Is congratulating Christians with ‘Merry Christmas’ or any other greeting alike permissible?
Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
It is not permissible to congratulate Christian on their festive occasions such as Christmas with ‘Merry Christmas’ or any other similar greeting.
Praise be to Allah, and may His Peace and Blessings be upon our Master Muhammad ﷺ, his nation of Muslims, his family and his Companions.
To answer this question, I will present the fatwa of our Shaykh, Salim b. Ahmad al-Khatib, may Allah preserve him and allow the Muslim nation to continue benefitting from him, a member of the Fatwa Council of Tarim, Yemen, who was asked the following: [The original. Arabic, version of the Shaykh’s fatwa can be found at the bottom of this fatwa]
“Is it permitted to congratulate Christians on the occasion of Christmas? Especially when the occasion of the birth of the Prophet ﷺ will be two days before their celebration of the birth of Jesus, we thought of gifting our neighbours some sweets and congratulating them on the birth of the Prophets, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon them both, whilst expressing to them matters on which the foundations of Islam and the Qur’an coincide with the Gospel, such as expressing our love for both of the noble Prophets. Is this manner of da’wah permitted?”
Our Shaykh, may Allah allow us to continue benefitting from him, wrote in response:
“In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
May His most complete Peace and Blessings be upon our Master Muhammad ﷺ – the Seal of the Prophets, Leader of the God-fearing, Leader of those who have illuminated limbs – and upon his family, his Companions, for as long as the heavens and earth remain.
The answer to this question – and Allah we ask for guidance to truth as He is surely the Generous and Bestower – is as follows:
- Regarding congratulating Christians on the occasion of Christmas
Christians are not more entitled to Jesus Christ, the son of Mary – Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him – than the Muslims such that they are congratulated on this occasions. In fact, it is more befitting that Muslims be congratulated for the existence of the Prophet Jesus – Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him – as they are the ones who witness that he is the slave of Allah and a messenger.
Therefore, congratulating Christians on the occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ is very problematic as their belief in Christ is in direct contradiction to the teaching of Islam. They have made a horrendous claim regarding Christ – Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet ﷺ and him – such that the heavens are about to burst due to this claim of him being a son of God. Allah, Exalted is He, says:
“And they say, “The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son (88) You have certainly made an outrageous claim, (89) By which the heavens are about to burst, the earth split apart, and the mountains crumble to pieces (90) That they attribute to the Most Merciful a son. (91) And it is not appropriate for the Merciful that He should take a son. (92)” [Surah Maryam:88-92].
And how can they be congratulated whilst they insult Allah by claiming Christ is the son of God? In a Sahih tradition, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be Pleased with him and his father, who reported on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ that he said,
“Allah says, ‘The son of Adam denies me, and he has no right to this. He insults me, and he has no right to this. As for his denial of me, he claims that I cannot resurrect him as he was. As for his insult towards me, he states that I have a son. Transcendent am I, that I take any companion or child.’” Reported by al-Bukhari.
The statements of the scholars of Jurisprudence are available regarding the prohibition of congratulating Christians on their festive occasions, some being explicit in the prohibition, and some being implicit.
1 – Shafi’i
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami states in his Fatawa relating from some of the later generation scholars,
“‘From the most evil of innovations is the Muslims doing what Christians do on their festive occasions by imitating them in their food, gifting them and accepting their gifts on those occasions. The Egyptians are the most guilty of all in this. The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Whoever imitates a people, then they are from them.’ In fact, Ibn al-Haajj said, ‘It is not permitted for a Muslim to sell anything to a Christian which has any interest in their festive occasion. No meat, or condiments, or clothing. They are not to lend them anything, even an animal, as this is assisting them in their disbelief. The leaders of state are obliged to prevent all this. Other evil innovations they have are such as eating Harissa on Norouz; burning incense on Khamis’ul-Idayn seven times claiming that this prevents tardiness and illness; colouring eggs yellow and red, and selling them as well as medicines on a Saturday they call “Saturday of Light” – which in reality is a Saturday of darkness. On this particular Saturday, they buy ling and claim it is for blessing; collect leaves and place it in water for bathing on the night preceding the day of Saturday claiming it removes black magic; apply eye liner to increase the light of their eyes; oil themselves with sulphur and oil. They also sit naked under the sun claiming it prevents scabies and eczema; cook milk and drink it in bathroom, as well as many other innovations they have made. It is an obligation to also prevent them from openly celebrating their festive occasions.’” (al-Fatawa’l-Fiqhiyah, Vol 4, pg. 239)
Al-Khatib Ash-Shirbini says in Mughni al-muhtaj and Al-‘Iqna’,
“Anyone who does as the non-Muslims do on their festive occasions is to be punished by way of ta’zir, as well as anyone who holds a snake; enters a fire; and whoever says to a non-Muslim under Muslim rule, “O Haaj”, and whoever congratulates them on their festive occasions.” (Mughni al-muhtaj, Vol 5, pg. 526; Al-‘Iqna’, Vol 2, pg. 526)
Al-Bujayrami states,
“The author’s words, ‘Whoever acknowledges what non-Muslims do in their festive occasions’, means doing what they do on their festive occasions, and this is prohibited. (Hashiyat’ul-Bujayrami ‘ala’l-Iqna’, Vol 4, pg 179)
2 – Hanafi
The author in Tabyin’al-haqaiq, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
“(Giving in the name of Norouz or Maharaja is not permitted) meaning gifting in the name of these two days is not only prohibited, but it is disbelief. Abu Hafs al-Kabir, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘If a man worshipped Allah for 50 years and then the day of Norouz comes and he gifts a non-believer an egg intending to venerate that day, he has committed disbelief and his actions have become null.’ The author of al-Jami’ al-Asghar said, ‘If he gifts something to another Muslim on Norouz day but does not intend to venerate that day; instead they are only doing this as it is a custom of some people, they do not become a disbeliever by this. However, it is more befitting that they do not do it on that particular day; they should do it a day before or a day after in order to not imitate those people.’” (Tabyin’al-haqaiq, Vol 6, pg. 228; al-Bahr’al-Ra’iq, Vol 2, pg. 526)
3 – Maliki
The author in Minah’ul-Jalil says,
“I say it is not permitted for Muslims to accept the gifts of Christians on their festive occasions.” (Minah’ul-Jalil, Vol 7, pg. 478)
Ibn al-Haajj in al-Madkhal says,
“It is not befitting for any children to accept any food that may come to them from the people of the Book because accepting this is considered as venerating their festive occasions, and venerating their festive occasions is venerating them. Venerating them is problematic as it is. This may be a reason for them to believe that their religion is the truth and all other religion is false, because they see how Muslims are venerating them.” (al-Madkhal, Vol 2, pg. 322)
4- Hanbali
The author in ar-Rawdh’al-Murbi’ says,
“It is not permitted to give them [non-Muslims] the main seat in a gathering, or stand for them, or precede them in greeting them with Salam, or a greeting such as, ‘How’s your morning?’, ‘How’s your evening?’, ‘How are you?’. Nor is it permitted to congratulate them, give them condolences, visit them, and witness their festive occasions.” (ar-Rawdh’al-Murbi, Vol 1, pg. 204)
The author in Muntaha’l-Iradat says,
“It is prohibited to precede them [non-Muslims] with Salam, or a greet them with, ‘How’s your morning?’, ‘How’s your evening?’, ‘How are you?’. It is prohibited to congratulate them, give them condolences, visit them, and witness their festive occasions.” (Muntaha’l-Iradat, Vol 1, pg. 664)
In summary, the prohibition of congratulating Christians on Christmas is either explicit or implicit in the texts presented. Shaykh Ibn al-Qayyim relates a consensus on congratulating Christians on their rituals specific to them,
“Congratulating them on their rituals specific to them is prohibited by consensus, such as congratulating them on their festive occasions and their fasting by saying, ‘May it be a blessed celebration’, ‘May you be happy on this occasion’ etc. This, if it does not render a person a disbeliever, is from the prohibitions.” (Ahkam Ahl’udh-dhimmah, Vol 1, 441)
Shaykh Izz’ud-Din Ibn ‘Abd-Salam was asked regarding whether saying to a dhimmi [a non-Muslim under the protection of a Muslim state], ‘May you have a blessed celebration’, is disliked or not. His response alluded to whether this person commits disbelief or not, such that he indicated that the question is not a matter of it being disliked or not, rather it is a matter of whether the person has committed disbelief or not. Al-Hattab and Shaykh Muhammad ‘Illish both related this from him and did not comment. Shaykh Muhammad ‘Illish says in Fath’ul-‘Ali’il-Malik,
“Izz’ud-Din Ibn ‘Abd-Salam was asked regarding a Muslim who says to a dhimmi on their festive occasion, ‘May you have a blessed celebration.’ Is it disliked or not? He responded, if a Muslim says this to a dhimmi in a manner that shows veneration to their religion and their celebration, they have surely committed disbelief. If he does not intend this, rather it just slipped off his tongue, then he will not have committed disbelief with what he says without intent.’” (Fath’ul-‘Alii’ul-Malik, Vol 5, pg 257; Mawahib’ul-Jalil, Vol 6, pg. 289)
- Your method in gifting between yourselves and Christians as well as congratulating them on the birthdays of the two Noble Prophets, Peace and Blessings of Allah be on them both, in addition to any other detail mentioned up the end of the question
- If you are gathering with them and gifting them with the intention that they understand that you are not affirming their Christ is the son of God, he is in fact the slave of Allah and His messenger, and you debate them in the best of ways and call them to Allah, Exalted is He, then this is amongst the best ways of coming closer to Allah.
- If, however, you gather with them, gift one another and congratulate them in a general sense, such that the difference between Muslims and them is insignificant, and they believe in the divine nature of Christ and that he is the son of God, and you congratulate them on their celebration, then this is a reflection of approval and not disapproving of what they believe, and the texts cited previously are referring to this. If we assume, for example, that there was a group of Muslims who had a celebration in cursing the Salaf, we would say it is not allowed to congratulate them for this day because it is found upon a sin. The Sahih hadith has previously been mentioned which is reported by al-Bukhari on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be Pleased with him and his father, who reported on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ that he said “Allah says, ‘The son of Adam denies me, and he has no right to this. He insults me, and he has no right to this. As for his denial of me, he claims that I cannot resurrect him as he was. As for his insult towards me, he states that I have a son. Transcendent am I, that I take any companion or child.’” This clarifies that whoever ascribes to Allah, Transcendent is He, a child, has surely insulted Allah.
And Allah Knows best.”
– Translated by Shaykh Muhammad Jamili (from the Fatwa of Shaykh Salim al-Khatib)
Original Arabic text below:
