Ruling on Baby Showers in Islam

Question: 149278

What is the ruling with regards to baby showers? This is whereby when the mother is 7 or 8 months pregnant she invites sisters to get together and they buy clothes for the newborn and have a meal together. Is this permissible in Islam? Or is this simply another practice of the disbelievers and we should try to refrain from this?

Summary of answer

The basic principle with regard to such traditions such as baby showers is that they are permissible, unless they are matters for which the disbelievers and polytheists are known.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

The basic principle with regard to such traditions is that they are permissible, unless they are matters for which the disbelievers and polytheists are known.

Shaykh Al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Actions may be acts of worship or customs and traditions. The basic principle with regard to acts of worship is that none are legitimate except that which Allah has prescribed. The basic principle with regard to customs and traditions is that none of them are forbidden except that which Allah has forbidden.” (Majmu` Al-Fatawa, 4/196)

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The basic principle with regard to every action except acts of worship is that it is permissible because Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity …” [Al-An`am 6:119]

If a person does some action or starts to play some game, then someone comes to him and says, “This is prohibited for you, it is something that neither the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) nor his Companions did,” our response is to say:

The basic principle is that things are permissible unless there is evidence to prove that they are forbidden.” (Sharh Manzumat Usul Al-Fiqh wa Qawa`idihi, 81-82)

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

What is the ruling on eating foods that are traditionally prepared on various occasions, such as eating Aklat Ar-rabi` which we make with semolina and so on when spring comes?

The scholars of the committee replied:

“If that food has no connection to innovated festivals and occasions, and it does not involve any resemblance of the disbelievers; rather it is the custom to distribute food at different seasons – then there is nothing wrong with eating that, because the basic principle with regard to customs and traditions is that they are permissible.” (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 22/270)

For more details, please see the following answers: 60252 , 20018 , 171377 , 218022 , and 7889 .

And Allah knows best.

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