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Is Celebrating Valentine's Day Haram in Islam?

Most fatwa bodies say celebrating Valentine's Day is haram, while Dar al-Ifta in Egypt allows a day of love for spouses. Gifts, shops and school cards.

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Short answer

Most fatwa bodies say celebrating Valentine's Day is haram. Saudi Arabia's Permanent Committee, IslamQA, IslamWeb and Malaysia's National Fatwa Council (2005) treat it as a non-Muslim festival that encourages relationships outside marriage. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta (2013) disagrees, allowing a day to renew love between spouses as a social occasion, as long as it is not called an Eid. Every view forbids dating outside marriage.

By early February the shops turn red. There are heart-shaped chocolates at the checkout, roses by the door, and a note from school asking every child to bring a card for each classmate. If you are married, you may wonder whether flowers for your spouse that evening are a kind gesture or a problem.

Scholars do not all give the same answer here. Most fatwa bodies say no to the day itself, and one major institution says a halal version is fine. Here is what each side says, and how it applies to gifts, shopping, school and relationships.

Is celebrating Valentine's Day haram in Islam?

Most fatwa bodies say yes, but not all. Saudi Arabia's Permanent Committee, IslamQA, IslamWeb, the Hanafi Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago, and Malaysia's National Fatwa Council hold that Muslims should not celebrate Valentine's Day. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta holds that it has become a social occasion, and that marking it is allowed if nothing un-Islamic happens.

Both sides agree on two points. Islam has two religious festivals, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and nobody permits romantic relationships outside marriage, on February 14 or any other day.

Where did Valentine's Day come from?

Its origin is unclear, but it is often linked to Lupercalia, a Roman festival held in mid-February, and named after a Christian martyr called Valentine. Encyclopaedia Britannica says Lupercalia "involved fertility rites and the pairing of men and women by lottery," and that Pope Gelasius I banned it in the late 5th century and "is sometimes credited with replacing it with St. Valentine's Day."

Britannica adds that Valentine may have been one or two Christian martyrs, said to have been executed on February 14 around the year 270, and that the day "did not become associated with romance until the 14th century." Scholars who forbid the day rely on this history. IslamQA calls it "a jahili Roman festival" that became connected with the saint, and the Permanent Committee calls it "a Christian pagan festival."

Why do most fatwa bodies say Valentine's Day is haram?

They give three main reasons: Islam fixes its own festivals, Muslims should not copy other religions' festivals, and the day promotes romance outside marriage.

  1. Only two Eids. Anas reported that when the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, the people had two days of play from before Islam, and he said, "Allah has substituted for them something better than them, the day of sacrifice and the day of the breaking of the fast" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1134, graded sahih by al-Albani). The Permanent Committee (fatwa 21203, 1420 AH) says any other festival is an innovation that Muslims may not "perform, approve, express joy for, or assist in in any way."
  2. Imitation. The Prophet ﷺ said, "He who copies any people is one of them" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4031, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani). The Permanent Committee calls an invented festival that also belongs to non-Muslims "a sin upon a sin."
  3. Romance outside marriage. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin said celebrating it is not permissible because it is an innovated festival, "it promotes love and infatuation," and it busies the heart with trivial things. He added that nothing characteristic of the day is allowed, "whether that has to do with food, drinks, clothing, exchanging gifts or anything else" (Majmu' Fatawa 16/199, quoted in IslamQA 73007).

IslamWeb has published several fatwas on the same lines, including fatwa 81747 (2001) and fatwa 131719 (2010), which says the day "invites to lust and encourages immorality."

Which scholars allow marking Valentine's Day?

Egypt's Dar al-Ifta is the best-known institution that allows it. In fatwa 6589 (October 2013), a questioner asked whether a man may give his wife a rose on the day. The answer: "Such kinds of celebrations have become social occasions. Therefore, there is no objection to participating in them provided one does not contradict the teachings of Islam." It adds that it is lawful "to specify a day for renewing love between spouses," but the occasion "must not be called a 'feast day' but 'day of love'."

An earlier Dar al-Ifta answer, fatwa 4843 (July 2013), goes a little further and allows a day for "renewing lawful love between spouses or among friends and family." In 2020, The New Arab reported Dar al-Ifta's fatwa secretary Ahmed Mamdouh saying the day can also celebrate love for "our children, our family and our friends." Note what this view does not allow: a boyfriend or girlfriend. The word "lawful" carries the weight.

How do the positions compare?

The table sets the two views side by side.

Question Permanent Committee, IslamQA, IslamWeb, Darul Uloom TT Egypt's Dar al-Ifta
What is Valentine's Day? A non-Muslim festival A social occasion
Marking it with your spouse Not permitted on that day Permitted, as a "day of love," not an Eid
Gifts to a spouse on any other day Encouraged Encouraged
Selling Valentine's gifts Not permitted (Permanent Committee) Not addressed
Cards or gifts between unmarried couples Not permitted Not permitted

Can you give your spouse flowers or a gift on Valentine's Day?

It depends on which view you follow. Under Dar al-Ifta's fatwa, a husband giving his wife a rose on the day is allowed, as long as it is treated as a day of love and not a religious festival. Under the majority view, you should not single out February 14 for it.

Mufti Waseem Khan of Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago (2021) put the majority view gently: "On its own, the exchange of gifts, flowers, sweets etc. between a husband and wife is good, as it enhances love and goodness between the spouses. But this should be done regularly through the year." What the majority objects to is the date, not the gift.

Either way, kindness to your spouse is worship. The Qur'an says Allah "placed between you affection and mercy" (Qur'an 30:21). The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best of you is the best to his wives" (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895, graded sahih by Darussalam), and "You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah's sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife's mouth" (Sahih al-Bukhari 56). Flowers on an ordinary Tuesday are allowed under every view.

Is it haram to accept a Valentine's gift?

Scholars who forbid the day also say not to accept gifts given for it. IslamWeb (fatwa 89361, 2005) answered that "accepting gifts on such occasions is a sign of approving of these festivals," and that this applies even more to Valentine's Day. Under Dar al-Ifta's view, a gift from your spouse or family in that spirit is fine.

If a colleague or neighbor leaves chocolates on your desk, a short, warm thank-you is not the same as celebrating. If you follow the stricter view, you can share the box with the office and return the kindness with a gift at another time of year.

Can Muslims sell or buy Valentine's Day goods?

The Permanent Committee forbids helping the celebration "by eating, drinking, selling, buying, manufacturing, giving gifts, correspondence, advertising, or otherwise." Shaykh Ibn Jibrin said it is not permissible to sell these gifts and roses "if it is known that the purchaser celebrates these festivals." IslamQA (answer 119056, 2024) allows selling flowers, cards and gifts in general, but not gifts for Valentine's Day.

A Hanafi answer from Darul Iftaa (askimam.org), checked by Mufti Ebrahim Desai, sorts the goods into three groups:

  1. Ordinary items marked down for the season: buying and selling them is permissible.
  2. Items made only for the day, such as Valentine's cards: impermissible.
  3. Normal items like chocolates and flowers with Valentine's symbols on them: makruh (disliked).

So buying a discounted box of plain chocolates on February 15 is not a problem under any of these views. Stocking a shop window with "Be My Valentine" cards is where the majority draws the line.

What about Valentine's cards at school?

Under the majority view, children should not take part in the card exchange. IslamWeb (fatwa 347980, 2017) told a student whose teacher graded a Valentine's card project: "Writing these cards is part of celebrating it," and advised explaining this to the teacher and making up the grade elsewhere. Britannica describes the classroom exchange as "one of the most enduring" Valentine's traditions, so most families in Western schools meet this every February.

If you follow the stricter view, a few things help:

  • Talk to the teacher early, in January, so your child is not singled out on the day.
  • Explain the reason simply: "We have our own celebrations, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha."
  • Offer something else, such as letting your child hand out a small snack on another day, or a thank-you note to the teacher at the end of term.

Families who follow Dar al-Ifta's view may let young children swap friendly cards, as long as nothing romantic is involved. For a similar question about school parties, see our guide on whether celebrating Halloween is haram.

Is having a Valentine haram if you are not married?

Yes, a romantic relationship outside marriage is haram under every view, including Dar al-Ifta's. The Qur'an says, "do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way" (Qur'an 17:32). Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago says the exchange of flowers, chocolates and cards between Muslim boys and girls on the day "is not permissible at all."

This is the part of Valentine's Day where there is no real disagreement. If you are looking for a spouse, the halal route is a marriage search with family involved. Our guide on whether Muslim dating apps are haram explains how scholars view marriage apps and what keeps them halal.

Do Muslim countries ban Valentine's Day?

Some authorities do, in different ways. Malaysia's National Fatwa Council ruled against celebrating it at its 71st meeting in 2005, and JAKIM has run a "Mind the Valentine's Day Trap" campaign since 2011, according to Malay Mail. In Indonesia, Reuters reported in 2017 that the country's highest Islamic clerical council had declared the day forbidden in 2012, and that Surabaya, West Java and Aceh had told schools to ban celebrations.

Even there, the approach varies. In 2018 the Jakarta Post quoted MUI chairman Ma'ruf Amin saying celebrating it should be forbidden, but also that "not every region must ban Valentine's Day celebrations." In Egypt, by contrast, the state fatwa body allows it. Like birthdays, this is a question where sincere scholars reach different answers.

How can you show love every day of the year?

Whichever view you follow, the love Islam asks for is daily, not yearly: a kind word to your spouse, time with your children, and the five prayers that keep your heart steady. Salah Home is free to download, with an optional Premium upgrade: log each prayer with a tap, keep your streak going through the busy weeks, and earn Dates to build your own peaceful virtual home.

Frequently asked questions

Is Valentine's Day haram in Islam?

Most fatwa bodies, including Saudi Arabia's Permanent Committee, IslamQA, IslamWeb and Malaysia's National Fatwa Council, say celebrating it is haram. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta allows marking it as a "day of love" for spouses and family, as long as it is not treated as an Eid.

Can a husband and wife celebrate Valentine's Day?

Dar al-Ifta (fatwa 6589, 2013) says a day to renew love between spouses is lawful. The majority view says to give gifts and flowers to your spouse throughout the year instead of on February 14.

Is it haram to say "Happy Valentine's Day"?

The Permanent Committee says a Muslim may not congratulate others on the day. Dar al-Ifta (fatwa 4843) was asked exactly this and answered that there is no objection to taking part in such social occasions, provided nothing contradicts Islamic belief.

Can Muslims buy chocolates on sale after Valentine's Day?

Yes. A Darul Iftaa (askimam.org) answer says ordinary items that are simply marked down for the season are permissible to buy and sell. Cards made only for the day are not.

Can my child give Valentine's cards to classmates?

Under the majority view, no: IslamWeb (fatwa 347980) says writing Valentine's cards is part of celebrating the day. Asking the teacher early for an alternative helps your child avoid being left out.

Sources

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