Islam and fun? How does that go together? Sumaira Dada discusses the Islamic etiquette for celebrations.
Some
people prefer to shun all forms of enjoyment, labeling them as useless
pastimes of this world; others believe that as long as they are
observing basic religious rituals, they are free to lead their lives as
they wish.
Sparkling
lights, bright clothes and the sound of laughter bring to mind a scene
of joy and celebration. Mouth-watering food, tasty desserts and singing
and dancing complete the picture. However, sadly, in the merriment and
gaiety we often forget Allah’s (swt) pleasure and exceed all limits of
decency and moderation prescribed by Shariah. Contrary to what most
people would think, piety is not the opposite of gaiety; rejoicing does
not have to be un-Islamic; and most importantly, you can be a pious
Muslim and yet be a source of cheerfulness, liveliness and joy to those
around you.
To
become such a Muslim, it is imperative to know what Allah (swt) and His
Messenger (sa) tell us about celebrating our moments of happiness.
Why do people celebrate?
A
look at the festivals throughout the world gives us three major reasons
for celebrations. Firstly, many people celebrate the change of seasons -
Hindus, for instance, celebrate Holi and Basant at the onset of Spring.
Secondly, there are those, who celebrate the birth of gods and
goddesses - for example, the Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia
to honour Juno, the guardian of women and marriage. And thirdly, yet
others celebrate historical events - for example, former Allied nations
celebrate the Armistice Day as a reminder of victory against Germany and
the Russian and Ottoman Empires in World War I.
Islamic
celebrations, on the other hand, are not pinned down by the changes of
seasons, or regional and local events. In fact, the two Islamic
festivals (Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha) are not related either to the
Prophet’s (sa) life or any important victories in the Islamic history.
Instead, these celebrations are deeply-rooted in the message brought to
this world by the Prophet (sa). Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated after the
month of Ramadan in gratefulness to Allah (swt) for having been able to
complete a month of fasting. Eid-ul-Adha marks the Hajj rites and
reminds Muslims of the sacrifice of Ibrahim (as) and Ismail (as).
Rejoicing on these days becomes an act of worship, for the Prophet (sa)
has said: “Indeed, for every nation there is a day of rejoicing, and
this is our day of rejoicing.” (Bukhari)
Islam encourages rejoicing
According
to a famous saying, “variety is the spice of life.” Therefore, it is
but natural that we need some change in our daily lives for feeling
refreshed and energized. Since Islam is a Deen that gives us guidelines
on leading a natural life, it does not ignore this important aspect of
human existence. Far from merely allowing celebration, Islam encourages
rejoicing.
Allah
(swt) says regarding the revelation of the Quran: “Say: ‘In the Bounty
of Allah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Quran); - therein let
them rejoice.’ That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.” (Yunus
10:58)
Furthermore,
at another point in the Quran, Allah (swt) asks the Prophet (sa)
primarily, and the believers on a secondary level to proclaim the
blessings that He has bestowed:
“And proclaim the Grace of your Lord (i.e. the Prophethood and all other Graces).”
(Ad-Duha 93:11)
Islamic celebrations and recreational activities
Apart
from the two Eids, personal and national occasions also serve as
permissible reasons to celebrate. Such personal occasions as marriage,
the birth of a child, getting a new job, moving to a new house or
getting a new car are some occasions for celebration. For young
children, the starting of the recitation of the Quran and the completion
of its recitation can also be reasons for celebration. Celebrating of
such national occasions as the Independence Day also reminds us of the
blessings of Allah (swt) granted in the form of a an independent land
where Islam can be practiced freely.
In
a wider context, we find that Islam allows picnics, competitions and
meaningful vacations. Prophet Yaqub’s (as) children, for example, went
for a picnic, while the Companions of the Prophet (saw) engaged in
dueling, camel-racing and archery - the Prophet (sa) even awarded
prizes to the winners.
Meaningful
vacations are also encouraged: “So travel through the land and see what
was the end of those who denied (the truth).” (An-Nahl 16:36)
Etiquette of celebration
Some
of the encouraged etiquettes of celebration are exchanging of gifts,
singing, reciting of good poetry and indulging in good humour.
Concerning
gifts, we know from Aisha (rta) that Allah’s Messenger (sa) used to
accept gifts and gave something in return. (Bukhari) In a Hadeeth
narrated by Abu Hurairah (rta), we find the Prophet (sa) advising
Muslim women: “O Muslim women! None of you should look down upon the
gift sent by her female neighbour, even if it were the trotters of the
sheep (fleshless part of the legs).” (Bukhari)
From Ahadeeth we know that singing on joyful occasions is also permitted.
Aisha
(rta) has narrated: “Allah’s Messenger (sa) came to my house, while
two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story about the
war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before
Islam). The Prophet (sa) lay down and turned his face to the other
side. Then, Abu Bakr (rta) came and spoke to me harshly, saying:
‘Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (saw)?’ Allah’s Messenger
(sa) turned his face towards him and said: ‘Leave them.’ When Abu Bakr
(rta) became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out and they
left.” (Bukhari)
Al-Rubayyi
bint Muawwidh reports: “The Prophet (sa) visited me on the night of my
wedding, sitting not far from me. We had a number of maids playing the
tambourine and singing poems in praise of my people, who were killed in
the Battle of Badr. One of them said in her singing: ‘Among us is a
Prophet who knows what will happen in future.’ The Prophet said to her:
‘Do not repeat this, but continue with what you were saying earlier.’”
(Bukhari, Ahmad and Abu Dawood)
In the Prophet’s (sa) life, we find instances of good fun and humour. For example, we find him being playful with his wives.
Once,
Aisha (rta) was talking very boldly with the Prophet (sa). Abu Bakr
(rta) happened to come, and he grew so angry at his daughter’s
behaviour that he wanted to beat her, but the Prophet (saw) prevented
him. After Abu Bakr (rta) had left, he remarked: “See, how I saved
you.” (Abu Dawood)
Limits set by Allah (swt)
Rejoicing
and fun without limits is very likely to make harmless celebrations a
source of worry and burden. Our beautiful Deen gives us guidelines
regarding the boundaries that must be kept. Dr. Mahmood Ghazi, former
president of the International Islamic University (Islamabad),
highlights three major factors that need to be considered when
rejoicing: modesty, moderation and keeping in mind the basic objectives
of Shariah.
Modesty
According
to Imran bin Hussain (rta), the Prophet (sa) highlighted the
excellence of modesty: “Haya (modesty, bashfulness, self-respect) does
not bring anything except good.” (Bukhari)
Contrary
to general understanding, modesty does not merely refer to an outward
expression of chastity. Although codes of conduct regarding proper dress
and interaction with the opposite gender are important, they are not
the be-all and the end-all. Modesty should be entrenched in one’s
nature, which is most apparent through body language and conversation.
If properly dressed girls are singing lewd songs or dancing in an
obscene manner, it cannot be called modest behaviour.
Ibn
Abbas (rta) has narrated (on the authority of Abu Hurairah (rta))
that the Prophet (sa) said: “Allah has written for Adam’s son his share
of adultery, which he commits inevitably. The adultery of the eyes is
the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is
the talk, and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts
testify all this or deny it.” (Bukhari)
Moderation
Allah
(swt) has asked the believers not to be wasteful or extravagant: “O
Children of Adam! ...eat and drink but waste not by extravagance,
certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifun (those who waste by
extravagance).” (Al-Araf 7:31)
Spending
on permissible acts beyond what is necessary constitutes extravagance,
while squandering wealth or any other blessing of Allah (swt) would mean
spending on what Allah (swt) has prohibited, even if it means spending
only a rupee. In the latter case, one can seek a scholar’s help to
understand what is allowed, while in the former situation, one has to
decide subjectively, what is necessary and what goes beyond that.
Being mindful of Shariah objectives
While
celebrating, we have to consider the five basic objectives of Shariah,
namely, the protection of life, wealth, honour, mind/sense and Deen. For
instance, if rejoicing results in the loss of innocent lives, delay or
abandonment of obligatory acts of worship, then such activities would
not be in line with the objectives of Shariah. At the same time,
however, cultural traditions that are not based on polytheism, do not
result in disunity among the Muslims and do not exceed the limits
prescribed by the Shariah are permissible. For instance, in Morocco
pigeon’s soup is served at Iftar time during Ramadan, while Iftar in
Pakistan would be incomplete without the traditional Pakoras. Such
cultural traditions conform to the above guidelines.
We
must also remember that as Muslims we have a distinct identity and
culture - we must not fall prey to an inferiority complex which results
in copycat behaviour. The Prophet (saw) has said: “Whoever imitates a
nation (in its ways and culture) becomes one of them.” (Abu Dawood)
Obtaining Allah’s (swt) blessings
Aligning
our special occasions of rejoicing with the above principles will make
our celebrations not only memorable, but also deserving of Allah’s (swt)
blessing and mercy. May Allah (swt) give us the wisdom for making our
celebrations a source of happiness for all those around us, Ameen.
