Celebrating Non-Muslims occasion of Christmas or NewYear’s Day

حنان · 22 / 12 / 2008, 36 : 09 PM

Celebrating Non-Muslims Holidays

Christmas or New Year’s Day

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saleh Al-Uthaim een (May Allah
preserve him)

As-Salaaamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu

Q. What is the ruling on giving salutations or
congratulations to unbelievers (kuffaar) on the
occasion of Christmas or New Year’s Day (Gregorian
Calendar) (i.e. “Merry Christmas and a happy New Year”
[Trans.]) because they work with us (the Muslims)?

Q. How do we respond to them if they greet us in this
way?

Q. Is it permissible for us to go to the places where
they celebrate these occasions?

Q. Is the person sinful who has done as mentioned
above not intending to imply belief in them but rather
out of trying to be friendly or out of shyness or
feeling they are in a difficult situation and perhaps
embarrassed or for any other such reason?

Q. Is it permissible to imitate them in this? Please
give us the ruling and may Allah reward you.

And May The Peace of Allah be upon you and the Mercy
of Allah and His Blessings

Congratulating the non-believers (kuffaar) on the
occasion of Christmas or any other of their religious
occasions is unanimously agreed upon in Islam to be
forbidden (haraam). As has been transmitted by Ibn
Al-Qayyim (May Allah have mercy upon his soul) in his
book “Ahkaamu Ahli Dhimmah”1, where he says: As far as
showing happiness or giving congratulations for any
ceremonies or rites, especially tied any form of
disbelief (kufr), it is unanimously agreed upon as
being forbidden (haraam). For example, to congratulate
them on their religious occasions or their fasting and
saying Merry Christmas to you, or showing happiness
for that occasion or the like, even if the person who
says it is free from this kufr in themselves, it is
nevertheless haraam. It is like congratulating them
for their prostrating to the cross. Indeed it is a
greater sin with Allah and more detestable and odious
than congratulating someone for having an alcoholic
drink (Ex. “Cheers” “To your health” etc. (Trans.]),
or having killed someone, or committing a rape or any
other act of illicit sex, and the like. Many who
possess no understanding of deen (Islam) fall into
doing this without realizing the ugliness of what they
have done. Whoever congratulates someone for his
disobedience or unsanctioned religious innovation
(bid’ah) or disbelief, is exposed to the loathing of
Allah and His displeasure.

Certainly congratulations and happiness for the
disbelievers on their religious celebrations is
forbidden. By this is an affirmation, as Ibn Al-Qayyim
has mentioned, because in it is an acknowledgement of
what they are upon from a religious ceremony based on
disbelief and an acceptance of it for them, even if
the Muslim does not accept such disbelief within
himself. It is nevertheless forbidden (haraam) for the
Muslim to show pleasure or acceptance of the religious
rites of disbelief or to be congratulatory to others
for it because Allah Most High is not pleased with nor
acceptant of disbelief from His slaves.

As Allah Most High states: If you disbelieve,
certainly Allah is in no need of you and He does not
accept from His slaves any disbelief. And if you are
thankful He is pleased and accepts it from you.
[Az-Zumar 7]

And He, The Most High states: Today I have perfected
for you your religion and completed My favour upon you
and accept only Islam from you as a religion.
[Al-Maida 3]

Their (Muslims) congratulating and showing happiness
with this (i.e. Christmas and other religiously based
ceremonies) is forbidden whether they share with the
individual in the act or not.

If they greet or congratulate or salute us on their
occasions we are not to answer them for this because
it is not part of our celebrations and because it is a
celebration which is not accepted by Allah Most High.
Due to it being either an unsanctioned innovation in
their religion (bid’ah), or whether sanctioned by
them, it is abrogated by Islam that Allah sent
Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi was sallam) with to all
creation. As He has stated: Whosoever desires as a
religion other than Islam it will never be accepted of
him and he will be in the Hereafter among the ranks of
the losers. [Aali ‘Imraan 83]

To accept their invitation to these occasions is
forbidden (haraam) because this is of the greatest
forms of congratulations and expressions of happiness
with it and so is participating in it at all.
Likewise, the Muslims are forbidden in general to
imitate the disbelievers by supporting their parties
on these occasions or exchanging gifts or distributing
sweets or dishes or taking time off from work, etc.
This is based upon the statement of the Prophet
(SallAllahu alaihi was sallam): Whoever imitates a
people is one of them. [Ahmed, Abu Dawud, and others
and declared as totally authentic)

Sheikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah states in his book
“Iqtidaa As-Siraatil Mustaqeem Mukhaalafatan
Ashaabil-Jaheem”2: Imitation of them (the
disbelievers) in some of their holidays necessitates
there being happiness in their (the Muslims) hearts
for the falsehood they are upon. They may even be
desirous of it through availing themselves of the
opportunity and the lack of esteem of the weak.
Whosoever does anything like that has committed a sin
whether it is due to his trying to be polite, to gain
favor, or be on friendly terms, or from shyness, or
any other reason. This is because it is a type of
hypocrisy or dissimulation in the religion of Allah
and a means of strengthening the confidence within the
disbelievers and giving them a source of religious
pride. Allah is asked to honor and raise the esteem of
the Muslims in their religion and provide them
steadfastness upon it and make them victorious over
their enemies. Surely, He is Powerful and Mighty.

The praise and thanks is due to Allah the Lord of the
Worlds and may His Blessings and Peace be upon our
Prophet Muhammad and upon his family, followers and
companions all together.

Written by Muhammad Saleh Al-Uthaimeen 25/5/1411 A.H.

Celebrating Non-Muslims occasion of Christmas or NewYearMs Day