‘Dueling fatwas’ once again in Saudi Arabia. This time, the Grand Mufti is rejecting a fatwa issued by a prominent Saudi Islamic scholar on the issue of birthday parties and wedding anniversaries. According to the Grand Mufti, there are only two occasions worthy of celebration by Muslims: Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr. Anything else, he says, is ‘un-Islamic’.
Does every single moment of life in Saudi Arabia have to be ‘Islamic’ or ‘un-Islamic’? Can there not be things on which Islam has no pertinent dictate? Of course there can be. Islam recognizes five types of actions: those things strictly forbidden; those things that aren’t all the great but don’t condemn one to Hell; neutral things; good things to do that bring merit in the afterlife; good things which are obligatory for Muslims to do. Surely, parties celebrating happy events can be put into the neutral category, though of course excess could move them to a less meritorious status.
The Grand Mufti did not address the issues of wedding parties. They are—as many Saudis note—occasions for rampant excess, something that necessarily moves them along the negative side of the ranks. Will he forbid them next, finding them ‘un-Islamic’?
Grand mufti rejects Al-Oadah’s fatwa
JEDDAH: Celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries has no base in Islam, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Alsheikh has said.
The mufti made the comments while answering a question from Al-Madinah newspaper after prominent Qassim-based scholar Salman Al-Oadah issued a fatwa saying that celebrating such occasions was not against the rules of Shariah.
“Such a call is against righteousness. A Muslim should thank Almighty Allah if his children are healthy and if his married life is stable as the years pass by. He should say: Alhamdu Lillah for His generosity and kindness,” said Al-Alsheikh, who is also the chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars and the head of the Presidency for Scientific Research and Religious Edicts (Dar Al-Ifta).
Speaking on satellite television last week, Al-Oadah, who is the general supervisor of the Islamtoday.com website, created controversy after ruling that there is nothing un-Islamic in celebrating wedding anniversaries and birthdays.
“It is normal for a son or daughter to celebrate birthdays. They can invite their friends for a meal on this occasion. I see nothing wrong in this,” he said.
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August:20:2008 - 11:54
I reject your fatwa and substitute my own.
August:20:2008 - 11:54
As everybody knows, a fatwa is nothing more than a personal interpretation of the applicable rules of the shariah on a particular issue. Depending on the know how of the person that delivers a fatwa, his interpretation may be more or less valid. In any case, nobody is bound by it, except the person that delivers the fatwa.
In this sense, a Grand Mufti is entitled to his personal opinion on any subject, just like any other citizen. One may assume that he knows the shariah, and that his rulings are as objective as possible. Neverheless, even the Grand Muftis of different countries differ on what the shariah says on a particular issue. That is why there are so many different rites within the Muslim community(Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’i, Ibn Hanbal, shi’ite, etc.).
Even within the same country, within the same week, we can sometimes read statements by the Mufti of Egypt and by the Sheikh of al-Azhar on the same issue, which say opposite and incompatible things.
So, if the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia is opposed to the celebration of birthday parties, that’s his privilege. He can even forbid birthday celebrations within his family.
But when he says that that is incompatible with the shariah, that becomes a questionable statement. Everywhere else in the Muslim world, people who are knowledgeable about the shariah see nothing wrong with celebrating birthday parties. So, maybe the muftis, Grand or otherwise, should have more modesty when they deliver a fatwa.
Instead of saying : “This is contrary to the shariah”, it would be more correct on their part to say: “In my humble personal opinion, this may be contrary to the shariah”. And this is the appropriate occasion to add justifiably : “wallahu a’elam” (Only God knows).
In a sense, this reminds me of another Saudi Mufti’s statement that women driving is contrary to the shariah.
August:20:2008 - 11:54
al-waleed,
I agree that the Shaikh is entitled to his opinion and expressing it. It is an issue as you know, because we have a group called the Commission that will execute on such fatwas and start interfering in people’s lives. The Shaikh is knowledgeable and knows the impact of his words. If he does not intend to have such impact, perhaps he can qualify it as saying it is an opinion for those who wish to follow his guidance voluntarily.
August:20:2008 - 11:54
I thought that fatwas had to be followed or you’d be burning in hell?
Thanks for explaining, al-waleed.
A great many more people should learn this…
August:20:2008 - 11:54
i think both da grand mufti and da cleric r clowns and becuming da laughing stock in da muslim world as well as in da west. i remember about ten yrs ago, during ramadan, a guest imam had flown over from saudi, 2 lead traweeh every night of that month—he was young, intelligent and very articulate but some of da subjects he discussed was very ridiculous, for example, after sexual intercourse with ur wife, how 2 clean ur dick by pouring sand if u cant find water or if ur in ur bathroom and da water is cut off for some reason and sand is not available and neither is tissue, then u should rub ur dick against da wall until ur urnine drops go dry—i mean whats da point of this stupid lecture? i dont understand these bearded imbeciles, their brains r stuck in da fucking 14th century—they r totally idiotic idiots and backwards and now they r talking about birthday parties and graduation parties—it would be better for muslims countries especially religious ones like saudi and iran 2 keep religion and state separate—then a few yrs ago, i heard some of these like minded idiots declaring new year 2 b haraam, and so is smoking,dating,laughing,music etc—no wonder muslim countries r producing mentally sick and depressed individuals, for da most part—while da west is talking about technical advanced stuff like making colonies on da moon and other planets, going green, enhancing ppls lives by doing stem cell research, where r we going? our so called religious leaders at best r telling us how 2 clean our dicks and at worst r telling us how to blow up ppl and do fisad (not jihad). These idiots call womenz driving haraam—i mean i just getting so sick of this widespread sick mentality—walking dogz in public becums haraam, having a certain hairstyle becums haraam—screw theeze bearded bastards and their fucking fatwas.