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Is Black Friday Shopping Haram?

IslamQA and AskImam say buying on Black Friday is allowed, while IslamWeb calls it a festival to avoid. Both views, plus Jumuah timing and overspending.

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Short answer

Buying on Black Friday is not haram according to IslamQA (answer 326165) and Darul Iftaa (askimam.org, fatwa 37293), which allow Muslims to use the discounts on permissible goods, as long as they are not buying to celebrate Christmas. IslamWeb (fatwa 281020) takes a stricter view, treating Black Friday as a non-Muslim festival and ruling out promotions aimed at that day. The clearer concerns are shopping through the Friday prayer and wasteful spending.

Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday, November 27, the day after US Thanksgiving. Stores open early, online sales run all weekend, and plenty of Muslims wait for it to buy a laptop, winter coats or a new phone at a lower price. It is fair to ask whether that is a problem, since the day sits right between Thanksgiving and the Christmas shopping season.

Here is what the fatwas that address Black Friday actually say, where they disagree, and the two issues that matter more than the sale itself.

Is Black Friday shopping haram in Islam?

No, according to the two fatwa services that answer this question most directly. IslamQA and Darul Iftaa (askimam.org) both say a Muslim may buy permissible things on Black Friday and take advantage of the discounts. IslamWeb is the main exception: it treats the day as a non-Muslim festival.

The disagreement comes down to one question: is Black Friday a festival, or just a sales day? Muslims have their own two Eids, and scholars warn against copying other peoples in what is distinctly theirs, based on the hadith "He who copies any people is one of them" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4031, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani). The fatwas differ on whether a shopping day counts.

Which scholars say Black Friday shopping is allowed?

IslamQA and Darul Iftaa (askimam.org) say buying on Black Friday is permissible.

  1. IslamQA, answer 326165 (2023). "There is nothing wrong with buying items on Black Friday and taking advantage of the discounts and deals that are offered, even if this is connected to Thanksgiving or follows it," as long as the buyer purchases permissible things and does not buy them to celebrate Christmas, such as Christmas gifts. It points back to IslamQA 145676 (2013), which allowed shopping in the Christmas sales for the lower prices.
  2. Darul Iftaa, askimam.org fatwa 37293 (2016, approved by Mufti Ebrahim Desai). "It is permissible to purchase items on sale on Black Friday. Black Friday does not have any religious or cultural connotations." The same answer rules that celebrating Thanksgiving itself is not permissible, so it draws a clear line between the holiday and the sale the next day.

Which scholars say Muslims should avoid Black Friday?

IslamWeb (fatwa 281020, 2015) takes the stricter view. It argues that Black Friday "is not just a shopping day; rather, it is a festival ('Eed) celebrated by non-Muslims," using Ibn Taymiyyah's definition of an Eid as a public event that recurs in a traditional way. It concludes that a Muslim should not take part in it "by partaking in any commercial promotion that is particularly targeting that day," and should treat it like any other day of the year.

IslamQA's answer also has a stricter part, aimed at sellers. It says Muslim shop owners should not single out Black Friday for lowering prices, because that resembles non-Muslim customs, and should treat the day like any other.

How do the positions compare?

The fatwas agree on more than it first seems. The table shows where they line up and where they split.

Question IslamQA 326165 AskImam 37293 IslamWeb 281020
Is Black Friday a festival? Linked to Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping No religious or cultural meaning Yes, a non-Muslim 'Eed
Buying permissible items on sale Permissible Permissible Avoid promotions aimed at the day
Buying Christmas gifts Not permissible Not addressed Not addressed in this answer
Muslim shops running Black Friday sales Should not single out the day Not addressed Not permissible
Celebrating Thanksgiving itself Not addressed in this answer Not permissible Not addressed in this answer

If you are weighing the holiday before it, see our guide on whether celebrating Thanksgiving is haram, where scholars disagree more openly.

Can you shop during Jumu'ah on Black Friday?

Not during the Friday prayer, if you are required to attend it. Black Friday is always a Friday, and the Qur'an says: "O you who have believed, when [the adhān] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuʿah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh and leave trade" (Qur'an 62:9). The next verse allows it again afterwards: "when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allāh" (Qur'an 62:10).

In practice, that means planning around Jumu'ah rather than skipping it for a doorbuster. Shop early in the morning or after the prayer, and don't let an online "deal ends in 10 minutes" timer keep you in a checkout queue when the adhan is called. Our guide on how to pray Jumu'ah covers who it is obligatory for and how the prayer works.

Is overspending on Black Friday a sin?

Wasteful spending is condemned in Islam, whatever day it happens on. The Qur'an says "do not spend wastefully. Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils" (Qur'an 17:26-27), and praises those who, "when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate" (Qur'an 25:67). The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah dislikes three things for us, including "wasting of wealth" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1477).

IslamQA makes the same point in its Black Friday answer: "Sales and deals should not prompt him to waste his money on things that he does not need." A discount on something you were going to buy anyway is a good deal. A pile of things you didn't plan to buy is not.

What should you watch out for when shopping Black Friday deals?

Watch the payment method and the honesty of the deal, not just the price. A few checks keep a sale halal:

  1. Avoid paying interest. "Allāh has permitted trade and has forbidden interest" (Qur'an 2:275). If a deal only works by carrying a credit card balance or a financing plan that charges interest, the interest is riba. Our guide on whether buy now, pay later is haram covers Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm plans.
  2. Buy permissible things. The fatwas that allow Black Friday shopping all assume the items themselves are halal, and IslamQA excludes buying things to celebrate Christmas. Scholars split over office gift draws, as our guide on whether Secret Santa is haram explains.
  3. Make a list before the sale starts. Decide what you need and your budget, then shop the list.
  4. If you sell, be honest. The Prophet ﷺ said that if buyer and seller "spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities (of the goods), then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2079). Inflating a price so the "discount" looks bigger is a form of hiding the truth.

How can you keep Friday about more than shopping?

For Muslims, Friday already has its own weight because of Jumu'ah, and a sale doesn't change that. Build the day around Jumu'ah and the other four prayers, then fit the shopping in between. Salah Home helps you keep that rhythm: log each of the five daily prayers with a tap, keep your streak going through the busy holiday weeks, and earn Dates to build your own peaceful virtual home. If December is the harder month for you, our guide on whether celebrating Christmas is haram covers gifts, greetings and family gatherings.

Frequently asked questions

Is it haram to buy things on Black Friday?

IslamQA (326165) and Darul Iftaa (askimam.org, 37293) say it is permissible to buy permissible items on Black Friday sales. IslamWeb (281020) disagrees and treats the day as a non-Muslim festival to avoid.

Is Black Friday a religious holiday?

Not in the usual sense. AskImam says it has no religious or cultural connotations, while IslamWeb argues it still counts as a recurring non-Muslim 'Eed.

Can Muslims buy Christmas gifts in the Black Friday sales?

IslamQA says no: its permission to shop on Black Friday excludes buying things for the purpose of celebrating Christmas, such as Christmas gifts. Buying ordinary items you need is a separate matter.

Can a Muslim business run a Black Friday sale?

IslamQA says Muslim shop owners should not single out Black Friday for lowering prices, and IslamWeb rules out promotions targeting the day. Both suggest treating it like any other day.

Can I shop online during the Friday prayer?

If you are required to attend Jumu'ah, no. Qur'an 62:9 tells believers to leave trade when the Friday call to prayer is made, and 62:10 allows seeking provision again once the prayer is over.

Sources

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