Re: Valentines day? - History and Islamic Perspective
I'll probably regret asking this (:)) and my better instinct is to stay out of this discussion, but anyway, here it is...
Sister hareem mentioned at least twice that it is bid'ah to celebrate Valentine Day. Keeping Valentine's Day out (its an inane Hallmark celebration anyway which just enriches card makers, florists and chocolate makers), my question is, isn't bid'ah kinda limited to religious acts? Like, you can't do three sajda's in namaz and expect to get more sawab.
For example, if someone drives a car (which was not driven in the days of early Islam), that is not considered bid'ah because riding a car or brushing your teeth has no religious connection, and the person is not expecting additional sawaab.
Unless someone expects to get additional sawaab, I doubt giving chocolates to your wife on any particular day, has anything to do with religion, so I am kinda curious on all this bid'ah angle in this discussion.