Regarding to abdullah yusuf ali, I have to check about it first.
Regarding to celebrating birthday:
1) It's the day you remembering when you're born, so you know you're getting old.
2) It's the day to remember your mother sacrifice in delivering you as a baby as she was struggle between life and death.
3) Celebrating birthday doesnt involve party, karaoke, dancing, alcohol etc. It's just a family occasion. Just have special meals, cake (without candle, because it's unIslamic - to wish and blow the candle) and gifts from family members. We dont want to imitate the Christians or Westerners. It just a family occasion remembering a historical date important to our family.
For me it's Islamic because it doesnt violate any Shariah laws.:happy: