Is Black Friday Prohibited in Islam?

What is Black Friday?

“Black Friday is the last Friday of November. What we have found out about it is the following:

Black Friday, which in the Arab world is sometimes called White Friday, is the day that comes immediately after Thanksgiving in the United States, and it is usually at the end of November every year. This day is regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

On this day, most stores offer sales and discounts, and open their doors as early as 4 AM, because of the huge discounts, and because most Christmas gifts are bought on that day. Large numbers of consumers gather outside major stores early on Friday, waiting for them to open, and when they open the crowds start pushing and shoving and running, each of them eager to acquire the biggest share of cut-price goods.

The name of Black Friday dates back to the nineteenth century, as it was connected to the financial crisis of 1869 in the United States, which dealt a heavy blow to the American economy, to the extent that goods could not be sold and the buying and selling of goods ceased, which caused an economic catastrophe in America, from which it recovered by taking numerous measures, such as huge discounts in prices of products and goods, so that they could be sold instead of vendors being stuck with them, and so as to reduce losses as much as possible.

From that day, it became a tradition in America for major stores, businesses and agencies to offer large discounts on their goods, that could be as high as 90% of their value, so that they could go back to their original price at the end of Black Friday or the month in which it occurs.

Why is it called Black Friday?

As for describing this day as ‘black’, that does not stem from dislike or superstition. Rather it was given this name for the first time in 1960 by the police in the city of Philadelphia, who gave it this name because of huge traffic jams, crowds and long lines in front of stores on this day, which was known for shopping. So the police department in Philadelphia dubbed this day Black Friday to describe the crowded chaos and traffic, both pedestrians and cars.

Moreover, the word black is widely used with a specific meaning in the fields of business and accounting, as it is an indicator of profit and getting rid of stock in warehouses, whilst the colour red is indicative of loss and expenditure that exceeds earnings, or the piling up of trade goods and slowdown of business. The most likely reason [why it is called Black Friday] is that black ink was used to record profits and red ink was used to record losses in American ledgers and daily records of profits and losses. As a result of making large profits on that day, the ledgers were filled with black ink, then that Friday became known as Black Friday.” (Wikipedia-Black Friday) 

Ruling on taking advantage of reduced prices on Black Friday

There is nothing wrong with buying items on Black Friday and taking advantage of the discounts and deals that are offered, even if this is connected to Thanksgiving or follows it, or these discounts are offered for people to buy Christmas gifts, so long as the purchaser buys permissible things and does not buy things for the purpose of celebrating Christmas, such as gifts and other things.

In the answer to question no. 145676  we explained that it is permissible to buy goods during the Christmas season, to take advantage of reductions in prices.

Can Muslim shopkeepers single out Black Friday for lowering prices?

There is no such thing as Black Friday or White Friday for us. The Muslim should avoid imitating and resembling the disbelievers , and he should beware of extravagance and squandering. Sales and deals should not prompt him to waste his money on things that he does not need.

Owners of shops should not single out Black Friday for reducing prices, because of what it involves imitating and resembling the disbelievers . Rather he should treat this day like any other day, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 4031; classed as authentic by Al-Albani in Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud.)

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade resembling the disbelievers in customary matters, as Muslim (2077) narrated from `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`As (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw me wearing two garments that had been dyed with safflower and he said: “These are garments of the disbelievers; do not wear them.”

And it was narrated from Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Do not wear silk or brocade, do not drink from vessels of gold or silver, and do not eat from plates made with the same, for they are for them in this world and for us in the hereafter.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 5426 and Muslim, 2967)

Ahmad (22283) narrated that Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to some old men of the Ansar whose beards were white, and said: “O Ansar, dye your beards red and yellow; be different from the People of the Book.” We said: O Messenger of Allah, the People of the Book wear trousers and they do not wear the Izar (waist wrapper, lower garment). The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Wear trousers and Izars, and be different from the People of the Book.” We said: O Messenger of Allah, the People of the Book wear Khuffs and do not wear sandals. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Wear Khuffs and sandals, and be different from the People of the Book.” We said: O Messenger of Allah, the People of the Book cut short their beards and let their moustaches grow. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Trim your moustaches and let your beards grow, and be different from the People of the Book.”

At-Tirmidhi (2659) narrated from `Amr ibn Shu`ayb (may Allah be pleased with him), from his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He is not one of us who imitates people other than us. Do not imitate the Jews or the Christians , for the greeting of the Jews is to gesture with the fingers and the greeting of the Christians is to gesture with the palm of the hand.” (Classed as sound by Al-Albani)

If the disbelievers look forward to Black Friday every year, and they single it out for discounts and adverts and call it by a special name, we have no right to imitate them in that when we are buying and selling, or to single out this day for reducing prices on goods in our stores. However, if a shopper comes across these discounts , he may buy whatever he needs, as explained above.

And Allah knows best.