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 forpersonal
opinion. They have beenprescribed for us by Allaah and His
Messenger.Ibn Taymiyyah,may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "Festivals
are part of the laws, clear way and religious ceremonies of which
Allaah Says )what means(:'To each among you, We have prescribed a law
and a clear way']Quran 5:48[ and'For every nationWe have ordained
religious ceremonies which they must follow.'" ]Quran 22:67[
Like the Qiblah )the 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 disbelief. Agreeing with some of their minor issues
is the same as agreeing with them in some of the branches of
disbelief.
Festivals are the most distinctive things by which religions are
toldapart, so whoever celebrates their festivals is agreeing with the
most distinctive rituals of disbelief. Undoubtedly, going along with
them in their festivals may, in some cases, lead to disbelief.
Dabbling in these things, at the very least, is a sin. The
Prophetreferred to the fact that every nation has its ownfestivals
when hesaid: "Everynation has its own 'Eed and this is our 'Eed."
]Al-Bukhaari[
Because Valentine's Day goes back to Roman times, not Islamictimes,
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 everynation has its own festivals, as the Prophetsaid: "Every
nation has its 'Eed" ]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 joinin 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 part of their religion. If it is
not allowed to imitate the Christians in thingsthat 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 non-Muslims in general -whether they are idol-worshippers or
People of theBook - is Haraam )prohibited(, whether that imitation is
of their worship - which is the most serious form - or of their
customsand behavior. This is indicated by the Quran, Sunnah and
Ijmaa')scholarly consensus(:
)i( From the Quran: Allaah Says)what means(: "And be not as those who
divided and differed among themselves after the clearproofs had come
to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment." ]Quran 3:105[
)ii( From the Sunnah: the Prophetsaid: "Whoever imitates a people is
one of them." ]Abu Daawood[
Ibn Taymiyyah,may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "This Hadeeth
)narration( at the very least indicates that it is Haraam to imitate
them, although the apparent meaning implies that the one who imitates
them is non-Muslim, as Allaah Says )what means(:'And if any amongst
you takes them friends )and helpers(, then surely, he is one of
them']Quran 5:5[."
)iii( With regard to Ijmaa',Ibn Taymiyyah,may Allaah have mercy upon,
him narrated that there was agreement that it is Haraam to imitate
non-Muslims in their festivals at the time of the Prophet's
CompanionsandIbn Al-Qayyimnarrated that there was scholarly consensus
on this point.
3- The love referred to in this festival ever since the Christians
revived it is romantic love outsidethe framework of marriage. The
result of that is the spread of fornication and immorality. Hence, the
Christian clergy opposed it at some stage and abolished it, then it
came back again.
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
isromantic 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 talkingof 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
relationshipbetween 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 'Eed. So how about when it is one of the festivals of the
non-Muslims?
In Islam, a husband loves his wifethroughout 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 whichencourages 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 atall times, as the
Prophetsaid:"If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he
loves him."]Abu Daawood[
And Hesaid: "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 salaam )Islamic greeting(
amongst yourselves." ]Muslim[
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 Messengerand his companionslove for good and righteous
people, love and support for the religion, love of martyrdom for the
Sake of Allaah, etc. 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.
So, how can we believe that Valentine's Day is of any benefit to
Muslims? 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.
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