I would like to know if celebrating birthdays (your own or your child’s birthday) is bid`ah [an invention in religion] or wrong in Islam? Are there any references that you can point me to? 

Answer

Celebrating birthdays is not a matter of religion. It is just like asking whether playing football, cricket, tennis or baseball a Bid’ah. Dear brother, a Bid`ah, is a new act [which also implies a modification, in any way, of an existing act], which is introduced in religion or is, in some way given a religious significance without the authority and the substantiation of the Qur’an or the Sunnah. We are aware of the fact that celebrating birthdays is not given any religious significance, and therefore they cannot fall under the category of bid`ah. Celebrating birthdays has become part of most cultures. The Shari`ah has nothing to say about it so there should be no objection on celebrating birthdays.  However, as is the case of all kinds of celebrations and social gatherings, these gatherings should also not be pompous in nature and should also not entail any disregard to any other directive of the Shari`ah.

May Allah guide us all towards the right path and may we always be mindful of Allah’s guidance both in Joy and grief.

Regards

UIUK team