Opinion | Guest Contributor | 2016.02.12 | 02 Jumadal Ula 1437 AH

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Nothing wrong with a little extra loving right? After all, doesn’t Allah keep encouraging us to love one another? So, what’s the deal with our Ulama discouraging us from celebrating Valentines Day? Guest contributor, Fatima Moolla of Timeless Teenz, tells us about the pagan origins of this day and to avoid blindly following fads in the name of Love.

Saint Valentine was a name given to two ancient martyrs of the Christian Church.

At the beginning, the Romans used to celebrate an event in mid-February each year with a big festival. One of the rituals of this festival was the sacrifice of a dog and a goat. Two strong, muscular youths would dab the blood of the dog and goat onto their bodies, and thereafter they would wash the blood away with milk. After that there would be a great parade, with these two youths leading the gang, would go marching through the streets. The two youths would have pieces of leather with which they would hit everyone who crossed their path. The Roman women would welcome these blows, because they believed that they could prevent or cure infertility.

When the Romans accepted Christianity they had to change their pagan ways. They adapted the Feast of Love to be in honour of Saint Valentine, who was considered to be the patron saint of lovers, instead of their pagan gods.

By accepting and celebrating this day in the name of Love, what exactly are we approving and accepting?

This day is not part of Deen and has no basis in Shar’ee. Rituals carried out at those festivals were barbaric. We are regressing by imitating the uncivilised practices of the pagan worshippers when we are supposed to be progressing when it comes to intellectual and moral affairs. Only people of by-gone eras and ancient times used to carry out despicable acts and sacrifice their blood and bodies to deities or other ancestral beings.

This was due to their lack of knowledge and wisdom, but we are not victims of that ignorance currently.

Allah Ta’allah states in the glorious Quraan: “For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies which they must follow.” [al-Hajj 22:67]

It is disturbing to see that Muslims shy away from practicing their own religion, and therefore resort to another. Allah Ta’allah has prescribed to every nation a set of laws and customs to be implemented and followed.

If we give in to the temptations of the kufaar because we are weak in Imaan, then we should make use of another alternative that is part of deen. By attending the weekly taalim or majlis at the masjid, perhaps even listening to a bayaan or reading a good book, it will Inshallah guide us towards that which is liked in the eyes of Allah Ta’allah and not that which angers him.

Nabi (Salallahu alaihi wasalam) is reported to have mentioned in a Hadith: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”

When we imitate these cringe-worthy festivals, respect and consider them to be apart of our lifestyle, then how will we be raised with Nabi (Salallahu alaihi wasalam) on the day of Qiyamah? If we had true love for him, we would abstain from the things that he prohibited us from.

Aa’ishah (Radiyallahu Anha) narrates that Nabi (Salallahu alaihi wasalam) said: “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.”

It is said that whatever a person innovates into Deen will be rejected, because if what they innovate were correct it would be substantiated in Quraan and Sunnah , and we would find the Sahaba (radiyallahu Anhum) do it.

May Allah Ta’allah make it easy for us to stay away from all sort of bid’ah and innovation that is becoming more prevalent in todays times.

This day undoubtedly promotes zina, that would lead to love and passion between two people. It contradicts the sunnah of Nikkah, because it encourages the exchange of gifts, flowers and chocolates to the opposite gender. Some congratulates their ‘friends’, whilst others wear red and attend indecent parties at clubs etc, where there is mixing of men and women. All of the above mentioned things could at some point lead to immorality.

Shopkeepers should stay away from selling gifts or items that are purchased in order to celebrate this day. Bear in mind the virtue of earning halaal income. Ask yourself: ‘Is what I’m earning from a halaal source?” It is also up to us consumers not to buy these goods or help advertise in any way.

To those who are single, keep in mind that the haraam and zina done before marriage takes out the barakah in your nikah. And to those who are married, love is not only set to a fixed day, it’s meant to be expressed to your rightful spouse each morning and evening. The one who is sincere towards himself and Allah Ta’allah should keep away from sin, and the means that lead to it. That way we will be stopping Shaitaan dead in his tracks.

May Allah Ta’allah wrap us in His mercy and forgiveness. May Allah save us from every sin, and grant us the benefit from every good deed. May Allah grant us success in attaining Jannah and deliverance from Fire. Ameen

Fatima Moolla is the founder and head of TTF, and can be contacted at timelessteenzfoundation@gmail.com or @timelessteenz on Twitter.

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