Celebrations and Customs

Birthday parties

Q: What do we do if my brother in law invited us for his wife's birthday. We already told them that we do not celebrate birthdays. His wife even asked us for a birthday gift. We asked if we could just do dinner and not call it a birthday party. I told my husband that I'm not going, so he said that I am being more bad to them. So what do you advise?

Wishing someone merry christmas

Q: If a Muslim wished someone merry christmas will he have become a kafir, because in modern times christmas is just another cultural money making thing and people do not know the reality of christmas that it is the celebrating of jesus birthday and therefore if a muslim said merry christmas at a time without realising at the time the consequence and value of what he was saying he merely just said it out of respect or he said it but out of regret then will he become a kafir at that point? Because a muslim could have said the words merry christmas but with regret in his heart, obviously one understands to not do such a thing again but will he have become kafir for saying this without truly meaning it ?

Black Friday

Q: What is the Islamic perspective on Black Friday sales? I’ve read that this day is linked to Christian holidays. Even some Muslim businesses are promoting items for this day.

Birthday party

Q: I was an orphan and was brought up by my father's brother. My cousins are planning to give a surprise birthday party calling all his close people like friend's, relatives, etc. I normally don't attend birthday parties but now I'm confused. I don't want to attend the party but at the same time I feel bad because they will feel bad since we were all brought up in the same house like his own children. In recent times our relationship has distanced to some extent, I'm in a dilemma that if I don't attend will our relationship further worsen.