With most of the world now following the Gregorian calendar, many Muslims forget or are unaware of the significant days of the Islamic year according to the Hijri calendar. And although birthdays in Islam are not considered to be substantial, it is good to know the Islamic month and date of birth. Keeping this at the forefront, this blog will delve deeper into calculating one’s Islamic birth date and also shed some light on the whole concept of birthdays in Islam.
Is It Important To Know One’s Islamic Birth Date?
Islam doesn’t place any significance on occasions other than the ones described in the Quran and hadiths. And that includes birthdays. But this doesn’t mean that one should completely disregard the day of their birth. Life is a gift from Allah SWT, and it is his mercy that He brought us into this world as Muslims. Every birthday should be a reminder of this and all the other blessings that he rewards us with every day.
Every month in the Islamic calendar has a significant history attached to it. And knowing this month and its history can give a person a deeper insight into their relationship with the deen. For example, if a person is born in Safar, they can study the history of that month, the themes it represents, and try to evaluate their life in its light.
Ways To Calculate Your Islamic Birthdate.
Using A Gregorian to Hijri Converter
The simplest and fastest way of calculating your Islamic birth date is to use a Hijri converter. It is beginner-friendly and only requires you to enter your date of birth into the converter. The following are some of the top converters worth looking into:
- https://www.islamicfinder.org/islamic-date-converter/
- https://www.islamicity.org/hijri-gregorian-converter/
Using Physical Calendars
Using physical calendars to calculate your birthday is another option. For this, one can take a calendar that has both the Gregorian dates and the Islamic dates in it, and then they can figure out their Islamic date of birth. Another way to use physical calendars is as follows:
- Find the calendar of the year the person was born in.
- Figure out what hijri it was during that year.
- Take the Islamic calendar and mark the date of birth.
Birthdays In Islam
Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. It promotes happiness and joy and emphasizes the importance of contentment at all times. That being said, it also forbids certain acts that the world deems to be joyful but are actually signs of the times of Jahiliyyah. Birthdays are one of them. The main reason for the prohibition on birthdays is that it is an innovation and has no basis in the Shariah.
Allah says in the Quran:
“And now have We set thee (O Muhammad) on a clear road of (Our) commandment; so follow it, and follow not the whims of those who know not.”
This verse, and many others, is the evidence that Muslims are only to follow the actions that are prescribed in the Quran and the hadiths. And even if any other actions seem harmless or logically acceptable, one should remember that our minds are not capable of understanding the wisdom behind the divine commands, and most of the things that appeal to us just might be a trick of the shaytan to get us far away from our religion.
According to Mufti Menk, birthday candles are a symbol of winning against nature. He says:
“In ancient Europe, the winters were so harsh and intense that the people at that time went into literal hibernation to keep themselves warm and to not die from the cold. And when the winters passed, they would come out of hibernation, and they would count the dead. And when they realized that they had survived, they would celebrate this ‘fighting nature’ by blowing out the number of candles according to their age.”
He further states:
“This is a practice that comes with its own satanic ritual, and it is like the worship of the pagans.”
Besides being an innovation in the religion and having no basis in the Shariah, birthday celebrations involve the imitation of the Christians and Jews. The Prophet PBUH said:
“You would walk the same path as was walked before you, step by step, so that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you would also enter that hole. People asked, ‘Prophet PBUH, do you mean the Christians and the Jews.’ He replied, “Who else but them?”
Apart from this, scholars state that one of the main reasons that birthdays are not supposed to be an occasion of joy is that every year that passes places more responsibility on the person’s shoulders and brings them closer to their death. Therefore, instead of throwing parties and inviting people, one should take this time as an opportunity to reflect on their relationship with their Lord and make dua for steadfastness on the right path.