There are many amongst us in this part of the world that take time out of their busy schedules, Muslims (sadly) and non-Muslims, to celebrate a day known as Christmas. Now, I’m sure many of us as kids went out enjoying Christmas in ignorance and many of our parents let us go out in ignorance. However, there are people amongst us, and sadly the Muslims are included in this that throw Christmas parties at their houses and dress up in dresses leaving no trace of the Islamic traditions that were given to us. We have become so engrained within the morals, values, and customs of this part of the world that have we have forgotten the pure traditions that were given to us by Allah azza wa jal. We have lost our identity and thus have resorted to adopting the practices of those around us. However, we should realize this is probably done in ignorance as well; people just know no better. So, it becomes our jobs to educate those Muslims and bring them closer to a better understanding and a better way of living.

Inshallah, this article will serve as an educational tool for the Muslims. I ask Allah to accept it and make it of beneficial to the people. Before I begin, I find it important to lay out some basic principles of the religion; thereafter I will talk about the issue of Chrismas and the stance of the Muslims on such practices.

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Allah says:

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ

 Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.

The religion that will be accepted by Allah on the Day of Judgement will be al-Islam. Allah has chosen to make Islam the final religion for all of mankind; it is the religion that confirms everything that was revealed before it and it is the final message that was revealed to the final Prophet of Allah, Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalam. As Allah says:

نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

It is He Who has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what came before it.

The Qur’an is truth and everything in it and the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam is absolute truth. Allah has made this religion perfect; free of any need to borrow from other cultures/traditions/religions because Allah has completed this religion for us and made it perfect. Allah says:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِيناً

This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion.

And it of no surprise that this perfect faith has been granted to all of mankind, because the essence of it carries out the purpose of our life. The essence of Islam is to submit ourselves to the one and only creator of the heavens and the earth and to worship Him alone. Allah says:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

And I have not created the jinn nor the human except to worship Me.

And so Islam has been perfected by Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Meaning we have no need to add or subtract from this religion; everything that Allah has provided for us (through the Qur’an and the authentic traditions of the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam) in this package known as al-Islam is exactly what we need to succeed. And Allah has given us this perfected way of life so that we may carry out the purpose of our creation (i.e. to worship Him) with ease.

III. WHAT IS SAID REGARDING CELEBRATING OR TAKING PART IN SUCH CUSTOMS

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alayhi wasalam issued a stern warning:

“Whoever imitates a nation is one of them!”
(Recorded in Abu Da’oud)

Islam has strongly forbidden Muslims to follow the religious or social customs of the non-Muslims, and especially of the idol-worshippers or those who worship the devil. This is because the basis of our religion is to testify in the Oneness of Allah, it is to uphold tawheed, it is to give Allah His right of not associating and not acknowledging any partners to Him. Allah is One and Only and the Muslim does not oppress himself by taking part in celebrations/customs of those people who associate partners with Allah azza wa jal. May He be Exalted. Far above is He from that which they associate to Him. Allah says:

وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَانُ لِابْنِهِ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

And when Luqman said to his son while he was instructing him, “O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah . Indeed, association [with him] is great injustice.”

Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ

“…And those who do not witness falsehood [al-zoor]…” [al-Furqaan 25:72]

Allah describes the believers as “Worshippers of the Most Gracious” , saying: “And those who do not witness falsehood and if they pass by “Laghow” (evil play or evil talk) they pass by it with dignity” (the same verse quoted above). The scholars and interpreters of Al-Quran quoted Mujahed, Ad-Dhahak, Ikrimah and others that Laghow means festivities of the idolaters, ie, “Worshippers of the Most Gracious” do not attend festivities of the idolaters

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah sallalahu alayhi wasalam came and they had two days in which they would (relax and) play. He said, “What are these two days?” They said, “We used to play (on these two days) during the days of ignorance.” The Messenger of Allaah sallalahu alayhi wasalam said:

“Allaah has given you something better instead of them:
Yawm al-Duhaa [Eid al-Adha] and Yawm al-Fitr [Eid al-Fitr].”
(Reported by Abu Dawood).

This indicates clearly that the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam definitely forbade his ummah to celebrate the festivals of the disbelievers. The fact that the religion of the People of the Book is accepted does not mean that their festivals are approved of or should be preserved by the ummah, just as the rest of their acts of disbelief and sins are not approved of. Indeed, the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam went to great lengths to command his ummah to be different from them in many issues that are mubaah (permitted) and in many ways of worship, lest that lead them to be like them in other matters too. This being different was to be a barrier in all aspects, because the more different you are from the people of disbelief the less likely you are to do actions of the people who disbelieve. And this is a true statement because we are a product of our environment.

The Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam said:

“The Final Hour will not come until my followers copy the deeds of the previous nations and follow them very closely, span by span, and cubit by cubit (inch by inch).”
(Bukhari).

As mentioned earlier, Islam is a perfect religion revealed by Allah azza wa jal to the Prophet sallalahu alayhiw asalam. When somethign is perfect in its true sense, it has no need to be added to or taken away from.

The Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasalam said:

“You must keep to my Sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs;
cling to it firmly. Beware of newly invented matters, for every
new matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misleading.”
(Bukhari)

Please forgive me for anything I said that may have offended you. Anything good that comes out of this is from Allah and Him Alone. Anything bad or wrong comes from myself and shaytaan. Jazak Allah Khair