AlBaqir:
Summary and English translation of Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah’s fatwa on Muslims congratulating non-Muslims on their holidays:

This issue is without a doubt a very important and sensitive one, especially for Muslims living in the West.

Many questions have been posed to the [European] Council [for Fatwa and Research] from brothers and sisters living in those lands. They coexist with non-Muslims and have established many ties with them as part of life such as being house neighbors, working together in jobs, and studying in school together.

Sometimes a Muslim can feel the favors of the non-Muslim upon them, as in the teacher who assists Muslim students with sincerity, the doctor who treats Muslim patients also with sincerity, etc. As the saying goes, the human being is imprisoned by good treatment, and the poet said:

Do good to people and you will possess their hearts For doing good has always enslaved the human being

What is the position of Muslims in relation to non-Muslims who are peaceful with them, do not sow enmity against them, do not fight them in their religion, and have not driven them out of their homes nor have supported ones who try to do so?

The Quran has established a basis for the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in two verses from the Book of God the Exalted, which were revealed in relation to polytheists:
“God does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with anyone who has not fought you for your faith or driven you out of your homes: God loves the just. But God forbids you to take as allies those who have fought against you for your faith, driven you out of your homes, and helped others to drive you out: any of you who take them as allies will truly be wrongdoers.” [60:8-9]

So the two verses distinguished between those who are peaceful with Muslims and those who are not.

As for the first ones (those who are peaceful), the verse has legislated having kindness and just treatment with them. [But the Arabic words used in the verse imply more than this] because the word “qist” means justice, and the word “birr” means doing good with an extra measure of it, which is higher than justice. [The concept of] justice means you take what is rightfully yours, whereas “birr” means you concede some of your rights. In other words, justice, i.e., "qist", is to give a person their due right without any diminishment, but kind treatment, i.e., "birr", [mentioned in the verse] means you give a person more than their due right as an act of virtue.

As for the others mentioned in the second verse, they are those who have declared enmity with Muslims and fought them, and driven them out of their homes without the right to do so except for having declared:

Our Lord is God! This is what Quraysh and the polytheists in Mecca did with the Messenger (s) and his companions.

[Also, note here] that the Quran used the word for kind treatment, i.e., “birr”, for the relationship with those who are peaceful, which is the same word used for the greatest obligation upon the human being after fulfilling the right of God the Exalted; the right of “birr” towards parents.

Moreover, the permissibility of congratulating non-Muslims on their holidays is more confirmed in the case that they also congratulate Muslims on Islamic
holidays. We have been commanded to return good with good, and to respond to a greeting with one that is better than it, or at least the same as it. The Exalted said:
“But [even in battle] when you [believers] are offered a greeting, respond with a better one, or at least return it.” [4:86]

So it is not befitting for a Muslim to be less generous or have a lower status of good character than others. A Muslim is supposed to be the one who is most kind and having the noblest character as it has been transmitted in the Hadith:

“The most complete in faith among the believers are those ones with the noblest character.”

As well as the other statement of the Messenger (s): “I was only sent to complete noble character traits.”

The Prophet (s) had a noble character and a generous in relationship with the polytheists of Quraysh despite their harm towards him and gathering against him and his companions.

[Lastly] the usual words used to congratulate during these occasions do not entail acceptance or adopting of non-Muslim creed. They are simply words of courtesy that are customary during these occasions. There is also no deterrent from accepting gifts from them and rewarding them with gifts in return, because the Prophet (s) accepted gifts from non-Muslims, with the condition that these gifts are not that which would be impermissible for a Muslim, such as alcohol or swine meat.

[It should be mentioned] that we are not for Muslims celebrating the religious holidays of polytheists or People of the Book. We see some heedless Muslims celebrating Christmas the same way they celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Ad’ha, or even more. This is not permissible because we have our religious holidays and they have their religious holidays. But we do not see harm in congratulating people on their religious holidays for those who have social relationships with them.

Fundamentalist:
Good post . A lot of orientalist Muslims will not like this post

yazach:
Question:

What is the ruling on congratulating the disbelievers on their celebration e.g Christmas ? 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 Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, in his book The ruling on the people beneath the Muslim protection [Ahkham Ad Dhimmah — أحكام أهل الذمة] 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 illegal sexual intercourse and things of this nature. And many of the people who don’t have any religion (or respect for the religion) 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 Shaykh’s (Ibn Al Qayyim) speech may Allah have mercy upon him.

Shaykh Uthaymeen continues:

So congratulating the disbelievers on the religious holidays is not permissible, as shown by the proof brought by Ibn Al Qayyim. 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.”

(Surah Az Zumar, 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.”

(Surah Al Ma'idah, Chapter 5 verse 3)

So congratulating them with this is not permissible 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”

(Surah Ale Imran, 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 (ﷺ)

“Whoever imitates a people is from them”

[Narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan, no. 3512; Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 2691].

Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah 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 (Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyyah’s) 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.

— Shaykh Saalih ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah)

[The above is a summary translation of a post taken from sahab.net. Translated by Rasheed Estes Barbee

drakeli:
What about Happy New Year! I hope you know celebrating new year 2018 is celebrating two thousand and eighteen years after the birth of Jesus? Technically, it’s not a Muslim celebration and new year. But you can shout it on roof top that you are in 2017 or 2018. Don’t you see any problem with that as a Muslim acknowledging Christian calendar. So, you need to start writing your own date henceforth using Islamic calendar. Failure to do that is participating in recognizing Christian new year and acknowledgment of its celebration. Hypocrisy of the highest order.

sorextee:
So we that wish u guys happy Ramadan nko?
And im quite sure ur president will wish us a happy xmas too. U guys can like to sow a seed of discord sha. It is well. So Na pple like una dey throwey food wey Christians give una during festive periods..

If thats d case, those Muslim beggars knocking our door to beg for food(even during our festive season), are u trying to say Allah is not pleased with dem?

Or what did Mohammed say, concerning beggars asking unbelievers for food and alms?

AlBaqir:
AN ALTERNATIVE BALANCED FATWA



www.nairaland.com/2061345/fatwa-muslims-congratulating-non-muslims-holidays

yazach:



إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ (159)

yazach:


Did I see you typing Christian calendar?

Mr man nothing like Christian Calendar it is Gregorian

AlBaqir:


# Your intention using the verse exactly is what?

Note: That alternative fatwa where it is allowed to greet Christian during their festive, is 100% from a well respected Ahlu Sunnah scholar.

drakeli:
When Muslims want to rationalize what they want to accept, they will start twisting and twisting to make it more appealing and acceptable to their conscience.

You don’t even know where the word Gregorian came from. Thank you for at least admitting that it’s called Gregorian before I tell you why it’s called that.

You can pretend not to see the truth maybe that will help you appease your conscience. Gregorian calendar is a Christian calendar introduced by Catholic Pope Gregory Xlll in the Vatican (not by one imam in Mecca), hence named Gregorian calendar. He created the calendar to conform with certain Christian event observations. Especially catholic. . It's a yearly count of the years after the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether you like it or not, we are in 2017AD going to 2018AD. AD means ano domini. It’s a Latin word which means “ in the year of our Lord”.

We have had 200AD, 654AD, 1342AD. This is 2017AD.

Continue to celebrate new year, the year of our Lord. Write your date of birth using the format of the “year of our Lord”. Don’t you see any problem with that? Tell people you are going to 2018 ( the year of our Lord) and not 1456 or whatever (Islamic own) while deceiving yourself that you don’t want to congratulate for the birth of our Lord. Hypocrites everywhere.

yazach:


sit down nothing like Christian calendar. Bitter truth

drakeli:
Is that all the defense you have to dispute it that you are not using Christian calendar? Mehn... you can do better. Your defense is superficial, just on the face value. I have told you about the origin of the calendar you are using.

Is it the name you have issues with ? We can call it anything we want. Gregory is a Christian name? Maybe it’s Muslim. while We Christians know that’s what it is and why we created it. You can keep up living in self denial to appease your conscience. Islamic hypocrisy. Everything that has it’s root in Islam is Islamic this is Islamic that. The calendar you are using has it’s root in Christianity. Created by the church under the pope. Used for counting the years of our Lord and not the year Muhammed fled Medina. Used for centuries by christiandom to commemorate catholic/Christian annual observations and festivals before Islamic countries ever had a taste of western civilization. So my advice to you is, stop counting the years after the birth of our Lord and stop using its date format please. Until then, no one should take you seriously. Deal with it.

yazach:


What is it exactly that Christians can do except to imitate whites and call it theirs. Just name it

Burial ceremony. Naming, Marriage, Festivals, etc

sorextee:
And now u re deviating...
Im still in shock as to ur initial write up.
You guys behave as commanded in that religion.
I wont be surprised when we start seeing topics like
ISLAMIC RULING ON HOW TO WAKE UP
How to bath
Brushing of teeth with a toothbrush is Haram
Plenty of una dey carry religion for head pass anything.
No be still all of una go enter heaven sef

Rashduct4luv:
Muslims have a full Islamic law with provisions for almost anything! Our laws can successfully be used to govern a country as was practised by our last Prophet.

Christians on the other hand can not boast of this. They have no laws and will mostly borrow from Mosaic laws, etc and this is not realistic in successfully governing a country. No wonder there is no Christian country which fully use Christian laws. Christians will always need common laws made by man...

Please Christians respect our laws.

Christmas is not really the day Jesus was born.

Even at that, we dont believe Jesus was God or one of 3 Gods, so why do we need to greet u/celebrate with u for the birth of your Lord?

And we dont celebrate birthdays at all.

Respect this and move on.

Rashduct4luv:
Muslims have a full Islamic law with provisions for almost anything! Our laws can successfully be used to govern a country as was practised by our last Prophet.

Christians on the other hand can not boast of this. They have no laws and will mostly borrow from Mosaic laws, etc and this is not realistic in successfully governing a country. No wonder there is no Christian country which fully use Christian laws. Christians will always need common laws made by man...

Please Christians respect our laws.

Christmas is not really the day Jesus was born.

Even at that, we dont believe Jesus was God or one of 3 Gods, so why do we need to greet u/celebrate with u for the birth of your Lord?

And we dont celebrate birthdays at all.

Respect this and move on.

drakeli:
What about Happy New Year! I hope you know celebrating new year 2018 is celebrating two thousand and eighteen years after the birth of Jesus? Technically, it’s not a Muslim celebration and new year. But you can shout it on roof top that you are in 2017 or 2018. Don’t you see any problem with that as a Muslim acknowledging Christian calendar. So, you need to start writing your own date henceforth using Islamic calendar. Failure to do that is participating in recognizing Christian new year and acknowledgment of its celebration. Hypocrisy of the highest order.

drakeli:
When Muslims want to rationalize what they want to accept, they will start twisting and twisting to make it more appealing and acceptable to their conscience.

You don’t even know where the word Gregorian came from. Thank you for at least admitting that it’s called Gregorian before I tell you why it’s called that.

You can pretend not to see the truth maybe that will help you appease your conscience. Gregorian calendar is a Christian calendar introduced by Catholic Pope Gregory Xlll in the Vatican (not by one imam in Mecca), hence named Gregorian calendar. He created the calendar to conform with certain Christian event observations. Especially catholic. . It's a yearly count of the years after the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether you like it or not, we are in 2017AD going to 2018AD. AD means ano domini. It’s a Latin word which means “ in the year of our Lord”.

We have had 200AD, 654AD, 1342AD. This is 2017AD.

Continue to celebrate new year, the year of our Lord. Write your date of birth using the format of the “year of our Lord”. Don’t you see any problem with that? Tell people you are going to 2018 ( the year of our Lord) and not 1456 or whatever (Islamic own) while deceiving yourself that you don’t want to congratulate for the birth of our Lord. Hypocrites everywhere.

yazach:


sit down nothing like Christian calendar. Bitter truth

profbeejay:
Alhamdulillah for this piece,
Islam is the religion of peace, so a peaceful response should be given to whosoever greet us.

yazach:


Guy honestly this is not hatred, it is just part of what we are not to do as a Muslim and you as a Christian have something you are forbade to do together with Muslims(e.g: you cannot offer Solat in the Mosque), You also can not prostrate to Ogun with Idol worshipers

We can eat your food in as much that it is not Christmas food (Some Christians doesn't even belief in it so the will never celebrate it)
We can do so many things with Christians

sorextee:
So we that wish u guys happy Ramadan nko?
And im quite sure ur president will wish us a happy xmas too. U guys can like to sow a seed of discord sha. It is well. So Na pple like una dey throwey food wey Christians give una during festive periods..

If thats d case, those Muslim beggars knocking our door to beg for food(even during our festive season), are u trying to say Allah is not pleased with dem?

Or what did Mohammed say, concerning beggars asking unbelievers for food and alms?