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Fatwa CenterPraying for long life on someone's birthday
Question
Asallam u Alaikum, I know it is not permissible to celebrate or greet on birthdays but if a person says on a child or someone's birthday or wedding anniversary 'May Allah subhana wa ta ala' bless you with long life or many years of happiness', is this sinful ?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His Slave and Messenger.
Also, it is confirmed in Saheeh Muslim that Umm Ad-Dardaa’ said: “My master told me that he heard the Prophet saying: "Whoever prays for his Muslim brother in his absence, the angel entrusted to him will say, 'Aameen and for you the same.'” An-Nawawi 
said: “By [my master], she meant her husband Abu Ad-Dardaa’ ”.
The problem is in specifying a particular day of the year to do that, as this could mean honoring and glorifying this day and, hence, taking it as an ‘Eed, and this is not permissible as clarified in Fataawa 106623 and 90174.
We would like to point out that if a person prays for someone to have long life, he should restrict with 'in obedience to Allaah', as having a long life is not a blessing in an absolute sense; Allaah says (what means): {And let not those who disbelieve ever think that [because] We extend their time [of enjoyment] it is better for them. We only extend it for them so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment.} [Quran 3:178]
Abu Bakrah 
narrated that a man asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, who are the best of people?” The Prophet said: “It is those who have a long life and do good deeds.” Abu Bakrah again asked: “Who are the worst of people?” The Prophet said: “It is those who have a long life and do bad deeds.” [At-Tirmithi]
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen ascribing this opinion to Imam Ahmad said that it should be restricted with obedience to Allaah. It should be said, 'may Allaah prolong your life in obedience to Allaah.
Allaah Knows best.
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