A famous Hanafi scholar Mulla Ali Qari (Rahimullah) has written in his explanation in Mishkah AlMasaabeeh the following conclusion:
“To distribute food amongst the needy the night of 15th Sha’baan is not stated in any marfoo’ hadith (which is a hadith which is attributed to the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions have narrated it). Neither did any Companion acted upon this. And nor does any sahih hadith prove this so much so that there is not even a daeef (weak) hadith to prove this. To believe that souls reappear on earth on this night and many clean their houses for their arrival while they lighten up the houses by putting up extra lightening around the house and light up lanterns are all acts of misguidance.”
The above mentioned Qari further goes on to state: “Fireworks were invented in Islam by the people of ‘Baramka’. These were the people who worshipped fire and when they accepted Islam, they wanted to bring their original concepts onto Islam. It is said that when these people did sujud and ruku, the fire was still in their thoughts. Our Sharia does not allow the unnecessary kindling of fire.”
Maybe a question may arise here, “I am a lay person. How am I to know so much in depth of religious knowledge? And maybe fireworks is not a form of worship at all.” I would suggest that you step into any neigborhood masjid and ask any scholar of the masjid regardless of what school of thought he follows. Ask him the following, “I have lighted up about a hundred candles in front of my house, stood there and also lit fifty firecrackers and thrown them on the street which in turn lighted the streets.”
“Sir, I swear to Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), the sound of my firecrackers was the loudest in the entire neighborhood. So now tell me, with all the lighting of these firecrackers, what reward has been recorded in my Book of Deeds?” Surely, that scholar will think of you as a madman or think that you are jesting him since no sane person is bound to light firecrackers on the street at night. Additionally, these lighting of crackers is not considered a respectable act forget that it could even be religious in nature.
The loud firecrackers are most definitely a means of discomfort for the neighbors who are trying to sleep. There are patients as well as the elderly in the neighborhood who probably curse those who are making their life uncomfortable. Additionally, the passers-by are scared to walk on the street lest they get burnt.
Fireworks and the Economy
If a person was to draw a Rs.10 note from his pocket and just burn it and also feel happy about doing so, we’d think this person is not in his senses. But what about the person who spends thousands of Rupees on such an occasion on fireworks and firecrackers for a temporary pleasure. Isn’t it very similar to just burning the money? Is it a sign of an intelligent nation who wilfully destroys their resources in this manner? Pakistan is completely indebted owing money to foreign countries; we are a nation where the poor sleep hungry. At times several factories or houses catch fire due to the random landings of the firecrackers and fireworks. It is amazing how we still persist to follow such a practice year after year. How intelligent are we as a Muslim nation that we set fire to our very own resources that help us survive?
