ORIGIN’S OF VALENTINE’S DAY

ORIGIN’S OF VALENTINE’S DAY

There are many traditions about its origin, but the most authentic seems to be the one from Encyclopedia Britannica that says that this day has nothing to do with Saint Valentine, instead it is related to the Roman pagan festival of their god, Lupercalia.

It was celebrated on 15th February and in honour of the goddess Juno Februata, the names of girls were placed in an urn and the men would draw out the name of a girl at random who would then become their date for the remaining festival.

When Christianity came to Rome, they tried to Christianize this obscene yet popular festival by replacing the names of girls by those of saints. The men were then supposed to emulate the saint, whose name they drew, for the rest of the year. However this attempt proved unsuccessful and the use of girls’ names returned.

Many associated it with Cupid (the virtually naked god of love), who is the central character of Valentine’s Day paraphernalia, who shoots people with his arrows to make them fall in love. His mother is said to be Venus (goddess of love) and apparently the rose was her favourite flower.

Another tradition speaks of a Saint Valentine who was killed on 14th Feb. by Emperor Claudius for secretly arranging the marriages of his soldiers whom he had banned from marriage. The Bishop is said to have fallen in love with the jailer’s daughter during his imprisonment and wrote her a letter signed ‘Your Valentine’, which became a tradition for people to come. In 496 Pope Gelasius officially replaced the pagan festival of 15th Feb with St Valentine’s Day on 14th February.

Whatever the origin of this day, today it seems to have returned to its pagan, vulgar roots with the child-god cupid and open dating being very much a part of it. It is celebrated in many parts of the world in different ways. For instance, in France, a girl befriends the first boy she sees in the morning and if this relationship lasts for a year, they end up getting engaged on the next Valentine’s Day.

Due to serious troubles that accompanied such lottery, French government banned the Valentine ritual in 1776. It also vanished over the years in Italy, Austria, Hungry, and Germany. Earlier, during the 17th century when the Puritans were strong it had been banned in England, but King Charles II revived it in 1660.

From England the Valentine ritual arrived in the New World, where enterprising Yankees spotted a good means of making money. Esther A Howland who produced, in the 1840s, one of the first commercial American Valentine Day cards called – what else valentines sold $5,000 worth in the first year. (Then $5,000 was a lot of money). In 1995 one billion valentine cards were delivered in the US and the postal Department made an extra profit of $ 30 million. Flowers began to be used in 1300. The valentine industry has been booming ever since.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 43% of rapes occur between 6:00pm and midnight & 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance. [U.S. Department of Justice, National Crime Victimization Study]

Well, all this was until one day I woke up. Yes, I woke up and came out of the fake world around me to realize that reality was much more vivid and lasting than its celluloid version. The culture of romanticism that had captured our hearts and brains was a ploy to keep us away from reality.

Ironically, that too happened through a book. But it wasn’t like any book I had read before. It spoke in a way that made shivers run down my spine, made me cry as if my heart would break, as if the words were coming not from a book because they struck so deep within my soul. It was the Book of Allah, my Creator. It was more powerful than all the fantasies I had been fettered with. I broke free at last.

THE ISLAMIC VIEWPOINT

In Islam, the festivals are clearly defined and well established, and no additions or subtractions may be accepted. They are an essential part of our worship and there is no room for ijtihaad or personal opinion. They have been prescribed for us by Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Festivals are part of the laws, clear way and religious ceremonies of which Allaah says: {To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way.} [Surah-Al Maidah: Ch-5: Ver-48]

{For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies which they must follow.} [Surah-Al Hajj: Ch-22: Ver-67]

Agreeing with the whole festival is agreeing with kufr. Agreeing with some of their minor issues is the same as agreeing with them in some of the branches of kufr.” [Al Iqtidaa: 1/471-472]

Also, the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) shows that we should not imitate non-Muslims:

{Whoever imitates a nation is one of them.} [Sunan Abu Dawood: Hadith-3512]

{The final hour will not come until my followers copy the deeds of the previous nations and follow them very closely, span by span, and cubit by cubit.} [Sahih Al Bukhari]

{You must keep to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs; cling to it firmly. Beware of newly invented matters, for every new matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misleading.} [Sahih Al Bukhari]

Muslims should heed this warning and refrain from copying or imitating the kuffar in their celebrations. Islam has strongly forbidden Muslims to follow the religious or social customs of the non-Muslims, and especially of the idol-worshippers or those who worship the devil. The Prophet (pbuh) said:

{By Him in Whose hands is my life, you are ordered to enjoin good and forbid evil, or else Allah will certainly afflict you with torments. Thereafter, even your du’a (supplications) will not be accepted.} [Jami Al Tirmidhi]

{Every innovation (in our religion) is misguidance, even if the people regard it as something good.} [Ad Daarimi]

{When the people see a person committing a wrong, but do not seize his hand to restrain him or her from the deed, it is likely that Allah will punish them both.} [Sunan Abu Dawood, Jami Al Tirmidhi, Sunan Al Sughra (Nasai)]