ld be observed.” (Quran 2:208).
- Celebrating birthdays is haraam because it is not part of the Islamic calendar. Celebrating birthdays is a part of the Western culture that has been imported into Islam, and it has no place in Islam. In fact, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There are three things that are haram [forbidden] for you: to have a birthday, to wear gold or silver articles of jewelry, and to celebrate a birthday.”
- Celebrating birthdays is haraam because it makes people weak in their religion by showing off their wealth. The Quran says: “And when you see those who engage in vain discourse about Our signs, turn away from them until they enter into some other topic; then if they continue to speak [of Ourest you (Muslims) have the religion of Allah in its most perfect form. So be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace when it does not come to you by the leave of Allah. Allah is with you, and will never let your enemies have success over you.” (Quran 8:35).
- Celebrating birthdays is haraam because it is a superstition which has been described as being one of the major signs of jahilliyah, which means to follow Satan (devil), and his ways. The Quran says: “O you who have believed, do not take those who disbelieve as allies instead of believers. And whoever does that shall never be helped by Allah in any way, unless you guard yourselves against them… O you who have believed, when believing women come to you as emigrants in your land asking for protection – then give them their due compensation so that they may be content with it; butest you take your religion seriously. Do not take these people as friends, instead, fear them, and their abode is the Fire.” (Quran 3:112).
- Celebrating birthdays is haraam because having a birthday celebration requires that we spend money on it. The Quran states: “O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants and gambling, [sacrificing to] idols of stone or wood – which [previously] were invoked – and the strangled (devil), are an abomination of Shaitan’s handiwork. So avoid it so that you may prosper. Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from Salah (Prayer). So will you be recompensed?” (Quran 5:90).
What Does The Qur’an Say About Celebrating Birthdays?
- Birthday is a time of celebration, and the Qur’an specifically commands us to ‘celebrate the praises of your Lord.
- The Qur’an tells us that Allah has appointed for every person an angel who records his or her actions. On the Day of Judgment, we will be called to account for everything we did in our lives. The angels will present our record to Allah (SWT), and it is He Who will decide whether we are deserving of Paradise or Hellfire. We should always live in a way that pleases Allah (SWT) – celebrating our birthday should be done according to His (SWT) guidance: “…and celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night as well as at both ends thereof…” (Qur’an 30:17).
- The Qur’an tells us that the Day of Judgment will be a day of absolute justice. Allah (SWT) will not show any mercy to those who have shown no mercy to others on earth. We are commanded to be kind and fair to all creatures, and never be unjust even as much as a needle prick. That is why we should not celebrate our birthday in a way that shows no concern for the feelings of others: “…and celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night as well as at both ends thereof…” (Qur’an 30:17).
- The Qur’an tells us that on the Day of Judgment, Allah (SWT) will gather all people together, and He will judge them according to their deeds. In order to reach Paradise, we must perform good deeds throughout our lives – and there are many ways we can do so: “And the book (of deeds) will be placed (before you), and you will see the sinful in great terror because of what is (rec