Is it forbidden in Islam to wish my Christian friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year?

[Mostafa]

 

 

 

"Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and they do not expel you from your homes that you be dutiful toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly".

 

The Noble Koran, chapter 60 verse 8.

 

It’s usually around that time when Christians around the world celebrate Christmas and the commence of another Gregorian year.

 

Typically, Muslims debate whether it’s permissible to wish them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

This debate is recurring on an annual basis.

 

The motivating factor for this debate is essentially based on Muslim dissented couple of juristic opinions.

 

There are two major opinions on the subject.

 

The first one is what I consider the conservative, the unsophisticated opinion.

 

They believe that it is not religiously permissible to wish the non-Muslim a happy feast.

 

It’s a general prevention and it doesn’t target a particular religion.

 

The reason for that is what they say about wishing them a happy feast is considered a metaphorical recognition of their worship as valid which is polytheistic in Islam,  and it is an imitation of unbelievers which is religiously reprobated.

 

This opinion mostly dominates the rustic class in my country and it is virtually  opted by some Saudi clerics and imams.

 

The other opinion is the one which permits, and even some times, it enjoins wishing them a happy feast.

 

I myself have opted this opinion as valid.

 

My choice of this opinion is essentially based on the Koranic passage I just translated its general significance in the section above and it’s dominantly supported with the scholarly consensus of moderate Muslim jurists, Koran commentators and theologians of Al-Azhar.

 

This opinion is primarily established on the essence of the verse which its translation has been quoted in the section above.

 

If we attempt to discern what the verse outlines, we will find it clearly establishing the major verdict to implement concerning the relationship between Muslims and peaceful non-Muslims.

 

Allah says that He glory be to Him doesn’t forbid us from those who don’t fight us in religion and they don’t drive us out of our homes that we be dutiful to them.

 

What does it mean to be dutiful to someone?

 

     It basically means to be quite    lenient  and fervent toward them.

 

It’s to treat them with kindness, tolerance and courtesy.

 

Incidentally, I don’t join them in their religious services.

 

I don’t join them in religiously prohibited engagements. I don’t participate in consuming alcoholic beverages, for instance. So why that I shouldn’t wish them a happy feast?

 

It is just inconsistent and it’s rationally self-contradictory.

 

The verse that I quoted its translation in the section above was revealed in Medina and it’s firm, it’s not abrogated.

 

What does it mean to say that the verse was revealed in Medina?

For Koran scholars and commentators, this statement has a quite substantial signification.

 

It basically signifies organizing the social conduct. This is one of the main primary pursuits of the Koranic phase in Medina. It basically organizes and it sets injunctions for both states, the state of peace, and the state of war.

 

This verse in [particular implys to the relationship between us and between the peaceful, the not aggressive and the vastly untrammelled portion of non-Muslims who never spoke or acted  against us.

 

How it’s consistent that I shouldn’t be dutiful toward them?

 

Well, the Koran though enjoins me to do the opposite.

 

It enjoins me to be dutiful and to act justly with them in the state of conducting a juridic business.

 

So in conclusion then, I don’t see any valid reasons for not wishing a peaceful non-muslim a happy feast.

 

It doesn’t mean that I recognize their worship as valid.

 

It just means that I act dutifully toward them as the Koran decisively enjoined me.

 

Intolerance is obviously against the human nature and thus, it’s against the religion of Allah glory be to Him, because the Creator of this universe and the Bestower of this monotheistic and this moderate faith is just a One true God, Allah Almighty, glory be to Him.

 

  In the midway of this global human crisis I say, there must be more tolerance, empathy and mutual deference so we can coexist living together.

 

From the capitol of Egypt, from this very casual building in Heliopolis area, I say the last words in my farewell of 2014 and my reception of the commencement of 2015.

 

In the complex of this mass conflict which this world lives in, I pray to Allah glory be to Him that He may bless us with a better year, and may all those who receive or read this as a forwarded post, may Allah glory be to Him grant them a better health and a greater wealth of grace and affection, because this is the most precious posession that someone could have or wish for.

 

O 2014, you are leaving with all your joys and sorrows. So keep the joys and take the sorrows, so we can inshallah wish for a better future and a prosperous world which understands that difference is a major characteristic of  human development, it’s an integrative factor not a conflictive one.

 

Let us make this our resolution for 2015, how about that?

 

  Thank you all for reading. Thank you for agreeing and thank you for disagreeing. May Allah grant you all a very pleasant celebration, and may Allah bless all us with His Grace and Guidance, Amen.

 

Thank you for your attention and thank you for your courtesy.

 

Peace be with you.

 

Mostafa.

 

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