Secular Celebrations

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Mother's Day, Father's Day, Birthday, Family Day, and other secular "days" and "anniversaries" are rooted in and/or inspired by pagan, polytheistic, fertility traditions. When people refute polytheism, Satan cannot directly cause them to sin, he employs the paths of least resistance to tempt them into seemingly harmless activities.

Abrahamic religions have the benefit of revealed scriptures which clarify the oneness and unity of God. The scriptures inform us that everyone and everything else is created. God does not have a family. Worship belongs to the one true God. However, mainstream Christianity, and, as mentioned in The Quran, the Jews, associate a son with God. Any such association is clearly refuted.  

Polytheistic traditions are generally about a divine family, and have many rituals and customs associated with fertility. Throughout ancient history till present day, the polytheists worship not only a pantheon of deities, but also consider their parents as manifestations of the divine. Recently, Parents' Worship Day (Matri Pitri Poojan Diwas) has also been introduced in India, and has been declared an official celebration.  

People love celebrations, and enjoy them very much. As the world is going secular, many religious people are also embracing celebrations which apparently do not seem to contradict their faith. Almost all religions enjoin kindness and gratitude to parents especially, and to the family. So, in non-polytheistic societies, we see the introduction of secular celebrations which seem to honour the mother, the father, the child, the family, or the grandparents. 

We believe that the true religion has always been the same monotheistic worship of the one and only God. We also believe that people have slid into polytheism several times. Secularism never lasts. Every advanced society that was destroyed was polytheist. Advances in knowledge bring with them the realisation that their must be someone behind creation and its maintenance. In the absence of a firm rooting in monotheistic scriptures, it is very easy to slide from secularism to polytheism. It may take generations, or the change may be very rapid. The scholars who warn against embracing secular ideals must be heeded to (few links below). 

Moreover, there is the commercial angle to such festivities. People spend on decorations, gifts and fancy food to make such days special. Extravagance is not sanctioned by God. Surah al-Balad (The Country) reads thus: 

لَاۤ اُقۡسِمُ بِهٰذَا الۡبَلَدِۙ‏ ١ 

No! I swear by this country, - (Or: city)

وَاَنۡتَ حِلٌّ ۢ بِهٰذَا الۡبَلَدِۙ‏ ٢ 

And you (i.e., the Prophet) are an inhabitant of this country.

وَوَالِدٍ وَّمَا وَلَدَ ۙ‏ ٣  

And (I swear) (by) the begetter and what he begot.

لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ فِىۡ كَبَدٍؕ‏ ٤  

Indeed We already created man in suffering.

اَيَحۡسَبُ اَنۡ لَّنۡ يَّقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ اَحَدٌ​ ۘ‏ ٥  

Does he reckon that no one can ever determine over him?

 يَقُوۡلُ اَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا ؕ‏ ٦ 

He says, "I have consumed stacked wealth."

اَيَحۡسَبُ اَنۡ لَّمۡ يَرَهٗۤ اَحَدٌ ؕ‏ ٧ 

Does he reckon that none has seen him?

اَلَمۡ نَجۡعَلۡ لَّهٗ عَيۡنَيۡنِۙ‏ ٨  

Have We not made for him two eyes,

وَلِسَانًا وَّشَفَتَيۡنِۙ‏ ٩  

And a tongue, and two lips,

وَهَدَيۡنٰهُ النَّجۡدَيۡنِ​ۚ‏ ١٠  

And guided him on the two highways (of good and evil)?

فَلَا اقۡتَحَمَ الۡعَقَبَةَ ۖ‏ ١١  

Yet he has not rushed along the uneven (Or: steep) track.

وَمَاۤ اَدۡرٰٮكَ مَا الۡعَقَبَةُ ؕ‏ ١٢  

And what makes you realize what the uneven track is?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ۙ‏ ١٣  

It is the freeing of a slave, (Literally: the untying of a neck)

اَوۡ اِطۡعٰمٌ فِىۡ يَوۡمٍ ذِىۡ مَسۡغَبَةٍ ۙ‏ ١٤    

Or feeding upon a day of famine.

يَّتِيۡمًا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ ۙ‏ ١٥  

An orphan of (Literally: owning) near relationship,

اَوۡ مِسۡكِيۡنًا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٍ ؕ‏ ١٦  

Or an indigent man in starvation; (Literally: in dusty circumstances)

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالۡمَرۡحَمَةِ ؕ‏ ١٧   

Thereafter he is one of the ones who believed, and enjoined one another to have patience, and enjoined one another to do merciful deeds.

اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَيۡمَنَةِ ؕ‏ ١٨ 

Those are the companions of the position of Rightness.

  وَالَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا بِاٰيٰتِنَا هُمۡ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَشۡـَٔـمَةِ ؕ‏ ١٩   

And the ones who disbelieve in Our signs, they are the companions of the position of sinister (befalling); (Or: the Hand)

عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٌ مُّؤۡصَدَةٌ‏ ٢٠ 

Over them is a Fire without any outlet (Literally: vaulted/over).

[Al-Quran 90:1-20, Translation: Dr. Ghali]

Screen shots from: 

Women worship & Cattle Ears 

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Related Links 

Mother’s Day in Islam - Islam Question & Answer 

FatwaIslam.Com : The Ruling Concerning Celebrating Mother’s Day. 

https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/81835/ 

Every day is Mother’s Day in Islam 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day 

Further reading in this blog: 

Birthday Celebrations 

Guarding the Womb 

Virgin Birth 

World History & Future Implications 

The Hajj 

Maroof & Munkar 

Women worship & Cattle Ears 

Nine Groups corrupting the Earth 

The Serpent & The Third Eye 

No Duality, No Trinity, No Divine Family 

Polytheism: The Sin committed by The First Human Couple 

Gratitude Reminders 

Gratitude & Its Manifestation 

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Last updated on: May 17, 2023

Secular Science vs Creation Faith

 

 قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.

Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.

Not He begets and not He is begotten.

And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."

[Al-Quran 112]

The scriptures inform us about the creation of the heavens and the earth, and about our creation. They outline the process and the objectives, and also the future outcomes. 

Science attempts to explore, understand, and put to use the world around us. It eliminates scripture-based beliefs about creation, replacing them with its own thought-constructs.   

يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعۡبُدُوۡا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ وَالَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَ ۙ‏ 

O humanity! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that you may become mindful ˹of Him˺.

الَّذِىۡ جَعَلَ لَـكُمُ الۡاَرۡضَ فِرَاشًا وَّالسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَّاَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَخۡرَجَ بِهٖ مِنَ الثَّمَرٰتِ رِزۡقًا لَّـكُمۡ​ۚ فَلَا تَجۡعَلُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا وَّاَنۡـتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ‏

˹He is the One˺ Who has made the earth a place of settlement for you and the sky a canopy; and sends down rain from the sky, causing fruits to grow as a provision for you. So do not knowingly set up equals to Allah ˹in worship˺.

[Al-Quran 2:21-22, Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab]

Scriptures speak about the six days of creation. 

Science insists upon billions of years. 

Scriptures speak about the creation of creatures. 

Science insists upon evolution of creatures. 

Scriptures glorify God as the source of all life. 

Science considers the Sun as the source of all life on the planet. 

Scriptures glorify God as the sustainer of all life. 

Science considers the Sun as the sustainer of all life on the planet. 

Scriptures speak about the laws decreed by God to govern all creation. 

Science seeks to replace scripture-based laws with human rationale. 

Scriptures speak about man as God's appointed representative to rule above all. 

Science attempts to equalise humans with rest of the creation. 

اَمَّنۡ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضَ وَاَنۡزَلَ لَـكُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً​ ۚ فَاَنۡۢبَتۡنَا بِهٖ حَدَآٮِٕقَ ذَاتَ بَهۡجَةٍ​ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَـكُمۡ اَنۡ تُـنۡۢبِتُوۡا شَجَرَهَا ؕ ءَاِلٰـهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ​ ؕ بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٌ يَّعۡدِلُوۡنَ ؕ‏  

Or ˹ask them,˺ “Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down rain for you from the sky, by which We cause delightful gardens to grow? You could never cause their trees to grow. Was it another god besides Allah?” Absolutely not! But they are a people who set up equals ˹to Allah˺!

اَمَّنۡ جَعَلَ الۡاَرۡضَ قَرَارًا وَّجَعَلَ خِلٰلَهَاۤ اَنۡهٰرًا وَّجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِىَ وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَ الۡبَحۡرَيۡنِ حَاجِزًا​ ؕ ءَاِلٰـهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ​ ؕ بَلۡ اَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ؕ‏ 

Or ˹ask them,˺ “Who made the earth a place of settlement, caused rivers to flow through it, placed firm mountains upon it, and set a barrier between ˹fresh and salt˺ bodies of water? Was it another god besides Allah?” Absolutely not! But most of them do not know.

اَمَّنۡ يُّجِيۡبُ الۡمُضۡطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكۡشِفُ السُّوۡٓءَ وَيَجۡعَلُكُمۡ خُلَفَآءَ الۡاَرۡضِ​ ؕ ءَاِلٰـهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ ​ؕ قَلِيۡلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُوۡنَ ؕ‏ 

 Or ˹ask them,˺ “Who responds to the distressed when they cry to Him, relieving ˹their˺ affliction, and ˹Who˺ makes you successors in the earth? Is it another god besides Allah? Yet you are hardly mindful!”

اَمَّنۡ يَّهۡدِيۡكُمۡ فِىۡ ظُلُمٰتِ الۡبَرِّ وَ الۡبَحۡرِ وَمَنۡ يُّرۡسِلُ الرِّيٰحَ بُشۡرًۢا بَيۡنَ يَدَىۡ رَحۡمَتِهٖؕ ءَاِلٰـهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ​ؕ تَعٰلَى اللّٰهُ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُوۡنَؕ‏ 

Or ˹ask them,˺ “Who guides you in the darkness of the land and sea, and sends the winds ushering in His mercy? Is it another god besides Allah? Exalted is Allah above what they associate ˹with Him˺!

 اَمَّنۡ يَّبۡدَؤُا الۡخَـلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيۡدُهٗ وَمَنۡ يَّرۡزُقُكُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ ءَاِلٰـهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ​ؕ قُلۡ هَاتُوۡا بُرۡهَانَكُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏ 

Or ˹ask them,˺ “Who originates the creation then resurrects it, and gives you provisions from the heavens and the earth? Is it another god besides Allah?” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Show ˹me˺ your proof, if what you say is true.”

 قُلْ لَّا يَعۡلَمُ مَنۡ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ الۡغَيۡبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ​ؕ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَ اَيَّانَ يُبۡعَثُوۡنَ‏ 

 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “None in the heavens and the earth has knowledge of the unseen except Allah. Nor do they know when they will be resurrected.

بَلِ ادّٰرَكَ عِلۡمُهُمۡ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ​ بَلۡ هُمۡ فِىۡ شَكٍّ مِّنۡهَا بَلۡ هُمۡ مِّنۡهَا عَمُوۡنَ‏ 

No! Their knowledge of the Hereafter amounts to ignorance. In fact, they are in doubt about it. In truth, they are ˹totally˺ blind to it.

[Al-Quran 27:60-66, Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab]

Scriptures seek to save humans. 

Science seeks to transcend humans. 

Scriptures seek to maintain original forms of creation. 

Science encourages experiments leading to corruption of creation. 

Scriptures decree moral laws so human families can flourish in society. 

Science does away with moral laws in the name of equality and freedom.  

Scriptures glorify the one and only, true God. 

Science has historically often led to polytheism. 

Scripture informs us that we have been sent to stay temporarily on this Earth. 

Science dreams of colonising space. 

Scripture teaches us how to save our soul (nafs / nephesh). It warns against making changes in the nafs. 

Science refuses to acknowledge the existence of the nafs. When it discovers the soul (nafs), in the absence of guidance from the scriptures, the danger is that it may try to make changes in it also. 

Scripture warns us that we risk losing our soul (nafs) permanently, terming it as the greatest loss. 

Science encourages us to take risks to attain worldly benefits. 

Scripture informs us of true knowledge, and God willing, results in technological advancements, as in the Kingdom of Solomon. 

Science bases it progress on false premises, and results in technological advancements with polytheistic beliefs, as in the Kingdom of Saba (Sheba). 

Scripture informs us of a resurrection, and an accountability. 

Science cannot inform anything about afterlife. 

Scripture is not subject to change. 

Science changes its 'faith' continuously. 

Scripture insists on the worship of the one and only, true God. 

Science goes from displacing God as the deity to be worshipped, to secular beliefs about chance and accident, and a thus a deity-less world, to recognising fine-tuning and precision in creation. Most technologically advanced ancient civilisations thus resorted to a techno-theology worship of creation instead of, or along with God. 

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سَنُرِيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰتِنَا فِى الۡاٰفَاقِ وَفِىۡۤ اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ حَتّٰى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمۡ اَنَّهُ الۡحَـقُّ​ ؕ اَوَلَمۡ يَكۡفِ بِرَبِّكَ اَنَّهٗ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ شَهِيۡدٌ‏ 

We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this ˹Quran˺ is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?

اَلَاۤ اِنَّهُمۡ فِىۡ مِرۡيَةٍ مِّنۡ لِّقَآءِ رَبِّهِمۡ​ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّهٗ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ مُّحِيۡطٌ

They are truly in doubt of the meeting with their Lord! ˹But˺ He is indeed Fully Aware of everything.

[Al-Quran 41:53-54, Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab]

Last updated on: May 2, 2023

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