Selling Items for Valentine's Day

Ruling of Selling Items for Valentine’s Day celebration

Ruling of Selling Items for Valentine’s Day celebration

Author: Sa’id Yai Ardiansyah Every 14th of February, some people around the world commemorate the Valentine day.  They said that the day is the day to show their love to one another. The pink color that dominate the items sold on stores is dubbed as the symbol of love and affection. Particular items that are typical of this celebration are also sold, such as chocolate, flowers, cards, gifts, pink-colored jewelries, etc. Even the selling of “the rubber cap” is also soars, indicating that at that day, it is used massively among the youth. Due to these facts, an explanation regarding matters that are related to this celebration is something that is undeniably urgent. I limit the coming explanations into several questions below:

  • What is the ruling of celebrating the valentine’s day?
  • What is the ruling of helping that celebration?
  • What is the ruling of selling items that are used in that celebration?
  • What is the ruling of using the “rubber cap” among the youth?

Ruling of Celebrating the Valentine’s day

In Islam, there are only two acknowledged festive days, namely the ied al fithr and the ied al adha. No other festive days beside the two. Therefore, the muslims are nor allowed to make a new festive day of their own or celebrate the festive days celebrated by the disbelievers.

وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا

“do not follow their desires in disregard of the Truth which has come to you. For each of you We have appointed a Law and a way of life.” (QS Al-Maidah/The Table Spread: 48) The valentine’s day is the day that is celebrated by the disbelievers. Therefore, we, as muslims, are not allowed, or forbidden to celebrate it in all of forms of celebration. The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said:

مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ

“Whoever imitates a nation, then he is included as a part of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud no. 4301). The Messenger of Allah – peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- also informed us that later in the end of time, there will be many of the muslims who follow the particular habit of the infidels. He -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said:

لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا فِى جُحْرِ ضَبٍّ لاَتَّبَعْتُمُوهُمْ. قُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ آلْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى؟ قَالَ:  فَمَنْ.

“You will definitely follow the habits of people before you, inch by inch, cubit by cubit, until if they enter the hole of a lizard, you’ll follow them.” We said, “O Messenger of Allah! Do you mean the Jews and Christians?”. He replied, “Who else?” (Narrated by Al Bukhari and Muslim) The muslims shouldn’t let themselves be the victim of trend. They should position the Islamic shari’a as the parameter to measure all cultures and influences from outside of Islam, so that they will not fall into the ravine of sins and mistakes, moreover infidelity, as revealed by the Prophet above -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. Some might say, “I’m just giving a gift/present to my friend?”, or, “I’m just giving a greeting card to my friend?”, or, “I just accompanied my friend and I didn’t join him?”, or, “I just gave chocolate to my friend?”, and so on. Know, my friend, why should you specialize that day to do those things?”. Thus, those acts are included in celebrating the valentine’s day.

Ruling of Helping the celebration of that day without joining it

Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

“rather, help one another in acts of righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression. Fear Allah: Surely Allah is severe in retribution.” (QS Al-Maidah/The Table Spread: 2) This verse clearly explained to us that all forms of helping one another in sin and transgression is among Allah’s prohibitions, including helping others to hold this celebration, even though we’re not joining them in celebrating it.

Ruling of Selling Items for the celebration

Basically, Items like chocolate, gifts, candies, cards, flowers, etc, are lawful to be sold. But if those items are sold in particular at the valentine’s day, or in other festive days of the disbelievers, then this selling is forbidden, because it is considered as helping one another in committing sin and in imitating the disbelievers. There are two groups of those who sell those items above:

  • People who just started to sell the items because of this event, and they didn’t sell it before.
  • People who have sell the items for a long time, then people bought if from their stores.

The ruling for the first group is evidently forbidden, as explained before. As for the second group, the ruling needs some details. If they didn’t know that the items will be used to celebrate the valentine’s day, then he is allowed to sell it and it is lawful for him. But if they knew about it, or it is highly probable that the items will be used to celebrate the valentine’s day, then it is forbidden for them to sell it, because it is clear to them that the items will be used to commit forbidden things.

Ruling of Selling the “Rubber cap”

The “rubber cap”, or what famously called as condom, is used to contain man’s seminal fluid to prevent it from entering the body of his partner. The basic ruling of the usage of this rubber cap for a man and his wife or his female slave is allowed or disliked (makrooh), depends on the which is the stronger between the different opinions of the scholars in this matter. The ruling of the usage of this rubber cap is like the ruling of ‘azl (interrupted ejaculation), that is, voiding the seminal fluid outside of woman’s body during intercourse, as long as the usage doesn’t harm the woman. The ruling of selling the rubber cap freely or without making inquisition over the buyers, is forbidden, because it will support the spreading of adultery, particularly among the youth. Therefore, our shari’a has confined this matter as a preventive action to stop the adultery to spread among society. Conclusions:

  • It is forbidden to celebrate the valentine’s day with all of its forms.
  • It is not allowed to help the celebration although the person doesn’t involve in it.
  • It is forbidden to sell items that will be used to celebrate that event/day.
  • A seller who doesn’t know that the items will be used to celebrate the event/day, is allowed to sell it.
  • It is forbidden to sell the “rubber cap” freely.

References:

  • Fatwa of the Lajnah Daimah no. 21203
  • Fatwa in islamweb.com no. 7141
  • “Shahih Al Bukhari”
  • “Shahih Muslim”
  • “Sunan Abu Dawud”
  • etc.

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