Answer
Asalamu Alaikum,
Thank you for contacting About Islam with your question. Dr. Yasir Qadhi addresses this question in the video below:
Transcript:
Dr. Yasir Qadhi:
โWe have been way too strict with our religion and a lot of times and we have made life so impossible and so unrealistic by preaching that anniversaries are biddah and haraam (forbidden).
This is honestly very, very strict and foolish, and I have to be very blunt here.
Thereโs nothing wrong with this. Itโs a cultural thing. Anybody who says this is haraamโฆ well then weโre speaking in English, wearing pants and shirts, living in Canadaโฆ everything becomes haraam, right?
Imitating the kuffar is haraam when you imitate something that is uniquely kufr.
So wearing the cross is imitating the kuffar. Wearing the clothing of a pastorโwhich is the white collarโthis is haraam, all right? Celebrating Christmas is imitating the kuffar. This is haraam.
As for speaking their language, as for wearing pants and a shirt, as for their general customs and cultureโฆ
Guys Iโm going to have a halal hamburger for lunch. Thatโs what the brothers have promised meโฆ but am I imitating the kuffar when I like a hamburger? Not ham hamburger! A beef hamburger, right? So itโs a hundred percent certified halal.
Am I imitating the kuffar if I like a hamburger for lunch? You tell me.
We have gone so strict in this regard that all these certain things have become biddah and haraam.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating a personal anniversary!
How can the Sharia say that a husband taking his wife out on a romantic dinner on their 15th anniversary [or] their fifth anniversaryโฆ candlelight dinner, beautiful restaurant, nice halaal zabiha food or seafoodโฆ
And then, you know, telling her, โIโll do it all over again, honey!โโeven if he doesnโt mean it, it doesnโt matter but heโs allowed to lie in this regard, okayโhow can this be haraam when youโre bringing so much love to your family?
This is what a wife wants. She wants this love, she wants this attention; she wants to be told that the passion is still there.
And the husbandโฆ these are the days that he can show thisโฆ guys, itโs only one day of the year, man! Just do it, do you know what Iโm saying?
So for us to come and say, โOh it just haraam to celebrate wedding anniversariesโ, Subhanallah (praise God!)!
On what basis are you making this haraam? Which ayah (chapter from Quran)? Which hadith?
Let me ask you: is it haraam to bring flowers home to your wife on any day of the year? No? Now, did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) every bring flowers for his wives? Why? It wasnโt their culture!
Are you gonna say itโs haraam because the Prophet didnโt do it? Because the sahaba didnโt do it? They didnโt have roses in Madina! It wasnโt their culture to bring these types of things.
In our culture [โฆ] go buy some beautiful bouquet of flowers and surprise your wife and see how happy your wife becomes. Sheโs gonna be so excited, SubhanAllah!
Isnโt this what the Sharia wants? That husbands and wives have a good relationship? When the family is solid, society is solid.
Sisters, you gotta reciprocate, by the way. Itโs a two-way street!
I hope this helps answer your question.
You can also check out more from Dr. Yasir Qadhi at the link here
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Walaikum Asalam.
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