Muslims and how to deal with Christmas?

[butterflykisses]

Just curious how Muslims in American deal with Xmas.

I know just one Muslim girl (by association) and she celebrates Christmas via presents etc but has told me she "doesnt make it religious". Ive already been a bit disturbed by Christmas before I converted (my family is Christian) because it seems its generally supposed to be a religious holiday to Christians as it represents Isa's birthday (all thought the 25th is not his birthday I have read?)....Anyways the point is--the #1 question I hear immediately after Xmas is "what did you get"-referring to presents. It really, TRULY, bothers me.

As a Muslim I know that we should treat these days with perhaps a family dinner, special family time....i.e. birthdays of prophets....but presents and an Xmas tree seem a bit much just to make your children not feel left out from the rest of the American/Christian culture....in fact for those Muslims in America...by doing presents an Xmas tree etc etc...isnt that just like celebrating this holiday like Christians?...If we dont do these things on other prophets b-days, why Isaa-I refuse to celebrate it like this just because most in America do...

Does that make sense? Not living in a country that has Islam in the mainstream culture makes me aware of these issues...I dont want to celebrate Xmas with a tree and presents and etc because I want my children to not be confused, I want my children to be aware they are Muslim in a country that is primarily Christian

So I guess the question is for those with children who live in places like Canada, USA, Great Britain and perhaps dont have a large Islam community in their area....how do you celebrate Xmas, or do you, and if you dont how do you make your children not feel left out...or if you do, how do you explain to your children why you celebrate it like Christians-or do you give presents on all holidays, bdays or...etc etc??

[aflawedbeing]

Asalaamu alaykum sister.

As Muslims we don't celebrate birthdays fullstop, inclusive of those of the Prophets.
Some Muslims seem to acknowledge Christmas - but we really shouldn't.

It's haraam and we need to steer clear of haraam at all costs.

We can't avoid the public holiday. But we can just call it another day.

I spent this past December 25 gardening. :P

[butterflykisses]

Asalaamu alaykum

I spent it traveling and it was just another day :)...

I fear that it will be hard to explain to children in somewhere like USA...any suggestions? And any suggestions on celebrating Hijri new year vs. Gregorian and how to explain that to children as well?

Thanks for the reply!!

[YusufNoor]

Just curious how Muslims in American deal with Xmas.

I know just one Muslim girl (by association) and she celebrates Christmas via presents etc but has told me she "doesnt make it religious". Ive already been a bit disturbed by Christmas before I converted (my family is Christian) because it seems its generally supposed to be a religious holiday to Christians as it represents Isa's birthday (all thought the 25th is not his birthday I have read?)....Anyways the point is--the #1 question I hear immediately after Xmas is "what did you get"-referring to presents. It really, TRULY, bothers me.

As a Muslim I know that we should treat these days with perhaps a family dinner, special family time....i.e. birthdays of prophets....but presents and an Xmas tree seem a bit much just to make your children not feel left out from the rest of the American/Christian culture....in fact for those Muslims in America...by doing presents an Xmas tree etc etc...isnt that just like celebrating this holiday like Christians?...If we dont do these things on other prophets b-days, why Isaa-I refuse to celebrate it like this just because most in America do...

Does that make sense? Not living in a country that has Islam in the mainstream culture makes me aware of these issues...I dont want to celebrate Xmas with a tree and presents and etc because I want my children to not be confused, I want my children to be aware they are Muslim in a country that is primarily Christian

So I guess the question is for those with children who live in places like Canada, USA, Great Britain and perhaps dont have a large Islam community in their area....how do you celebrate Xmas, or do you, and if you dont how do you make your children not feel left out...or if you do, how do you explain to your children why you celebrate it like Christians-or do you give presents on all holidays, bdays or...etc etc??

:sl:

do you have kids?

learn to celebrate life and being Muslim! which entails learning Islam. you have to be careful on these sites. everyone will just tell you everything is haram. it doesn't help much.

xmas is actually the Roman festival of Saturnalius and the birthday of Mithra, a false prophet born after Jesus, pbuh. it's basically the winter solstice and celebrating that the days are starting to get longer. nothing to do with Jesus, pbuh. not now, not ever! it's all a fabrication. the catholic church use methods like this to make and keep converts happy, who were all pagan.

i was the type of christian that did not celebrate birthdays and holidays. kids don't really dig it! but no one says you can't buy gifts for your kids any time you want! be a good mom! teach your kids Islam. a great quote i remember: the Prophet, pbuh, came to teach good manners, enjoin good and forbid evil. Muslims can seem like cartoon figures running around "forbidding evil" (while actually doing a lot of it) and seem to have totally missed the boat on manners and enjoining good! it's a mindset thing to look at and think about.

here's a book by christians that didn't celebrate xmas and why. you might find it helpful:

http://www.herbert-armstrong.org/Boo...%201970%29.pdf

ma salama

Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.

When you create an account, you can participate in the discussions and share your thoughts. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and make new friends.
Sign Up

[butterflykisses]

I dont have kids I know I am getting ahead of myself in this respect but I have a million questions on every topic imaginable (lol)...

[M.I.A.]

the internet ate my post!

...anyway, christmas in western countries is mostly about good films on tv. free time from work and education..

or used to be, sky/cable and work have seen to that :(

so it is a different time for all, thats for sure.

we never did the christmas tree or presents thing but i cant say i remember being bothered by it as a child or being made to feel different than the rest of society.

imo most parents would just make the situation worse trying and explain it, but most people go out of there way to be extra nice to each other over christmas and new year so thats something.

i know its wrong how christmas is celebrated at large, but its ideas that are constantly reinforced and part of society.. im not saying all people follow them...

but things do change slowly and people change from generation to generation,

we cant really change the world or we would have done so already.

[Iceee]

Salaam Sister! Amazing question you have.

Here's the Islamic rulings with hadeeths on celebrating Christmas: http://islamqa.info/en/145950

An Imam at my mosque a couple of weeks ago said, "Our children are not dumb, deaf, or blind. They will ask who Santa Claus is, they will ask what are reindeer, about Christmas trees, and exchanging gifts. It is our job to teach them about Jesus (P.B.U.H), Christmas (may not be the day Jesus (P.B.U.H) was born) and the difference between the two religions of Christianity and Islam."

I find it kind of funny that the only day Christians will attend Church or visit their parents / family is on December 25th. Even funnier is that atheists will celebrate Christmas as well. Just funny. LOL. :D^o):statisfie

As Muslims, we have ALL year long to exchange gifts, visit family members, and have two special holidays of our own. Why do we have to celebrate it on one specific day that has no specific meaning to us?

Yes, my family and I go to the mall for the Christmas sales. Yes, when I was a kid, I always saw line-ups for sitting on Santa's lap at the malls. And a lot of students in my class always bought a gift for our teacher in public school. I felt left out... It's important for both Muslim parents to be vary of this. My parents and I would go boxing day shopping and we would buy something nice for my teacher for cheap. After Christmas/New Years holidays, I would give my teacher the gift explaining that I didn't celebrate Christmas but wanted to give them a gift as appreciation (teachers don't get enough for what they have to do in Canada).


While walking to and from mosque the last week, I would pass by many houses with Christmas lights. I love looking at them and knowing that the family inside is celebrating Christmas. I pray that the Christians are having a nice holiday but I will not celebrate it in any way. I sometimes wonder if children get scared that Santa is breaking-and-entering their homes on Christmas eve.

[aflawedbeing]

When I was growing up, I used to look forward to Santa 'breaking-and-entering' because her left things behind.
See, even if Christmas is 'your holiday', how can you acknowledge and still enjoy the commercialism, materialism and glorified gluttony that comes with it?
Sure. Many buy gifts and place them under charity trees.

But what about all the waste? It doesn't seem like a big deal until you think of all the children around the world going to bed at night with nothing in their stomachs.

[BlueOwl358]

Christmas, something that makes no sense to me, like at all. Something that stands for a religious birth, but is celebrated by non religious people as well, the whole foundation is clunky. Despite Christians and Atheists and whoever taking it apart from its meaning and just having it stand as a festival of happiness (kinda like a tree), as Muslims we must look beneath the cover of all actions and find the intention of every action, including the intent of Christmas, the whole point of why Christmas exists by whom it is celebrated, instead of just laughing around happily like a bearded reindeer (felt like saying it) just for the sake of fun.

Christmas being a non Islamic festival must be avoided at all costs, to avoid breaking the lines of separation of faith. The Prophet (pbuh) warned us that we would follow those before us no matter what they did and warned us not to follow the ways of those before us. Our religion is our own faith and disregarding it for other traditions is a sin.

"O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people." (Quran 5:51)

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3512; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 2691.

Thus, if you wanna do something Christians do and imitate them, you would be from among their nation, but being of the nation of Mohammad (pbuh), we must not fall into the corruptness that the corrupted people of Jesus (pbuh) have created. Stay clear from Christmas. We love Jesus all the time, including his birth season of Spring not just one day.

"Follow, [O mankind], what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember. And how many cities have We destroyed, and Our punishment came to them at night or while they were sleeping at noon." (Quran 7:3-4)

And thus also will all the foundations of Christianity and Judaism pummel to the ground when Jesus (pbuh) returns, and when Jesus wants to be a part of this Ummah and left his own Ummah for this one, why should we leave the greater Ummah for the lesser one, just because of temptation to ourselves and our children, who themselves are but a test for us.

Just lock your house doors and shut everyone in. ;D And eat some pie. Pie, Pie! I gotta get some pie.
7

[butterflykisses]

Glorified Gluttany ..Yes..
Thank you for the last few replies...believe me I am reading it all...theres so any great points to consider. And posting on these threads and seeing responses that are so clear and even have quotes from Quaran are so helpful...I appreciate it.

Its nice to hear about the experience of one who didnt celebrate and felt a bit left out but as you said BlueOwl...We cannot imitate...Thank you everyone for replying. :)

[The-Deist]

Should he respond to non-Muslims when they wish him a Happy New Year?
Is it permissible for me to say to non-Muslims “And the same to you” when they wish me a Happy New Year or say Best Wishes?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to greet or congratulate the kuffaar on the occasion of Christmas, New Year or any of their other holidays, and it is not permissible to respond to them when they greet us on those occasions, because they are not festivals that are prescribed in our religion, and returning their greeting is an affirmation and approval of them. The Muslim should be proud of his religion and its rulings, and he should be keen to call others and convey to them the religion of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on greeting the kuffaar on the occasion of Christmas and how we should respond when they greet us on this occasion. Is it permissible to go to the parties that they hold on this occasion?

Is a person sinning if he does any of the things mentioned without intending to, and he only does it to be nice, or because of or shyness or embarrassment or other reasons? Is it permissible to imitate them in that?

He replied:

Greeting the kuffaar on the occasion of Christmas or any of their other religious holidays is haraam according to scholarly consensus, as was stated by Ibn al-Qayyim in his book Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, where he says:

"Congratulating the kuffaar on the rituals that belong only to them is haraam by consensus, as is congratulating them on their festivals and fasts by saying ‘A happy festival to you’ or ‘May you enjoy your festival,’ and so on. If the one who says this has been saved from kufr, it is still forbidden. It is like congratulating someone for prostrating to the cross, or even worse than that. It is as great a sin as congratulating someone for drinking wine, or murdering someone, or having illicit sexual relations, and so on. Many of those who have no respect for their religion fall into this error; they do not realize the offensiveness of their actions. Whoever congratulates a person for his disobedience or bid’ah or kufr exposes himself to the wrath and anger of Allaah." End quote.

Congratulating the kuffaar on their religious festivals is haraam to the extent described by Ibn al-Qayyim because it implies that one accepts or approves of their rituals of kufr, even if one would not accept those things for oneself. But the Muslim should not accept the rituals of kufr or congratulate anyone else for them, because Allaah does not accept any of that at all, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"If you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah 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. .
[al-Zumar 39:7]

". . .

This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion . .

[al-Maa’idah 5:3]

So congratulating them is forbidden, whether they are one’s colleagues at work or otherwise.

If they greet us on the occasion of their festivals, we should not respond, because these are not our festivals, and because they are not festivals which are acceptable to Allaah. These festivals are innovations in their religions, and even those which may have been prescribed formerly have been abrogated by the religion of Islaam, with which Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to the whole of mankind. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers."

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]


It is haraam for a Muslim to accept invitations on such occasions, because this is worse than congratulating them as it implies taking part in their celebrations.

Similarly, Muslims are forbidden to imitate the kuffaar by having parties on such occasions, or exchanging gifts, or giving out sweets or food, or taking time off work, etc., because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Mukhaalifat Ashaab al-Jaheem: "Imitating them in some of their festivals implies that one is pleased with their false beliefs and practices, and gives them the hope that they may have the opportunity to humiliate and mislead the weak

End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 3/44.

And Allaah knows best.

[ali399]

Good and it ri8

[butterflykisses]

Striving---Your post is interesting because just the other day my friends sister (I only know so many Muslims currently lol)...texted her and said happy new year on dec 31. Her sister is in Egypt. All though Muslims dont necessarily celebrate new years...and I even asked my friend, why would she say this if you dont celebrate....she said that often times her family will wish people and/or respond the same when wished with...new year...lines can be muddy because we use the calendar that states dec 31 is new years but they do not celebrate it....she said sometimes they even wish their christian friends well and happy christmas but they do not say it as in they celebrate...and they dont celebrate...they just wish their friends well.....and it doesnt mean they dont praise their religion more or less...its just to be tolerant, polite and caring.

Thoughts on this track of thought on the whole issue? ^^

[The-Deist]

This what I wrote about new year and christmas (the long piece of text is from my friend in facebook (and he found it in the Internet ;D and and heres my opinion about the text that I wrote /issue

"Its true that we shouldnt be happy when kuffaars do sins we should give them dawah or something not greet them or celebrate or get happy for them because that might just enourage them to do the sin even more"