Does Islam have any problem with celebrating?
Question:
According to the Wahhabi
scholars’ fatwa, celebrating the anniversary of a marriage or birth or
any other celebration is forbidden. Does Islam have any problem with
celebrating?
Answer:
First of all, it should be noted that
Wahhabism has nothing to do with Islam at all. Behind all such Wahhabi
Fatwas lies their anti-Islam and Ahl-ul-Bayt impetus, which is the same
for their fatwas against celebration. Although there is no restriction
for being happy at any particular day in the Holy Qur’an or Islam, and
there are many hadiths from the Prophet (PBUH) about happiness,
especially in the family gatherings, Wahhabis has banned it as they
banned “eating of cucumber and eggplant for women!” Or their other
Ridiculous fatwas; of course, if such ceremonies are far from sins, idle
gaming or diversion and so on, they are not subject to any religious
restriction. But the main ground for Wahhabis’ opposition to celebrating
is to prevent people from celebrating on the eighteenth day of Dhū
al-Ḥijjah (Day of Ghadir Khom), ss the Shiites and sometimes Sunnite
have celebrated this day.
Wahhabism reasoning for labeling
“Deviation” on an action is just one argument: “The Prophet and his
Companions did not do such an action, so if we do, we are
deviators”!!!!!!
For example, the Companions did not ride
a plane or a car; they did not eat food by spoon, so may this by a
reason to leave such devices?!! The companions were always riding
donkeys and camels for Hajj and religious ceremonies, so do we have to
go to the Hajj by riding camels or donkeys? Or if we do, have we made a
deviation?!
When Religion is not dynamic, it becomes
ridiculous in the modern world as Wahhabism’s fatwas are subjects for
ridicule of Western media, although Wahhabism has nothing to do with
Islam in the back ground.
But when we say behind their fatwas there is a confrontation against Islam and Prophet we must prove our argument:
You may observe a contradiction in the words of ibn al Uthaymeen (the prominent Wahhabist scholar):
In the book of “Majmou Fatawi va Rasael
Fasilat-ul-Sheikh Muhammad-ibn-Saleh al Uthaymeen (one of the Mufties of
Saudi Arabia), published by Al-Tharia, Vol. 2, Fatwas about beliefs,
gathered by Fahad bin Nasser ibn Ibrahim ibn Suleiman, page 297:
Sheikh was questioned about celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH)?
He answered:
First of all, the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday is not clear if it is 17th of Rabī‘al-awwal or 12th
of Rabī‘al-awwal. Some Wahhabi contemporaries have found that his
birthday is in the ninth night of Rabī‘al-awwal, not the twelfth night.
Secondly, there is no religious ground
for celebration. If there was any, the Prophet (PBUH) would have
performed it and so his people.
But!
In the book of “Uthaymeen Sheikh ibn
Saleh, Majmou Fatawa and Rasael, Vol. 2, published by Al-Tharia,
gathered by Fahad bin Nasser ibn Ibrahim bn Suleiman, page 297”:
The Sheikh was questioned about the anniversary week of Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab, whose response is interesting.
Each year they named a week after
Muhammad –ibn-Abdul Wahhab at Mohammed bin Saud University, celebrating
every day during the week for Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab.
At the time of Muhammad ibn Ibrahim
al-Saud, the great Mufti preceding ben Baaz, such a ceremony was
created. Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Saud, in the third period of their rule,
named this week after Sheikh Mohammed –ibn – Abd ul-Wahhab by sheikh’s
order and advice. And Uthaymeen was questioned in this regard, in the
same book, page 300:
It was asked from Ibn Uthaymeen: what is
the difference between the week of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab and the
birthday of the Prophet (PBUH), that there is no problem for celebrating
the first one while celebrating the latter is forbidden?
He replies: “The difference, as far as I
know, is two issues: firstly the people do not celebrate the week of
Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab for God’s sake, and their purpose is to
respond to the doubts about this man.”
(For example, Mr. Mohammed ibn Firuz in
the Ahsā region, which, according to the Wahhabis, is the closest to
Islam and is Allamah, and the greatest mufti of his time, had doubts
that Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab had not a legitimate birth, but was
illegitimately born. This week is held to answer such doubts!)
Secondly, this week is not holding every year, (Although it is actually held every year).
“Ibn Uthaymeen ibn Saleh, Majmou’ ul-Fataw and Rasael, Vol. 2 page 300”
The next person, Mr. Ben Baaz, the famous Mufti of Wahhabism:
Mr. Ben Baaz in the book if “Majmouat
–ul- Fatawa va Maghalat Motanavea”, compiled by Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah
bin Abdul Rahman bin Baaz, Volume 4, published by Dar al-Qasim,
Researched by Mohammed bin Sa’ad al-Shuvayar, p. 289:
Is it permissible for Muslims to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH)?
Answer: It is not permissible for the
Muslims to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) whether at 12th
of Rabi ‘al-Awwal or otherwise, as it is not permissible for them to
celebrate the birthday of themselves or others.
Celebrating birthday is one of the
Deviations that have been added to religion; the Prophet (PBUH) did not
celebrate his birthday during his lifetime. The Companions, the Elder
Caliphs, and the Followers did not perform such an action, so it turns
out that this is a deviation.
But the same person wrote about eight
pages on the subject of anniversary week of Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab and
why we should celebrate one week for Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab.
Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, who by the confession of great Sunni
scholars, and the greatest Mufti at the time of the Muhammad ibn Abdul
Wahhab, himself, had been illegitimately born.
But has the Prophet’s birthday ever been important to himself or has he mentioned it at all?
It was asked from the Prophet (PBUH)
about fasting on Mondays, that whether it is permissible or not? The
Prophet said: Monday is the day in which I was born, [there is no need
to fast at this day]. This is the day in which the Holy Quran was
revealed to me and that is the day in which I was Chosen.
(Sahih Moslem, published by Dar al Tayabe, p. 519, al-Siam section, Hadith 1160)
Did the Prophet (PBUH) understood less
than Wahhabis not to do such an action, that these Wahhabis blatantly
say: he has been born, what important thing he did that we should
celebrate for him.
On the other hand, Egyptian artist Majdi
Idris said: “Salafis (Wahhabis) banned the celebration of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) without any ground from the Quran and Sunnah and there is
no legal text about this, and the protest against the Prophet’s
birthday is only a personal opinion that the Salafis are trying to
promote while they should keep it for themselves only inside their own
house.
Islam not only has not any disagree with happiness and celebration, but also orders it.
In the orders of Islam, there seems to be a valuable attitude toward
creating joy and mirth which is sometimes about the self and sometimes
for others.
Smiling face to others, wearing clean
clothes with bright colors, wearing nice scents, cleanliness and order,
being in nature and looking at the greenery and water, kindness and
affection to the fellows, being mirth with friends, removing grudge and
envy and making other people happy, are all good personal and social
conventions designed to create an atmosphere of joy and to remove grief
and eventually, rejuvenate physical and spiritual powers for further
efforts and works in the community.
Imam Musa-al-Kadhim (PBUH) said: “Make
peaceful pleasures for your prosperity and meet the desires of the heart
in a legitimate way. Take care that this does not damage your dignity
and manhood, and do not be squanderer and extremist. And with this
attitude you will succeed better in your religious affairs. He is not
from us who leaves his worldly affairs for his religion or to abandon
his religion for gaining his worldly affairs “(Majlesi, 1403 AH, Vol.
75, p. 321).
In another word, that bright leader
suggests a part of the day to be allocated to joy and happiness and
legitimate amusement: “Try to divide your time into four parts: one Part
for worship and privacy with God. A part for securing your livelihood,
one to associate with trusted brothers and those who make you aware of
your vices and are inertly faithful to you and also spend a part of your
time for pleasure and fun, and attain power for other duties with such
joys, “(the same, Vol. 75, p. 322).
