what is the position of celebrating Valentine day in Islam?
Valentine's day is not recognized in Islam. Doesnt it have something to do with pagan fertility rites or so? I dont know. However, it has been alleged that during the time of either Caligula or Nero, marriage was banned for some obscure reason or another by the emperor, and there was this monk named valentine who was marrying young couples secretly. When he was found out, he was executed and that was how he got his sainthood. He was also reputed to have fallen in love with someone or other as well. About February and Valentine's day, better check the net, as it is that time of year, you will get a bellyache full of info on the subject. Frankly speaking, I dont give half a hoot about it. Load of old******** :-X
PS seems to me u've come down with a serious case of the L flu. What with talks of confusion (find me a girl in Chit Chat) a valentine thread on general board now this..... lol
Well, it is just that I do not belong to such school of thoughts that believe everything in Islam has black and white coloration. That is, it is either Haram or Halal. I believe cultures, norms and values of particular people determine to some extent what should be Halal or Haram. I can remember how in years back some people started controverting that naming ceremony in Hausa land must have a Haram or Halal connotation as if the religion says Sunna is only what the Prophet did and keeping from what he did not. No. Sunna also means doing what he did not stop his Umma from doing!!!!
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503544946&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEAskTheScholar
I am sure this link will provide us with enough light. However, caution must be taken when going against Valentine Day, because it depends on how a Muslim look at it.
I rightly agree with you Waziri, caution must be taken before issuing any fatwa in this aspect.
lol! I am so surprised at both Waziri and Dan Borno hedging about valentine's day! :( As well say dont pass a fatwa making christmas non celebratory for muslims!! lol! Valentine day has nothing to do with Islam. It is a christian tradition through and through. Some muslims have adopted it obviously because of its romantic affiliations, and love doesnt have religious boundaries in the sense that it is basic to human nature. But its celebration and glorification at a certain time of yr is alien to Islam, at least Valentine is. Maybe we have a season for celebrating romance in Islam? I dont know about it..
Quote from: HUSNAA on February 13, 2007, 02:07:00 PM
PS seems to me u've come down with a serious case of the L flu. What with talks of confusion (find me a girl in Chit Chat) a valentine thread on general board now this..... lol
I wish. But i was inoculated against that "blinding" virus. :(
Just a poor student of knowledge trying to grapple with the complexities of modernism(hate that word and all its connotations) and gradual acculturation of western way of life as it affects muslims and islam.
(Phew! Soyinka would be proud of me)
Quote from: Dan-Borno on February 13, 2007, 03:31:34 PM
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503544946&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEAskTheScholar
I am sure this link will provide us with enough light. However, caution must be taken when going against Valentine Day, because it depends on how a Muslim look at it.
I rightly agree with you Waziri, caution must be taken before issuing any fatwa in this aspect.
That's it Dan-Borno,
Now look at it this way the link you posted made reference to a certain Professor of Islamic studies who claimed celebrating
Valentine's Day is
Haram. My problem is the quoted Prof. didn't say anything to prove his point apart from appealing to the sentiment that
Valentine's Day celebration is a
Western Culture with a history in
anti-Islamic practices and as such it is a
Bid'ah and Muslims should not celebrate it. This is just the argument and nothing more.
Now the question is should we stop doing things or should we assume things are Haram only for the simple reason that they are bound in the Western tradition or other traditions that do associate with paganism? To this I say no, because the facts that pagans in the past did, practice, celebrated somethings shouldn't mean we Muslims must not do, practice or celebrate such things. Examples are not farfeched, since we can see how today we even wear cloths that were not known to have been worn by the Prophet himself. We carry cultural practices of doing,
Kayan Lefe ,
Toshi and whatever, during marriages but nobody raise hell. We go to matriculations in celebration of our entry in to first years of tertiary institutions as much as we
convocate ::), but nobody thinks it is Haram.We even speak in English, another Western and Pagan language but nobody thinks it is Haram. Why then, will someone say when we choose to celebrate Valentine's Day as we see it being celebrated in the West, it is Haram? Oh yes, it maybe Haram to hold the hands of your unwedded girlfriend that day or commit anything that is seen as Haram in Islam. But there is nothing wrong in buying flowers and giving your loved one on that day for the appreciation of her love and affection with the view of initiating or rekindling love memories!
Secondly,
Bid'ah, as defined by jurists,
means innovating something in religion, that is not known, and making it to be an Ibadah, that is something that attract reward in the sight of God if done. Let me add here that there is a concesus among all Ulama'a both in Sunna and Shi'a in regard to this defination. Therefore celebrating
Valentine's Day becomes a
Bid'ah only when someone says Allah will reward those who celebrate it, otherwise it is not a
Bid'ah and therefore not
Haram.
Wallahu a'alamu
Malam Waziri, ka fahimci musulunci sosai - Allah ya saka da alheri.
HAPPY VALS TO ALL FORUMITES
St. Valentine's Day
What is the meaning of it?
Every February 14th, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends,
and school classmates exchange "valentines", heart-shaped boxes of candy,
and flowers while celebrating this holiday. You have more than likely
grown up observing this custom, but have you ever wondered where it came
from and what it is REALLY about?
The story of the Festival of Love (Valentines Day)
Valentine's Day is NOT some attempt to share God's love. It began as a
pagan courtship and sex holiday, although it has dropped some of its
more direct pagan symbols.
The Festival of Love was one of the festivals of the pagan Romans, more
than seventeen centuries ago. In the pagan Roman concept, it was an
expression of spiritual love.
The Romans used to celebrate this event in mid-February each year with
a big festival. One of the rituals of this festival was the sacrifice
of a dog and a goat.
The connection between Saint Valentine and this festival
Saint Valentine is a name which is given to two of the ancient martyrs
of the Christian Church. It was said that there were two of them, or
that there was only one, who died in Rome as the result of the
persecution of the Gothic leader Claudius, c. 296 CE. In 350 CE, a church was
built in Rome on the site of the place where he died, to perpetuate his
memory.
When the Romans embraced Christianity, they continued to celebrate the
Feast of Love mentioned above, but they changed it from the pagan
concept of spiritual love to another concept known as themartyrs of love,
represented by Saint Valentine who had advocated love and peace, for
which cause he was martyred, according to their claims. It was also called
the Feast of Lovers, and Saint Valentine was considered to be the
patron saint of lovers.
It was also said concerning the origins of this holiday that after
Christianity had become widespread, the Roman emperor Claudius II decreed
that soldiers should not get married, because marriage would distract
them from the wars they used to fight. This decree was opposed by Saint
Valentine, who started to perform marriages for the soldiers in secret.
When the emperor found out about that, he threw him in jail and
sentenced him to execution. He was executed on 14 February 270 CE, on the eve
of February 15, the festival of Lupercalis. So this day was named for
this saint.
Today, Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on chocolate, flowers,
dinners, hotel rooms and all sorts of other gifts to celebrate February
14th. There is a lot of money to be made from peoples desire to
commemorate the date, and even more to be made in convincing people to employ
any number of new means to celebrate.
Valentine Day is an innovated holiday that has no basis in religion. We
do not need to honour or celebrate the death of a Christian "saint"
They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be
their lords besides God (by obeying them in things which they made lawful
or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by
God)...[The Quran:chapter 9:31]
The love referred to in this festival ever since the Christians revived
it, is romantic love outside the framework of marriage.
Islam does not encourage flirting or suggestions of romantic
relationships before marriage.
The result of that is the spread of fornication and adultery and
immorality.
Love in Islam is more general and more comprehensive; it is not
restricted only to one kind of love, that between a man and a woman. There are
many more kinds of love. There is the love of God, love of His
Messengers, love for good and righteous people, love and support for the
religion. There are many kinds of love. It is a dangerous mistake to restrict
this broad meaning to this one kind of love.
Now let us look at the state of affairs in western societies where
Valentines Day is celebrated, and ask, what is the state of marriage
relationships in those societies, and do these celebrations have any positive
effect on interactions between husbands and wives?
Studies and statistics show the following:
A study carried out by the National American Office for Mental Health
states the following:
- 17% of women who go to emergency rooms are victims of beatings by
their husbands or boyfriends.
- In a report of the Central American Agency for Examination [FPT] it
states that every 18 seconds there is a woman who is beaten by her
husband somewhere in America.
- In Britain, in an opinion poll in which 7,000 women took part, 28% of
them said that they had been subjected to attacks by their husbands and
boyfriends.
So how can we believe that Valentines Day is of any benefit.
The truth is that it is a call for more permissiveness and immorality,
and the forming of forbidden relationships.
The husband who sincerely loves his wife does not need this holiday to
remind him of his love. He expresses his love for his wife at all times
and on all occasions.
The love referred to on this day is romantic love, taking mistresses
and lovers, boyfriends and girlfriends. It is known to be a day of
promiscuity and sex for them, with no restraints or restrictions... They are
not talking of pure love between a man and his wife or a woman and her
husband, or at least they do not distinguish between the legitimate love
in the relationship between husband and wife, and the forbidden love of
mistresses and lovers. This festival for them is a means for everyone
to express love.
In Islam, a husband loves his wife throughout the year, and he
expresses that love towards her with gifts, in verse and in prose, in letters
and in other ways, throughout the years not just on one day of the
year.
There is no religion which encourages its followers to love and care
for one another more than Islam does. This applies at all times and in
all circumstances, not just on one particular day. Indeed, Islam
encourages us to express our emotions and love at all times.
Thank u Bammalli for that comprehensive expose on valentine. Now y'all can keep the lower half of yr faces tightly shut :-X you advocates of valentine....
WAZIRI: Now the question is should we stop doing things or should we assume things are Haram only for the simple reason that they are bound in the Western tradition or other traditions that do associate with paganism? To this I say no, because the facts that pagans in the past did, practice, celebrated somethings shouldn't mean we Muslims must not do, practice or celebrate such things.
HUSNAA: Islam is not an innovative religion and it doesnt copy from other religions. As Islam is a way of life and all good acts are forms of worship, then there is no how that you can adopt a pagan custom and then expect it too be an act of worship and if it cant be an act of worship then it mustnt be done.
WAZIRI: Examples are not farfeched, since we can see how today we even wear cloths that were not known to have been worn by the Prophet himself. We carry cultural practices of doing, Kayan Lefe , Toshi and whatever, during marriages but nobody raise hell.
HUSNAA: We wear clothes not worn by the prophet, but in so far as they conform to modesty, that's OK. However the rules for what types of clothes can and cannot be worn have been laid out as well and they had to do with covering the allaura and men not trying to look like women and vice versa. Still some of the islamic dress codes are not strictly being adhered to . Some Ulamas are of the opinion that muslims should distinguish themselves from the non muslims even in their modes of dressing. So its Kurtas and amamas for u guys and jilbabs and abayas for the ladies. ;)
WAZIRI:We go to matriculations in celebration of our entry in to first years of tertiary institutions as much as we convocate :, but nobody thinks it is Haram.
HUSNAA: Going to convocation is not haram lol as long as there is the requisite segregation of the men from the women. This is a genuine celebration of a life achievement lol! not some arbitrary hedonistic entertainment (which valentine is).
WAZIRI:We even speak in English, another Western and Pagan language but nobody thinks it is Haram.
HUSNAA: Subhanallah Waziri! I am almost inclined to believe that someone is plagiarizing yr pseudonym/username to write this!! This sounds so unlike u!! How in the world can a language be termed pagan? If you say that then remember that before the birth of the Prophet SAW, Arabic was spoken by the pagans of Arabia. If it were pagan why did it still become the medium of communication of the Holy Qur'an? Surely Allah would have brought a purer form of communication for the Qur'an? Language whose ever it is, is just a medium of expression. The ppl who speak it may be adherents to a type of creed, but that doesnt make the language synonymous with that creed. The same may be said of the Arabic language, even though we have subconsciouly equated the language with Islam, i.e. Arabic is an Islamic language, but strictly speaking, the bible has also been written in Arabic and the word for God in the Arabic bible is also Allah!!! So what do you say to that????
WAZIRI:there is nothing wrong in buying flowers and giving your loved one....... for the appreciation of her love and affection with the view of initiating or rekindling love memories!
HUSNAA: True true! But dont just do it one day in a year, do it all yr round!! Most Hausa men are lacking in that department called 'appreciation of wifely charms'. Hausa men are so brusque and businesslike with their wives that one would be inclined to think that they were in a market contract not a marriage contract that says 'Hunna liba'sun lakum wa antum liba'sun lahunna' (they (women) are garments to you and you are garments to them suratul Baqara ayah 187). Allah Ya Kyauta Amin!!
Quote from: alkanawi on February 14, 2007, 05:11:54 AM
Quote from: HUSNAA on February 13, 2007, 02:07:00 PM
PS seems to me u've come down with a serious case of the L flu. What with talks of confusion (find me a girl in Chit Chat) a valentine thread on general board now this..... lol
I wish. But i was inoculated against that "blinding" virus. :(
Just a poor student of knowledge trying to grapple with the complexities of modernism(hate that word and all its connotations) and gradual acculturation of western way of life as it affects muslims and islam.
(Phew! Soyinka would be proud of me)
I am sure he would!! He is so incomprehensible also!!!hahahahahahahahahaha!!! ;D
Quote from: Dan-Borno on February 14, 2007, 06:34:25 PM
Malam Waziri, ka fahimci musulunci sosai - Allah ya saka da alheri.
HAPPY VALS TO ALL FORUMITES
Mallam Dan-Borno, we are only making an effort ne ai. You know their are basic rules of analogical deductions in the science of jurisprudence in Islam and we insist they must be followed when it comes to issuing Fatwa. But modern scholars do not like it that way, they read books and excerpts from the internet and think they are qualified to issue a ruling on issues regarding religious practices.
Once again Mallam Dan-Borno, HAPPY VALENTINES!!!!!!
Thank God, Malam Waziri has concluded his post with this:
Quote from: _Waziri_ on February 14, 2007, 03:17:12 PM
Wallahu a'alamu
However, I still maintain my earlier stand:
Quote from: Dan-Borno on February 13, 2007, 03:31:34 PM
caution must be taken before issuing any fatwa in this aspect.
Wallahu a'alamu
Quote from: _Waziri_ on February 15, 2007, 01:53:02 PM
Quote from: Dan-Borno on February 14, 2007, 06:34:25 PM
Malam Waziri, ka fahimci musulunci sosai - Allah ya saka da alheri.
HAPPY VALS TO ALL FORUMITES
Mallam Dan-Borno, we are only making an effort ne ai. You know their are basic rules of analogical deductions in the science of jurisprudence in Islam and we insist they must be followed when it comes to issuing Fatwa. But modern scholars do not like it that way, they read books and excerpts from the internet and think they are qualified to issue a ruling on issues regarding religious practices.
Once again Mallam Dan-Borno, HAPPY VALENTINES!!!!!!
Lol Mallam Waziri Just confess you like celebrating valentine's day ;D. But this is so unlike you to blatently turn a blind eye at something that is so unislamic despite what Bamalli wrote about the genesis of Valentine. I'd just like to add that Somethings dont need one to be a scholar of jurisprudence to know that they not plausible. One just goes by simple analogy or a case study of a similar issue. I know Waziri, that you know that sallar asubar, in mutumin yayi ta just as the sun is rising is not accepted, because it is a time when kahon shaitan yake fitowa. That is the allegorical explanation. Practically, sun rise has been associated with sun worship, because sun worshippers used to bow to the sun just as it rises. So sallah at sun rise is not accepted in Islam for this very reason. So why should celebrating valentine be any different since it has its roots in paganism? I still maintain that it is not your self writing Waz......
Quote from: HUSNAA on February 15, 2007, 03:15:07 PM
So sallah at sun rise is not accepted in Islam for this very reason. So why should celebrating valentine be any different since it has its roots in paganism? I still maintain that it is not your self writing Waz......
Haka yake, Annabi (SAW) said this
Quote from: HUSNAA on February 15, 2007, 03:15:07 PM
So why should celebrating valentine be any different since it has its roots in paganism?
Ruwiya Aunty Husna bi isnadin da'if
Quote from: Dan-Borno on February 15, 2007, 03:28:14 PM
Quote from: HUSNAA on February 15, 2007, 03:15:07 PM
So why should celebrating valentine be any different since it has its roots in paganism?
Ruwiya Aunty Husna bi isnadin da'if
I am shaking with laughter Dan Borno!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Malam Waziri please check this out, it seems we have to come back from our earlier position, Malama Husna Babbar Daliba ce:
http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/184.htm
Quote from: Dan-Borno on February 16, 2007, 11:49:25 AM
Malam Waziri please check this out, it seems we have to come back from our earlier position, Malama Husna Babbar Daliba ce:
http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/184.htm
Mallam Dan-Borno,
You are right actually that Husnaa babbar mallama ce, but you see, I read what you gave on that link and I quite agree with all what the writer said about BLIND IMITATION of the West. I also read about what Bammali wrote concerning Valentines and its origin. But the question I ask is always, is celebrating Valentines as I think it is supposed to be done akin to BLIND IMITATION of the West? Does the history of Valentines give us enough ground to say it should not be celebrated?
To these two questions I say no. Because, first, I think, BLIND IMITATION of the West is when we do what they are doing always without evaluating it according to the needs of outlined standards given by Islam, you can consider the issue of Banking, Trade, International Laws concerning smuggling, Dress Code, Alcoholism, and many other things. On the issue of Valentine, I think, I tried to take it and put it on the scale of Muslim tradition before I reached conclusion.
Secondly, I say history of the Valentines and the fact of it being the product of pagan practice, does not provide us with sufficient reason to say it is Haram either. Why because many things originating from Persia, West, Rome have found inroad into our ways of living without questioning. The examples of which I gave above. This reminds me of another handy example. In the 1930s, Sarkin Zazzau Ja'afaru gave a fatwa that listening to Qur'anic recitation via radio is Haram, just for the reason then, as it seems, that Radio was seen as a product of the West and that it was also a common medium of playing music of different sorts and as such Mallam Ja'afaru( Rahimahullahu) said it was Haram. He saw it then to be a sort of blind imitation of the West and as such should not be done. Mallam Dan-Borno, do you agree with Mallam Ja'afaru?
To crown it up all, the link you gave me, only brought out reasons as to why we should not imitate the West but failed to show us with clearcut proofs as to what it is if we do should be seen as imitating the West, is it shaving? is it dressing in jeans and t-shirts? is it in boarding buses and taxis? is it in snapping pictures? or what and what? This is where the issue of jurisprudence comes. Always Muslims intellectuals are tasked to look on certain traditions and based on Qur'an and Sunna, adjudge that those traditions are Halal or Haram. This is what brought about the four school of thoughts in Sunna and the others in Shi'a bacause there has always been reason why some scholars deem certain things to be Haram and others Halal. This is also where I differ with those who say celebrating Valentines is Haram, based on the reasons I highlighted above. I will try to get an input I once gave on similar issue on Halal or Haram, West, Islam and our destiny and post it here to give you a perspective of what I mean.
Wallahu a'alamu.
This is the link Mallam Dan-Borno,
Dafatan Allah ya kara mana hikima:
http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=1382.0
Amin Akramakallahu
If I may interject...interesting discussion so far. This subject of Valentine's day pops up every year on Kano Online but this is the first time I've seen a serious discussion.
Husnaa I'm surprised at your whole-hearted endorsement of Bamalli's article. Surely there are certain portions that simply aren't acceptable. First of all Bamalli, what site did you get this article from? Some of its paragraphs are identical, word-for-word, with those on the site Dan Borno posted previously; while others are completely different. What's up with that?
Secondly, some portions of Bamalli's article seem to be based on hearsay and over-generalizations, which suggest the notion that the writer has little or no experience with Western culture:
QuoteThe love referred to in this festival ever since the Christians revived
it, is romantic love outside the framework of marriage.
Islam does not encourage flirting or suggestions of romantic
relationships before marriage.
The result of that is the spread of fornication and adultery and
immorality.
Love in Islam is more general and more comprehensive; it is not
restricted only to one kind of love, that between a man and a woman. There are
many more kinds of love. There is the love of God, love of His
Messengers, love for good and righteous people, love and support for the
religion. There are many kinds of love. It is a dangerous mistake to restrict
this broad meaning to this one kind of love.
Valentine's day is not a celebration of 'extra-marital' romantic relationships solely; this is plainly wrong idea. Anyone that has lived in the West knows this. Married folks also can observe the Day at their own discretion - anyone in any romantic relationship whatsoever. It is also plainly incorrect to conclude, as this writer does, that Valentine's Day confines the definintion of love to the romantic kind only. The fact that only romantic love is celebrated on the Day does not mean that it renders other kinds of love void.
QuoteNow let us look at the state of affairs in western societies where
Valentines Day is celebrated, and ask, what is the state of marriage
relationships in those societies, and do these celebrations have any positive
effect on interactions between husbands and wives?
Studies and statistics show the following:
A study carried out by the National American Office for Mental Health
states the following:
- 17% of women who go to emergency rooms are victims of beatings by
their husbands or boyfriends.
- In a report of the Central American Agency for Examination [FPT] it
states that every 18 seconds there is a woman who is beaten by her
husband somewhere in America.
- In Britain, in an opinion poll in which 7,000 women took part, 28% of
them said that they had been subjected to attacks by their husbands and
boyfriends.
So how can we believe that Valentines Day is of any benefit.
These stats - if they are indeed authentic - ultimately do not prove anything.
Firstly, it needs to be contextualized by demographics. How many women are there in America/Britain, and of that number, how many of them are in relationships? And among those who experience abuse, how many of them habitually celebrate Valentine's Day (it's not br force, you know)?
Secondly, this writer ought to have compiled stats from societies that do not observe Valentine's Day (the Muslim world perhaps?) and compared it with the West's to see is the Day truly 'makes the difference'. Do the non-Valentine societies fare better? Otherwise, for all we know the West fares better than other societies when it comes to domestic abuse and violence against women.
Thirdly, Valentine's day is just one day. What about anniversaries, birthdays and the like?? Couples also celebrathe their love on these days, not so? Why fault Valentine's day alone?
QuoteThe truth is that it is a call for more permissiveness and immorality,
and the forming of forbidden relationships....
The love referred to on this day is romantic love, taking mistresses
and lovers, boyfriends and girlfriends. It is known to be a day of
promiscuity and sex for them, with no restraints or restrictions... They are
not talking of pure love between a man and his wife or a woman and her
husband, or at least they do not distinguish between the legitimate love
in the relationship between husband and wife, and the forbidden love of
mistresses and lovers. This festival for them is a means for everyone
to express love.
Here are more stereotypes, sweeping statements and brazen false information that truly do not deserve a second look. Like I said before, anyone that has lived in the West surely will not believe this propaganda. Frankly no-one else should. Yes, the West is a sexually 'liberal' society, but that is not due to Valentine's Day, nor does it represent the height of promiscuity. Valentine's day is probably one day that you won't spend with a mistress if you were married!! People observe the Day at their on volution and discretion: those who are promiscuous will be promiscuous, the 'conservative' will celebrate appropriately and modestly, and those who don't feel like doing anything won't do anything. Period.
Quote from: Dan-Borno on February 16, 2007, 05:19:02 PM
Amin Akramakallahu
Ma'aka, Mallam Dan-Borno,
You know what my great grans father, specifically the sixth, studied, about 170 yrs ago, amidst a certain Mallam Wake, who was said to be having only one wife. Who also used to take his wife for a stroll, horse back riding, each morning, before he attended his students. It sounded to us like he was a 'bature' in lifestyle even when he was only a distinguished Islamic scholar of his time.