What is the ruling on Valentine’s Day?.

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Valentine’s Day is a jaahili Roman festival, which
continued to be celebrated until after the Romans
became Christian. This festival became connected
with the saint known as Valentine who was
sentenced to death on 14 February 270 CE. The
kuffaar still celebrate this festival, during which
immorality and evil are practised widely.
Secondly:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to celebrate any
of the festivals of the kuffaar, because festivals
come under the heading of shar’i issues which are
to be based on the sound texts.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: Festivals are part of
sharee’ah, clear way and rituals of which Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
“To each among you, We have prescribed a law
and a clear way”
[al-Maa’idah 5:48]
“For every nation We have ordained religious
ceremonies which they must follow”
[al-Hajj 22:67]
-- such as the qiblah (direction faced in prayer),
prayer and fasting. There is no difference between
their participating in the festival and their
participating in all other rituals. Joining in fully
with the festival is joining in with kufr, and joining
in with some of its minor issues is joining in with
some of the branches of kufr. Indeed, festivals are
one of the most unique features that distinguish
various religions and among their most prominent
symbols, so joining in with them is joining in with
the most characteristic and prominent symbols of
kufr. No doubt joining in with this may lead to
complete kufr.
Partially joining in, at the very least, is
disobedience and sin. This was indicated by the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) when he said: “Every people has its festival
and this is our festival.” This is worse than joining
them in wearing the zinaar (a garment that was
worn only by ahl al-dhimmah) and other
characteristics of theirs, for those characteristics
are man-made and are not part of their religion,
rather the purpose behind them is simply to
distinguish between a Muslim and a kaafir. As for
the festival and its rituals, this is part of the
religion which is cursed along with its followers, so
joining in with it is joining in with something that is
a cause of incurring the wrath and punishment of
Allaah. End quote from Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-
Mustaqeem (1/207).
He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him): It is
not permissible for the Muslims to imitate them in
anything that is uniquely a part of their festivals,
whether it be food, clothing, bathing, lighting fires,
refraining from a regular habit, doing acts of
worship or anything else. It is not permissible to
give a feast or to give gifts, or to sell anything that
will help them to do that for that purpose, or to
allow children and others to play games that are
part of the festivals, or to wear one’s adornments.
To conclude: the Mulsims should not do any of
their rituals at the time of their festivals; rather the
day of their festival should be like any other day for
the Muslims. The Muslims should not do anything
specific in imitation of them. End quote from
Majmoo al-Fataawa (25/329).
Al-Haafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: If the Christians have a festival, and the
Jews have a festival, it is only for them, so no
Muslim should join them in that, just as no Muslim
should join them in their religion or their direction
of prayer. End quote from Tashabbuh al-Khasees bi
Ahl al-Khamees, published in Majallat al-Hikmah
(4/193)
The hadeeth to which Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah referred was narrated by al-Bukhaari
(952) and Muslim (892) from ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) who said: Abu Bakr
came in and there were two young girls of the
Ansaar with me who were singing about what had
happened to the Ansaar on the day of Bu’aath. She
said: And they were not (professional) singing
girls. Abu Bakr said: “Musical instruments of the
shaytaan in the house of the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?!”
and that was on the day of Eid. The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “O Abu Bakr, every people has a festival and
this is our festival.”
Abu Dawood (1134) narrated that Anas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: When the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) came to Madeenah, they had two
days when they would play. He said: “What are
these two days?” They said: “We used to play on
these days during the Jaahiliyyah.” The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Allaah has given you instead of them
two days that are better than them: the day of al-
Adha and the day of al-Fitr.” This hadeeth was
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood.
This indicates that festivals are among the
characteristics by which nations are distinguished,
and it is not permissible to celebrate the festivals
of the ignorant and the mushrikeen (polytheists).
The scholars have issued fatwas stating that it is
haraam to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
1 –Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) was asked:
In recent times the celebration of Valentine’s Day
has become widespread, especially among female
students. It is a Christian festival where people
dress completely in red, including clothes and
shoes, and they exchange red flowers. We hope
that you can explain the ruling on celebrating this
festival, and what your advice is to Muslims with
regard to such matters; may Allaah bless you and
take care of you.
He replied:
Celebrating Valentine’s Day is not permissible for a
number of reasons.
1- It is an innovated festival for which there is no
basis in Islam.
2- It promotes love and infatuation.
3- It calls for hearts to be preoccupied with foolish
matters that are contrary to the way of the
righteous salaf (may Allaah be pleased with them).
It is not permissible on this day to do any of the
things that are characteristic of this festival,
whether that has to do with food, drinks, clothing,
exchanging gifts or anything else.
The Muslim should be proud of his religion and
should not be a weak character who follows every
Tom, Dick and Harry. I ask Allaah to protect the
Muslims from all temptations, visible and invisible,
and to protect us and guide us.
End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (16/199)
2 – The Standing Committee was asked: Some
people celebrate Valentine’s Day on the fourteenth
of February every year. They exchange gifts of red
roses and wear red clothes and congratulate one
another. Some bakeries make red coloured sweets
and draw hearts on them, and some stores
advertise products that are especially for this day.
What is your opinion on the following:
1- Celebrating this day
2- Buying things from the stores on this day
3- Storekeepers who are not celebrating it selling
things that may be given as gifts to people who
are celebrating it?
They replied:
The clear evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah –
and the consensus of the early generations of this
ummah – indicates that there are only two
festivals in Islam: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Any
other festivals that have to do with a person, a
group, an event or anything else are innovated
festivals, which it is not permissible for Muslims to
observe, approve of or express joy on those
occasions, or to help others to celebrate them in
any way, because that is transgressing the sacred
limits of Allaah, and whoever transgresses the
sacred limits of Allaah has wronged himself. If the
fabricated festival is also a festival of the kuffaar,
then the sin is even greater, because this is
imitating them and it is a kind of taking them as
close friends, and Allaah has forbidden the
believers to imitate them and take them as close
friends in His Holy Book. And it is proven that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of
them.” Valentine’s Day comes under this heading
because it is an idolatrous Christian festival, so it
is not permissible for a Muslim who believes in
Allaah and the Last Day to observe it or approve
of it or congratulate people on it. Rather he has to
ignore it and avoid it, in obedience to Allaah and
His Messenger, and so as to keep away from the
causes that incur the wrath and punishment of
Allaah. It is also haraam for the Muslim to help
people to celebrate this or any other haraam
festival by supplying any kind of food or drink, or
buying or selling or manufacturing or giving or
advertising etc., because all of that is cooperating
in sin and transgression and is disobedience
towards Allaah and His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa
(virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help
one another in sin and transgression. And fear
Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment”
[al-Maa’idah 5:2]
The Muslim must adhere to the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah in all his affairs, especially at times of
fitnah when evil is widespread. He should be smart
and avoid falling into the misguidance of those
who have earned Allaah’s anger and who have
gone astray, and the evildoers who have no fear of
Allaah and who do not have any pride in being
Muslims. The Muslim must turn to Allaah and seek
His guidance and remain steadfast in following it,
for there is no Guide except Allaah and no one can
make a person steadfast but Him. And Allaah is
the source of strength. May Allaah send blessings
and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his
family and companions. End quote.
3 – Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him)
was asked:
Among our young men and women it has become
common to celebrate Valentine’s Day, which is
named after a saint who is venerated by the
Christians, who celebrate it every year on February
14, when they exchange gifts and red roses, and
they wear red clothes. What is the ruling on
celebrating this day and exchanging gifts?
He replied:
Firstly: it is not permissible to celebrate these
innovated festivals, because it is an innovation for
which there is no basis in Islam. It comes under
the heading of the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her), according to which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Whoever introduces anything into this
matter of ours that is not part of it will have it
rejected.”
Secondly: it involves imitating the kuffaar and
copying them by venerating that which they
venerate and respecting their festivals and rituals,
and imitating them in something that is part of
their religion. In the hadeeth it says: “Whoever
imitates a people is one of them.”
Thirdly: it results in evils and haraam things such
as wasting time, singing, music, extravagance,
unveiling, wanton display, men mixing with women,
women appearing before men other than their
mahrams, and other haraam things, or things that
are a means that leads to immorality. That cannot
be excused by the claim that this is a kind of
entertainment and fun. The one who is sincere
towards himself should keep away from sin and the
means that lead to it.
And he said:
Based on this, it is not permissible to sell these
gifts and roses, if it is known that the purchaser
celebrates these festivals or will give these things
as gifts on those days, so that the seller will not
be a partner of the one who does those
innovations. And Allaah knows best. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

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