Question : A question was asked regarding the validity of celebrating [Islam’s] religious and national feasts.

Fatwa in Brief: It is not permitted to celebrate any events other than the formal religious occasions that the law singles out [for celebration], namely the two Feasts [‘Id al-Adha, and ‘Id al-Fitr]. However, Mother’s Day, national days, birthdays, or times connected to other religious events, such as the night journey of the Prophet (upon him be peace) (upon him be peace), or those dedicated to the opening of a mosque, should not be celebrated. For these kinds of celebration are [reprehensible] innovations that are new to Islam [and therefore invalid].

The Permanent Committee 3/59-61

Response:

Celebrating any occasion is permitted as long as the purpose of doing so remains within the limits of Islam. There is, then, no harm in calling such occasions “celebrations” [or “feasts”] (Arabic: a‘yad). For, what matters is what the name stands for, rather than the term [‘id/a‘yad] itself; and [as discussed already] not everything new should be understood as a cause for Muslims to stray from [the the demands and principles of] Islam. Hence, [as noted above] regarding the gathering of Muslims to pray the tarwih prayers, ‘Umar exclaimed: “What a good innovation this is!”

Commentary:

The word “celebration” (‘id) applies to an occasion that is repeated every year. It is mainly concerned with a group, regardless of whether or not this is a family, tribe, city or district. Celebrating these occasions is a way of showing concern for the group.

The celebration could be secular or religious. Islam does not prevent [people from enjoying] secular celebrations, as long as the purpose of these is good and what occurs there remains within the limits of law. Regarding religious celebrations, these may follow a text, as is the case of Islam’s two main feasts; al-Adha and al-Fitr, or it may not, such as the [celebrations surrounding the] Night Journey and the Birthday of the Prophet (upon him be peace). Whatever is mentioned in an authoritative text [i.e. Qur’an and/or Sunna] is permitted by the law, as long as people’s behaviour remains within legal limits. Regarding the celebrating of feasts that are not based upon an authoritative text, there are two opinions. The first prohibits them on the grounds that they are [reprehensible] innovations; while the second permits them on the grounds that they are not explicitly prohibited by a text.

Those who prohibit the celebrations [that are not based upon a text] support their view with a hadith, with a sound chain of transmission, that is included in [the works of] al-Nisa’i and Ibn Haban. In this, Anas (r.a.) reports that when the Prophet (upon him be peace) entered Madina, and found the people there celebrating on two days, he remarked ‘God has offered you two better alternatives: the day of Fitr and the day of Adha.

Based on this hadith, certain scholars argue that the celebration of any festival, other than the two main festivals [‘Id al-Adha, and ‘Id al-Fitr], is forbidden to Muslims. The response to this is that, in this hadith, the Prophet (upon him be peace) does not limit the number of festivals that Muslims may enjoy. Rather, he only says which ones [‘Id al-Adha and ‘Id al-Fitr] are better than those of the Madinan people; which originally had been celebrated by the Persians. More evidence [that the Prophet, upon him be peace, did not restrict the number of festivals in this way] is that he described Friday as a “feast”.

When speaking of festivals other than the two main feasts, there is no explicit prohibition in any authoritative text. Indeed, at the beginning of Surat al-Rum, the Qur’an speaks of the happiness of the believers when, on the verge of defeat, the Rum rallied their forces and emerged victorious. Another possible [and legitimate] response [to the banning of celebrations] is that not every new thing should be regarded as an [reprehensible] innovation, a point that is supported by ‘Umar’s hadith on the tarawih prayers [cited above].

To summarize: the celebration of any occasion is permitted, providing the underlying purpose is good, and the way in which people celebrate on this day remains within the boundaries of God’s law; and there is no harm in describing such events as “celebrations” (a‘yad). The point here is not the name, but what the name signifies.[1]

Shaykh Salman al-‘Awda argues that it is legally permitted to celebrate a baby’s first birthday, or an adult’s twentieth birthday, or, indeed, any happy event that we wish to celebrate. Hence [in al-‘Awda’s view], Muslims may celebrate marriages by inviting their family and friends to the meal (walima). In his program “Al-Hayah Kalima” [“Life is a Word”] on MBC, al-‘Awda added that such occasions may not be described as ‘feasts’ (a‘yad). It is nevertheless permitted to celebrate them, every year, if the world “feast” is not used about them. al-‘Awda emphasised the importance of this on the grounds that Islamic law specifically restricts Muslims to celebrating only two “feasts”.

Dr. Yassir ‘Abd al-‘Azim