Question:

1. Many people in my family celebrate baby showers and bridal showers following the American culture. They play the typical games and sometimes play music. I tried explaining to them that in Islam we celebrate a baby through an Aqiqa and a wedding through nikkah and waliam but they insist that since bridal showers and baby showers are not religious events they are not copying Christians so it is okay. They also say Thanksgiving is okay since that is not religious either. Please provide me with an explanation as to why these events are wrong.
Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

A baby shower in some countries is a way to celebrate the pending or recent birth of a child by presenting gifts to the mother at a party.[1] A bridal shower is a gift-giving party held for a bride-to-be in anticipation of her wedding. The custom originated in the 1890s and is today most common in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.[2]

Although baby showers and bridal showers are not religious customs of non-Muslims, they are considered to be salient customs and celebrations of certain non-Muslims. To imitate the salient customs and/or celebrations of non-Muslims is also impermissible. Hence, to celebrate baby showers and bridal showers is not permissible.[3] The impermissibility is further intensified if the celebration includes forbidden elements such as music etc.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_shower Last accessed 7-22-15

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridal_shower Last accessed 7-22-15

[3]  (وَعَنْهُ) : أَيْ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ (قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – (مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ) : أَيْ مَنْ شَبَّهَ نَفْسَهُ بِالْكُفَّارِ مَثَلًا فِي اللِّبَاسِ وَغَيْرِهِ، أَوْ بِالْفُسَّاقِ أَوِ الْفُجَّارِ أَوْ بِأَهْلِ التَّصَوُّفِ وَالصُّلَحَاءِ الْأَبْرَارِ. (فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ) : أَيْ فِي الْإِثْمِ وَالْخَيْرِ. قَالَ الطِّيبِيُّ: هَذَا عَامٌّ فِي الْخَلْقِ وَالْخُلُقِ وَالشِّعَارِ، وَلِمَا كَانَ الشِّعَارُ أَظْهَرُ فِي التَّشَبُّهِ ذُكِرَ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ. قُلْتُ: بَلِ الشِّعَارُ هُوَ الْمُرَادُ بِالتَّشَبُّهِ لَا غَيْرُ، فَإِنَّ الْخُلُقَ الصُّورِيَّ لَا يُتَصَوَّرُ فِيهِ التَّشَبُّهُ، وَالْخُلُقَ الْمَعْنَوِيَّ لَا يُقَالُ فِيهِ التَّشَبُّهُ، بَلْ هُوَ التَّخَلُّقُ (مرقاة المفاتيح، كتاب اللباس)

تحفة العلماء ، ج 2، ص 121، دار الاشاعت

فتاوي محمودية، ج 19، ص 553،557، 575-576، فاروقية

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

(Mufti) Abdul Azeem bin Abdur Rahman

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