TI0005 - English - Can birthday be celebrated?

Can birthday be celebrated?

Question
Can one have birthday celebration with cake being cut, when there are family members only in gathering together? Please provide clarification.
Irfan

Answer:
Wa alaikum wassalam

The celebration of the day of birth does not exist in Islam. How a human being has to observe all the joyful, sorrowful events right from birth until death are being guided by Islam. In this, Islam does not mention about celebration of the day of birth.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), being sent as a huge blessing to this society; even he did not celebrate the birthday. Neither did he instruct the people about celebrating (the day of birth). The companions brought up by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself, even they did not have this practice (of celebrating birthday).

Moreover, this celebration is an act that goes against the common sense. Human being has no claim of his achievement over his/her birth. Human being’s birth and his/her growth take place only due to Allah’s grace. Therefore, what is the wisdom/philosophy that exists for a human being to be proud or pleased here?

And, except for having anxiety/concern for the one year being gone in the timeline set by Allah; what is there to be joyful about on the day of birth (in a given year)?

This was a celebration that was actually copied later on from the Christians. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), had warned about copying the wrong ways of the Christians.

Narrated Abu Sa`id:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a mastigure, you too will go there." We said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?" He replied, "Whom else?" (Meaning, of course, the Jews and the Christians.)
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ، وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ، حَتَّى لَوْ سَلَكُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَسَلَكْتُمُوهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ ‏"‏ فَمَنْ ‏"‏‏.‏
Reference  : Sahih al-Bukhari 3456
In-book reference  : Book 60, Hadith 123
USC-MSA web (English) reference  : Vol. 4, Book 55, Hadith 662
(deprecated numbering scheme)
http://sunnah.com/bukhari/60/123

Therefore, whether you invite others or if you don’t invite others and celebrate among family members alone, it is wrong. We have to stop this (practice).

Translated by: Brother Abu Abdul Baari 
The original article (Tamizh): https://www.facebook.com/notes/thowheed-translations/tamizh-can-birthday-be-celebrated/192225444622122/