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Congratulating Christians During Christmas: Permissible Or Not by Kazrem(m): 5:12pm On Dec 25, 2015 |
CONGRATULATING CHRISTIANS DURING
CHRISTMAS
An Abridged Translation of Al - Qaradawi's Fatwa
By
Abdullahi A. Lamido
Sheikh Yusuf Al - Qaradawi was asked about the
status of congratulating Christians during
Christmas by a Muslim PhD student who was
studying in a University in Europe. He said his
colleagues and lecturers congratulate him and
present gifts to him during Eid celebrations, so
could he do the same to them during theirs. The
fatwa he gave, which was later adopted by the
Fatwa Council of Europe, is translated below (in an
abridged form):
The Qur'an has provided a general formula that
will guide our relations with non Muslims when it
says:
"Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly
with those who do not fight against you on
account of religion nor drove you out of your
homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with
equity. It is only as regards those who fought you
on account of religion, and have driven you out of
your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allah
forbids you to befriend them. And whoever
befriends them then such are the wrongdoers.
(60:8-9).
In our relationship with peaceful non - Muslims,
the Qur'an requires that we do al - birr and al -
qist to them. And al - birr is beyond Justice as it
entails doing good and extending kindness to
them. Justice is to give a person his due while al
- birr is to give him more than his rights in form of
kindness and generosity.
Al - birr is the term used by the Qur'an in
describing the most important right in Islam after
that of Allah, ie birr al - walidain, kindness to
parents.
Bukhari and Muslim report that Asma' bint
Abubakar asked the Prophet (SAW) whether she
could visit her mother who was a mushrikah (not
even ahl al - Kitab who are closer to Muslims) and
extend kindness to her. The Prophet approved that
to her.
The Qur'an has permitted eating the food and
slaughtered animals of the people of the book and
marrying their women (5:5).
One natural implication of marriage is mutual love
between the couple as the Qur'an says: "And
among His signs is that He has created for you
wives from among yourselves, that you may find
tranquility in them, and He has put between you
affection and mercy". (21:21).
After all how would one not love his wife who is
also the guardian of his home, his life partner and
mother of his children, despite Allah's saying in
respect of the mutual relations between married
couple that " they are your garments and you are
their garments (2:187).
Again among the implications of marriage and its
fruits are that the families of the couple would
become in - laws to each other, and that is one of
the things that naturally create strong ties among
human beings as described in the Qur'an: Furqan
54.
Another natural consequence of marriage is
motherhood and the attendant rights associated
with it including the right of the mother towards
her child.
Now, would it be part of al - birr and good
relationship for a son not to congratulate his
mother during her most important celebrations?
And what would be his stand in relation to her
relatives such as his grandparents, aunts and
children of her sisters? All these are his relatives
who have rights over him as stated in the Qur'an
(anfal 75) and Nahl 90.
Given that the rights of motherhood and kinship
make it necessary on Muslim men and women to
strengthen the ties of kinship to them, then it is
necessary for a Muslim to demonstrate to them the
good characters taught by Islam. The Prophet
(SAW) says "... And relate to all people with good
characters". Here he says "all people", not only
Muslims. The Prophet also encourages rifq
towards non Muslims and warned against 'unf
against them.
Another reason for the permissibility of
congratulating them - specifically those among
them who also congratulate Muslims during their
festivities - is that we have been commanded to
respond to good with good and to respond to
greetings with better forms of greeting as in Qur'an
4:87.
It does not behove a Muslim to express lesser
kindness and good to the people who do same to
him. Rather the Muslim should demonstrate more
kindness and magnanimity to the other as
explained by the Prophet (SAW): "The best of the
believers are the best of them in terms of
character". And he says "I have only been sent to
perfect good characters".
This kindness is even more relevant when we want
to call them to Islam and draw them closer to it
and also cause them to like Muslims. These
cannot be achieved through harshness.
The Prophet (SAw) used to relate with the
mushrikun of Quraish based on kindness
throughout the Makkan period despite their
hostility and persecution of him and his
companions, to the extent that they, because of
how they trusted him, used to give him their
properly for safe keeping. When he was to migrate
to madinah he had to ask Ali (RA) to take back
some of those property to their Mushrik owners.
Therefore, it is not forbidden for a Muslim
individual or Islamic organization to congratulate
them in this occasion, either verbally or through
sending a card that does not carry any symbol of
their faith or religious proclamation that
contradicts Islamic principles, such as the cross,
as Islam is against the concept of the cross (see
Qur'an 4:157).
It is known that the words used here are usually
free from supporting or agreeing with their faith.
They are rather ordinary words of mujamalah,
kindness.
Again it is not wrong to collect their gifts and
reciprocating same to them, for, the Prophet (SaW)
accepted gifts from non Muslims such as
Muqauqish the leader of the qibts of Misr. But this
is with the condition that the gifts do not fall within
forbidden things such as intoxicants and pork etc.
I am aware that Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah had
gone strong in the issue of the festivities of
mushrikun and Ahl al - Kitab in his excellent book:
Iqtida' Sirat al - Mustaqim Mukhalafat Asha al -
Jahim.
And I am with his opinions regarding forbidding
Muslim's celebration of the festivities of mushrikun
and people of the book, like some Muslims who
celebrate Christmas as they do for Eid, or even
more. This is forbidden. We have our festivities as
they have theirs. However, I do not see any harm
in congratulating the people for their festivities by
a person who has connection, blood relations,
neighbourhood social friendship or other social
relate with them which will often require mutual
affection and kindness.
It is clear that Ibn Taymiyyah issued his fatwa in
the light of the realities of his age. And if he (may
Allah be pleased with him) were to live in our
world and witness how close relationships have
been built between human communities and how
the world has been reduced to a global village; if
he sees how Muslims are in need of relating with
some Muslims, and how non Muslims have
become Professors and lecturers of the Muslims -
unfortunately! - in the sciences and engineering; if
he observes the necessity of going close to them
for the purpose of da'wah and presenting Muslims
as people of kindness not harshness, as givers of
glad tidings not rejectors; if he realises that a
Muslim's congratulatory message to his neighbour
or colleague or his University Professor during
such festivities does not in any way imply
accepting his christian belief or supporting him in
what according to our belief is kufr; if he sees how
even the Christian himself does not see that
festivity as a religiously sanctioned celebration that
draws him near to God but ordinarily a socio-
cultural event (as believed by most Christians)
used for enjoyment and exchange of gifts, food and
drinks among families and friends; if Ibn
Taymiyyah were to live in our age and see all this
he would have changed his position - and Allah
knows best - or at least he would have softened
his fatwa. This is because he (may Allah be
pleased with him) used to consider time, space
and circumstances in issuing fatwas.
Translated 24th December 2015 lalasticlala |
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