It is not permissible to attend this party

It is not permissible to attend this party Q. In our country Egypt, we have a custom, that is every person when he ages a year of his life he holds a party, and we call this a birthday party or extinguishing of the candles.

I have heard lately that this is not permissible according to the Sharee’ah. Is this deed really not permissible in the Sharee’ah? And is it permissible to attend these parties if one is invited to one? Please enlighten me, thank you very much.

A. This is a bad custom, and an evil innovation that Allaah has not legislated, for festivities and holidays are dependent upon evidence just like all forms of worship. It has been related in a Hadeeth that the people of Madeenah during the times of ignorance used to celebrate two holidays and that Allaah exchanged these for them for two legislated holidays. It is not related what is known as a birthday party in the Sharee’ah, and none of the companions of the Prophet (saw) practiced it, or any of the early generations of the Muslims. So it is not permissible according to the Sharee’ah to celebrate these occasions or to attend them, or to encourage those who perform them, or to congratulate them or such other activities that support this evil, or affirm it.

Sheikh Ibn Jibreen [Fataawa al­Mar’atil­Muslimah: 1:156]