Can I celebrate my birthday?

In Islam, there is no legal impediment which hinders you from celebrating birthdays as it is part of reminding ourselves with the blessing of existence and creation. This meaning does not contradict with the hadith which Anas ibn Malik narrated in which the Prophet was coming to Medinah and realized that people had two days in which they play and express joy so he asked “what are those days?” and people said “we used to play and have fun in these two days in the pre Islamic period” so the Prophet said “God has replaced those days with better ones, the day of Adha and the day of Fitr”.

Therefore the only two feasts which Muslims celebrate are the day of Adha (sacrifice) and the day of Fitr (breaking the fast) but that does not mean at all that one should not celebrate birthdays and other special occasions in one’s life such as wedding anniversary, birthdays etc.. as long as we don’t name these occasions as celebrations or feasts. Also in all cases in celebrating different occasions, we should refrain from committing all kinds of prohibitions. Birthdays fall under God’s commands in which He says, “and remind them of the days of God” 14:5 and among the days of God are birthdays and the days of victory.