What Are Alternatives to Prohibited Birthday Celebrations?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Question

How can we explain to children that celebrations like birthdays are not part of our religion, and how can we offer alternatives to these activities?

Answer

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, his Family, and all his Companions.

Allah (Most High) says:

“(It is Allah) Who named you ‘the ones who submit’ (in the) earlier (Scriptures) and in this (Quran), so that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and that you may be witnesses over humanity.” [Quran, 22:78]

Thus, Allah named us and defined our identity, clarifying our relationship with other nations, making us witnesses over them, not followers of them. This is affirmed by the hadith: “Do not be a blind follower.” [Tirmidhi]

Ibn Mas‘ud (Allah be pleased with him) said: “In the time of ignorance, we used to call the one who comes to a meal without being invited an ‘imitator’; however, today, an ‘imitator’ is one who blindly follows others in their religion.” [Haythami, Majma‘ al-Zawa’id]

One of the things that indicates such blind following is the celebration of birthdays in the manner practiced by most Muslims today, which is an imitation of non-Muslims, copying their customs and traditions word for word. This practice is not in line with the principles of our religion.

This needs to be explained and clarified to our children. At the same time, it is important to note that marking a day as special—whether it be a birthday or a day when a blessing occurred—and expressing joy through an act or a form of worship is, in principle, permissible. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was asked about fasting on Mondays, and he said:

“That is the day I was born, and the day I received revelation.” [Muslim]

To offer alternatives for our children instead of these prohibited celebrations, we can celebrate their birthdays while avoiding imitation and steering clear of the prohibited practices associated with such events. Some of the ways to do this include:

Changing the Day of Celebration

Either by celebrating before or after the actual birthday or even extending it to several days. This is based on the principle of differentiation emphasized by our religion.

Linking the Birthday to an Accomplishment

This shifts the focus away from simply celebrating the birth. Instead, we celebrate the birthday in conjunction with achieving a significant goal or accomplishment, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“The best of people are those who live long and have good deeds.” [Tirmidhi]

By following this approach, we can strike a balance between those who completely prohibit birthday celebrations and those who allow them with leniency in observing certain guidelines. At the same time, we can offer our children alternatives to prohibited celebrations. And Allah knows best.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti is a Syrian scholar born in Aleppo in 1977. He obtained his degree in Shari‘a from the Shari‘a Faculty of Damascus University, a Diploma in Educational Qualification from the Faculty of Education at Aleppo University, and a Diploma in Shari‘a and a Master’s in Shari‘a from the Faculty of Sharia, and Law at Omdurman University in Sudan. He is currently writing his doctoral thesis.