Today is eve of 1 Jan 2017 and tonight Muslims are going to be divided into three groups.

First group, are Muslims that will gather in a masjid or a place or a house to supplicate to Allah for the welcome of 2017 and when they finished, they greets each other with happy new year

Second group, are Muslims that will be in the club House, party with friends with alcohols and ladies and when it midnight they scream at each other happy new year.

Third group, are Muslims that will be on their bed sleeping ,never bother to welcome 2017 when it midnight and when they wake up ,they never bother to greets any one with happy new year

My beloved brothers and sisters in Islam, which group you belong to among the three groups..??

Allah ta’ala says ..”Indeed the number of months with Allah has been twelve months by Allah's ordinance since the day He created the heavens and the earth..(Surah At-Tawbah 36 ) As Muslims, we have our own calendar which has been since 1400 years ago, that is Hijri Calendar , which today Saturday is 2 Rabi al-Thani 1438AH .Unfortunately most of us are uses to Gregorian calendar but as muslims it’s the Hijri calendar we should use for our daily activities, if due to circumstances beyond our control we can’t make use of Hijri calendar then Allah will pardon us for those circumstances beyond our control, for He is Oft –Forgiving, the Most Merciful and at the same time He will punish us for those circumstances that is not beyond our control and New Year celebration of Gregorian calendar belong to the kuffar not to the Muslims BUT today many Muslims celebrate new year. In Islam we have guidelines to whatever we want to do in life, that is why Islam is a complete way of life, and our guidelines are from the Qur’an and the authentic hadith (sunnah) and a Muslim who fears Allah ta’ala will never belittle those guidelines .Then as Muslims ,we should ask ourselves what is the guidelines in Islam concerning Festivals .

Anas ibn Maalik (ra) said: "The Prophet (saw) arrived in Madeenah while people were celebrating two particular festivals, so he asked: “What is (the significance of) these two days?” Some people replied: ‘They are days which we used to celebrate during the pre-Islamic era.’ So the Messenger replied: “Allaah has replaced them for you with two days which are better, the day of ‘Eed Al-Fitr and ‘Eed Al-Adh-haa”" [Abu Daawood].

This statement of Prophet Muhammad (saw) has make it clear that in Islam we only have two festivals ,which are Eed Al-Fitr and Eed Al Adh-haa and there is no other festival apart from these two festivals for we Muslims to celebrate and NO MATTER what names we gives to others festivals apart from Eed Al-Fitr and Eed Al Adh-haa, it could be New Year of Gregorian calendar (1 January ) or New Year of Hijri calendar (1 Muharram ) or Christmas or Maulud Nabi or Easter or Chinese New Year etc all these festivals are forbidden for Muslims to celebrate. Allah ta’ala says ..”If anyone contends with the Prophet (saw) even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him and follows a path other than that of the believers ,We shall leave him in the path he has chosen and land him in Hell, what an evil destination (Surah An-Nisa 115 ) Then fear Allah...!!!!