Muslim woman whose kaafir family celebrate her birthday
My parents and two brothers are kufaar (they have no religion) and they insist on making a big deal on my birthday (by phoning me and e-mailing birthday messages and saying 'happy birthday') even though I told them many times before that I do not celebrate my birthday and that it is just another day like the other days.
(I am the only Muslim in my family and married to a Muslim and I live in another province in Canada away from them so they are not close to me). This year I unplugged the phone on that day so I could avoid the issue.
What should I do?
उत्तर
Praise be to Allaah.
We congratulate you on your steadfastness in Islam and your avoiding bid’ah and shirk. We ask Allaah to keep you steadfast and to admit you to His Paradise, for He is the All-hearing Who answers prayers.
Strive hard to avoid greetings on the celebrations of the mushrikeen, for this is a kind of resembling them and implies that one approves of their falsehood… It would be a good idea to tell your family why you do not respond to them, so that they will not keep trying to contact you (on that day). And ask Allaah to give you strength. May Allaah help you to do that which He loves and which will earn His pleasure.
And Allaah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid