Writing Valentine's Day cards as graded class project

19-7-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

My teacher assigned her students to write Valnetine's Day cards as a graded project. Is it permissible for me to do so to get a good grade in the class, or should I receive a zero?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

We have previously underlined the prohibition of celebrating the so-called "Valentine's Day" in fatwas 81747 and 131719. Writing these cards is part of celebrating it, so it is impermissible for the Muslim to write Valentine's Day cards. You should explain to your teacher that this is not allowed in your religion. If she excuses you from this project, then all is well, and if she insists on giving grades for writing the cards, then do your best to make up for these lost grades in another part of your course, and do not write the cards.

You should bear in mind that when you leave something for the sake of Allah, He will reward you with something better than it; verily, Allah compensates the person who leaves something for His sake. Allah says (what means): {And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect ... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him of his matter ease.} [Quran 65:2-4]

The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "If you abandon something out of fear of Allah, He will compensate you with what is better." [Ahmad and An-Nasaa'i] Al-Albaani and Al-Arnaa’oot graded it Saheeh (sound)] Another version of the hadeeth reads, "Whenever you give up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will substitute it with something that is better for you than it."

Allah knows best.