee’ah.
2 – It calls
for people to keep their hearts and minds busy with these foolish things that go
against the guidance of the pious predecessors (may Allaah be pleased with
them), so it is not permitted on this day to do any of the customs associated
with that holiday, whether that be connected to food, drink, clothing,
exchanging gifts or anything else. The Muslim should be proud of his religion
and not be so weak of character that he follows everyone who makes a noise. I
ask Allaah to protect the Muslims from all temptations, visible and invisible,
and to take care of us and give us strength. And Allaah knows best.
The Fatwa of Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Jibreen
concerning celebrating this day
He
was asked: the celebration of the so-called Feast of Love (Valentine’s Day)
has become widespread among our boys and girls. This (Valentine) is the name of
a saint who is venerated by the Christians, and this day is celebrated every
year on February 14. They exchange gifts and red roses, and they wear red
clothes. What is the ruling on celebrating this day, or exchanging gifts on this
day? May Allaah reward you with good.
He
answered:
Firstly,
it is not permissible to celebrate such innovated festivals, because this is a
newly-invented innovation (bid’ah) which has no basis in sharee’ah. So it is
included in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who
said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) which is not
part of it, will have it rejected” – i.e., it will be thrown back upon the
one who innovated it.
Secondly,
this involves imitating and resembling the kuffaar in venerating that which they
venerate and respecting their festivals and holidays, and imitating them in some
of their religious practices. In the hadeeth it says, “Whoever imitates a
people is one of them.”
Thirdly,
the things that result from that, such as partying, idle play, singing, music,
insolence, impertinence, unveiling, wanton display, mixing of men and women, and
the appearance of women before non-mahrams, etc., are all things which are
haraam, or are means which lead to immorality. So it should not be justified as
an excuse for relaxation and entertainment, or claims that they will not
overstep the mark, because that is not right. The one who
cares about himself should keep away from sin and all that leads to it.
On
this basis, it is not permissible to sell these gifts and roses, if one knows
that the purchaser will celebrate these holidays, give them as gifts or
otherwise use them to honour these days, so that the vendor will not be sharing
in the guilt of the one who does this innovated action. And Allaah knows best.
The Fatwa of the Standing Committee
The
Standing Committee was also asked a question about this holiday:
Some people
celebrate the fourteenth day of February of each Christian year as the Day of
Love (Valentine’s Day), where they exchange gifts of red roses and wear red
clothes, and congratulate one another. Some the bakeries make sweets that are
red in colour, with hearts drawn on them, and some stores have advertisements
for their products that are especially for this day. What is your opinion?
The
Committee replied:
It is haraam
for the Muslim to help with this festival or any other haraam celebration in any
way, be it food, drink, buying, selling, manufacturing, corresponding,
advertising or in any other way, because all of that constitutes helping one
another in sin, transgression and disobedience towards Allaah and His Messenger,
and 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]
So
the Muslim must adhere to the Qur’aan and Sunnah in all his affairs,
especially at times of fitan (temptation and tribulation) and when
corruption is widespread. He should be smart and be careful to avoid falling
into the misguidance of those who have earned the anger of Allaah and of those
who went astray, and of the evildoers who hope not for reward from Allaah and do
not show any respect towards Islam. The Muslim should seek refuge with Allaah
and ask for His guidance and for help to adhere steadfastly to it, because none
can guide except Allaah and none can make us remain steadfast except Him. And
Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his
family and companions, and grant them peace.
Al-Lajnah
al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyah wa’l-Iftaa’
Finally,
we offer our brothers the following advice:
1
– They should urge the khateebs of the mosques to tell the people and warn
them. They should explain this matter to the imaam of the mosque and tell him
when this day is approaching. They should give him a copy of the fatwas of the
Standing Committee and of Shaykh Muhamamd ibn Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may
Allaah forgive him). Every person should make the effort to contact the imaam of
his mosque and tell him about this. Certainly there are imaams of mosques among
the brothers so perhaps the responsibility of telling them about this will be
discharged when they read this article.
2
– Every teacher should explain the reality of this holiday and warn his or her
students about it. They will be answerable before Allaah tomorrow. They should
explain that it is haraam by quoting the Fatwaa of the Standing Committee. All
that should begin a week beforehand in order to be of any benefit.
3
– Those who go around and check on people and the headquarters of
organizations should be notified of any shops which are selling gifts for this
day or which put up pictures showing what the gift is or how it is wrapped.
4
– Each person should make his family members aware of this. Whoever has
sisters in school or brothers should tell them and warn them about this matter,
because many people are unaware of this holiday and what it means.
We ask Allaah
to protect the Muslims from the harm of temptations and from the evil of their
own selves and the plots of their enemies, for He is the All-hearing Who answers
prayers. May Allaah send blessings upon His slave and Messenger Muhammad, and
upon all his family and companions