Ruling on decorating homes for the advent of Ramadan

10-7-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamo Alaikom W.W. before i think 30 years, our forefathers make some decoration in and out side their house during ramadhan,or sometimes before ramadhan. thats my question, this is subhat or haram..i your reply as soon as possible, jazakallahul khair assalamo alaikom.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

If such decorations are meant to reflect a cheerful ambiance on these special days without being set up with the intention of performing a devotional act of obedience or worship to Allaah thereby, there is nothing wrong with that. In this case, this is not considered a religious innovation. In fact, it is forbidden for Muslims to decorate their homes in the month of Ramadan as an act or worship because, in this case, it is considered a religious innovation or an act that leads to it. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “…every religious innovation is error…” [Muslim and others]

On the other hand, it should be noted that extravagance should be avoided in this regard since Allaah, The Exalted, condemns those who are extravagant and wasteful. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.}[Quran 17:27] He also forbade excessiveness; Allaah says (what means): {O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.}[Quran 7:31]

Allaah Knows best.