In the Name of Allah,
All praise is due to Allah, the owner of the day of judgement.
If I make a mistake, it is from my ego, and anything good I say is from Allah.
"And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Fahishah (immoral sin)" (Quran 17:32)
The above ayah of Quran is prohibiting not only the act of Zina (illegal sex), but going close to it. It means that any activity or tradition, or gathering, or clothing, or habbit, etc that could lead to desires of Zina is prohibited. In light of this ayah, muslims are prohibited to participate in such activities, regardless of their background.
Valentine's day has roots deep in paganism, and there are many stories describing pagans celebrating fertility gods, and choosing wives randomly, and such. Only Allah knows the truth, and we don't need to discuss that, because there is not alot of evidence of that.
Today, this day represents celebrating love between a couple who are tied with a bond of physical attraction, and it is very popular. Every one is under the spell, and running around buying gifts and cards, and jewelery. On the surface, it seems very innocent, and harmless, and may be a catalyst for love in the world of hate. I would like to present the other side of the story.
Some who celebrate this day are married, and some who are unmarried. First, lets discuss the ones who are unmarried. Celebrating Valentine's day requires two non-mahram to communicate romantically, and is the definition of getting closer to Zina. Hence, the intention is to get involved in a romantic relationship, which is prohibited by the above ayah. Following hadith should be an eye opener for us.
Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Umamah saying that a young man came to the Prophet and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Give me permission to commit Zina (unlawful sex).'' The people surrounded him and rebuked him, saying, "Stop! Stop!'' But the Prophet said,
(Come close) The young man came to him, and he said,
(Sit down) so he sat down. The Prophet said,
(Would you like it (unlawful sex) for your mother) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,
(Neither do the people like it for their mothers.) The Prophet said,
(Would you like it for your daughter) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,
(Neither do the people like it for their daughters. ) The Prophet said,
(Would you like it for your sister) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,
(Neither do the people like it for their sisters.) The Prophet said,
(Would you like it for your paternal aunt) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,
(Neither do the people like it for their paternal aunts.) The Prophet said,
(Would you like it for your maternal aunt) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you.'' The Prophet said,
(Neither do the people like it for their maternal aunts.) Then the Prophet put his hand on him and said,
(O Allah, forgive his sin, purify his heart and guard his chastity.) After that the young man never paid attention to anything of that nature.
How beautiful this explaination was from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). If you are trying to establish romantic relationship with non-mahram woman or vice versa, would you mind if another man do the same to your sister, daughter, or mother? We should always think in this fashion when these indecent desire come to us.
If you like someone of opposite sex, get together with them under supervision to get to know them, and propose for marraige right away, leaving no room for Zina. This is the key to successful life.
Now, lets talk about married muslim couple celebrating Valentine's day.
First of all, selecting a day a year to celebrate our loves to our spouses is not fair, because it should be a continuous show of affection, and gifts of compromise, respect, and sacrifice should be given on a weekly if not daily basis. Jewelry and material gifts do not strengthen the bonds, but showing the willingness to sacrifice our desires for them is the real bond.
Second, any celebration that is a gateway to Zina, as is Valentine's day, should not be even discussed in muslim families. Let alone celebrated. Why not give the gifts on Eid day, instead? Why not give on occassions when least expected to increase the excitement? Why not give the money in charity on their behalf, so it is converted to currency of hereafter, where we will spend most of our lives, if we beleive?
Would you attend a gathering, where Zina is the theme? I wouldn't. Muslims should stay away from Valentine's day, and enjoins other to do the same.
And Allah knows best.
JazakAllah Khairin
A loving Muslim
AbuArman (Adnan Jumani)
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