The teacher who has among his associates those who commit acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) or Christians: what is the ruling on congratulating them on their festivals?
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The tenth question from Fatwa number ( 18074 )
Q 10: Most of our teachers are mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) or People of the Book. What is the ruling on congratulating them on their festivals? What is the ruling on returning their greetings (they have something necessary and important)? And what is the ruling on giving them gifts, whether on their festivals or otherwise?
Vol. 10: First: It is not permissible to participate in the festivals of the Christians or to congratulate them on them; because in this there is a type of approval of what they are upon, and flattery of them in their falsehood, and cooperation in sin and transgression. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] Second: It is not permissible to initiate the greeting of peace to a disbeliever; because of what is established from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 2167a It was narrated by Muslim , and in the hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 2163a It was narrated by the two Shaykhs. They should be responded to with what the hadith indicates, which is to say: "And upon you," and there is no harm in saying to a disbeliever initially: "How are you this morning?" or "How are you this evening?" or the like.
That is the case; if the need arises for it, a number of scholars have stated this explicitly, among them Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah . There is nothing wrong, given the circumstances mentioned, with you greeting your non-Muslim teachers with a greeting other than the Islamic greeting of peace, saying for example, "How are you this morning?" or the like, and returning their greeting if they offer it to you. However, if they know the Islamic greeting and offer it to you, return it to them with what came in the aforementioned hadith, which is saying: "And upon you." And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q 10: Most of our teachers are mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) or People of the Book. What is the ruling on congratulating them on their festivals? What is the ruling on returning their greetings (they have something necessary and important)? And what is the ruling on giving them gifts, whether on their festivals or otherwise?
Vol. 10: First: It is not permissible to participate in the festivals of the Christians or to congratulate them on them; because in this there is a type of approval of what they are upon, and flattery of them in their falsehood, and cooperation in sin and transgression. Allah the Exalted said:
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِDo not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.
لا تبدؤوا اليهود والنصارى بالسلام، فإذا لقيتم أحدهم في طريق فاضطروه إلى أضيقهWhen the People of the Book offer you salutations, you should say: The same to you.
إذا سلم عليكم أهل الكتاب فقولوا: وعليكمThat is the case; if the need arises for it, a number of scholars have stated this explicitly, among them Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah . There is nothing wrong, given the circumstances mentioned, with you greeting your non-Muslim teachers with a greeting other than the Islamic greeting of peace, saying for example, "How are you this morning?" or the like, and returning their greeting if they offer it to you. However, if they know the Islamic greeting and offer it to you, return it to them with what came in the aforementioned hadith, which is saying: "And upon you." And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.