Happy Birthday to me

Last Tuesday was my birthday, it was my 31st birthday. Yep I’m older to some people but still younger to some. But hey, life begins at 40 they say, what a cliché.

To me, life begins everyday, I have to work like I’m going to live forever and I have to beribadah or perform all the obligatory Islamic rituals like I’m going to die tomorrow.

This birthday was very special to me because for the first time I celebrated it with my wife, my baby (though still not born) and me as a husband. We went to ‘The Ship’ restaurant at Up-Town to celebrate my birthday. I had fish and my wife had black pepper steak. Thank God, this month a lot of my clients paid my legal fees.

Thank you also to some of my friends who still remember my birthday. But thus far I have not received any gift although I don’t expect any. The best gift on this birthday is from my beautiful wife, she gives me a ‘baby’.

Actually, birthday celebration is unheard of during the time of our Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and his Companions. So some Muslims are against the birthday celebration or party. They call it “bidaah” or innovation. A practise which is not done by the Prophet s.a.w.

Historically, the Prophet s.a.w. birthday was first celebrated by the Fatimiah Dynasty in Egypt somewhere around 450 Hijrah. Later it was followed by other Muslim leaders and dynasty. Modern Islamic jurists like Sheikh Atiyyah Saqr and Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qardawi allow Muslims to celebrate or remember the birthday of Prophet s.a.w. but it must be filled with Islamic activities and values only. No hanky-panky.

Anyway, I wish to take this opportunity to wish 'a happy birthday' to anyone who is celebrating his or her birthday today.

Have a nice day folks.