بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
1. **"Celebrating bdays as Muslims"**: Some Muslims firmly believe that celebrating birthdays (like having a party or giving gifts on someone's birthday) is not something that fits with their religion. They believe that celebrating birthdays wasn't done by the noble Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam, so it isn't part of Islam. To them, it is something new that wasn't in the original teachings of Islam.
2. **"Vegans often promoting big sales at meat shops"**: Vegans are people who don't eat meat because they believe it's wrong to hurt animals. So, the idea of a vegan promoting big sales at a shop that sells meat seems strange, right? It would be against what the vegan believes in. This is how the person feels about celebrating birthdays as a Muslim—it seems very strange in a negative sense or against what they believe.
3. **"Avoid bid'ah & Islamic values never give up"**:
- **Bid'ah**: This word means "innovation" or "something new." In Islam, **bid'ah** is when people start doing things that were not done by the beloved Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam or his followers, especially if it changes how people practice Islam. Some people think that celebrating birthdays is a bid'ah because it wasn't done in the time of the noble Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam nor was it done by any of his loyal companions RadhiAllahu 'anhum (another reason to avoid celebrating the so-called "mawlidun nabiyy").
- **Islamic values never give up**: This means we should always stick to the important beliefs and practices of Islam, no matter what. It’s about staying true to what is considered right in the religion.
**So, what does this whole statement mean?**
It’s saying that celebrating birthdays as a Muslim is like a vegan (someone who doesn't eat meat) promoting big sales at a meat shop. It's saying that these things don't make sense because they go against the person's beliefs or values. The person is saying, "We should avoid doing things that are new and not part of the original teachings of Islam (called bid'ah), and always stick to the core values of Islam."
In simple words, it's a way of saying that Muslims should not celebrate birthdays because they feel it doesn’t fit with the original way of practicing Islam.
Here are 13 reasons why some Muslims believe they should not celebrate birthdays each year:
1. **Not part of Islamic tradition**: Celebrating birthdays is not something which the noble Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam or his companions did, so some Muslims firmly believe and know that it's not part of true Islamic practice.
2. **Considered bid'ah (innovation)**: In Islam, practices that were not part of the original teachings are seen as "bid'ah" (innovation). Some believe that celebrating birthdays is a new practice that wasn’t done during the time of the beloved Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam.
3. **Focus on worldly celebrations**: Some Muslims believe that celebrating birthdays might take the focus away from more important religious observances, such as prayer and other acts of worship like fasting Sunnah fasts (for example fasting Sunnah fast every other Monday and Thursday).
4. **Avoiding excessive attachment to materialism**: Birthdays often involve buying gifts and throwing extravagant parties, which some Muslims believe can encourage a materialistic mindset rather than focusing on spiritual growth and more important responsibilities.
5. **Encourages self-centeredness**: Celebrating a birthday can be seen as focusing too much on oneself and one’s personal life, instead of humility and gratitude towards our Only God and Creator Allah the Almighty.
6. **Unnecessary rituals**: Muslims are taught to follow practices that are prescribed in the Noble Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Since birthdays are not part of this, they may be seen as unnecessary rituals.
7. **Fear of imitating non-Muslim practices**: Some Muslims avoid celebrating birthdays because they firmly believe that it is a practice adopted from non-Muslim cultures and doesn’t align with Islamic values.
8. **Overindulgence**: Birthdays often involve eating large amounts of food, noisy partying, and overindulgence, which some Muslims believe goes against the Islamic principle of moderation.
9. **Unnecessary attention to personal age**: Islam encourages focusing on actions and character rather than getting caught up in things like age. Birthdays can sometimes emphasize personal age, which might detract from other spiritual aspects.
10. **Distraction from religious duties**: Celebrating birthdays can be seen as a distraction from important religious duties, such as prayer, fasting, and charity.
11. **Deviation from the Sunnah**: The Sunnah refers to the actions and sayings of the respected Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Since the noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam did not celebrate birthdays, many Muslims firmly believe that celebrating them is an ignorant act and it deviates from the Sunnah of the beloved Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam.
12. **Encouraging extravagance**: Birthdays can sometimes lead to extravagant spending, such as on decorations, cakes, and gifts. Islam encourages simplicity and avoiding deliberate waste.
13. **Spiritual focus**: Some Muslims believe that their focus should always be on their relationship with Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala and their spiritual growth, rather than focusing on celebrating a single day each year for themselves.
These reasons reflect the views of some Muslims who believe that celebrating birthdays is either unnecessary, against the essence of Islam, or distracting from the more important aspects of faith Imaan and worship. However, it's important to note that different Muslims have varying opinions on the matter, and some may celebrate birthdays while others choose not to.
⤴️ Some notes from ChatGPT
