Bismillahi Wal Hamdullillah Was Salātu Was Salāmu ‘alā Rasoolillahi
Ammā Ba’d:
As today is April fools we share this benefit.
The origins of April Fools day
There is some dispute concerning the origins of April Fools Day.
Perhaps the most popular is that which is attributed to Pope Gregory XIII. In France in 1582 he adopted the Gregorian calendar (named after him), in which he moved the beginning of the year from March (the end of March) to January 1.
People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the New Year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.
They were ridiculed, and seen as foolish – and hence we have April Fool’s Day.
This theory is disputed though, since it is known historically that the Julian Calendar, established in 46BC, made January the first month of the year. Countries began to switch calendars, and it all ended up being a mess by the 1500s. Some countries started the year on different days.
A different theory is that April Fools’ Day is left over from the idea of renewal festivals, which marked the end of winter and the start of spring.
One of the oldest versions of this occasion was the Roman pagan festival Hilaria. It was a festival held in honor of Cybele, the mother of the gods. All kinds of games and amusements were allowed on this day; masquerades were the most prominent among them, and everyone might, in his disguise, imitate whomsoever he liked, and even magistrates.
The festival coincided with the spring equinox, and those who took part in the festival would wear disguises, play tricks on people and generally wreak havoc.
Regardless of whichever theory is correct the day is one based in falsehood, lies and striking false fear into the hearts of people.
The Prophet – Sallallahu alaihi was Salam said:
“It is not permissible for the believer to frighten another believer” (Abu Daawood (5004))
He also said: “The sign of the hypocrite are three: if he speaks he lies, and if he is given a trust he breaks it, and if he makes a promise he breaks his promise” (Saheeh Bukhaari (33) and Saheeh Muslim (59) upon the authority of Abu Hurairah)
He also said: “Be truthful for indeed truthfulness, leads to righteousness, and indeed righteousness leads to Jannah. Indeed a man remains truthful and is diligent about being truthful until he is written with Allah as a truthful person” (Saheeh Bukhaari (5743) and Saheeh Muslim (2607) upon the authority of Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood)
Therefore there is no such thing as a ‘white lie’ in Islaam, all of it is black.
If this lying is combined with resemblance of the pagans with their festivities, then it becomes worse.
After mentioning the haraam nature of lying, our Shaikh, Muhammad Ibn Haadi, mentions:
“..This affair, the affair of April fools day, which the question was posed concerning, is haraam from two angles;
- Firstly because it is lies..
- That which makes it worse is the fact that it has in it resemblance of the non-Muslims..if a Muslim lies and startles his brother Muslim, and causes him to be frightened, or intensely alarmed to the extent that he may even be afflicted with an illness (due to it). When it is said to him for example ‘such and such has passed away’ from those who are dear to him. Whether his father or brother or son or daughter, or that it is said to him ‘your house has been burgled’ or that ‘your house has been burnt down’ or the likes, from the great affairs that may (possibly) cause a person to enter a state of insanity or delirium, he may lose his mind or become ill. Who then would be responsible for this? It would fall upon this liar!”
Click here for the full audio of the Shaikh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO0qXh1_hLg
Therefore we warn our brothers and sisters against this custom, the like of which has no good in it and may possibly cause harm.
Wa Sallallahu ‘Alaa Nabiyyinaa Muhammad
www.ah-sp.com
@abuhakeembilal
