Mother's Day Celebrations from the Perspective of Islamic Creed: An Analysis of Elements of Tashabbuh and Western Culture

Haswira Salleh Ahim (Fakulti Usuluddin, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali, UNISSA)

Al-Bunyan: Interdisciplinary Journal of Qur'an and Hadith Studies
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026)

This study examines the celebration of Mother's Day from the perspective of Islamic creed (ʿaqīdah) within the context of cultural globalization and the rapid development of modern social media. Today, Mother's Day has evolved not only as a cultural expression of appreciation for mothers but also as part of the dissemination of Western culture through the media, entertainment, and digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The research problem arises from the tendency of some Muslims to accept the celebration as a culturally neutral practice without critically examining its historical background, the elements of tashabbuh (imitation of non-Islamic practices), and its implications for Muslim identity and the preservation of Islamic creed. This study adopts a qualitative approach through library research and critical analysis of primary and secondary sources, including the Qur'an, hadith, classical Islamic texts (turāth), the works of contemporary Muslim scholars, and academic literature on Western culture and globalization. The objective of this study is to analyze the celebration of Mother's Day from the perspective of Islamic creed by examining the elements of tashabbuh, the influence of Western culture, and its implications for Muslim identity in the era of digital globalization. The findings reveal that Islam places great emphasis on honoring mothers through the concept of birr al-wālidayn (kindness and dutifulness toward one's parents). However, the modern celebration of Mother's Day is associated with the spread of Western culture and the process of normalizing foreign cultural practices within Muslim societies. The study further finds that social media plays a significant role in expanding the acceptance of this cultural practice, resulting in many individuals paying insufficient attention to its cultural and theological implications. In conclusion, Muslims should possess a clear understanding of the distinction between honoring mothers in the manner prescribed by Islam and imitating external cultural practices, so that the preservation of Islamic creed and Muslim identity can be maintained in the face of the challenges posed by contemporary globalization.