Celebrating the holidays of the kuffar is haram
Wednesday, 10 December 2008 22:50


Allah سبحانه وتعالى has distinguished and honoured the Muslim Ummah by Islam. He سبحانه وتعالى made Islam her way of life, the source of her unique concepts and rules, and a comprehensive and complete system for all of her life's affairs.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ
"You are the best ummah singled out for mankind: you enjoin what is right (ma'roof), forbid what is wrong (munkar), and believe in Allah." [Al-Imran:110]
Since the abolishment of Islam, from life, as a ruling system, the state of the Ummah has been declining from one bad stage to a worse one. The Ummah is being ruled by Kufr laws, dominated by Kufr concepts, invaded by the West with its corrupt culture and repugnant promiscuity, and as a result, It has corrupted the Ummah's Deen, ethics and future generations. The Western beacons, symbols, concepts, and occasions have become those of the Ummah. The West has been aided by the rulers of the Muslims who have devoted themselves to keeping Islam away from life, to fighting off it's thoughts and concepts, thus molding the Ummah's to the West's desire.
Celebrating the Christian holidays, such as Christmas and the Christian New Year is part of the Western culture that is imposed on the Muslims. In imposing such culture, the West intended for the Muslims to accept and recognize the Christian rituals, and believe in the equality of Christianity with Islam. We pray to Allah سبحانه وتعالى that the Muslims do not start celebrating the Jewish holidays as they have been celebrating the Christian ones.
With great sorrow and broken hearts, we witness the killing, rape and the expulsion of Muslims, throughout the world, at the hands of the Western Christians - the enemies of Islam. At the same time, we observe some of the children of the Muslims expressing their loyalty to the West and being fascinated with its culture. They celebrate the Christian holidays, occasions, and prepare for their seasons. It is no longer appalling to hear that some of the Muslims host the Americans and the other Christians in their own homes to celebrate Christmas, New Year, and other holidays. Indeed it is no longer considered strange for this to occur since the Ummah does not have a caretaker who would foster her affairs with Islam, shield it from Kufr concepts, protect her deen, and rule her so that she may remain a distinguished Ummah, as Allah سبحانه وتعالى willed for her.
O Muslims!
Celebrating the holidays and the occasions of the Kuffar is certainly Haram. You are not permitted to do it. Nor are your rulers allowed to make these (Kufr) holidays as official holidays, since it is an imitation of the Kuffar.
Imitating the Kuffar in any of their religious affairs or in any gesture that distinguishes them as groups is forbidden. Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih (book) that Abu Saeed Al-Khudri رضي الله عنه reported that Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: "You will indeed follow the ways of those before you, hand span by hand span, and an arms length after another. Even if they enter into a lizards hole, you will follow them. We asked, is it the Jews and the Christians? He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم replied, Who else!"
This hadith condemns imitating them. It is a proof for the prohibitions of imitating the Jews and the Christians in their occasions, symbols, or any matter related to their belief.
Celebrating the holidays of the kuffar is an act of imitation which is forbidden in Islam. Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم warned us against it. At-Tirmidhi narrated that Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: "He is not one of us who imitates other than us. Do not imitate the Jews or the Christians."
At-Tabarani and Abu Dawud narrated that Ibn Umar and Hudhayfah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: "Whoever imitates a people, he is one of them."
Furthermore, there are many Islamic evidences that forbid the Muslims from having holidays other than Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adhaa. Al-Bayhaqi reported in his Sunan that Anas Bin Maalik رضي الله عنه said: "When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم came to Medina, the people had two holidays from the days of Jahiliyyah."
He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: "When I came to you, you had two days which you used to celebrate in Jahiliyyah. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has replaced them for you with better days, the days of slaughter (Adhaa) and the day of fitr."
Also Imam Ahmad in his Musnad reported that Uqbah bin Amir رضي الله عنه reported the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to have said: "The day of Fitr and days of Tashriq are our holidays, the people of Islam."
These evidences are clear in forbidding the Muslims to have any Eid other than what Allah سبحانه وتعالى prescribed for them. Thus, they are not allowed to participate in or celebrate the holidays of the Kuffar, nor are they allowed to attend them, even if invited. Moreover, holidays, such as the New Year are filled with corruption and vice. Such occasions, where sins are committed and liquor is served, have become avenues to commit acts of fisq (disobedience). The official media uses its creativity to corrupt the tendencies and morals of the people by spreading the corrupt programs that contain nothing but vice in order to eliminate any sign of purity and morality.
O Muslims!
The Muslim Ummah is still being ruled by Kufr rules and dominated by Kufr concepts. The thoughts and sentiments of the children of the Ummah are still being molded in accordance with the corrupt Western values. Unless the Ummah rids itself from all of this corruption and works to establish the rightly guided Islamic Khilafah, that implements the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, the situation of the Ummah will remain the same. The Ummah must establish the Khilafah in order to remove the injustice and corruption which has resulted in the loss of the identity and glory of the Muslims. Moreover, it has made them victims of the Kuffar and their agents, who implement the laws of Kufr which contradict with the Aqeedah and the Deen of the Muslims. It is to the Khilafah that we call you.
Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said, "Verily the Imam is a shield; you (the Muslims Ummah) fight from behind him and protect yourselves with him."
Hizb-ut-Tahrir
Wilayah of Kuwait
20 Rajab 1415 Hijrah
22nd December, 1994