Taking Part in April Fool's Day's Pranks
By Khalid Baig
Posted: 15 Muharram 1423, 30 March 2002
| Q.) I would like to know if we are able to take part in April Fool's
Day jokes and if not, why not. Jazakallah. |
A.) You know better whether or not you are able to take part in any
activity. We do not know your physical or social conditions.
Whether you should is another matter. There the question is why do you want to take
part in it? Think about it, research it, ask those who do urge or encourage you to do so.
Why? When you do, you will discover that real fools are the persons who foolishly follow
this practice while they have no idea why they are doing it.
A Muslim does not follow the mob. He, or she, never does things simply because other
people are doing it. He is a thinking, reflecting, person who does not waste any of his
time in doing things that will not bring him any benefit in the hereafter or in this
world. The hadith says: "From the beauty of a person's Islam is his abandoning of
vain things."
In contrast, in Jahiliyya societies people do things simply because others are doing
it. They blindly follow whatever the media or the mob tell them is the latest in thing or
cool idea. That is why Qur'an says that they are deaf, dumb, and blind. They are like
animals. Rather they are worse than animals.
"Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: They have hearts wherewith they
understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are
like cattle,- nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning)." [Al-A'raf
7:179]
Islam liberates you from the Jahiliyya society. Indeed it would be tragic if someone,
instead of cherishing it, were to question this liberation.
Q & A