Celebrating Birthdays and Wedding Anniversaries.
Question:
What is the ruling on organising celebrations for the birthdays of children or for wedding anniversaries?
Answer:
There are no celebrations in Islaam except Friday the weekly 'Eid, the first day of Shawwal - 'Eidal-Adha. The day of 'Arafah might be called an 'Eid for those who are at 'Arafah on that day, and the days of Tashreeq, following 'Eidul-Adha.
As for birthday celebrations for a person or his children, or wedding anniversaries or the like, none of them are legislated and they are closer to being innovations than to being allowed.
Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Fatawa Arkanul-Islaam, DARUSSALAM, p265
