Some people celebrate their birthday and say, "I do not worship Allah with this festival." How do we respond to them?
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Question:
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, a questioner says: Some people make a birthday celebration for themselves every year. When we tell them that this is a bid'ah (religious innovation), they say, "I do not worship Allah with this festival," meaning that the effect of worship is not apparent in it. Is their statement correct? And how do we answer them?
Answer:
Ask him about the meaning of a festival. What is the meaning of a festival? The meaning of a festival is that it returns and repeats. It repeats annually, monthly, or weekly. This is the meaning of a festival. The people of Islam have only two festivals: 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha. As for birthdays, sitting festivals, and other festivals, these have no basis in Islam. These are festivals of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance). The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) achieved victory at Badr.
And he achieved victory in all the military expeditions he led, and the Muslims achieved victory in the conquests, yet they did not establish festivals called "festivals of victory." They did not establish festivals for this, because they follow the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
They had caliphs and kings, but they did not establish birthdays for their kings. They did not establish birthdays for them, because Islam does not permit this. This is the practice of the non-Arabs and the practice of the people of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance). So the Muslims elevate themselves above these matters.
And they restrict themselves to what Allah has given them, which is 'Id al-Fitr, which comes after performing the pillar of fasting, and 'Id al-Adha, which comes after performing the pillar of Hajj, in gratitude to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, a questioner says: Some people make a birthday celebration for themselves every year. When we tell them that this is a bid'ah (religious innovation), they say, "I do not worship Allah with this festival," meaning that the effect of worship is not apparent in it. Is their statement correct? And how do we answer them?
Answer:
Ask him about the meaning of a festival. What is the meaning of a festival? The meaning of a festival is that it returns and repeats. It repeats annually, monthly, or weekly. This is the meaning of a festival. The people of Islam have only two festivals: 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha. As for birthdays, sitting festivals, and other festivals, these have no basis in Islam. These are festivals of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance). The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) achieved victory at Badr.
And he achieved victory in all the military expeditions he led, and the Muslims achieved victory in the conquests, yet they did not establish festivals called "festivals of victory." They did not establish festivals for this, because they follow the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
They had caliphs and kings, but they did not establish birthdays for their kings. They did not establish birthdays for them, because Islam does not permit this. This is the practice of the non-Arabs and the practice of the people of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance). So the Muslims elevate themselves above these matters.
And they restrict themselves to what Allah has given them, which is 'Id al-Fitr, which comes after performing the pillar of fasting, and 'Id al-Adha, which comes after performing the pillar of Hajj, in gratitude to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 44 - هناك من يحتفل بعيد مولده ويقول أنا لا أتعبد الله بهذا العيد فكيف نرد عليه؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.