Source Attribution
This excerpt is taken from the book “Aḥkām o Masā’il in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah” by Shaykh Mubashir Aḥmad Rabbānī.
Question
What is the ruling on presenting flowers as a gift to someone?
Answer
Giving gifts to one another is a good practice, and it increases mutual love. The Sharīʿah has encouraged giving gifts.
It is narrated from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
تَهَادَوْا تَحَابُّوا
“Give gifts to one another, and you will love one another.”
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله stated that its chain is ḥasan.
Likewise, in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and other collections, there is a ḥadīth in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Let no woman consider any gift insignificant for her neighbor, even if it is the hoof of a sheep.”
From the above authentic aḥādīth, it is evident that giving and receiving gifts fosters love.
Therefore, whether it is a bouquet of flowers or any ḥalāl food or drink, there is no harm in presenting such gifts. Nor does this constitute imitation of the Jews.
Imitation refers to adopting the distinctive religious symbols or specific customs of a particular people that are not permitted in Islam.
