Why Do We Muslims Not Celebrate Valentine's Day?

This question may be answered in several ways: 

1- In Islam, the festivals are clearly defined and well established, and no additions or subtractions may be accepted. They are an essential part of our worship and there is no room for personal opinion. They have been prescribed for us by Allah and His Messenger . Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Festivals are part of the laws, clear way and religious ceremonies of which Allah Says (what means): 'To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way' [Quran 5:48] and 'For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies which they must follow.'" [Quran 22:67]

Like the Qiblah (the direction faced in prayer), prayer and fasting. So there is no difference between joining them in their festival and joining them in their other rituals. Agreeing with the whole festival is agreeing with disbelief. Agreeing with some of their minor issues is the same as agreeing with them in some of the branches of disbelief.

Festivals are the most distinctive things by which religions are told apart, so whoever celebrates their festivals is agreeing with the most distinctive rituals of disbelief. Undoubtedly, going along with them in their festivals may, in some cases, lead to disbelief. Dabbling in these things, at the very least, is a sin. The Prophet  referred to the fact that every nation has its own festivals when he  said: "Every nation has its own ‘Eed and this is our ‘Eed." [Al-Bukhari]

Because Valentine's Day goes back to Roman times, not Islamic times, this means that it is something which belongs exclusively to the Christians, not to Islam, and the Muslims have no share and no part in it. If every nation has its own festivals, as the Prophet  said: "Every nation has its ‘Eed" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] - then this means that every nation should be distinguished by its festivals.

If the Christians have a festival and the Jews have a festival, which belongs exclusively to them, then no Muslim should join in with them, just as he does not share their religion or their direction of prayer.

2- Celebrating Valentine's Day means resembling or imitating the pagan Romans, then the Christian People of the Book in their imitation of the Romans in something that was not part of their religion. If it is not allowed to imitate the Christians in things that really are part of their religion - but not part of our religion - then how about things which they have innovated in their religion in imitation of idolaters?

Imitating non-Muslims in general -whether they are idolaters or People of the Book - is Haraam (prohibited), whether that imitation is of their worship - which is the most serious form - or of their customs and behavior. This is indicated by the Quran, Sunnah and Ijmaa' (unanimous consensus of scholars):

(i) From the Quran: Allah Says (what means): "And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment." [Quran 3:105]

(ii) From the Sunnah: the Prophet  said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." [Abu Dawood]

Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "This Hadeeth (narration) at the very least indicates that it is Haraam to imitate them, although the apparent meaning implies that the one who imitates them is non-Muslim, as Allah Says (what means): 'And if any amongst you takes them friends (and helpers), then surely, he is one of them' [Quran 5:5].”

(iii) With regard to Ijmaa', Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon, him narrated that there was agreement that it is Haraam to imitate non-Muslims in their festivals at the time of the Prophet’s Companions  and Ibn Al-Qayyim  narrated that there was scholarly consensus on this point.

3- The love referred to in this festival ever since the Christians revived it is romantic love outside the framework of marriage. The result of that is the spread of fornication and immorality. Hence, the Christian clergy opposed it at some stage and abolished it, then it came back again.

Some people may wonder, and say: “You mean to deprive us of love, but in this day and age we express our feelings and emotions - what is so wrong with that?”

We say:

Firstly: It is a mistake to confuse what they call the day with what the real intentions are behind it. The love referred to on this day is romantic love, taking mistresses and lovers, boyfriends and girlfriends. It is known to be a day of promiscuity and sex for them, with no restraints or restrictions… They are not talking of pure love between a man and his wife or a woman and her husband, or at least they do not distinguish between the legitimate love in the relationship between husband and wife, and the forbidden love of mistresses and lovers. This festival for them is a means for everyone to express love.

Secondly: Expression of feelings and emotions is not a justification for the Muslim to allocate a day for celebration based on his own thoughts and ideas, and to call it a festival, or make it like a festival or ‘Eed. So how about when it is one of the festivals of the non-Muslims?

In Islam, a husband loves his wife throughout the year, and he expresses that love towards her with gifts, in verse and in prose, in letters and in other ways, throughout the years - not just on one day of the year.

Thirdly: There is no religion which encourages its followers to love and care for one another more than Islam does. This applies at all times and in all circumstances, not just on one particular day. Indeed, Islam encourages us to express our emotions and love at all times, as the Prophet  said: "If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him." [Abu Dawood]

And He  said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you truly believe, and you will not truly believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam (Islamic greeting) amongst yourselves." [Muslim]

Fourthly: Love in Islam is more general and more comprehensive; it is not restricted only to one kind of love, that between a man and a woman. There are many more kinds of love. There is the love of Allah, love of His Messenger  and his companions  love for good and righteous people, love and support for the religion, love of martyrdom for the Sake of Allah, etc. There are many kinds of love. It is a dangerous mistake to restrict this broad meaning to this one kind of love.

Fifthly: What these people think, that love before marriage is a good thing, is wrong, as has been proven in studies and by real-life experience.

So, how can we believe that Valentine's Day is of any benefit to Muslims? The truth is that it is a call for more permissiveness and immorality, and the forming of forbidden relationships.

The husband who sincerely loves his wife does not need this holiday to remind him of his love. He expresses his love for his wife at all times and on all occasions.

islamweb.net

25 Things About Life

Socrates, considered as one of the founders of Western philosophy, was once named the wisest man on earth by the Oracle of Delphi. 
When Socrates heard that the oracle had made such a comment, he believed that the statement was wrong

How can the smartest man on earth know nothing? I heard this paradoxical wisdom for the first time from my school teacher when I was 14 or 15. It made such an impact on me that I used Socrates’s quote as my learning strategy.

“I know nothing” to me, means that you might be an educated person, but still, you know nothing. You can learn from everything and everyone.

One thing that I like better than learning from my mistakes is to learn from other people’s mistakes. Over the years, I’ve been blessed to have great mentors, teachers, family, friends, that taught me about life.

What you will find below is a list of the most important things I learned from other people and books. Some of the lessons took me a long time to learn—but if I had to learn these things all by myself, it would take me a lot longer.

We might learn things quickly, but we often forget things at the same rate—and sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the things we’ve learned.

Here are 25 of those reminders that others taught me.

1. Struggle Is Good

1. Never say “I can’t take it anymore.” Say “Bring it on!”

1. Don’t ComplainComplaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you can’t, shut up about it.

1. Spend Time With People You Love

1. That’s your family and best friends. If you don’t have a family, create one. Most people in life are only visitors. Family is for life.

1. Don’t Start A Relationship If You’re Not In Love

1. I’ve done this more than once. You kind of like someone and think: “We might as well give it a shot.” Not a good idea. You’re either in love, or you are not. Don’t fool yourself. It’s not fair to you and the other person.

1. Exercise Daily

1. I didn’t get this until recently. A healthy body is where you have to start everything in life. If you can’t build a healthy and strong body, what CAN you build in life?

1. Keep A Journal

1. No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. “I don’t want to be a writer” you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer.

1. Be Grateful

1. Say ‘thank you’ to everyone and everything. “Thank you for this beautiful day.” “Thank you for your email.” “Thank you for being there for me.”

1. Don’t Care About What People Think

1. We all die in the end, do you really think it matters what people think of you?

1. Take More Risks

1. Don’t be such a wimp.

1. Pick An Industry, Not A Job

1. If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You can’t do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually.

1. Lead The Way

1. When you find yourself in a situation where everyone looks at each other, it’s time for you to lead. You‘re a leader when you decide to become one. There’s no initiation or a title. Just a decision.

1. Money Isn’t Important 

1. It really isn’t. But you have to train yourself not to care about money. Don’t become too dependent on the stuff you own — otherwise, the stuff will own you.

1. Be Nice

1. I don’t mean you should be a pushover. You can be someone that doesn’t take shit and be nice about it. Just don’t insult people, think you’re better than them, or act like an idiot.

1. Learn Every Day

1. You’ve got to train your brain to stay alert. You don’t have to read a book a day to learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the people around you — be open to what they can teach you.

1. Rest Before You Are TiredEven if you love your job, and every day seems like a holiday, you need to take time to rest. You’re a human and not an android, never forget that.

1. Don’t Judge

1. Just because people make different choices than you, they are not stupid. Also, you don’t know everything about people, so don’t judge them — help them.

1. Think About Others

1. Just be mindful, that’s all. We all have families, bills to pay, and our own issues. Don’t always make everything about yourself.

1. Give Without Expecting Something In Return

1. Don’t keep score. You will become a bitter person if you do that. Give solely for the joy of giving. If you get something in return, great, if you don’t, great.

1. There’s No End Game

1. We, as a species, just are. Don’t try to figure it all out. Enjoy your journey.

1. Enjoy Small Things

1. I like clichés because they are true. Especially this one. You know why? Everyone says they know it, but no one lives up to it. They just chase big things.

1. Don’t Take Yourself Serious

1. Yeah, yeah, you’re an individual, and people have to take you seriously, I get it. But at the end of the day, we’re all a bunch of ants trying to chase the same things. Lighten up.

1. Don’t Blame People

1. What’s point? Do you want to punish them? You don’t do that to people. Also don’t blame yourself — you’re only human.

1. Create Something

1. Not to leave a legacy, you won’t be here to see it anyway, but to be of use. Make music, write a book, build a table, anything. You’ll feel good about yourself, plus you give something back to people to use or enjoy.

1. Never Look Back Too Long

1. Reflecting on the past is only good for one thing: Learning.

1. Take Action

1. Don’t just sit there, do something. Without action, there is no outcome.

You might know a lot. But like Socrates, you and I know nothing at all. So we have to keep learning.

8-Year-Old Spreads Love In The Classroom With Braille Valentines

A handful of lucky second graders are getting some unique valentines this year with not only a special handwritten message, but a message in Braille as well.

Gail, who asked only to be identified by her first name, is the mother of 8-year-old Amelia, who is blind. Her husband, Mike, posted a photo on Reddit on Feb. 11 of Amelia's valentines for school. The sweet heart-shaped notes feature the word "love" stamped below the same word in Braille.

"My feeling is we could go buy valentines or make valentines, but because she can’t see them I always try to have her incorporate Braille on them," Gail said.

Gail told The Huffington Post that Amelia added Braille to the cards using a Perkins Brailler, a machine similar to a typewriter. At her teacher's request, the 8-year-old also added personalized messages for her classmates, which her mom wrote out in print.

"She wrote in Braille, 'I think you’re really smart' or 'I think you’re really kind' or 'I think you’re a fast runner,'" Gail said. "Whatever she notices about people."The family, who lives in Seattle, worked together to complete about 25 valentines. At a Valentine's Day party on Friday, each kid in Amelia's class will receive a personalized message and heart-shaped note tied together. Reddit users have applauded her creative valentines, as well as her parents. Amelia's dad wrote on Reddit that he was "proud, and humbled" with his daughter's project, while Gail touched on Amelia's many other accomplishments."She's an amazing girl. She reads Braille. She uses her echo location skills. She plays the violin," she told HuffPost. "She’s living a very regular awesome life."

Thanks to Amelia, her classmates will have some special keepsakes this Valentine's Day.