Celebrating Valentine's Day

27-1-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Celebrating Valentine's Days has become widespread amongst young ladies lately. This is a Christian festival, during which red clothes shoes are wore and red roses are exchanged. Kindly clarify the ruling on celebrating such festivals.

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

Celebrating Valentine's Days is prohibited for the following reasons:

  1. It is an innovated festival that has no grounds in Islam, which makes it go under the ruling of the following Hadeeth. `Aa'ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her reported that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "He who imitates a group of people will be with them (in the Hereafter)" . [Ahmad and others].
  2. It invites to lust and encourages immorality, listening to music and intermixing between men and women, all of which is prohibited.
  3. It includes imitating non Muslims, and the  Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Whoever introduces into our matter (Islam) that which is not part of it, it will be rejected". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
  4. It reflects glorification and acceptance of their religion, which contradicts the command of Allaah not to accept other than Islam as a religion.
  5. It busies the heart with what is useless and attaches it to harmful matters, all of which opposes the practice of our Salaf (righteous predecessors)  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them.

Therefore, it is not permissible to practice anything on this festival day that reflects imitating those who practice it, whether it is regarding to one's food, drinks, clothes, gift exchange or anything else.

Finally, a Muslim must be proud of his religion and should not be naïve and follow everything he sees around him.

Allaah Knows best.

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