BIRTHDAY AMONG THE MUSLIMS: THE INTENT, THE LOGIC AND THE APPROACH

Bismillah was'salaatu Was'salaamu alaa rosuulillah.

Islam has placed the Muslims in a unique status as the most civilized humans ever raised for mankind. However, disingenuous society has impregnated the pristine islamic traditions and ideologies. That unwholesome fusion has given birth to a contemporary age of confused Muslims. The rest of the world is helpless because the saviour has been rendered unsafe. The society is out of trace because the Muslims have been led too far into the wilderness. 

End Time Muslims

The goal in the emerging world is to technically refine the social conducts and view points of the Muslims. With this scientific 'polish-to-police' scheme, the Muslim majority have become apologetic to their faith. A number of us are nominal adherents. 

Just introducing oneself as simply a Muslim is no longer adequate until the prefix 'moderate' is added. A moderate Muslim to describe anyone within the fold of pristine Islam is uncessary and ill-suggestive. It is a product from the lexicon of the end time syndrome. Islam is nothing but a moderate religion. The Muslims by default are justly balanced personalities, neither the extremists nor laggards. Not the leftists or the rightists (Q2:143). 

Today, we carry our Islam in names and titles only. In body, principle, ideology and actions, we are far from the foremost predecessors and guided generations. In our huge numbers, as well prophesized by the messenger of Allah, we are like mouths without teeth or sets of teeth with no potency to chew. We are well alive but neither active nor effective. Rather than leading and commanding respect as befitting of our status, we follow the models of those who are naturally minions and misfit to lead us.

Today, the Muslims had literally followed these misguided models into the hole of lizards! Indeed, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (greeting and salutation of peace be upon him). His prophesy would ever be infallible. 

The Birthday culture

One of the manifestations of that effect in our contemporary society is the rationalized argument for the alien practices like birthday. When the people of Jehovah witness had strong stance against anything in the name of birthday, the Muslims had it in full embrace as a new culture in their families, schools, workplaces and even mosques!!! 

How can the Jehovah Witnesses be more guided than the Muslims who are actually witnesses over mankind? If any people outside Islam can find fault with the intent and logic behind birthday, Islam cannot be identified with it let alone dignify or glorify it. 

The Intent

The purpose is primarily a tool by which things are viewed in Islam as either correct or wrong. 

1. What is the intent of birthday? 

The answer is to annually 'mark' the date of birth and by extension added age. By application of 'marking' in the context, it is a word implying giving special dedication or recognition of importance. 

This intent is wrong for the following reasons:

1. The date of birth is not that important to deserve such special attention and glorification. With exception of the prophets from amongst whom Allah specifically says about Heesa bn Maryam: 'blessed be upon him on the day he was born, the day he dies and the day he would be raised up', Islam does not dignify the date anyone is born as conferring a special blessing or importance. 

From that wisdom is that the messenger of Allah is the noblest of mankind.  Allah left out his date of birth while preserving every other detail of his life for the Muslims. It was not clear whether the prophet was born on the 9th or 12th of Rabiul Awwal. This has been mentioned by many scholars like Sheikh Uthaymeen in Halaal wal Haram and Ibn Qayyim in Zaadul Maad

Coincidentally, the case is the same in respect of Heesa bn Maryam. If Allah does not consider the dates of birth of his prophets for proper documentation, which of the dates is deserving for veneration? This is why Maulud nabiyy as a replicate of Christmas remains a practice only known to the Muslims and not Islam. 

2. The practice of recognising  certain day, event or personality for special status often time makes such become a symbol of celebration and veneration. If such a celebration is commemorated by large number of people and transmitted for generations, it ultimately becomes a doctrinal or ideological practice rather than a social event. 

The Jew venerated the day Musa triumphed over Fir'aoun. The messenger of Allah got the message and approved it for fasting as Yaomu Ashurau. All other days of celebrations came in similar manner of recognition and dedication to a 'special event' . Islam puts a check on that trend by just approving only two of annual celebrations. Every other annual celebration in the name of events like israi wal miraj, new Hijrah year (first of Muharam), maulud nabiyy etc are alien to us. 

An event to remember was the occurrence of  eclipse at the time a son of the messenger of Allah died. Before those who were obsessed with such inclination could bring up the fitna, he declared: 'the sun and moon are from the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse in veneration of the birth or death of anyone'. Even if birthday is argued as not being a religious celebration, to make it  a social event where one displays a special mood of happiness or joy is also unbecoming. 

This is particularly close to what the people of medina were upon at the time the messenger of Allah arrived. He stopped it and replaced it with two major feasts of Islam. 

The Logic

There are many logics around birthday that those involve in the acts advance:

a. The prophet fasted on Monday because he was born on Monday. Is anything wrong if anyone does the same? 

This proposition may not be sound. 

1. The messenger of Allah did not exclusively fast on Monday for that reason. Monday had many implications in his life. He received revelations on Monday. It is also a day accounts of men were taken to Allah. He also died on Monday.  Who else combines all these on the day he wants to choose for fasting?

2. The prophet never chose the date of the year but the day of the week. Wishes and commemoration on Birthday is in the opposite. If anyone wants to chose the day he was born rather than the date, he would be innovating a new model of birthday different from existing one! 

3. The prophet actions are informed by revelation. Let say he had chosen Monday for fasting because of his birth for the sake of argument, who knows whether that was an act exclusively to him such that no other person can choose his day of birth for such? 

Did any of his wives fast on Monday like him or choose their own days of birth? I ask the same question in respect of any of the four caliphs and his companions. Are we today closer and more pious than these predecessors who were the helpers and migrants around him?

b. Birthday is muamalat. 

This is not correct. The origin of brithday was not only religious, it was pagan. No scholar has included birthday as muamalat. All scholars of repute were unanimous in calling it bid'ah (innovation). Bid'ah is not used in respect of muamalaat and birthday falls in the category of annual celebration that is connected with veneration of an event.  The scholars are too learned not to be able to distinguish muamalaat from ibaadah. 

And if it is (let us say), which sort of muamalaat is celebration of the birth or death of a fellow? Does Islam approve an activity that is baseless and unreasonable? Islam is a religion of serious and not of play and amusement. The scholars are too cautious in the use of technical term to have collectively used that term inappropriately. 

Allah asks the Muslims to follow Allah and His messengers and uulul amri minkum (the custodians of subject matters-scholars of the religion) amidst you, which of them do the birthday fans follow? I hope it is not freewill or self desires. No one is a Muslim until He is submissive and there is no submission except to conquer the free wills. 

The Approach

What of if I mark my birthday differently by doing charity and involved in other acts of ibaadah?

This is also incorrect for the following:

a. This is like islamization of an act that has no basis in Islam. There is no better approach to do a bad practice. Act of charity can be done at any time or day of the year. To dedicate such to marking birthday would be a way to establish a bad predecendence or culture for the children of the coming generations of the Muslims. No examples of such among our predecessors. Those who establish such innovations in Islam must be wary. 

Innovation starts simply but spreads faster to cover up the ideal Islamic culture. Imagine every Muslim fasts, does special tahjud and gives charity on their birthdates, a new sharia has been introduced. Whoever introduces new sharia has changed the religion!! His action technically implies that Islam is not complete and that prophet had hidden this aspect of the religion. 

b. Charity during celebration can be done as act of thanks to Allah. Such acts may be approved for  graduation, marriage etc. Does increase in age constitute thanks or favour all the time? Where is the assurance that added years are means of love from Allah? There is evidence from Qur'an that disbelievers are granted long life but not in any way a blessing. 

'so do they really want our punishment to be hastened. Then did you consider if we were to let them enjoy life for many years' (Q26: 204-205)

Living is a grace. It only offers opportunity for repentance and doing good acts. No one has reason to jubilate over life until he actually meets his Lord. 

Life is about thinking on the quality of life and reflection over how much of lives are dedicated in the service of Allah. It should be more of humility on the favours of Allah than the pride to show more of worldly achievement. If we must thank Allah for a grace of his blessings such as life, health and provisions, why must it be an annual ceremonial event? Should it not be an every day thing, kept simple and personal?

Why Birthday is wrong in Summary

1. It is pagan in origin making it an imitation of the way of non-believers. The way of messenger of Allah is to act contrary to their ways. 

2. It has no model or example among the guided predecessors of this Ummah. They did not islamize it with engagement in the acts of ibaadah. Islamization of a condemned act has no logical basis. In fact it is worse to do so than cutting cake and make it purely a merry event as it is commonly done!!! 

3. Scholars of Islam like Sheikh Ibn Baz, Sheikh Uthaymeen, Sheikh Saalih Fauzaan bn Fauzaan etc disapproved it as 'bid' ah'. 

4. Islam gives no importance to the day of birth and there is no evidence to prove that a new age is a means of celebration of thanks to Allah. So, no basis for special joy or offering gifts for that specific purpose. What the prophet only said was: 'the best of you is the one who lives long and his deeds are excellent'.

Who can adjudge himself as having lived excellently as deserving of Allah's merit list? No reasonable Muslim rejoices in his age which in actual sense draws him closer to death and questioning in the grave. 

Conclusion

Looking at the intent and logic of birthday, I have no doubt in my mind that it cannot be a way of a serious-minded Muslim. The Muslims who willingly and proudly 'mark' the birthday must be under the spell of socio-influence of our contemporary society. 

I remind my brothers and sisters in Islam that the world would continue to go in its descending ways, the Muslims should be Muslims and Islam should remain Islam. Birthday may be a just sinful bid'ah that does not translate to kufr but persistent in minor sins without repentance leads to kabaair (big sins) 

Those who celebrate birthdays should be conscious that their children are watching. Those who set the stage for maulud nnabiyy long after the  best three generations of the Ummah may have good intentions. They may not have envisaged that it would be what it is today when the cake is cut which loud cheers of 'happy birthday yaa rosuulallah!!! 

Innalillaahi wa inna ilayhi roojihun 

Whoever innovates anything in Islam has the share of the lots of those that follow it.

May Allah grant the Muslims al'aafia, forgive us and perfect our conducts as He has perfected our look. 

This I wrote in good faith. What is right from it is from Allah. What is wrong is from Shaitan. Allah and messenger are absolved from it. 

Subhaanallaka Allahumma wa hamdika ash'adu an laailaa Anta wastagfruka wa atuubu ilaek