Topic Eight
Innovated Festivals and Celebrations

The issue of innovated holidays and celebrations is among the most serious matters in which Muslims, after the blessed early generations, have shown regrettable laxity. Many have rushed to imitate other nations in their feasts and festivities.

Some introduced the innovation of celebrating the Prophet’s birthday and the night of the Isrāʾ and Miʿrāj. These national and ethnic holidays—whose number among Muslims increases by the day—and others like them are nothing but shackles and burdens with which the Muslim community has been afflicted; Allah has revealed no authority for them.

For this reason, the author—may Allah have mercy on him—devoted extensive discussion to the subject of innovated festivals. Indeed, as I mentioned earlier, he stated at the very beginning of the book that these celebrations were the primary motive for writing it; everything else was written in their wake.

He established that Allah, exalted is He, has legislated for the Muslims only two feasts: ʿId al-Aḍḥā and ʿId al-Fiṭr. The Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—prohibited adopting any other festivals, whether newly contrived or revived from earlier times.

He further clarified that the matter of festivals is a devotional legal issue in which innovation, addition, or subtraction is impermissible. Therefore, it is not lawful to institute any feast other than what Allah the Exalted and His Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—have prescribed.