Ibraaheem ibn Adham was once asked, “O Abu Is-haaq, why are our supplications to Allah The Exalted not answered?” He answered, “Because your hearts have died due to ten things.” They inquired, “What are they?” Ibraaheem bin Adham said:
“1- You know Allah The Almighty but fail to fulfill His due rights [properly].
2- You claim to love the Prophet, , and yet, you have abandoned his Sunnah (tradition).
3- You recite the Noble Quran but do not act upon it.
4- You claim to hate the devil, yet you obey him.
5- You enjoy the Blessings of Allah The Exalted without fulfilling their due rights.
6- You believe in Paradise but do not exert any effort to enter it.
7- You believe in Hell but you do not seek salvation from it.
8- You believe in death but you do not prepare for it.
9- You focus your attention on others’ shortcomings while forgetting all about yours.
10- You bury your dead but do not learn from them.”
Coincidentally, when one of my students, who had put a red rose in the pocket of his shirt asked me, “Why doesn't Allah The Exalted accept our supplications?” I told him this narration. When I asked him about the red rose in his pocket he answered, “Don't you know that today is Valentine’s Day? I am celebrating it by putting this red rose in the pocket of my shirt.”
Undeniably, we have all heard of the "the black night of love" and the tradition of exchanging gifts and congratulations, and the foolish face paintings that are done to mark Valentine's Day. Indeed, we know that the West has allocated a specific day to celebrate ‘red love’ during which chastity, purity and bashfulness are profoundly violated, while praiseworthy jealousy i.e., proper manly zeal, dignity and honor are slaughtered.
On this day, misguided people randomly spread repressed desires – rather, animal desires – both negative and positive, that clash with each other.
In fact, they claim that you are not a man unless you act like one in terms of sins and vice, and you are not virile enough for them if you do not have a lover to whom you can give a ‘red rose’ and with whom you can spend a ‘red night’!
You are not a refined ‘gentleman’ if you did not wish your lover, wife, or female colleague ‘Happy Valentine's Day’.
I think we all know the story of Saint Valentine and why he was executed on February 14, 270 CE. From that day, he was given the title ‘saint’ because he sacrificed his soul for the sake of Christianity, as he supposedly fostered loving couples. Hence, Christians commemorate his death by celebrating Valentine's Day and their act is justifiable according to their beliefs.
In fact, Americans and Europeans render this day an open day for indulging in illicit sexual relations on a large scale. Their middle schools, high schools, mixed universities, parks and malls take the necessary measures for this day by providing condoms for men in public toilets and other places where couples are more likely to meet, for protection against sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
Moreover, philanthropists donate all that may help ignite people’s desires on that night, and increase their obedience to the devil. In fact, Valentine's Day for them is a permissible and almost sacred occasion that enables them to get them closer to their god!
How can Muslims allow themselves to celebrate this day that is the most heinous of the Christian festivals? Valentine’s Day is the worst feast of the disbelievers; it is the most erotic and prurient feast.
What has happened to Muslims: our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and students who were raised to love the Prophet, , and were imbued with bashfulness, dignity, pride and magnanimity? Why do they celebrate this?
Are they commemorating Saint Valentine‘s death for having sacrificed his life for the sake of Christianity? Or is it because he used to provide refuge for loving couples?
Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “Religious feasts are part and parcel of every religion and its rituals; Allah The Almighty Says (what means) {For every religion We Have appointed rites which they perform...} [22:67]. For example, the Qiblah (direction of prayer) and fasting are fundamental aspects of Islam. Therefore, there is no difference between celebrating their feasts and participating in their rites. In fact, participation in celebrating their feasts implies approval of their disbelief since feasts are the most distinguished aspect of any religion.”
Valentine's Day is a pagan and Christian celebration and it is impermissible for Muslims to celebrate it, to participate in the celebrations in any way, to sell the goods that people use to show their celebration of that day; since this is considered cooperating with them in committing sins, aggression and making a display of the disbelievers’ rites. Furthermore, it implies imitating them and indicates approval of their wrongdoings and is considered a grave sin that would result in loving the disbelievers.
The Prophet, , did not approve of celebrating the feasts of the disbelievers and that of Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era). Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that when the Prophet, , came to Madeenah, the people had two days on which they used to engage in games. He asked aboutthese two daysandsaid: “Allah The Almighty has given you better days instead: the Day of Fitr and Al-Adh-ha.” [Abu Daawood and An-Nasaa’i]