Celebrating Valentine's Day

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Celebrating Valentine's Day

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and
blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and upon all his
family and companions.  

Allah has chosen for us Islam as our religion and He will
not accept any other religion from anyone, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):

And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will
never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers [Aal
˜Imraan 3:85]  

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
told us that groups of his ummah would follow the enemies of Allah in some of
their rituals and customs, as it says in the hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri
(may Allah be pleased with him), who narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

 You
will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, span by span, cubit
by cubit, until even if they were to enter a lizard's hole, you would follow
them. We said, O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians? He
said, Who else?!

In recent years, a new phenomenon has spread among the
Muslim youth “ males and females alike “ which does not bode well. This is
manifested in their imitation of the Christians in their celebration of the


Valentine's Day,
which has led the scholars and daa'iyahs to explain the rulings of sharee'ah
concerning that, out of sincerity towards Allah, His Messenger, the leaders of
the Muslims and their common folk, so that Muslims may have a clear
understanding of this issue and so that they will not fall into that which will
undermine the belief   with which Allah has blessed them. 

Origin

People naturally like occasions of happiness and pleasure,
whether private or public, including Eids. For the sake of this inclination,
Islam came with the legitimacy of the Fitr and Adha Eids.Two valid  Eids in the
year, and Allah has legislated in them (reasonable) spending and the showing of
happiness which people need, in addition to a weekly  Eid which is Friday. And
this is part of the mercy of Allah upon this nation of Mohammad (peace be upon
him).

If we look at the celebrations that other nations have, we will find that they
have quite a number of them: one for each national occasion and season, Mother's
Day, Labor Day, a day for agriculture and so on, to the extent that there is
barely a month without a specific eid.  All this is from their innovation.

 

Every year, the fourteenth day of the month of February
has millions across the world presenting their loved ones with candy, flowers,
chocolates and other lovely gifts. In many countries, restaurants and eateries
are seen to be filled with couples who are eager to celebrate their relationship
and the joy of their togetherness through delicious cuisines. 

The modern St. Valentine's Day celebrations are said to
have been derived from both ancient Christian and Roman tradition. As per one
legend, the holiday has originated from the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalis/Lupercalia,
a fertility celebration that used to observed annually on February 15. But the
rise of Christianity in Europe saw many pagan holidays being renamed for and
dedicated to the early Christian martyrs. Lupercalia was no exception. In 496
AD, Pope Gelasius turned Lupercalia into a Christian feast day and set its
observance a day earlier, on February 14. He proclaimed February 14 to be the
feast day in honor of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who lived in the 3rd
century. It is this St.valatine whom the modern Valentine's Day honors.



According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, there were at least three early
Christian saints by the name of Valentine. While one was a priest in Rome,
another was a bishop in Terni. Nothing is known about the third St. Valentine
except that he met his end in Africa. Surprisingly, all three of them were said
to have been martyred on14 Feb. It is clear that Pope Gelasius intended to honor
the first of these three aforementioned men. Most scholars believe that this St.
Valentine was a priest who lived around 270 AD in Rome and attracted the
disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius who ruled   during this time.



The story of St. Valentine has two different versions - the Protestant and the
Catholic one. Both versions agree upon Saint Valentine being a bishop who held
secret marriage ceremonies of soldiers in opposition to Claudius II who had
prohibited marriage for young men and was executed by the latter. During the
lifetime of Valentine, the golden era of Roman Empire had almost come to an end.
Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Education declined,
taxation increased and trade witnessed a very bad time. The Roman Empire faced
crisis from all sides, from the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from
Northern Europe and Asia. The empire had grown too large to be shielded from
external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Naturally, more and
more capable men were required to to be recruited as soldiers and officers to
protect the nation from takeover. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that
married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not
make good soldiers. He believed that marriage made the men weak. So he issued an
edict forbidding marriage to assure quality soldiers.



The ban on marriage was a great shock for the Romans. But they dared not voice
their protest against the mighty emperor. The kindly bishop Valentine also
realized the injustice of the decree. He saw the trauma of young lovers who gave
up all hopes of being united in marriage. He planned to counter the monarch's
orders in secrecy. Whenever lovers thought of marrying, whenever lovers thought
of marrying, they went to Valentine who met them afterwards in a secret place,
and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. And thus he secretly performed
many marriages for young lovers. But such things cannot remain hidden for long.
It was only a matter of time before Claudius came to know of this "friend of
lovers," and had him arrested.



While awaiting his sentence in prison, Valentine was approached by his jailor,
Asterius. It was said that Valentine had some saintly abilities and one of them
granted him the power to heal people. Asterius had a blind daughter and knowing
of the miraculous powers of Valentine he requested the latter to restore the
sight of his blind daughter. The Catholic legend has it that Valentine did this
through the vehicle of his strong faith, a phenomenon refuted by the Protestant
version which agrees otherwise with the Catholic one. Whatever the fact, it
appears that Valentine in some way did succeed to help Asterius' blind daughter.




When Claudius II met Valentine, he was said to have been impressed by the
dignity and conviction of the latter. However, Valentine refused to agree with
the emperor regarding the ban on marriage. It is also said that the emperor
tried to convert Valentine to the Roman gods but was unsuccessful in his
efforts. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert
the emperor, knowing the consequences fully. This angered Claudius II who gave
the order of execution of Valentine.



Meanwhile, a deep friendship had been formed between Valentine and Asterius'
daughter. It caused great grief to the young girl to hear of his friend's
imminent death. It is said that just before his execution, Valentine asked for a
pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your
Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after. As per another legend, Valentine
fell in love with the daughter of his jailer during his imprisonment. However,
however, this legend is not given much importance by historians. The most
plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not centered on Eros
(passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to
renounce his religion. Valentine is believed to have been executed on February
14, 270 AD.



Thus 14th February became a day for all lovers and Valentine became its Patron
Saint. It began to be annually observed by young Romans who offered handwritten
greetings of affection, known as Valentines, on this day to the women they
admired. With the coming of Christianity, the day came to be known as St.
Valentine's Day.



 By the middle Ages, Valentine became as popular as to become one of the most
popular saints in England and France. Despite attempts by the Christian church
to sanctify the holiday, the association of Valentine's Day with romance and
courtship continued through the middle Ages. The holiday evolved over the
centuries. By the 18th century, gift-giving and exchanging hand-made cards on
Valentine's Day had become common in England. Hand-made valentine cards made of
lace, ribbons, and featuring cupids and hearts began to be created on this day
and handed over to the man or woman one loved. This tradition eventually spread
to the American colonies. It was not until the 1840s that Valentine's Day
greeting cards began to be commercially produced in the U.S. The first American
Valentine's Day greeting cards were created by Esther A. Howlanda Mount Holyoke,
a graduate and native of Worcester. Mass. Howland, known as the Mother of the
Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful
pictures known as "scrap". It was when Howland began Valentine's cards in a
large scale that the tradition really caught on in the United States.



Today, Valentine's Day is one of the major holidays in the U.S. and has become a
booming commercial success. According to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of
all cards sent each year are "valentines. The "valentines", as Valentine's Day
cards are better known as, are often designed with hearts to symbolize love. The
Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over
the world. One of the earliest valentines was sent in 1415 AD by Charles, Duke
of Orleans, to his wife during his imprisonment in the Tower of London. The card
is now preserved in the British Museum.



There may be doubts regarding the actual identity of Valentine, but we know that
he really existed because archaeologists have recently unearthed a Roman
catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to a Saint Valentine.



 

What is wrong with Valentine's Day?   

 It
is commonly heard by our people that what is wrong to celebrate valentine day
.This question may be answered in several ways: 

1) In
Islam, the festivals are clearly defined and well established, and no additions
or subtractions may be accepted. They are an essential part of our worship and
there is no room for ijtihaad or personal opinion. They have been prescribed for
us by Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Festivals are part of the laws, clear way and religious
ceremonies of which Allah 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 

Because Valentine's Day goes back to Roman times, not
Islamic times, this means that it is something which belongs exclusively to the
Christians, not to Islam, and the Muslims have no share and no part in it


 

 2) It is a mistake to confuse what they call the
day with what the real intentions are behind it. 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. 

3)Expression
of feelings and emotions is not a justification for the Muslim to allocate a day
for celebration based on his own thoughts and ideas, and to call it a festival,
or make it like a festival or Eid. So how about when it is one of the festivals
of the kuffaar? 

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. 

4)
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, as the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he
loves him. (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5124; al-Tirmidhi, 2329;)

 5) 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 Allah, love
of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions
(may Allah be pleased with them), love for good and righteous people, love and
support for the religion, love of martyrdom for the sake of Allah. There are
many kinds of love. It is a dangerous mistake to restrict this broad meaning to
this one kind of love. 

Marriage relationship and Valentine day

It is a common perception that love before marriage is a
good thing, is wrong, as has been proven in studies and by real-life experience.
In a study conducted by the University of Cairo, on what they called love
marriage and traditional marriage, the following was stated: 

In marriages which came after a love story, 88% of cases
ended in failure, i.e., the success rate was not more than 12%. But in cases of
what the study calls traditional marriage, 70% were successful. In other words,
the success rate in marriages described as traditional was six times more than
those described as love marriages.   

Now let us look at the state of affairs in western
societies where Valentine's 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?  

Their own studies and statistics show the following:

1-    
In an American study done in 1987 CE, it states that 79% of men beat their
womenfolk, especially if they are married¦! (al-Qabas newspaper,
15/2/1988).

2-    
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.

-         83% of those who have previously been admitted
to hospital at least once for treatment of injuries were admitted as a result of
beating.

The study added that there are more women who do not go to
hospital for treatment, but deal with their injuries at home.

3-    
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.

4-    
American Time magazine stated that around 4,000 wives out of
approximately 6 million who are beaten die as a result of that beating.

5-    
In a German study it said that no less that 100,000 women annually are exposed
to acts of physical or psychological abuse on the part of their husbands or the
men they live with. The real figure may exceed one million.

6-    
In France approximately 2 million women face beatings.

7-    
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 Valentine's Day is of any
benefit to married couples? 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 Muslim's attitude towards Valentine's Day 


 

  The Muslim's attitude towards this holiday should be
clear: 

(1). He
should not celebrate it, or join others in their celebrations of it, or attend
their celebrations, because   it is forbidden to celebrate the festivals of the
kuffaar. 

(2).
He should not help the kuffaar in their celebrations, because it is one of the
rituals of kufr, so helping them and approving of what they do is helping them
to manifest kufr and make it prevail, and approving of it. The Muslim's religion
does not allow him to approve of kufr or help others to manifest it and make it
prevail.  

(3) .He should not help any Muslims who celebrate it.
Rather it is obligatory to denounce them, because for the Muslims to celebrate
the festivals of the kuffaar is an evil action which must be denounced. Shaykh
al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) said: Just as we should not imitate them in their
festivals, so too we should not help a Muslim to do that; rather he should be
told not to do that. (al-Iqtidaa', 2/519-520) 

Based on what Ibn Taymiyah said, it is not permissible for
Muslim businessmen to deal in gifts for Valentine's Day, whether they are
particular kinds of clothes, red roses, or whatever. Similarly, it is not
permissible for the one who is given a gift on this occasion to accept it,
because by accepting it, he is showing approval of this holiday. 


 

 (4). We should not accept congratulations on
Valentine's Day, because it is not a holiday or an Eid for the Muslims. If the
Muslim is congratulated on this occasion, he should not return the
congratulations.  

(5). We
must explain the true nature of this holiday and other festivals of the kuffaar
to those Muslims who have been deceived by them, and explain to them that it is
essential for the Muslim to be distinguished by his religion and to protect his
belief from anything that may damage it. This should be done out of sincerity
towards the ummah and in fulfillment of the command to enjoin what is good and
forbid what is evil. 

Valantine day-A Business
Perspective

Valentine's Day is traditionally known as a day for
lovers, but from a commercial standpoint it is one of the most lucrative
holidays for businesses. There are four major holidays in the shopping calendar
in the west: Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter and Halloween. Valentine's Day
is celebrated by 84% of European.

The most profitable Valentine's Day items are chocolate,
cards and flowers .In Europe, consumers spend an average of $144 million on
confectionaries such as chocolates and an estimated $20 million on flowers.

In the United States, Valentine's Day makes up 23% of the
seasonal market in grocery, drug and mass merchandising stores. For candy sales,
Valentine's Day creates a profit of $1,011 billion, which is 17% of the holiday
market. Valentine's Day candy is the fastest growing candy market of the
seasonal holidays. Hershey Chocolate and Russell Stover are the top two
marketers and brands for Valentine's Day candy.

Valentine's Day is big business for companies who
specialize in seasonal gift items. Some of the companies who earn a large profit
during this holiday are:

1.
Hallmark Cards, Inc.

2.
American Greetings

3.
CSS Industries, Inc.

4.
Taylor Corporation

5.
FTD, Inc.

6.
Cadbury Schweppes

7.
Nestle S.A.

8.
Mars, Inc.

9.
Hershey Foods Corporation

Flower Sales for Valentine's Day:

1.
52% of Canadian males   buy flowers and   spend an average of $32.34

2.
156 million fresh cut flowers are sold in Canada over the Valentine's Day

3.
14.8 million fresh cut flowers imports into North America from Colombia
and Ecuador

4.
65% of those buying flowers will purchase red roses; the other 35% are
pink, peach, and yellow roses

Greeting Card Sales for Valentine's Day:

1.
Valentine's Day is the second most "sending holiday" for greeting cards

2.
Hallmark, with 2005 net revenues of $4.2 billion, is the industry leader

3.
Sales in Canada were over $730 million, with over 614 million units sold

4.
66% of Canadians   purchase a Valentine's Day card(s) and will spend an
average of $8.95

Other Valentine's Day Statistics:

1.
70% of Canadian males celebrate and spend money on Valentines' Day, while
only 63% of Canadian women do the same

2.
The most common age ranges to buy Valentine's Day gifts are 35-44 with
73%

3.
The least likely to buy Valentine's Day gifts are those between 18-24
with 45%

4.
75% of those with children under 18 celebrate Valentine's Day

5. 


74% of those buying and giving gifts are married

 

Valentine's Day in Pakistan

Valentine's Day only arrived in Pakistan a few years
ago, but it has quickly gained popularity among young urban people. In
Pakistan in 2004, an Islamist organization, called for a ban on Valentine's
Day. One of its leaders dismissed it as "a shameful day" when Westerners "are
just fulfilling and satisfying their sex thirst." Also in 2004, the government
of Saudi Arabia issued an edict declaring that "there are only two holidays in
Islam - Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha - and any other holidays ... are
inventions which Muslims are banned from." 

Despite this official opposition from authorities, many
people in Middle Eastern countries seem to be enjoying the new holiday .Our
homeland Islamic Republic of Pakistan is also deeply influenced by events like
Valentine's Day which were unknown in the sub continent before but now after
so many years of celebrating it, it seems like it has merged with our culture.
If such days are celebrated uncontrolled they can damage the growth of our
children. This day is very much renowned and gleefully celebrated in different
age groups but youngsters and teenagers are the one who are most influenced by
this day and they wait for the whole calendar year to celebrate it again, and
some even start waiting for it for months to celebrate the day of Valentines
with their loved ones.

It is the responsibility of the parents, the teachers,
the caretakers and above all it is also the responsibility of our authorities
and the government to ensure that the youth is not getting involved in any of
the negative acts or in any act which is not against the laws and regulation
of our Islamic Republic of Pakistan and above all it is the responsibility of
our youth itself to make sure that what they are doing is right and not
harming their strength and Pakistan's strength because as our father of the
nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said Pakistan is proud of her
youth. 

 

Fatwa's of Muslim scholars concerning Valentine's Day

1).The Fatwa of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-˜Uthaymeen
(may Allah have mercy on him) 

 

Question:

In recent times the celebration of Valentine's Day has
become widespread, especially among female students. This is one of the
Christian holidays. They wear all red clothes, including their shoes, and they
exchange red flowers¦ We hope that you can tell us the ruling on celebrating
such holidays. What do you advise the Muslims to do with regard to such things?
May Allah keep you and take care of you.

 Answered:

Celebrating Valentine's Day is not permitted for several
reasons: 

1 “ It is an innovated celebration which has no basis in
sharee'ah.

2 “ It calls for people to keep their hearts and minds
busy with these foolish things that go against the guidance of the pious
predecessors (may Allah be pleased with them), so it is not permitted on this
day to do any of the customs associated with that holiday, whether that be
connected to food, drink, clothing, exchanging gifts or anything else. The
Muslim should be proud of his religion and not be so weak of character that he
follows everyone who makes a noise. I ask Allah to protect the Muslims from all
temptations, visible and invisible, and to take care of us and give us strength.
And Allah knows best. 

2)


The Fatwa of Sheikh ˜Abd-Allah ibn ˜Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Jibreen   


 

Question:

He was asked: the celebration of the so-called Feast of
Love (Valentine's Day) has become widespread among our boys and girls. This
(Valentine) is the name of a saint who is venerated by the Christians, and this
day is celebrated every year on February 14. They exchange gifts and red roses,
and they wear red clothes. What is the ruling on celebrating this day or
exchanging gifts on this day? May Allah reward you with good.

 Answered:

 Firstly,
it is not permissible to celebrate such innovated festivals, because this is a
newly-invented innovation (bid'ah) which has no basis in shareeah.  

 Secondly,
this involves imitating and resembling the kuffar in venerating that which they
venerate and respecting their festivals and holidays, and imitating them in some
of their religious practices. In the hadeeth it says, Whoever imitates a people
is one of them.

 Thirdly,


the things that result from that, such as partying, idle
play, singing, music, insolence, impertinence, unveiling,   mixing of men and
women, and the appearance of women before non-mahrams, etc., are all things
which are haraam, or are means which lead to immorality.  

Our responsibilities

We should avoid anything associated with pagan immoral
practices - We

do not need to honor or celebrate the death of a Christian "saint" - Islam does
not encourage flirting or suggestions of romantic relationships before marriage
- Love between families, friends and married people does not need to be
celebrated on a day with such un-Islamic origins.

Celebrating the Valentine Day is not permissible because:



 

Firstly,
it is an innovated holiday that has no basis in the Shareeah.



 

Secondly,
it calls to love and passion.



 

Thirdly,
it calls to keeping one's heart busy with nonsense matters

which contradict the guidance of the righteous predecessors, may Allah

be pleased with them.



So it is not permissible that anything from the signs of that holiday

takes place on that day, whether it relates to eating, drinking, clothing,
giving gifts, or other than that.

 

It is incumbent upon the Muslim to be proud of his/her
religion and that he/she does not blindly follow every crier. May Allah the
Exalted protect Muslims from every trial, apparent and hidden, and that He give
them protection and

guidance.  

 

It is obligatory for every Muslim to adhere strictly to
the

Quran and Sunnah in every situation - especially in times of temptations and
corruption.

 

It is incumbent
that he/she understands, be aware and be cautioned from falling into the
deviations of those whom Allah is angry with and those who are astray and the
immoral people who have no fear of punishment - nor hope of reward - from Allah,
and

who give no attention at all to Islam.





 We must oppose these things by all possible means. The responsibility rests
with us all. We should not accept congratulations on Valentine's Day, because it
is not a holiday or an ˜Eid for the Muslims. If the Muslim is congratulated on
this occasion, he should not return the congratulation. Ibn Al-Qayyim said:
"With regard to congratulating others with the congratulations used by the
non-Muslims on such occasions, it is prohibited by scholarly consensus, such as
congratulating them on the occasion of their festivals or fasts, wishing them a
blessed festival, etc. we must explain the true nature of this holiday and other
festivals of the non-Muslims to those Muslims who have been deceived by them,
and explain to them that it is essential for the Muslim to be distinguished by
his religion and to protect his 'Aqeedah (belief) from anything that may damage
it. This should be done towards the Ummah (Muslim nation) for the sake of Allah
and in fulfillment of the command of enjoining good and forbidding evil.

We ask Allah to protect the Muslims from the harm of
temptations and from the evil of their own selves and the plots of their
enemies, for He is the All-hearing Who answers prayers. May Allah send blessings
upon His slave and Messenger Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.

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