Responding to Merry Christmas by Sheikh Uthaymeen

[Bint_ul_islam]

Responding to Merry Christmas by Sheikh Uthaymeen

Question: What is the ruling on congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration? And how do we respond to them if they greet us with it. And is it permissible to go to the places where they are having celebrations for that purpose. And does the person (Muslim) take a sin if he does the aforementioned without any intent? Rather he only does it being courteous, or due to shyness or due to being put in an awkward situation, or due to some other reasons. And is it permissible to resemble them in this?

Answer: Congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration or other than that from their religious holidays is not permissible according to the consensus. As was related by Ibn Al Qayim, may ALLAH have mercy upon him, in his book "The ruling on the people beneath the Muslim protection", when he said: As for congratulating the disbelievers for their religious ceremonies that have kufr (disbelief) attached to it, then it is not permissible according to the consensus. For example congratulating them for their holidays or their fasts, so the person says, "May you have a bless holiday", or he wishes them well for their holiday or something like that. So this, if the one who says it escapes from falling into kufr (disbelief), is(still) from the impermissible things. And it is on the same level as congratulating them for prostrating to the cross. Rather it is a greater sin with ALLAH. And it is a more severe abomination than to congratulate them for drinking alcohol and killing someone, committing zinaa and things of this nature. And many of the people who don't have any deen(or respect for the deen) fall into this. And he doesn't know the ugliness (evil) of what he has done. So whoever congratulates a person for committing sins, or innovations, or disbelief, then he has exposed himself to the hate, wrath (anger) of ALLAH. –End of the Sheik's (Ibn Al Qayim) speech may ALLAH have mercy upon him--

So congratulating the disbelievers on the religious holidays is not permissible, as shown by the proof brought by Ibn Al Qayim. Because in it, (congratulating the kufar on their religious holidays) is an approval for what they are upon from their kufr ceremonies, and showing them that you are please with it. Even if the person is not pleased with the actual kufr itself, it is also not permissible for the Muslim to be pleased with kufr ceremonies, or to congratulate them for it. Because ALLAH the Exalted is not pleased with that, as ALLAH the Exalted says, "If you disbelieve, then verily, ALLAH is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you." (chapter 39 verse 7) And the Exalted says, "This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." (Chapter 5 verse 3) So congratulating them with this is haram whether this person is your co worker or not.

So if they greet us with their holiday greeting we don't respond to them with it, because it's not our holiday, and they are holidays that ALLAH is not pleased with, and because it is something that is either innovated in their religion, or it was legislated but has since been abrogated by the deen of Islam that which Muhammad peace and blessing be upon him, was sent with to all of the creation. And He (ALLAH) says about it (Islam) "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers" (Chapter 3 verse 85)

And for the Muslim to accept their invitations to these occasions (holiday celebrations) is haram. (Impermissible) Because this is worst than congratulating them with it, because this would entail participating with them in this. Also it is haram for the Muslim to imitate the disbelievers by establishing celebrations for these occasions, or to exchanges gifts, or to distribute sweets, or trays of food, or to stop work or anything like this. Due to the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, "Whoever imitates a people is from them". Sheik of Islam Ibn Taymia said in his book, Follow the straight path and oppose the path to the fire,"Imitating them in some of their celebration causes happiness in their hearts for what they are upon from false hood. And it is possible that this might encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity to humiliate the weak minded". –End of his (Sheik Ibn Taymia) speech. May ALLAH have mercy upon him.

And whoever does anything from this is a sinner. And it is the same whether he did it being courteous, or seeking friendship, or due to shyness, or any other reason, because this is from being deceitful in the deen of ALLAH. And this is from the reasons that reinforce the psyche of the disbelievers and to make them proud of their deen.
Arabic source: http://www.sahab. net/sahab/ showthread. php?s=35fa99f9d7 89184f931aaa011c acb771&threadid=316084

[Bint_ul_islam]

Ruling on celebrating non-Muslim holidays and congratulating them

Question:
Can a muslim celebrate a non muslim holiday?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.
Greeting the kuffaar on Christmas and other religious holidays of theirs is haraam, by consensus, as Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah: "Congratulating the kuffaar on the rituals that belong only to them is haraam by consensus, as is congratulating them on their festivals and fasts by saying ‘A happy festival to you’ or ‘May you enjoy your festival,’ and so on. If the one who says this has been saved from kufr, it is still forbidden. It is like congratulating someone for prostrating to the cross, or even worse than that. It is as great a sin as congratulating someone for drinking wine, or murdering someone, or having illicit sexual relations, and so on. Many of those who have no respect for their religion fall into this error; they do not realize the offensiveness of their actions. Whoever congratulates a person for his disobedience or bid’ah or kufr exposes himself to the wrath and anger of Allaah."

Congratulating the kuffaar on their religious festivals is haraam to the extent described by Ibn al-Qayyim because it implies that one accepts or approves of their rituals of kufr, even if one would not accept those things for oneself. But the Muslim should not aceept the rituals of kufr or congratulate anyone else for them, because Allaah does not accept any of that at all, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"If you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. . ." [al-Zumar 39:7]

". . . This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion . . ." [al-Maa’idah 5:3]

So congratulating them is forbidden, whether they are one’s colleagues at work or otherwise.


If they greet us on the occasion of their festivals, we should not respond, because these are not our festivals, and because they are not festivals which are acceptable to Allaah. These festivals are innovations in their religions, and even those which may have been prescribed formerly have been abrogated by the religion of Islaam, with which Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to the whole of mankind. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]

It is haraam for a Muslim to accept invitations on such occasions, because this is worse than congratulating them as it implies taking part in their celebrations.

Similarly, Muslims are forbidden to imitate the kuffaar by having parties on such occasions, or exchanging gifts, or giving out sweets or food, or taking time off work, etc., because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtidaa’ al-siraat al-mustaqeem mukhaalifat ashaab al-jaheem: "Imitating them in some of their festivals implies that one is pleased with their false beliefs and practices, and gives them the hope that they may have the opportunity to humiliate and mislead the weak."

Whoever does anything of this sort is a sinner, whether he does it out of politeness or to be friendly, or because he is too shy to refuse, or for whatever other reason, because this is hypocrisy in Islaam, and because it makes the kuffaar feel proud of their religion.

Allaah is the One Whom we ask to make the Muslims feel proud of their religion, to help them adhere steadfastly to it, and to make them victorious over their enemies, for He is the Strong and Omnipotent.


Majmoo’ah Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 3/369)

[Oum Ahmad Mohamed]

Christmas/Shirkmas is coming....

[fulaan]

Originally Posted by Ruwayda Mustafah

Christmas/Shirkmas is coming....

allaahumusta'aan

[Oum Ahmad Mohamed]

Originally Posted by fulaan

allaahumusta'aan

I bumped the thread with that comment, just thought everyone might benefit from reading this again. I didn't mean for it to be offensive...

Fe Aman llah.

[Yusuf Khan]

AS.

Is there anyway that we can find a practical solution in responding to these people when Merry XMas is said?

In my experience, the reason anybody does respond with the like, is because of the social awkwardness if you don't. Does anybody have a phrase that they use, or etc. that can be used as a good dawah tool, or not make you look like you're crazy?

[Lucky_me]

Assalaam alaikum All,

Hope all are well.

Would "Have a good one!" cover oneself???
...

you could possibly respond with .."don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Allah hu Alam

[fulaan]

waalaykumassslaam
the two statements you suggested dont seem appropriate and seem to be of the type the shaikh is saying arent allowed.
allaahu'alam

[fulaan]

and regarding thr social awkward id rather feel awkward fot a few seconds if thats what it takes than face the punishment from allaah.

[Ayman bin khaled]

What brother lucky one suggested is good and that is called Ta'reed and it is a way out. Also, they are used in nice way as it is a funny reply that people often get it in humor way.

Wallahu A'alm

[salamfromrom]

with all due respect to the sheikh, I think this approach is highly impractical for a person like me (white convert who lives in a 100% christian community). I can't just shut up while all my aquaintances and people all around me expect me to say something...anything at all lol. I just wish them a happy life, I can't just shut up.

salam

[Yusuf Khan]

Originally Posted by salamfromrom

with all due respect to the sheikh, I think this approach is highly impractical for a person like me (white convert who lives in a 100% christian community). I can't just shut up while all my aquaintances and people all around me expect me to say something...anything at all lol. I just wish them a happy life, I can't just shut up.

salam

Exactly. Which prompted my question of practical solutions.. Nobody (unless they really do not have enough knowledge) will argue with the Fiqh of it perse or disagree with the rulings. but what are practical steps to say/do when we do encounter. We know what NOT to do...not what CAN we do to make it better.

[aminn]

may be to go underground and only come out only once the christmas is over??lol..
i don;t want to be a pessimist here but honestly, i do not see any practical steps that could be taken in order to avoid the situation by which we can please them and at the same time please Allah SWT. We can't just ride in two boats at the same time. So we have to take a decision.

[strive4jannah]

Originally Posted by salamfromrom

with all due respect to the sheikh, I think this approach is highly impractical for a person like me (white convert who lives in a 100% christian community). I can't just shut up while all my aquaintances and people all around me expect me to say something...anything at all lol. I just wish them a happy life, I can't just shut up.

salam

One cannot adopt a lenient approach as this is a very grave matter;


.................................................. ..........................................

Indeed, beyond that, the scholars have even stated that it is not allowed for Muslims to congratulate the non-Muslims on their holidays or festivals. Ibn al-Qayyim in Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimma (vol. 1, p. 205) writes, "Giving congratulations on the special events that are specific to the disbelievers, such as congratulating them on their holidays by saying, "Blessed holiday for you" or other similar greetings, is considered forbidden by the agreement of the scholars. Even if the one who states it is free from any aspect of apostasy, it is still a forbidden act and it is the same as congratulating them upon their prostrations to the crucifix. In fact, that is one of the greatest sins in Allah's (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) sight. That is a greater sin than congratulating them for drinking wine, having illegal sexual intercourse and so on. Many of them who are not very religious do such things and they do not know how evil what they are doing really is. Whoever congratulates another human for any sin, heresy, or act of apostasy has exposed himself to the punishment and anger of Allah (Subhaanu wa ta'ala). The pious people from the early scholars would avoid congratulating the oppressors when they received positions of authority or the ignorant when they were given judicial or teaching positions in order to avoid the punishment of Allah (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) and falling from His Grace. If a person would be compelled to go to such people to repel any evil that he expected from him, only to speak well to him and to ask Allah (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) to guide him, there is nothing wrong with that."

Ibn al-Qayyim has included a beneficial section mentioning the opinions of the scholars concerning this matter (Ahkam Ahl al-Dhikmma, vol. 2, p. 722). It shall be reproduced here with some abridgment: "In the same way that is not allowed for them to publicly (celebrate their holidays), it is not allowed for the Muslims to assist them for the holidays or to help them or to attend (their ceremonies) with them according to the agreement of the people of knowledge. In fact, the jurists who follow the four legal schools have made this clear in their books. Abu al-Qasim al-Tabari wrote, "It is not allowed for Muslims to attend their (the disbelievers') holidays and festivals because they are a type of evil falsehood. If the people of good mix with the people of evil without putting an end to what they are doing then they become like those who are pleased and influenced by the evil. And we fear falling into Allah's (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) anger because of their gathering."

Then he stated relying on Abu Hatim's narration, that Amir ibn Murra said about the verse, "Those who do not witness falsehood," that "they do not assist the pope of idolatry in their idolatry nor do they associate with them." And al-Baihaqi recorded with a Sahih chain that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Do not learn the lingo of the foreigners and do not enter the polytheists' churches on the days of their holidays for (Allah's) anger descends upon them." And he also recorded with a Sahih chain that Abdullah ibn Umar stated, "Whoever stays in the lands of the foreigners and celebrates their New Year's Days (of the festivals of the disbelievers) and behaves like them until he dies, he shall be resurrected with them on the Day of Resurrection." And ibn al-Qayyim said, "Ibn al-Qasim disliked for a Muslim to give a Christian a present during his (the Christian's) holiday; he considered this action as honoring his (the Christian's) holiday and assisting him in disbelief. In the same way, it is forbidden for Muslims to sell Christians anything they may use in their holidays of meat, blood, or clothing, nor should he loan him an animal to ride on, nor help him with anything concerning his festival because all of that would be a way of dignifying their idolatry and helping them in their Kufr. It is a must for the rulers to prevent Muslims from doing such deeds. This is the opinion of Malik and others. And I do not know of any difference of opinion concerning this matter." These are his words from al-Wadhiha. And in the books of the students of Abu Hanifa it states, "Whoever gives them a present, during their holidays, of a watermelon, meaning by that to honor their holiday has committed act of Kufr (apostasy)."


Written by Shaykh Jamaludeen Zarabozo

[Abdul-Haqq Abdul-Khaliq]

Originally Posted by salamfromrom

with all due respect to the sheikh, I think this approach is highly impractical for a person like me (white convert who lives in a 100% christian community). I can't just shut up while all my aquaintances and people all around me expect me to say something...anything at all lol. I just wish them a happy life, I can't just shut up.

salam

lol...

i usually just reply "don't drink too much"

[fulaan]

Originally Posted by Abdul-Haqq Abdul-Khaliq

lol...

i usually just reply "don't drink too much"

no offence akhee but i dont think this is appropriate as it like saying: go ahead and celebrate your kufr and go ahead and drink alcohol but only a small amount.
you may have hatred for it in your heart but what is upon your tongue is contrary to that.

[Abdul-Haqq Abdul-Khaliq]

Originally Posted by fulaan

no offence akhee but i dont think this is appropriate as it like saying: go ahead and celebrate your kufr and go ahead and drink alcohol but only a small amount.
you may have hatred for it in your heart but what is upon your tongue is contrary to that.

no offence taken =)

u got a good point.....

the way I saw it was like they gna drink anyway.......
but honestly I jus saw it as a way out not to reply merry christmas

[salamfromrom]

It is haraam for a Muslim to accept invitations on such occasions, because this is worse than congratulating them as it implies taking part in their celebrations.

What are western converts supposed to do? Virtually every friend, relative or known person celebrates these things, more out of cultural habit than anything else. And yes I must admit, who doesn't enjoy getting a few days from work/school/etc ?

The alternative would be to become social recluses. Us here in the west , many of us at least should incorporate islam slowly and steadily, not all at once, it can seriously backfire when everybody turns on you because they think you've become a bin laden-loving terrorist(thx a lot binladen). It's a slow process. When I was 19 years old I grew a beard and started to pray 5 times a day, but my parents which were sponsoring most of my studies in university went beserk and threatened to throw me out on the street (it was winter by the way) with no money and no food. It's an awkward situation to say the least. Sure I could have probably broken all relations with my parents and could have chose instead to get a minimum wage job cleaning toilets or something but that would not have been enough to even pay for the rent and I would have been forced either to steal or live on the street or both. Nobody can survive in this world without a friend or loved one.

I've learned my lesson. Taking it slow is the way to go, at least for me, but I think for many other muslims. I believe I speak for the majority of us converts here in the west, we do passively celebrate these kufr holidays and that's because we don't have a choice. Everybody's celebrating, it's impossible not to help them even if it is just by selling them something or helping them with something which may aid them in the celebrations, it's simply inescapable.

I respect the aforementioned scholars and their opinions, but I just think they're not being realistic at all. Going by their logic, it would be 100% guaranteed impossible to not be sinful during the western holiday season except by maybe locking oneself up for a couple of weeks with only food and water.

Salam

[Ayman bin khaled]

Originally Posted by salamfromrom

with all due respect to the sheikh, I think this approach is highly impractical for a person like me (white convert who lives in a 100% christian community). I can't just shut up while all my aquaintances and people all around me expect me to say something...anything at all lol. I just wish them a happy life, I can't just shut up.

As we said, replies can be twisted as suggested by the brother before.

You can say: Have a good day.. or I hope you the best (that Allah guide them) and etc.

[Ayman bin khaled]

Originally Posted by salamfromrom

What are western converts supposed to do? Virtually every friend, relative or known person celebrates these things, more out of cultural habit than anything else. And yes I must admit, who doesn't enjoy getting a few days from work/school/etc ? The alternative would be to become social recluses.

Thinking about it. Such religious occasion happen once or twice in the year. So, what you said is inaccurate and does not make sense. Also, no one would hate you for not attending such activites. Needless to add, how can you attend what you believe is religiously unacceptable and include all various of forbidden acts. It is either you please Allah or please weak human being.

These days you can spend more wisely and be more healthier. Go out the town, travel, relax, stay with family if you are married, do what you always wanted to but could not due work and etc. The life is not stopping at attending such celeberations.

I've learned my lesson. Taking it slow is the way to go, at least for me, but I think for many other muslims. I believe I speak for the majority of us converts here in the west, we do passively celebrate these kufr holidays and that's because we don't have a choice.

Yes you have a choice just like anyone else. When you decide to attend such celebrations you made a choice you are aware of its consequences. I know heaps of reverts who do not that and they live happy and normal. So, what you suggested cannot be correct. Also, beinga revert has nothing to do with how to deal with such activities. This applies on everyone who lives in the west and have relations with non-muslims. All of them know how to get out of it and just to tell people you cannot attend places where alcohol served is enough to get them off your back and even non-muslims respect that in Muslims.

Everybody's celebrating, it's impossible not to help them even if it is just by selling them something or helping them with something which may aid them in the celebrations, it's simply inescapable.

This is farfetched.

I respect the aforementioned scholars and their opinions, but I just think they're not being realistic at all. Going by their logic, it would be 100% guaranteed impossible to not be sinful during the western holiday season except by maybe locking oneself up for a couple of weeks with only food and water.

Also, if what we think oppose the principles of religion then we blame our thoughts and not the Religion.

If every muslim would adopt your method of thinking, then there will be no muslims. I suggest you to read about first generations who gave up their families, wealth and lived on nothing for the sake of religion. Actually I suggest you to have a read about the life of the companion Suhaib, The Roman. Then try to relate yourself to it.