Celebrating Non-Muslim Festivities

Two festivities of the People of the Book are looming these days, i.e Christmas and the New Year. We have become used to those festivities being celebrated in companies, organizations, societies, etc. We are also used to some Muslims participating, joining, and attending these gross events of falsehood, behaving in a way not befitting those who belong to this magnificent religion. It is for this reason that we want to write these words as a reminder for the Muslims. The question is: how should the Muslims act during such occassions?

The answer, in Ibn Taymiyah’s words, is that nothing should be done at all. This means that we, as Muslims, should not do anything we do not usually do on such days. It should be just another day with nothing special about it, as if they (People of the Book) are not celebrating. In this way Muslims make themselves different.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a lizard, you would follow them.’ We said, ‘O Allah's Apostle! (Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?’ He said, ‘Whom else?’

Shaikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah has proved the prohibition of celebrating the Christmas, Persian festivities such as Neyrouz, Jewish festivities and festivities of others as well, by stating that they all come under the same ruling. Since we should not imitate them in festivities, Muslims who do this must be forbidden from doing so, let alone approve and support them. We should not answer invitations from Muslims who invite us specifically on such occasions. If a Muslim holds an unusual celebration that coincides with one of the People of the Book’s festivities we do not have to answer the invitation although otherwise a Muslim should answer an invitation from a fellow Muslim as in the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s tradition.

Shaikhul Islam states details on issues related to the time and space dimensions of the festivities. He, for example, says: "And a Muslim should not sell food, clothes, or other items that encourage Muslims to be similar to the People of the Book in their festivities." From this we understand that if selling such items is forbidden, then selling cards that have a picture of a cross or church for greeting and congratulation of the festivity is also forbidden, let alone joining and being involved in this gross falsehood. Prohibition extends also to everything related to the festivity, e.g., congratulating, offering gifts, food, etc., since the festivity includes those and many other concepts.

Ibn Taymiyah quoted the evidence on celebrating the disbelievers’ festivities. The first evidence is that Allah (s.w.t.) forbade us to imitate the disbelievers or be their allies. The issue comes under loyalty, which is part of the faith itself. Believing and accepting their feasts would be confirming their faith. Rejecting it is required, as rejecting any other faith the infidels may adhere to, as Allah (s.w.t.) indicated: "O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as allies”. [5: 51]. Attending their festivities implies being allies to them, and accepting the festivities as being Muslim festivities. In this way the festivities of Satan’s party and associates become festivities for Allah’s party and associates who contradicts the evidence, let alone the instinctive rejection of disagreement Allah built in everyone.

The Tradition contains numerous Hadiths including; Anas (r.a.a) said: Rasulullah arrived to Al-Madinah when its citizens had two days as festivities (The Arabs had two days of festivities in pre-Islamic time). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "What are those two days?" They said: "We used to celebrate them in pre-Islamic time." He said: "Allah has offered you two better alternative days, viz, Day of Al-Adha and Day of Fitr". [Abu Dawood].

The implication of this Hadith is that Rasulullah did not approve those two pre-Islamic festivities and did not allow them to celebrate them and insisted on alternative festivities.

Source:© Nida'ul Magazine December - January 1997-1998